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Wednesday's Afternoon Update

Dennis Ross announces retirement from Congress

Dennis Ross Dennis Ross

U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross, the Republican senior deputy majority whip, announced Wednesday he would not run for re-election for a fifth term. Ross, R-Lakeland, represents Florida’s 15th District in Congress, which includes much of Polk County and the southern part of Lake County. Dennis Ross becomes Florida's third member of Congress to leave in 2018, following Tom Rooney (R-Okeechobee) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Miami). More from the Orlando Sentinel, The Hill and the Tampa Bay Times.

See also:
» Rep. Ross' official statement
Note: The number of Congressmen to leave was corrected on this post.

Florida's Hurricane Irma insurance losses tallied at $7 billion-plus

New insurance-loss estimates from Hurricane Irma total nearly $7.38 billion, down more than $600 million from a February estimate as claims continue to be filed and closed, according to information posted by the state Office of Insurance Regulation. More from the Orlando Sentinel.

Boca Raton Innovation Campus, former home to IBM, sells for reported $179 million

The Boca Raton Innovation Campus, a 125-acre office park that was once the South Florida home of IBM and the birthplace of its personal computer, is back in local hands. Crocker Partners and Rialto Capital Management bought the property for a reported $179 million. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Tallahassee lobbying firm expands to Gulf Coast

Capital City Consulting LLC has expanded its footprint in Florida with the opening of a Tampa office that will be led by its newest hire, Justin Day, and partner Dan Newman. The expansion to Tampa represents Capital City Consulting’s first satellite office. More from the Business Observer.

Frontier Communications may sell its Florida operation

A recent report by a trade publication said that Frontier has hired an outside company to explore a sale of its underperforming Florida operations, which have suffered since the company bought out Verizon’s FiOS network in 2016. More from the Tampa Bay Times.

Florida Law
Florida ACLU leader Howard Simon retiring

 Howard Simon began his career fighting for voting rights, and he’ll end more than four decades of civil-rights advocacy championing the same issue. Simon, 74, will retire from the ACLU post he’s held for 21 years following the November elections.

» More from the Palm Beach Post and the Daily Business Review.

 

Out of the Box
Disney-themed home hits the market

florida originals A Windermere-area house known as the Mickey-and-Minnie house and filled with Disney memorabilia, wall treatments and mouse-eared light fixtures has hit the market for $880,000.

» Read more from the Orlando Sentinel and Click Orlando.