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Thursday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Gov. DeSantis announces $75m to bolster Florida's resilience to future storms
Governor Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday that $75 million has been awarded to 30 communities through the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity’s Rebuild Florida Critical Facility Hardening Program. The program allows local governments to increase the resiliency of critical facilities that serve a public safety purpose for local communities. “While we continue to help communities recover from the impacts of major storms in recent years, we also need to prepare for future storms,” said DeSantis. “This funding will be central to that preparation and make these communities more resilient.” [Source: WTXL]
Cruise industry recovery likely to be long haul
“Significant” passenger cruise operations might not return to Florida waters for another year or longer as fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic continues, according to a port-industry lobbying group. Michael Rubin, Florida Ports Council vice president of governmental affairs, told members of the Senate Transportation Committee on Tuesday that cruise lines are working to meet an “onerous” list of requirements from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and simply hope to have some vessels operating at half capacity this summer. [Source: News Service of Florida]
Publix, Winn-Dixie to give COVID-19 vaccines in Florida through federal program
Publix and the Jacksonville-based parent company of Winn-Dixie will both be administering the coronavirus vaccine in Florida through the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The two companies, along with Walmart, were included in a CDC list of retailers distributing the vaccine in the state. Walmart had confirmed Tuesday it would be administering vaccines in the state through the program. Participating pharmacies will begin receiving the doses next week, the CDC said. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
Space Coast engineering companies thrive, expect bright futures despite COVID-19
Data from the Space Coast Economic Development Commission shows aerospace jobs have steadily streamed into the Space Coast ever since 2014. The area has seen 60% job growth in aerospace from 2014 to 2019. Even with the COVID-19 pandemic causing other businesses to furlough employees, Aerion Supersonic is moving forward with its plans to break ground on its Melbourne facility this year. The headquarters will bring at least 675 new jobs to the area, he said. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
Florida Forever funding could be cut in half
Some of the state's main environmental programs are on the chopping block, including Florida Forever, a key fund to acquire conservation land. Governor Ron DeSantis' proposed budget includes $50 million for the preservation program - half of what it received last year. Lindsay Cross is with the advocacy group Florida Conservation Voters. "Investing in our conservation is a way to kind to balance the impacts we see in the environment from new development and new homes and businesses being created," she said. Florida Forever is a trust fund paid for by real estate taxes. [Source: WJCT]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› This major Miami company just announced it will pay its employees to get vaccinated
One of the largest companies in South Florida announced this week it would pay its employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Ryder System Inc., a publicly traded trucking and logistics service worth $3.4 billion, said its 40,000 company-wide workforce would receive up to six hours of paid time off to get inoculated. That includes three hours of PTO for the first vaccine and an additional three hours of PTO for treatments that require a second dose.
› Jacksonville targets homeless camp for relocation to hotels, citing COVID health risk
A homeless camp’s growth in downtown Jacksonville has sparked a new effort to move people there to hotels while seeking permanent housing for them, Mayor Lenny Curry said Wednesday. The makeshift community’s spread during the COVID-19 pandemic poses a public health concern, Curry said as he and homelessness service providers outlined an initiative called Pathway to Home to handle it.
› Tampa’s Straz Center reschedules ‘Hamilton’ to 2022
Hamilfans will have to wait until November 2022 to see Hamilton in Tampa. The David. A Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts announced that the hit Broadway musical has been postponed from its original engagement in June 2021. It has been rescheduled to Nov. 15-Dec. 11, 2022.
› Their scrunchie doubles as drink protection: Young South Florida inventors pitch to ‘Shark Tank’ on Friday
Michael and Shirah Benarde, a brother-sister inventor team from West Palm Beach, are betting that wild parties, music festivals and bar crawls will resume when the pandemic fades out. And they say these social events will revive the need for their product, NightCap, a drink spiking prevention device.
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