Florida trailed only California in adding private jobs last month

Florida added a relatively strong 16,400 private-sector jobs last month, indicating it continues to outpace much of the country's economic growth, according to a report released this week. Only California (up 27,900 jobs) outperformed Florida. See a breakdown of July employment by sector, here. Also read more at the Tampa Bay Times and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

New poll shows Florida Senate race too close to call

Marco Rubio's lead over either Democrat trying to block him from having a second term in the U.S. Senate is shrinking, a new Quinnipiac poll of more than 1,000 likely voters show. According to the poll, Republican incumbent Sen. Marco Rubio is at 48 percent of likely voters while U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, the Democrat, is at 45 percent. Quinnipiac says this is too close to call. See more results from the Q-poll, here. Also read more at WPBF and Politico.

See also:
» Battle for Florida Senate race echoes presidential campaign
» Clinton, Trump essentially tied in latest poll in Florida

Florida parents sue state over Jeb Bush-era testing rule

Frustrated by rules they see as harmful to their children, a group of parents filed a lawsuit late Tuesday aiming to take down a pillar of Florida's test-driven education system. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

State auctioning more than 70,000 unclaimed items

More than 70,000 unclaimed items are going up for auction this weekend in Tampa. The auction includes items held for years in financial institutions' safety deposit boxes "that have gone unclaimed for years despite extensive efforts to return them to their owners." [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

Early citrus estimate expects lowest harvest in 53 years

Florida orange growers will produce just 60.5 million boxes of oranges in the new 2016-17 citrus season. That’s the prediction released Wednesday by Kissimmee-based citrus consultant Elizabeth Steger. Steger’s widely watched estimate is generally considered the first statistically reliable indicator of the upcoming season’s orange crop. [Source: Lakeland Ledger]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› CEO hired to run Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota [Press Release]
A new president and CEO has been hired for the nonprofit that runs Sarasota County's Nathan Benderson Park. Robert J. Sullivan, an experienced event venue manager in Wichita Falls, Texas, will start Monday.

› Kissimmee advanced manufacturing site lands federal grant [Orlando Sentinel]
A high-tech research center in Kissimmee that area leaders hope will build Central Florida's reputation in advanced manufacturing landed support from the U.S. Department of Commerce.

› Investigation into Miami-based Providence Financial expands globally [Miami Herald]
International authorities are participating in investigations into Miami-based Providence Financial Investments and its affiliates, which took in the life savings of hundreds of U.S. investors in an investment scheme involving Brazilian “factoring.”

› Duke Energy Florida customers victimized by utility scam [WFTS]
This summer, Duke Energy Florida has seen an increase in utility payment scams, particularly in the Tampa Bay and greater Orlando areas.

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› Orlando's growing population a boon for retail, home sales [Orlando Business Journal]
Orlando's high population growth will help drive a rapidly growing retail and real estate economy, according to a recent economic forecast by commercial real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield.

› Unique trial studying stem cells’ effect on heart damage launches at UF Health [UF Health]
For the first time ever, University of Florida Health researchers are evaluating whether or not the combination of heart and bone marrow stem cells can repair heart damage.

› Please don’t paint Florida turtles, wildlife cops plead [AP]
You can paint your nails, you can paint your house — but you can’t paint a turtle. That’s what the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission wants to remind Floridians after two gopher tortoises were found with paint on their shells.

› Hispanic Florida GOP communications chief quits because of Trump [Miami Herald]
Donald Trump has claimed a casualty at the Republican Party of Florida: its communications chief, who is Hispanic. Wadi Gaitan, whose parents are Honduran, is said to have had too many differences with his political party’s presidential nominee to continue defending him to the press.