Florida may pay millions over lost citrus trees

Florida may drop a long-running legal battle and instead agree to pay millions to homeowners across the state whose healthy citrus trees were torn down in a failed attempt to eradicate citrus canker. House Republicans have agreed to spend $66 million to end lawsuits filed on behalf of homeowners in Broward, Lee and Palm Beach counties. There are also lawsuits that were filed in both Orange and Miami-Dade counties that could eventually push up the cost even more. [Source: AP]

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Sports venues get no help from Florida Legislature

Four major sports teams and venues across the state sought incentive money for new buildings and renovations. Lobbyists for the teams and venues suggested to lawmakers that the projects could collapse without financial support from the state So what happened when all four got no incentives money? Access full story.

Rattlesnakes were once a thriving business in Florida

Habitat loss, road kill, persecution and commercial exploitation have taken their toll as the Diamondback population nose dives. According to some estimates, only 3 percent of the original population remains. What many people don’t realize today is that some people once made a living capturing Eastern diamondback rattlesnakes in Florida. [Source: Lakeland Ledger]

Other states have done it. So why is Florida grappling with legalizing medical marijuana?

Although the drug remains illegal under federal law, 28 states and Washington, D.C., allow the use of medical marijuana in some form. This long record of trial-and-error can guide Florida lawmakers and health officials as they work against a looming July deadline to put this state's medical marijuana program into place. [Source: Times/Herald]

Column: Florida’s businesses, economy need H-1B visa workers

Today, nearly four million Floridians were born in other countries, representing the fourth-largest immigrant population in the United States. They have helped turn Florida into a vibrant, business-friendly and high-quality-of-life place to live, work, study and raise a family. [Source: Tallahassee Democrat]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Greyhound activists see a shot this year in Florida gambling fight [Naples Daily News]
Florida's high-stakes fight over gambling features powerful forces clashing, including the Seminole Tribe, Disney World and 12 wealthy owners of racetracks.

› Proposed cuts to Superfund cut affect Florida sites [Tallahassee Democrat]
When the Trump administration’s preliminary budget for the Environmental Protection Agency came out last month, the news was probably not good for those living near the former United Metals site in Marianna or the Piper Aircraft site in Vero Beach or Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola.

› Experts: Florida might be in for buggy summer [WTSP]
Get out the bug spray. A national group of bug experts says Florida might be in for more mosquitoes and termites than usual due to a mild winter and some heavy rains. From the National Pest Management Association:

Southeast: The region was atypically warm and moist in the winter months, even into the night when temperatures are supposed to drop. States hit with heavy rainfall may see mosquito populations emerge earlier in the spring than previous years. The rain will also provide ideal conditions for subterranean termites.

› Gas prices rising in Florida [News Release]
Motorists are looking at a spike in gasoline prices that is expected to continue into the beginning of the summer, according to the American Automobile Association.

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› MIA and FLL are growing like never before, and that means one thing: cheap flights [Miami Herald]
When its orchid-colored Airbus A330s coasted into the runway at Miami International Airport last week, Icelandic low-cost airline WOW air also helped propel South Floridians into a new era of travel.

› Florida-based chain tells Rockland, Maine restaurant to change its name [Press Herald]
Rockland, Maine-based Broken Egg closed temporarily last month after its owner, Heather Symmt, received notices from a law firm representing the restaurant chain Another Broken Egg, which is based in Destin, Florida.

› SEC gives SeaWorld OK to ignore PETA resolution [Orlando Sentinel]
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has issued a “no-action” letter to Orlando-based SeaWorld Entertainment, saying its staff thinks the company can ignore a shareholder resolution from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

› Tampa Bay is enjoying a hotel boom. Could a five-star be coming? [Tampa Bay Times]
With the opening of the Opal Sands and Wyndham resorts on Clearwater Beach in the last 14 months, the Tampa Bay area gained 678 new hotel rooms. Sound impressive? Wait until you see what's coming.