What is Florida's future as climate change threats add up?

Hurricanes. Tornadoes. Historic rainfall.Climate change. If you think Florida has seen it all. Think again, and a recent study on climate risks in the United States confirms some of our worst fears. It probably comes as no surprise that when you combine the threat of climate change with a state surrounded on three sides by water, Florida doesn't fare well when it comes to a changing climate. [Source: Fort Myers News-Press]

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Florida Icon: Vickie Smith

The Weeki Wachee Springs State Park mermaid (from 1957-61) tells us: "I didn’t realize the notoriety that would come from being a mermaid. People would stop us and ask us for our autograph. I got fan letters. That was a total thrill. My picture was on 26 different postcards. I have a stack of books in the house, and I’m in every one of them." [Source: Florida Trend]

DeSantis signs bills limiting Chinese land ownership, TikTok at schools

Saying that China posed a threat to Floridians, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed three bills targeting Chinese influence in Florida’s schools, universities and agriculture. During a news conference in Hernando County, DeSantis signed legislation that would ban the use of TikTok and other Chinese apps on school and government servers, limit land purchases by Chinese citizens and prohibit universities from accepting funding from China. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

Submerged island off Florida reveals secret: Civil war-era cemetery

Joshua Marano was flying over the Gulf of Mexico in the summer of 2016 when he noticed a strange pattern in the water. Mr. Marano, a maritime archaeologist with the National Park Service, consulted some old nautical charts, expecting he might find the ruins of a lighthouse or beacon. Instead, he found a whole island. [Source: New York Times]

Florida speeds up work on 20 highway projects, per DeSantis' request

As Florida lawmakers put the finishing touches on this year’s legislative session, they approved a request from Gov. Ron DeSantis to help speed 20 highway projects across the state under the banner of “Moving Florida Forward.” “I requested $4 billion for Moving Florida Forward so we can get ahead of some of these traffic problems,” DeSantis said during a news conference after lawmakers ended the 60-day session. “Some of these items may take 20 years. I want to accelerate that to get it done much sooner. And the Legislature responded.” [Source: News Service of Florida]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Bartow-based Peace River Center to host events for Mental Health Awareness Month [Lakeland Ledger]
Peace River Center is hosting three events in May to help educate the community and increase awareness of resources during Mental Health Awareness Month. Based in Bartow, Peace River Center is a licensed and nationally accredited, nonprofit regional provider of behavioral health care and victim services.

› NextEra Energy Partners to sell natural gas pipelines as part of clean energy transition [South Florida Business Journal]
NextEra Energy Partners aims to reach zero carbon emissions by 2025. To meet that goal, the Juno Beach-based firm plans to sell its natural gas pipeline assets and focus on growing its renewable energy portfolio, the company announced Monday. The move enables NextEra Energy Partners to capitalize on the low-cost of renewables and help decarbonize the country's economy, said CEO John Ketchum.

› See how much real estate prices changed in Broward County last week [Miami Herald]
The median price per square foot for a home in Broward County in the past week was $280. In the past week, a 605-square-foot home on Cypress Lake Boulevard in Deerfield Beach sold for $170,000. The figures in this text are based on sales registered during the week of May. 1.  

› Here’s where your Tampa Bay drinking water comes from [Tampa Bay Times]
If you’ve ever wondered why your tap water tastes different than your friend’s across the bay, we have the answer. The water comes from the same sources, but the cities and counties around Tampa Bay have different treatment processes and combinations of source water.

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› Florida-based Bankers Insurance Founder Menke Remembered for Entrepreneurial Spirit [Insurance Journal]
Bob Menke, the man who founded St. Petersburg-based Bankers Insurance Co., one of the oldest property insurers in Florida, died last week at age 89. “The company that Bob founded in 1976 has grown into one of the largest privately held financial services companies in the Tampa Bay Area,” Bankers Financial Corp. CEO John Strong and President Rob Menke, Bob’s son, said in a statement. “Today, BFC’s companies provide personal and commercial property insurance, full-service human resource outsourcing, consumer warranty and lifestyle services, insurance and financial services for homebuilders, and the underwriting of surety bond contracts.”

› Land purchase helps The Sarasota Orchestra move forward on building its music center [WUSF]
It's been years in the planning, and now with a prime spot on Fruitville Road, close to I-75, The Sarasota Orchestra can begin the design and engineering of its new music center. The land was purchased with $14 million from private donors. Sarasota Orchestra President and CEO Joe McKenna, said the music center will benefit the entire community.

› Need retail therapy? Coral Gables mall getting new stores, ballet dance school [Miami Herald]
A Coral Gables outdoor mall is luring new stores at a time when national retail closures are making headlines, exemplifying the strong retailing sector in South Florida. The three-story Shops at Merrick Park, at 358 San Lorenzo Ave., will welcome six retailers by fall, said Carlos Limontes, senior general manager. It’s a sign, Limontes said, of businesses placing big bets on the established and booming Coral Gables, as well as the continuing migration of wealthy newcomers to the wider region.

› North Port to revisit forbidding temporary FEMA mobile homes on single-family lots [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
A North Port family forced to live in their Hurricane Ian-damaged home because the city refused to allow the Federal Emergency Management Agency to put a two-bedroom trailer on their property can temporarily call an apartment at home as they await a judge's decision on their lawsuit over the trailer issue.