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Wednesday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
1,000 dead manatees: Florida surpasses a grim milestone
Since July, every weekly update from state wildlife officials has set a new record for the most manatee deaths counted in a single year. Today, Florida crossed an especially tragic threshold: more than 1,000 manatees dead. The exact count, through Nov. 12, was 1,003 manatees, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. That is up from 637 all of last year and far above the previous record, 830, in 2013. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Legislators push controversial records exemption to protect unvaccinated employees
In an effort to protect unvaccinated employees from retaliation, Florida legislators advanced bills on Monday that would create a new exemption from public records that critics warn is unconstitutionally broad. Under the bills, SB 4B and HB 3B, the Florida Attorney General would be allowed to launch investigations into businesses that require employees to be vaccinated and, if found in violation of a new vaccine mandate law, the state may impose fines of $10,000 to $50,000 per violation. More from the Miami Herald.
Lake Okeechobee to see dramatic changes under new plan to stop algae blooms and protect Everglades
A sweeping overhaul of the management of Lake Okeechobee is now part of a federal plan to reverse decades of environmental damage to the Everglades and coastal communities. The proposal from the Army Corps of Engineers will increase flows of water to the Everglades and slash discharges of water to the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, where the nutrient-laden water had generated plagues of thick green algae. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
A Small Business Saturday festival in St. Petersburg is bigger than ever this year
The Shopapalooza Festival is coming back in full force. The St. Petersbug outdoor event, which began in 2010 support local shops during the holiday shopping season, will feature more than 300 vendors, live music, a Santa station, a Christmas village with a life-size gingerbread house and more this year. This Small Business Saturday, or the Saturday immediately following Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday, is a chance for local businesses who were limited last year during the pandemic to reach out to the community again. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
DeVos family to give $3 million to 30 Central Florida charities
To mark the 30th year of owning the Orlando Magic, the DeVos family will give $3 million to 30 Central Florida charities, aiming to improve life particularly for children and low-income families, Orlando Magic Chairman Dan DeVos announced Tuesday. The money, to be awarded over the next 18 months, also comes with a spotlight — each recipient will be honored at a Magic game this season or next and featured on the Magic’s various digital platforms. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
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Event
Miami Book Fair opens with flexible programming
After devising an all-virtual work-around in compliance with pandemic restrictions a year ago, Miami Book Fair is back at Miami Dade College’s downtown Wolfson Campus with its most flexible programming yet. The 2021 edition, continuing through Sunday, Nov. 21, offers programs in several formats.
» More from Miami Today.
Out of the Box
How do you make an ice rink on a beach in St. Petersburg?
On a recent November afternoon, it was 81 degrees as workers in short sleeves prepared the space for an ice rink on Spa Beach at the approach to the St. Pete Pier. The Pier organizers expect to attract 20,000 skaters over the 59-day run of Winter Beach, which will have a nearly 4,000-square-foot ice rink as the centerpiece. It also will have an adjacent shopping village, food and holiday events.
» Read more from the Tampa Bay Times.
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