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Tuesday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Election Day is here; Florida polls now open across the state
Election Day is here. Polls are now open across Florida and will stay open until the last voter in line by 7 p.m. local time has cast a ballot. Tuesday caps off voting in an extraordinary election year that has been fundamentally affected by the coronavirus pandemic and by an incumbent president who has been unafraid to buck some of the conventional political norms — including refusing to say whether he’d concede if he lost. More from the Tampa Bay Times and the Orlando Sentinel.
See also:
» Your 2020 election night guide: How to decipher the results as they roll in
» Election Updates: Florida’s last day at the polls
Eta intensifies into a Category 4 major hurricane with 150 mph; expected to turn, reform and could be a Florida threat
Hurricane Eta is far from the U.S. and moving in the other direction toward Central America. But the storm has the attention of forecasters in Florida who say it’s possible the track will do an about-face and pose a threat to the Sunshine State. Currently a major hurricane, Eta is on a direct course for Nicaragua. It’s far too early to know for certain what the storm will do once it makes landfall, but forecasters say Floridians, especially those on the northwest coast and the Panhandle, should be paying attention. More from South Florida Sun-Sentinel and the Orlando Sentinel.
JEA board selects Jay Stowe as the utility’s next CEO
The JEA board of directors Nov. 2 selected former Huntsville, Alabama, public utility executive and industry consultant Jay Stowe as its next CEO and managing director. The board voted 6-1 during a special meeting to offer Stowe, 52, the position. The board then voted unanimously to allow Chair John Baker II and JEA Chief Legal Counsel Jody Brooks to negotiate Stowe’s contract with compensation capped at $575,000 per year. More from the Jacksonville Daily Record.
Survey: St. Pete is right up there with the Midwest for people making $60,000
It may not feel like it, what with runaway rents and home prices, but St. Petersburg ranks highly among the best cities to live in the U.S. on an annual income of $60,000. That’s according to a survey by SmartAsset, an online site that recommends financial advisors. St. Petersburg ranked 23rd on the list, which also gave high marks to many small cities in the Midwest and northern U.S. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Restaurant group to launch food hall
Ciccio Restaurant Group will open On the Fly, a food hall featuring the company’s Taco Dirty, Sweet Soul and Better Byrd concepts, on Nov. 16 in St. Petersburg. Located at 4447 Fourth St. N., the food hall will be open for dine-in service. It will also offer pickup orders via its website and delivery service through Uber Eats, DoorDash, GrubHub and Postmates. More from the Business Observer.
Transportation
Electric scooters hit the streets in St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg is the latest city to get electric scooters after they became a craze a few years ago, with masses of them popping up in urban areas all over the country — including in Tampa, which began its scooter program in 2019. They quickly became known as a quick, convenient and affordable method to zip around. But they also brought controversy. In many cities, the scooters can be parked practically anywhere, leaving the devices strewn on sidewalks and often in the way.
» More from the TTampa Bay Times.
Event
Forks & Corks Food & Wine Festival in Sarasota-Manatee sets date for 2021
One of Sarasota-Manatee’s most popular annual dining and drinking celebrations has announced its return next year, though it will move to a later date and the lineup of events is not yet determined because of the pandemic. Forks & Corks Food & Wine Festival, which took place in January this year, is set to return April 29-May 3. The 14th annual event is presented by the Sarasota-Manatee Originals, a community of more than 60 local independently owned restaurants.
» Read more from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
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