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Tuesday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Peak of hurricane season arrives this week during record breaking year
The Atlantic basin has been bubbling with action with an excess of tropical activity during a record setting year and the peak of which is spinning around the corner. While tropical storm and hurricane activity accelerate during the months of August, September and October, it’s Sept. 10 that is typically observed to be the height of tropical storm production, which already looks higher this season than previous years, said Michael Brennan, a branch chief at the National Hurricane Center. “We’ve already been extremely busy in tropics,” he said. “This year we’re forecast to see more tropical activity, so it stands that we may have a busier September then usual.” More from the Orlando Sentinel.
See also:
» Two tropical storms moving west through Atlantic, 2 more systems could develop
It hardly seems possible, but the presidential campaign is about to amp up in Florida
Don’t for a minute think there have already been more than enough presidential campaign ads, polls and punditry, and vitriol on Facebook. With just three weeks until millions of Floridians start receiving their mail ballots, it’s about to get more intense — much more intense. The fall campaign season will bring bursts of attention to other states and campaign surprises, but Florida is about to assume its position as the biggest, most important battleground state in the presidential election. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Liquidation sales continue as Jacksonville-based Stein Mart prepares to close all stores
Attention Stein Mart shoppers. The closing of the six Jacksonville-area Stein Mart stores due to the company filing for bankruptcy means liquidation sales offering customers significant discounts to clear the shelves of merchandise. Sunday a steady stream of bargain hunters shopped at the Jacksonville stores on Roosevelt Boulevard in the Ortega, as well as University Boulevard in the Lakewood neighborhood. More from the Florida Times-Union.
Out-of-state companies pondered a move to Miami. Then came a spike in COVID-19 cases
South Florida office brokers saw a flurry of inquiries from potential new-to-market tenants in May, June and August. Once Florida’s case count blew past New York’s, activity stalled. Good news: Interest is back. “We had the second spike and everything paused,” said Tere Blanca in August. She is founder, chairperson and CEO of the Brickell-based brokerage firm Blanca Commercial Real Estate. More from the Miami Herald.
Tampa cybersecurity firm inks deal with NFL team
While offensive linemen protect new Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, cybersecurity firm ReliaQuest will safeguard the team’s digital network. According to a press release, Tampa-based ReliaQuest has entered into a partnership with the Bucs that will see it become the team’s official cybersecurity partner. The Bucs organization will use ReliaQuest’s GreyMatter product to fend off data security breaches. ReliaQuest enjoys a similar relationship with the NBA’s Boston Celtics. More from the Business Observer.
Out of the Box
Jelly Belly founder launches Willy Wonka-style treasure hunt for keys to Florida-based candy factory
Jelly Belly creator David Klein is getting ready to retire and just like the fictitious Willy Wonka, he wants to give away his Florida-based factory, Candyman Kitchens. Klein is launching a series of treasure hunts across the country and the big winner will walk away with the key to his candy factory. The ‘golden tickets’ in this treasure hunt are actually golden necklaces with verification codes on them. They are hidden in secret locations across the U.S.
» More from CBS Miami.
Business Profile
When crime scene disinfection becomes a real business
Laura Spaulding, 46, opened Spaulding Decon in 2005 to clean up the nastiest messes, such as those left by decomposing bodies, bloody homicides and hoarders. She started franchising four years ago, and now there are 37 Spaulding Decon locations around the continental United States. Though the company has always done environmental disinfection work, the coronavirus pandemic has greatly increased the demand, she said.
» Read more from the Tampa Bay Times.
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