DeSantis leaves any special session on property insurance, condos up to lawmakers

If Florida lawmakers hold a special session to deal with the troubled property-insurance market or to put additional requirements on condominium buildings, it won’t come from a directive by Gov. Ron DeSantis. DeSantis, appearing Monday in Wellington, said he’d “welcome” the return of lawmakers to Tallahassee to address either of the topics if a special session is called by legislative leaders. [Source: News Service of Florida]

Federal judge demands to know details in new Florida elections law

If Florida lawmakers hold a special session to deal with the troubled property-insurance market or to put additional requirements on condominium buildings, it won’t come from a directive by Gov. Ron DeSantis. DeSantis, appearing Monday in Wellington, said he’d “welcome” the return of lawmakers to Tallahassee to address either of the topics if a special session is called by legislative leaders. More from the Florida Phoenix and the Orlando Sentinel.

Study: Florida isn’t a sunny place for physicians to practice

Florida isn’t offering the healthiest work environment for physicians the practice, according to a new study by the financial group WalletHub. Overall, the state ranks as the 31st best place to practice in the nation, based on the WalletHub study 2022’s Best & Worst Place for Doctors. South Dakota ranked as the best place in the nation for physicians to practice. Conversely, Rhode Island ranked last. [Source: Florida Politics]

Florida’s retail gasoline industry able to weather price spikes due to rapid growth

Gas prices in the state have backed away from the record-setting precipice that was set earlier this month. Nevertheless, the statewide average of $4.18 a gallon for regular gasoline and the Jacksonville average of $4.11 are both above the previous records set in July 2008. This week’s statewide average, according to AAA, is 20 cents below the record high that was established on March 11. [Source: Jacksonville Business Journal]

Florida to approve $800 million for public, charter school teacher compensation

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Monday that state public and charter school teachers will receive a raise in compensation. The governor said at a news conference at Renaissance Charter School in Wellington that public and charter school teachers across the state will receive $800 million in initiatives towards compensation. The governor noted at another news conference Monday at Fleming Island Elementary in Fleming Island that part of the $800 million will increase the average salary for teachers across the state. [Source: WTXL]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› New biotech firm will open first U.S. research hub in Tampa, hiring 12 [Tampa Bay Times]
A new biotech company is basing its first research office in downtown Tampa, with plans to hire 12 new executive and research positions by 2023. NuMedTechs will initially open at Quest Workspaces, a shared office in the Rivergate Tower, with plans to establish a permanent lab within the next two years.

› How Zoo Miami is helping Ukrainian zoos care for their staff, animals during Russia’s war [Miami Herald]
The Miami-Dade zoo joins a growing list of zoos and other zoological institutions worldwide that are donating to the European Association of Zoos and Aquarias (EAZA) emergency relief fund to help Ukrainian zoos. Other U.S. zoos have also made donations, including ZooTampa, Dallas Zoo in Texas and the Fresno Chaffee Zoo in California, according to the association.

› Inflated rent in Jacksonville attracts national attention [Florida Times-Union]
Rising rent costs have garnered national attention for Jacksonville with a special report from CBS’s 60 Minutes team Sunday night. Lesley Stahl talked about the 15% increase in rent across the country over the last year, nearly twice the overall inflation rent, and a Jacksonville couple who experienced a 30% rent increase.

› Florida Power & Light welcomes Daytona startup to its 35 Mules innovation hub [Orlando Business Journal]
A Central Florida startup is one of seven companies chosen to join Florida Power & Light Co.’s 35 Mules program – an in-house innovation hub based in FPL’s Juno Beach headquarters. Daytona Beach-based Sensatek Propulsion Technology Inc. provides autonomous monitoring of industrial systems using artificial intelligence-enabled technology for harsh environments — it develops and makes wireless, high-temperature, gas turbine sensors to measure heat transfer data for customers in several industries, including energy, oil and gas, petrochemical, glassmaking, aviation and aerospace.

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› Busch Wildlife breaks ground on sanctuary for 200+ animals [AP]
Five wetlands, hundreds of native trees and no interstate noise. Those are some of the benefits of a new 19.4-acre site in Jupiter Farms for the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary and its 200 animals. Crews broke ground on the new $15 million sanctuary last week.

› Anti-litter nonprofit seeks to beautify Gainesville and Alachua County with cleanup event [Gainesville Sun]
Keep Alachua County Beautiful will be sweeping back into Gainesville for a widespread community cleanup event. The Great American Cleanup is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a re-launch event in hopes of restoring cleanliness to the parts of the Gainesville community. Each year, the anti-litter nonprofit organization — a local branch of the national Keep America Beautiful group — sets out to make the county a cleaner area by cleaning up parks, dumps sites and streets.

› Dreamette Ice Cream Springfield expects May opening [Jacksonville Daily Record]
Dreamette Ice Cream Springfield is on the way. Owners Jimmy and Mari Van Soest said March 18 they expect to open the ice cream shop in about eight weeks. The city is reviewing a permit application for First Coast Walls and Ceilings Inc. to build-out the shop at 1401 N. Main St. in a former service station in Historic Springfield. The site is several blocks north of Downtown.

› How to protect Florida's wildlife as they become more active in spring [WESH]
From black bears to alligators and manatees – the Sunshine State is home to a wide range of wildlife and many of them will begin nesting, mating and feeding during the spring season. "We don't want to try to keep them as pets – any wild animal really should stay wild," director of Swamp Girl Adventures Reptile Rehabilitation Kimberly Titterington said. Titterington said Florida's continuous growth is bringing a lot of changes.