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Wednesday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida Lottery celebrates year of record sales and education contributions
The Florida Lottery is celebrating a big win with its tenth consecutive record-breaking year with an estimated $9.07 billion in annual sales for fiscal year 2020-21. As a result, the Lottery anticipates more than $2.2 billion in contributions to the state’s Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF), shattering all previous fiscal year transfer records. The Florida Lottery reinvests 99 percent of its revenue back into Florida’s economy through prize payouts, commissions to more than 13,000 Florida retailers, and transfers to education. More from CBS Miami.
Hurricane center watching new tropical wave over central Atlantic, awaiting another to emerge soon
A new tropical wave emerged over the mid-Atlantic Wednesday morning with odds of becoming the subsequent tropical depression or storm, according to the National Hurricane Center’s 8 a.m. update. Meanwhile, hurricane specialists are waiting on another wave to roll off the African coast soon. The newly emerged wave is producing a broad area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms. More from the Orlando Sentinel .
Tech company Fast picks Tampa for major East Coast hub
Fast, a San Francisco financial tech company that deals in online checkout services, has named Tampa its official East Coast home base. The company is planning a hiring campaign during which it hopes to hire some 200 employees, many based in Tampa. The company announced the moves during an unusually star-studded ceremony at Sparkman Wharf, with executives flanked by Mayor Jane Castor, the Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov and the Rays’ Kevin Kiermaier. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Ferry linking Miami to Miami Beach to cast off this month
Poseidon Ferry, Miami’s long-awaited waterborne commuter service, plans to resume hourly trips between Miami and Miami Beach on Aug. 26, and CEO Johnathan Silvia says he expects smooth sailing ahead. The ferry, which was launched at the end of last November, “had a good run for about a month and a week,” he said, before the second wave of Covid-19 forced a temporary shutdown. More from Miami Today.
State to discuss deaths of nearly 900 Florida manatees in unprecedented year
Just how bad has this year been for Florida manatees? The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission board is set to find out today when agency staffers brief them on an “unusual mortality event” that has ravaged one of the state’s signature species. A slideshow and memo outlining their presentation offers a bleak preview: Between December and the end of May, 677 dead manatees were found along Florida’s Atlantic shore. That is nearly one-fifth of all manatees believed to live in the area, per researchers’ latest population estimate. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
End of an Era
This family business fed Miami for 41 years. Now Norman Brothers is closing for good
The beloved Kendall-area farmer’s grocery store and farmer’s market, a business that has remained in the hands of family members since it was farmland tended to by two brothers, announced it will close Aug. 8, at 5 p.m., after agreeing to sell the property to a developer. “It’s time,” said Suann Suggs, the general manager and part owner. “It’s bittersweet. We’ve had a very good run here.”
» More from the Miami Herald.
Business Profile
Chocolatier chews on distribution expansion project
Norman Love Confections, celebrating 20 years in business in 2021, is expanding its packing, fulfillment and warehouse space in Fort Myers. The chocolatier’s 19,200-square-foot facility will cover four units – two of which were once adjacent spaces occupied by other companies, according to a statement. The project, to support Norman Love’s current demand and future growth, includes electrical, plumbing, mechanical and HVAC components, the statement adds.
» Read more from the Business Observer.
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