Tuesday's Daily Pulse

Posted 10/15/2013

Updated 1 decade ago

Global trade played key role in leading Florida out of recession

Global trade played a key role in leading Florida’s economy out of the recession, according to a study by the Florida Chamber Foundation in partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation. Florida created nearly 23,000 new jobs in trade and logistics from 2010 to 2012 and more than 9,000 new jobs in manufacturing. [Source: Fort Myers News-Press]

Preparing Florida's youth for the "real world"

Many feel Florida's youth aren't prepared financially to enter into the "Real World". The Florida Council on Economic Education wants to change that. They are asking state lawmakers to require Florida high schoolers to take a Financial Literacy course. More from WEAR and WJHG.

African dust might subdue future storm seasons

A burst of African dust in June, pouring over tropical regions of the Atlantic, appears to be a major reason this hurricane season has been remarkably subdued so far. What also might be a plus for Florida, the most storm-battered state in the nation: the dust might flare up on a cyclical basis. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

Florida counts on experimental trees to fight orange plague

Florida citrus researchers are preparing to launch a large-scale test of new disease-tolerant orange tree rootstock in what one likened to a leap of faith to save the $9 billion state industry from a deadly citrus greening "tsunami." [Source: Reuters]

Florida's stone crab season about to start

Florida's fishermen are hoping the upcoming stone crab season is better than last season's dismal haul. The recreational and commercial stone crab claw harvests open Tuesday in state and federal waters. The harvests continue through mid-May. [Source: AP]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Vision-impaired turn to entrepreneurship to pay bills [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
About 80 percent of working-age people with little or no sight lack jobs, partly because employers are unfamiliar with what the vision-impaired can do. That's led many of those with limited vision to start their own ventures, often with help from family and friends.

› New recreation area has tie to Osceola's ranching past [Orlando Sentinel]
Osceola County's newest recreation area is placid now, but it was once a bustling center of cattle ranching, the business that sustained the county before anyone had heard the term "theme park."

› Innovating to survive the economy's rough ride [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
There are jobs and there are businesses, and then there's what Robin and Mike Whincup do for a living. The father-and-son team owns and runs Galaxy America, which manufactures and sells mechanical bull rides and inflatable, multi-player games that cost from $8,000 to $20,000.

› Legal merger affects community associations [Orlando Sentinel]
Many of Central Florida's largest community associations will have a new law firm starting Dec. 1 when Altamonte Springs-based Taylor & Carls merges with Becker & Poliakoff of Fort Lauderdale.

Go to page 2 for more stories ...

› West Orange sportsplex could get kick-start from soccer deal [Orlando Sentinel]
Funding shortfalls, a rotten economy and even endangered skinks have conspired to block Commissioner Scott Boyd's goal of building a sports complex on about 220 acres in west Orange County. Now he's seizing on the campaign to bring Major League Soccer to Orlando to boost the stalled $37 million project.

› Amazon fulfillment center in Tennessee offers look at what to expect for Hillsborough's [Tampa Bay Times]
Hillsborough County officials couldn't wait to announce that Amazon sealed a deal last week to open a distribution center in Ruskin, bringing 1,000 jobs to the region. But what will actually happen within the walls of that 1.1-million-square-foot box and what benefits will it bring?

› Airports seek improvement dollars elsewhere as federal fiscal woes deepen [McClatchy]
The nation’s airports once counted on billions of dollars in federal grants to upgrade their facilities, but in an increasingly uncertain fiscal environment, some would prefer to leave the money on the table and leverage their own resources instead.

› Orange convention center gets high 'green' rating [Orlando Sentinel]
The Orange County Convention Center has received a prestigious energy-saving certification, making it the largest such exhibit hall to obtain a gold standard seal for green building design. County officials announced Monday the center had been awarded the gold level of Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design.