SHARE:
Monday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida retailers expect holiday shopping boost
The state’s retailers are expecting record sales this holiday season, with increases of about 10 percent over 2020, according to the Florida Retail Federation. The industry group said the average consumer is expected to spend $998 on gifts over the next month and a half. The sales expectations come at the same time that the country grapples with supply-chain problems. More from the News Service of Florida.
Another sign Miami’s booming? The city’s getting a different kind of ‘club’
A tradition begun by East Coast business leaders more than a century ago has finally made its way to Miami. A group of local professionals led by Jeb Bush Jr. and Miami City Attorney Jeremy Schwarz have launched the Economic Club of Miami. Why now? It’s simple: Miami is going through an economic boom. More from the Miami Herald.
IAAPA: Attractions industry reunites, looks past pandemic
The IAAPA Expo is gearing up in Orlando after a two-year absence prompted by the pandemic. The roller-coaster models, bounce houses, high-tech developments, low-tech stuffed animals and theme-parks chatter are on their way back to the Orange County Convention Center. The gathering of the Orlando-based International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions begins Nov. 15. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Invasive Burmese pythons are slithering their way up Florida
Burmese pythons are making their way further north in Florida according to recent sightings in Palm Beach County. The pythons are invasive in Florida, where they have flourished in the Southern part of the state, including Everglades National Park, and taken a heavy toll on natural ecosystems. More from the Business Insider.
What Florida lawmakers will consider during the vaccine mandate special session
Florida’s annual legislative session doesn’t begin until January, but the state’s lawmakers are returning to Tallahassee anyway this week to vote on several bills dealing with mask and vaccine mandates. This has much to do with the wishes of Gov. Ron DeSantis, who spent the summer railing against mask and vaccine mandates. After his anti-vaccine “passport” bill he signed in May proved ineffective at stopping companies from requiring employees be vaccinated, he hinted for months that he would call lawmakers back to Tallahassee for a second crack at it. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Out of the Box
From pigs to gators, Florida deputy rescues critters
Could the Lee County Sheriff’s Office have its very own Deputy Doolittle? Sgt. Dave Drum, the Sheriff’s Office’s unofficial animal whisperer, once again came to the rescue of one of Southwest Florida’s animal residents Saturday. Drum was on Pine Island when he came across and helped corral a lost hog. Drum is no stranger to pig recovery.
» More from the AP.
Sports Business
Game on: Pasco County tourism leaders break away from Florida stereotypes
Pasco County’s makeover as Florida’s “Sports Coast” has nearly been fully realized. Credit for that goes to mainly two sources. One is the leadership and vision of Adam Thomas, 42, a former pro baseball player who’s now the county’s director of tourism. The other is the opening of the $44 million, 98,000-square-foot Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County, in Wesley Chapel.
» Read more from the Business Observer.
In case you missed it:
