Thursday's Afternoon Update
U.S. approves flights to Cuba from Florida cities
As part of the Obama Administration’s historic effort to normalize relations with Cuba, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today proposed to select eight U.S. airlines to begin scheduled flights between Atlanta, Charlotte, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, New York City, Orlando, and Tampa and Havana. The DOT should have a final decision by the end of the summer, which allows for a 30-day public comment period. The proposed airlines could begin flights as early as the fall. Read more at Florida Trend, the Hill, WESH, WFLA, and NBC Miami.
Mormons offer 17,000 acres for state conservation
State Acquisition and Restoration Council staff members will be spending the summer in the vicinity of hell — that’s Tate’s Hell State Forest. They will be surveying more than 17,000 acres of rolling sand hills, hardwoods, and marshes to see if the swath of wild north Florida is worthy of being included on the Florida Forever priority list as conservation land. More from the Tallahassee Democrat and the Apalachicola Times.
Strategy. Partnership. Vision.
Serving high net worth entrepreneurial clients, governments and large non profits throughout the U.S., Shinn & Co is a trusted business partner. Playing a powerfully pro-active role in establishing best accounting practices for the State of Florida, the firm frequently provides expertise to executive decision-makers and legislators at the highest levels in Florida and Washington D.C. [Sponsored Report] Read the full report here.
$3 million loan pursuit next for Space Florida
Space Florida will pursue a $3 million "bridge loan" to maintain momentum on construction of a satellite manufacturing facility on Florida's Space Coast. The agency will split payback of the loan with OneWeb, the company that's expected to occupy a 100,000-square-foot site on the Coast next year. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Job seekers flock to hiring event for FedEx in Ocala
FedEx’s 500 projected package handler positions are set to put the company in the ranks of Marion County’s biggest employers, according to Kevin Sheilley, president and CEO of the Ocala-Marion County Chamber and Economic Partnership. More from the Gainesville Sun.
Business Profile
Especially for Women
Especially for Women, a health boutique in Gainesville, is the only local store of its kind — selling everything from prosthetic breasts and bras for women who have undergone mastectomies to compression hose, bras and pumps for women who are nursing.
» More from the Gainesville Business Report.
Florida Icon
Nicole Johnson is a ‘Florida Icon'
The former Miss America, age 42, is a health educator and lives in St. Petersburg, Florida. She tells us: “Standing on a stage in a swimsuit is very not normal. But what I learned after the fact when I was a judge at Miss America that I wish I had known back when I was a contestant is that the judging of the woman who is standing before you in a swimsuit has nothing to do with the swimsuit. It has everything to do with how she can command the audience when stripped away of everything that’s convenient to her.”