SHARE:
Thursday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
How many Floridians can one peninsula hold? See state’s future population estimates
Newly updated estimates from the Legislature’s Office of Economic and Demographic Research show Florida’s population increasing to more than 25 million people in 2032. Here are population estimates for April 1 from this year and each upcoming year. More from the News Service of Florida.
Florida, DeSantis sued after rollout of felon voting rights restoration
Nearly five years after Floridians voted to allow people with felony convictions to restore their voting rights, the coalition that pushed for the change is suing the state, arguing Florida created a system that impedes the will of the voters. The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition pushed Amendment 4, a constitutional amendment that allowed people with most felony convictions to regain their right to vote. Voters approved the measure in 2018, with about 65% in support. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
10 Jacksonville private companies top $1 billion
In addition to eight Jacksonville-based public companies that reported revenue above $1 billion in 2022, Northeast Florida is home to 10 private companies that also reached that level, according to Florida Trend magazine. Jacksonville is well represented in the magazine’s annual list of top privately owned Florida companies, in its July issue. More from the Jacksonville Daily Record.
State approves Weeki Wachee River protections to curb shore damage
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is putting new protections along 5.6 miles of the Weeki Wachee River in Hernando County. The springs protection designation makes the Weeki Wachee the largest such zone in the state since the Legislature established the protections last year. It grew out of concerns about crowding, trespassing on public and private shorelines — where access is not permitted — and other environmentally damaging behavior memorialized in photos, videos, social media discussions and studies over recent years. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Messi-mania fuels a travel bargain. This airline just cut fares from Miami to Buenos Aires
Responding to soccer superstar Lionel Messi’s arrival in South Florida, Aerolineas Argentinas is offering new sharply discounted fares between Buenos Aires and Miami. Argentina’s largest airline, state-owned Aerolineas Argentinas, said tickets are available for round-trip flights between Buenos Aires and Miami for $571. More from the Miami Herald.
Agriculture Trends
Baker County lands $750 million hydroponic facility
The Baker County Development Commission announced July 19 that a public-private partnership with Plant Agricultural Systems Inc. is moving forward in Baker County. Plant Agricultural Systems is a Fort Lauderdale-based infrastructure service provider delivering the physical and digital infrastructure necessary to support localized fresh produce demand in all regions of the world, according to a news release from the company.
» More from Florida Trend and the Jacksonville Daily Record.
Out of the Box
Florida man to give vasectomies to peacocks
Shielded by county law for decades, peacocks in Pinecrest, Florida, are no longer off limits to trappers, and Don Harris is eager to get his hands on the birds. Pinecrest lined up Harris to perform hundreds of rapid peafowl vasectomies after the village secured an exemption this week from Miami-Dade County’s strict rules against trapping the large birds.
» Read more from the Tampa Bay Times.
In case you missed it:
