Florida Trend | Florida's Business Authority

Monday's Daily Pulse

Reemployment assistance available for workers out of jobs due to Hurricane Irma

Federal assistance is now available for Florida workers or self-employed business owners who have had a loss of employment due to the chaos created by Hurricane Irma. Find out which Florida counties are eligible for the assistance and learn how to apply at the news release from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. Also read more at the Florida Times-Union.

See also:
» Florida recovers, rests, reflects in wake of Hurricane Irma
» Small business owners struggle to bounce back after Hurricane Irma and Harvey
» Florida Keys slowly reopen to residents, business owners
» Irma evacuation nightmare: Next time some may not leave
» Free legal assistance available for Florida Hurricane Irma survivors

Florida Trend Exclusive
Ranchland to rooftops

Cows on Deseret Ranch

One of Florida's biggest underdeveloped areas - the massive property in east-central Florida owned by the Mormon Church - is opening itself to development. Erik Jacobsen, president of Deseret Ranch, said, "This region is going to double in size in the next 50 years, and we couldn't just leave the ranch a completely blank slate. We needed to put some kind of framework into place." Read the full story here.  This is part one of a three-part series on rural Florida.

See also:
» Deseret Ranch: Map detailing Deseret Ranch's land, holdings, transportation corridors and future plans.

As Irma blackout lengthens, frustrations mount

Floridians around the state want to know when their power will be back on following Hurricane Irma. Many Duke Energy customers are especially frustrated after waking up in the dark Saturday, even though the company’s website showed they would have power back overnight. More from the Miami Herald, WFLA, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, the Orlando Tribune.

See also:
» After Hollywood nursing home horror, legislators want new laws

State legislators champion transparency, then restrict it

Florida has some of the nation’s strongest open-records and open-meetings laws, but that did not stop lawmakers from trying to tinker with them. This year, they passed 19 new exemptions to the Sunshine Law, the second most in at least two decades. [Source: Florida Times-Union]

Caribbean under hurricane watch again as Maria follows Irma’s track

National Hurricane Center forecasters said Maria will likely bring dangerous wind, storm surge and heavy rain to parts of the Lesser Antilles and could reach the Leeward Islands as a hurricane early next week. Maria could become become a major hurricane by Tuesday nigh. More from the Tampa Bay Times and the Miami Herald.
See also:
» As more storms loom, Florida tries to make room for more water

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Jacksonville apparel company is more than just a beach-minded business
The Admiral’s Daughters apparel business is far from just another beach-minded clothing company. The Atlantic Beach-based startup does feature mostly online sales of nautical-themed apparel, but it also seeks to connect the women associated with Navy-based men and other military families.

› Hillsborough County's economy sees $6 billion boost from tourists
A record-breaking, 22.6 million people who visited Tampa and Hillsborough County in 2016 pumped nearly $6 billion into the economy, according to a study commissioned by Visit Tampa Bay. The visitors supported about 50,000 jobs and contributed $369 million in state and local taxes.

› South Florida home sellers doing well, but West Coast markets enjoy biggest returns
The typical South Florida home seller in 2016 made roughly a 37 percent return — well above the national average, but still below some of the hottest markets in the country, a recent analysis shows.

Florida's Movers & Influencers
See some of Florida's top executive moves, board appointments, civic accomplishments, and more at Florida Trend's Movers & Influencers. Each profile appears in three places: in a weekly eNewsletter, online at FloridaTrend.com and in a monthly print issue of Florida Trend. Read more here.

› Entrepreneur starts up virtual currency exchange in Orlando
Orlando entrepreneur Victor Hugo Romero is hoping the next gold rush happens online, in virtual currency. He recently got a money-transmitters license from Florida to operate a virtual currency exchange.

Go to page 2 for more stories ...

› Extensive damage to Wells Fargo Center in Jacksonville sends tenants scrambling
Five days after Hurricane Irma struck Jacksonville, the Wells Fargo Center downtown remains closed. Water poured into the basement parking garage of the 37-story tower and the building has not recovered.

› Sarasota park races to get ready for world championships
Growing numbers of international rowers are arriving in Sarasota-Manatee as organizers rush to finish preparations for the World Rowing Championships delayed by Hurricane Irma. By Monday, at least 30 teams are expected to have checked into local hotels, with 39 more showing up this week. Opening ceremonies are scheduled for Saturday evening at Nathan Benderson Park.

› Miami to Orlando in 26 minutes is one step closer to hyperloop reality
Miami to Orlando in a mere 26 minutes? If only you could jump into a tube and be whisked to the Land of the Mouse at up to 700 mph. The race to the future is on to develop this emerging tube-transit technology, dubbed hyperloop by tech entrepreneur Elon Musk who envisioned the technology.

› Officials: Returning Keys residents must be self-sustaining
As the devastated Florida Keys began reopening to residents who fled Hurricane Irma, officials warned the returning islanders to bring enough supplies to sustain them for a while, because no one yet knows when water and power will be fully restored.