Florida economists predicting steady growth

Florida economists are projecting that the state's economy should continue to grow over the next three years. State economists are meeting Friday to draw up estimates on how much money the state is expected to collect in taxes. Preliminary forecasts show that economists are predicting state tax collections to grow between 3 percent and 5 percent between this year and 2016. [Source: AP]

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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT The CNG revolution in Florida Compressed natural gas is catching on in Florida as a fuel for truck fleets - but obstacles to more widespread use remain. » Read more

Jacksonville gets a bite of impact from Sharks' playoff success

When the Jacksonville Sharks play the Philadelphia Soul for an Arena Football League conference championship Saturday at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena, it’s going to mean something financially to the city and the team. Postseason play in most professional sports leagues provides multifaceted financial impact. [Source: Florida Times-Union]

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Florida gets federal grant to study sinkholes

Florida has received a $1.08 million federal grant to study the state's vulnerability to sinkholes. Starting this fall, the Florida Geological Survey and the Florida Division of Emergency Management will spend three years assessing the risk for potential sinkholes statewide. [Source: AP]

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» FRIDAY PREVIEW: Coming next week to FloridaTrend.com:

• Changes at Florida Dept. of Corrections: The Smart Justice movement has spurred criminal justice overhauls in some states, including Georgia. In Florida, reform is happening in fits and starts.
• Collectors of Florida History: Two collectors of historic Florida artifacts share their interests. Also, we list other notable Florida historical collections.
• Showing Patients: A profile of Optima Healthcare Solutions.

» You'll find all these stories first on the Daily and Afternoon Pulse e-mails.

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Out of the Box Hotelier's website promotes South Florida as a dance vacation destination Pompano Beach hotelier Elaine Fitzgerald isn't resting on the laurels of her award-winning small inns. In the competitive hotel industry, where large and small hotels constantly vie for consumers' travel and vacation dollars, Fitzgerald is always searching for ways to make her properties stand out. That's partly why she launched FloridaDanceVacations.com, a website intended to be a resource for leisure and business travelers planning trips to South Florida and looking to get their dance fix while here. » Full story from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.