Updated Atlantic hurricane forecast calls for more named storms, and a busy time ahead

AccuWeather forecasters have updated their prediction of what's in store for the remainder of the Atlantic hurricane season and warned the Atlantic basin could get “very active” in the coming weeks. AccuWeather is now forecasting 13 to 17 named storms this year, higher than the initial forecast of 11 to 15 storms released in March. More from the Gainesville Sun, AccuWeather, and the Tallahassee Democrat.

Florida’s delegation wants farm bill to protect growers, benefits

Florida lawmakers convened for a meeting on Capitol Hill ahead of farm bill negotiations. The farm bill is legislation Congress passes only twice a decade. As the August recess nears, lawmakers said they are braced for a battle to help Florida’s farmers and poor families who rely on federal benefits. [Source: Florida Politics]

Florida inmates, prisons grapple with ‘oppressive' heat

Nearly a month into a stifling heat wave, corrections officials are attempting to alleviate sweltering conditions in Florida’s unairconditioned prisons, but advocates for inmates say the efforts fall short and aren’t being carried out the same way at all facilities. Throughout July, inmates’ supporters pressed the Department of Corrections to take steps to offer some relief to the roughly 85,000 people locked up in prisons. [Source: News Service of Florida]

Yes, you can catch leprosy in Florida. No, you shouldn’t panic

Local doctors say Hansen’s disease, also known as leprosy, is spreading in Central Florida. The doctors emphasized that though cases are very gradually increasing, this is no reason for panic. “We do not want to be spreading fear. That was not the purpose of the article, nor do we think it is a problem that is rampant or anything that needs to be addressed by anyone. … This is more an educational report for physicians,” said Nathoo, complex clinic director at Advanced Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery – Oviedo. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

Smokers hoping to quit were deceived by Florida companies, feds say. Now firms must pay

“Smoke Away” products were advertised and sold by Florida companies as the ultimate solution for smokers looking to end nicotine cravings and smoking habits, federal prosecutors said. In reality, the companies were deceiving consumers across the U.S. through widespread marketing campaigns involving false promises and testimonials featuring paid actors, according to the Department of Justice. [Source: Miami Herald]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› A Florida steakhouse is selling a plant-based steak for a whopping $69 [Business Insider]
A Florida steakhouse chain is introducing a sizzling, wood-fired plant-based steak filet for $69 – $14 more than a larger, 8-ounce center-cut filet mignon. Charley's Steak House is billing itself as the first steakhouse chain in the US to add a plant-based steak to its menu. The 6-ounce fake steak by Israeli startup Chunk Foods debuts Wednesday at the chain's Orlando outpost.

› Orlando Economic Partnership wins 2023 Chamber of the Year [Orlando Sentinel]
The Orlando Economic Partnership has been named the 2023 Chamber of the Year by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. The announcement came at the organization’s conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, this week. “The Orlando Economic Partnership is honored to receive this national distinction,” said OEP President and CEO Tim Giuliani.

› Top UM booster John Ruiz’s company LifeWallet confirms SEC probe, grand jury subpoena [Miami Herald]
In a filing Tuesday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the health claims company led by University of Miami athletics booster and lawyer John H. Ruiz admitted that it is facing federal civil and criminal investigations. LifeWallet, which formed last year as publicly traded company known as MSP Recovery, said that the SEC initiated an investigation into the company in August 2022 and that it received an agency subpoena for corporate records this year.  

› Pasco County bank expands but also stays local [Business Observer]
First National Bank of Pasco is determined to stay small(ish) and nimble, but also accessible and modern. It's not easy. The banking industry is a big game of Pac-Man of late, where many things get swallowed up.That's especially true for community banks without scale, which have been disappearing from the marketplace for a decade or more.

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› Publix shutters in-store Apron's Cooking School in Jacksonville, other supermarkets [Florida Times-Union]
After nearly 17 years in Jacksonville, Publix has closed its popular hands-on cooking school, Apron’s. The school — a fixture at the Lakeland-based grocer’s 10500 San Jose Blvd. store since November 2006 — ended its run Monday night with a class on cooking with seasonal summer vegetables.

› Massive signature bridge project builds to 2027 opening [Miami Today]
In the heart of downtown Miami, the arches are rising. The distinctive and iconic Signature Bridge continues to reach upward as a key element of the I-395/SR 836/I-95 Design-Build Project. Overall project completion is now expected in late 2027. The sweeping construction work is from a partnership of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority and its contractor, the Archer Western – de Moya Group Joint Venture.

› Florida’s first Wawa drive-thru to open by end of year [WESH]
Florida’s first Wawa drive-thru will open in the Tampa Bay area. Wawa’s new Largo store will be a stand-alone drive-thru store. It’s the first in the state and is expected to be open by the end of this year. Wawa said the new store concept will give customers the opportunity to “experience and enjoy their favorite Wawa products while remaining inside their vehicle.”

› Mixon Fruit Farms leaves a legacy of making memories in Bradenton [Business Observer]
As it closes after nearly 85 years, a look back at Mixon Fruit Farms, and its longtime owners, reveals a passion for making memories. The agriculture industry in Florida is grappling with threats on multiple fronts, including labor, inflation and citrus greening.