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Monday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
‘There’s no spring break here’: Florida’s Gulf Coast fights to rebound after Hurricane Ian
On Sept. 28, Hurricane Ian made landfall on Cayo Costa, a barrier island northwest of Cape Coral and Fort Myers, Fla., as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of more than 150 miles per hour. Killing 149 people in Florida, it was the state’s deadliest hurricane since 1935. More than four months later, the storm’s extraordinary power remains evident: In Fort Myers Beach, multistory oceanfront apartment buildings are still just piles of twisted steel and concrete rubble, and massive shrimping boats sit tilted and smashed together like toys in the corner of a tub. More from the New York Times.
Florida gas prices drop for second consecutive week
Florida gas prices declined for the second consecutive week, dropping a total of 19 cents per gallon. During the past week, the state average dropped 10 cents. Drivers are now paying an average price of $3.40 per gallon. That's the lowest daily average price in a little more than three weeks. "The downward trend at the pump may not last much longer," said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA - The Auto Club Group. "Crude oil and gasoline futures prices jumped 9% last week, almost completely erasing the losses that led to the 2-week drop at the pump. This could cause falling pump prices to plateau, or possibly inch higher in the coming weeks." More from WUSF.
Jacksonville Beach Fishing Pier casting a wide net for amenities
The Jacksonville Beach Fishing Pier stretches a quarter mile across the sand and over the Atlantic Ocean. For most visitors, it is a place to fish and take in the view. That will be changing this year as new operator Curtis DeWitt’s vision begins to take shape. DeWitt, 37, owner of Beach Life Rentals and Jax Beach Surf Shop in Jacksonville Beach and the Salt Air Inn & Suites in Atlantic Beach, wants to make the pier at 503 N. First St. a destination for both locals and visitors. More from the Jacksonville Daily Record.
Ybor City cigar factory is being saved with conversion to apartments
The J.C. Newman Cigar Factory’s clocktower, known as El Reloj, is Ybor City’s most iconic structure north of the interstate. But the Perfecto Garcia Cigar Factory’s water tower is a close second, at least in the eyes of that building’s contractor, Robert Holsopple. “You can see it from all over the neighborhood,” he said, “and have been able to for a long time.” More than a century, in fact. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Brevard dispute over semiconductor firm raises questions about tax break program
The Brevard County Commission's decision to reject a property tax break for a semiconductor company considering opening a new production facility in Palm Bay has raised questions about whether the move could set a precedent, hindering the voter-approved incentive program â?• and potentially the Space Coast economy. Commissioners voted 3-2 on Jan. 24 against giving Oregon-based Rogue Valley Microdevices Inc. a 70% reduction on its county property taxes over a seven-year period if the company moves into Palm Bay. The company also is considering sites in Arizona and Texas for its planned expansion. More from Florida Today.
Sports Business
"Normal" spring training will still have challenges in Southwest Florida
Major League Baseball spring training will get started this week in Southwest Florida. Boston Red Sox pitchers and catchers can report to camp at Jet Blue Park in Fort Myers starting Monday. The first day for the Minnesota Twins at Hammond Stadium is scheduled for Wednesday. But there is some question about whether fans will follow the teams south this year.
» More from FOX 4 Now.
Profile
LunaJoy
Sipra Laddha and Shama Rathi are psychiatrists, but when each of them struggled with mental health issues during or after their pregnancies, even they had trouble finding the professional help they needed. LunaJoy is focused on the 33 million women in the U.S. who experience depression, anxiety or other mental health disorders. Symptoms often surface during transition periods — fertility, pregnancy and postpartum, for example — but could often be detected earlier, the co-founders say.
» Read more from Florida Trend.
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