Florida jobless claims see little change

The pace of first-time unemployment claims remains relatively unchanged in Florida. The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday released a report that estimated 217,000 claims were filed nationally last week, including 5,358 in Florida. The Florida total was down from 5,750 claims during the week that ended Oct. 28. [Source: News Service of Florida]

Business Beat - Week of November 10th

Get top news-to-know with Florida Trend's headline-focused video news brief, hosted by digital content specialist Aimée Alexander.

 

Florida Trend Exclusive
Florida Icon: Hugh D. Hayes

The longest-serving judge (44 years) in Florida history tells us: "As a judge, you’re not representing the plaintiff. You’re not representing the defendant. The decision I made was to say that my client was the Florida Constitution. Once you make that decision, the rest of it is pretty simple." [Source: Florida Trend]

Are vampire bats swarming to Florida? New study says climate change is pushing them north

Are climate change and hotter temperatures going to result in blood-drinking vampire bats swarming across Florida? Possibly someday, according to a new study published in the journal Ecography last month. But not for a while and not very quickly, and you should worry more about livestock and rabies than open windows and midnight visits from Transylvanian counts. [Source: Daytona Beach News Journal]

Disney World’s revenue keeps slumping, new report shows

Revenue increased for Walt Disney Co.’s theme parks globally in the fourth quarter, but the numbers lagged at Walt Disney World, the entertainment giant reported Wednesday. Disney’s experiences division, which includes theme parks, hotels, Disney Cruise Line and merchandise, saw an uptick in revenue of 13% for the quarter ending Sept. 30. The company’s third-quarter report also indicated a slump at Disney World and pointed to the flattening of attendance and softening in other Florida tourism markets. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› After industry pressure, Miami-Dade puts heat protections for outdoor workers on ice [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
After the hottest summer on Earth, a landmark campaign to increase protections for outdoor workers from extreme heat floundered in Miami-Dade County’s Commission halls on Tuesday. After a long summer of what appeared to be strong support for the cutting-edge labor protections suggested by farmworker advocacy groups and supported by several commissioners and Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, the momentum for “water, rest and shade” for outdoor workers appeared to come to a halt — for now.

› NextEra firm in business with JEA? FPL parent to build 4 new solar farms in Jacksonville [Florida Times-Union]
JEA will partner with Florida Power & Light's sister company Florida Renewable Partners on building four new solar farms in Jacksonville that will generate about 5% of JEA's electricity by 2027 for thousands of homes and businesses. The JEA board approved entering into the agreement with Florida Renewable Partners, whose parent company is NextEra Energy, the Juno Beach-based company that also owns FPL and is among the nation's biggest players in the field of renewable energy from wind and the sun.

› Port Canaveral expanding as 'economic powerhouse,' but faces growing pains [Florida Today]
Fresh off a record-breaking year for cruise, cargo and overall operating revenue, Port Canaveral will continue its momentum during the next two years, Chief Executive Officer John Murray predicted Wednesday, during his annual State of the Port presentation. But Murray cautioned that the port faces challenges, as it grows its operations in a limited geographic space, necessitating a new cruise terminal, expanded cruise passenger parking and solutions for space-industry companies desiring to use port facilities.

› St. Petersburg’s Shopapalooza to return with over 350 small businesses [Tampa Bay Times]
It seems that St. Petersburg’s small business festival Shopapalooza gets bigger every year. And this year is expected to be no different. Shopapalooza will return to St. Petersburg’s Vinoy Park on the weekend after Thanksgiving with more than 350 small businesses. The free public event will be held on Nov. 25-26 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. The event to kick off the holiday shopping season and celebrate Small Business Saturday will span 11.3 acres, said Shopapalooza’s founder Ester Venouziou.

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› Orlando Economic Partnership partners with Stetson to track local business opinion [Orlando Business Journal]
Stetson University and the Orlando Economic Partnership are working to gather data that has not been collected from businesses before. The DeLand-based college's Center for Public Opinion Research and the public-private organization are partnering on a 12-month pilot to survey all businesses in Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Lake counties.

› Alachua County home prices fell 3.5% in October, with houses listed at a median of $347,450 [Gainesville Sun]
The median home in Alachua County listed for $347,450 in October, down 3.5% from the previous month's $360,000, an analysis of data from Realtor.com shows. Compared to October 2022, the median home list price decreased 0.4% from $346,000. Alachua County's median home was 1,691 square feet, listed at $209 per square foot. The price per square foot of homes for sale is up 4.8% from October 2022.

› Federal judge approves Ameris redlining settlement [Jacksonville Daily Record]
A federal judge on Nov. 7 approved a settlement between the U.S. Department of Justice and Ameris Bank over redlining allegations after the parties refiled the agreement. U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard denied a motion to approve it Nov. 1 because she found some language in the agreement unenforceable. The major provisions of the settlement remain intact, including an agreement by Ameris to invest $9 million in the Jacksonville community to promote home ownership in predominantly Black and Hispanic neighborhoods.

› Lawn-watering restrictions could be next amid Tampa Bay drought [Tampa Bay Times]
In the wake of the region’s driest rainy season in more than two decades, Southwest Florida water managers will vote next week on whether outdoor irrigation should be cut to one day per week in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties. The Southwest Florida Water Management District vote, set for Tuesday, comes with a recommendation from the agency’s staff to declare a water shortage order that would include the limits on irrigation.