SHARE:
Thursday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
› Altamonte Springs animal haven receives more critters, donations during pandemic
While businesses and nonprofits alike have struggled during the coronavirus pandemic, an Altamonte Springs haven for injured wildlife says its donations have “probably doubled,” while the number of arriving critters in need has also jumped. Mary Jane Isner, who founded what became The Haven for Injured and Orphaned Wildlife at her home more than 30 years ago, attributes the influx of hurt animals to more people spending time outside over the past year-and-a-half.
› Opportunities seen in added Port of Miami rail cargo
An eight-year-old Florida East Coast Railway link carrying cargo in and out of the Port of Miami is now hauling 60 to 80 loaded shipping containers a day from the inland US to sail seaboard to other nations, and operators say there’s plenty of room for expansion. One or two trains daily roll east past the Freedom Tower, cross Biscayne Boulevard and head into the seaport, delivering their cargo to departing ships and carrying back from arriving ships 50 to 60 loaded freight containers headed around the Southeast.
› Fresco y Más opening third Tampa grocery store
Fresco y Más Supermarket is expanding in Tampa Bay. Southeastern Grocers Inc., the parent company of Fresco y Más and Winn-Dixie, announced it’s opening a third location in Tampa today. Fresco y Más is a supermarket brand that caters to Hispanic and Caribbean communities.
› Fort Lauderdale worker accused of Christmas lights bid-rigging
Broward County’s top government watchdog has found a city of Fort Lauderdale employee manipulated documents to wrongly award a contract to a company for holiday lights. Broward Inspector General John W. Scott announced Tuesday that his office’s findings show Fort Lauderdale CRA Coordinator Thomasina Turner-Diggs steered the city contract to South Florida Lighting Team, which was known as Miami Christmas Lights. Investigators say they are turning the case over to prosecutors to consider charges for bid-rigging, a felony.
In case you missed it:
