Cold front leaves Florida growers relatively unscathed

The cold front that moved through Florida this past weekend brought a light dusting of snow in some portions of the western Panhandle and even some light frost in Southwest Florida, but the cooler temperatures left Florida agriculture operations relatively unscathed. More from WLRN and the Naples Daily News.

See also:
» Weekend’s chilly weather good for strawberry crops, spokeswoman says

Credit card skimming at an all-time high in Florida

More than 500 credit card skimmers were discovered on Florida gas pumps in the first 10 months of this year, which is twice as many as the previous two years combined. Florida's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service has estimated a skimmer will steal about 100 people's information before it's discovered, costing victims an average of $1,000. Read more at WCTV. Also see "Skimmer Prevention: Information for Businesses," from the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Earlier:
» How to avoid skimmers at the pump

Want to fight voter fraud in Florida? Here’s an easy way, experts say

Voting experts from Alabama to West Virginia urged Florida Monday to join 20 other states in a partnership to scrub its voter rolls before the next statewide election in 2018. At a conference in Tallahassee, experts emphasized the benefits of data-sharing at a time when a presidential commission is looking at possible voter fraud in U.S. elections. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

Fox's New Year's show is leaving Florida

Pitbull, whose televised New Year’s festivities in Miami had become something of a tradition for the past three years, has been replaced by comedian and talk show host Steve Harvey. No word on the reasons behind the switch, but network officials did say their New Year’s Eve show is moving to New York City. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

Women in Florida politics fear #MeToo moment will backfire

As Florida's politically powerful men fear becoming targets of sexual harassment allegations, the new-found awareness of a male-dominated Legislature has come with a cost: women are collateral damage. Female staffers and lobbyists who returned to the Capitol last week for pre-session meetings, discovered many male legislators will no longer meet with them privately. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

Your turn:
» Fallout from #MeToo: Should people in positions of authority err on the side of caution and stop taking solo meetings? (quick poll)

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› State Attorney Aramis Ayala fires back at Gov. Scott [Orlando Sentinel]
The back-and-forth battle between Orange-Osceola State Attorney Aramis Ayala and Gov. Rick Scott continued on Monday when she sent a letter accusing him of not doing what he said he was going to do when it came to reassigning death-penalty cases.

› Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office celebrates new headquarters [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
People huddled beneath canvas tents, umbrellas, and rain jackets to get out of the rain on Saturday, craning their necks to hear Sheriff Tom Knight welcome them to the new $17 million headquarters of the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.

› Self-driving shuttle coming to Gainesville in April [Gainesville Sun]
The days of dreaming about riding in a self-driving vehicle in Gainesville are no longer a thing of the future. In just a few months, Gainesville residents will be able to travel downtown in an autonomous shuttle for free.

› Winter Park company sues Walmart over copyright claim [Orlando Sentinel]
Rifle Paper Co.’s artwork and products have become so popular, it is now accusing Walmart and other companies of ripping off one of its signature designs, according to a new federal lawsuit.

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› Manatee School Board’s internal struggle over tax referendum [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
Board member Dave Miner said he is hoping the board will remove newly elected board chairman Scott Hopes from his role as head of the board at Tuesday’s meeting — just two weeks after unanimously naming him to the position.

› Best sushi in America: 2 spots in South Florida make the list [Palm Beach Post]
Once upon a time, sushi was hard to find. Now, you can find it everywhere — even your local grocery store. That fact makes looking for good, quality, almost too-beautiful-to-eat sushi really, really hard.

› Cruise association launches campaign to attract travelers after hurricanes [Florida Business Daily]
The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) has launched a website -- CaribbeanisOpen.com -- as part of a multifaceted, million-dollar campaign aimed at creating awareness of Caribbean destinations that are operating normally after Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

› Ticket-fighting firm hires former Florida Bar president to sue the Bar [Tampa Bay Times]
A company that is suing the Florida Bar has hired a former Bar president to represent it. Ramon Abadin has joined the legal team of TIKD, a company that expedites the process of fighting traffic tickets in Pinellas,Hllsborough, Broward and Miami-Dade counties.