National Hurricane Center to start using new 'cone of uncertainty'

The official start of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season is just over a month away, 40 days if you're counting. Forecasters have been warning this season is expected to be "explosive," "extremely active," or "hyperactive." To help residents in the event of an impending storm, the National Hurricane Center will be implementing several changes for the 2024 season, including a change to the"cone of uncertainty.” [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]

Florida plans $850 million in Everglades restoration projects in next year

Florida officials and environmental advocates on Monday touted major progress toward Everglades restoration, which has been advanced by dozens of state-funded projects. The state has pumped billions of dollars into the effort, as the gusher of tax money flowing into state government in recent years has helped fund a flow of money toward restoration work. And more is coming, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday at an appearance in West Palm Beach. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

What next for Florida insurance rates?

Storm clouds are likely to gather in the Atlantic more often than usual this year, which could bump up reinsurance rates in Florida but whether that sends a lightning bolt through them or not depends on several things. Reinsurers seem to be taking in stride the prospect of a busy hurricane season. [Source: Insurance Business Magazine]

Florida gas prices soar, setting new high for 2024

Gas prices have reached a new high for the year. Prices jumped $.13 in the past week. According to AAA, the prices dropped $.06 over the weekend, but things are still steeply priced at the pump. Leaders with the auto club say the average price for a gallon of gas in Florida is $3.58. [Source: WFLA]

See also:
» How to save money on gas as prices rise in Florida

Latest results show 56.3% of Florida law students who took bar exam passed

Just over half of the Florida law students who took the most recent bar examination this year passed the test. The Florida Board of Bar Examiners this month released the results of some 593 people who took the exam for the first time Feb. 27 and 28 in Tampa. The Bar Exam is a tough test as only 56.3% — or 334 people — passed. [Source: Florida Politics]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Mark Cuban Foundation to bring AI bootcamp to Fort Lauderdale [South Florida Business Journal]
The Mark Cuban Foundation and Boca Raton-based ODP Corp. are bringing a free artificial intelligence bootcamp to high school students in Fort Lauderdale. The course will train ninth to 12th-grade students in technology like generative AI, which can automatically generate content like text and images in response to prompts. The goal is to inspire and prepare teenagers for future careers in computer science and AI.

› Project could be the biggest multi-family development in Sanford’s history [WFTV]
Central Florida is growing by leaps and bounds, and with that, so is the need for housing. The City of Sanford is one area seeing significant growth. A new project called Tuscany Village could be the biggest multi-family development in Sanford’s history. Developers are looking to build a massive 4-story, 420-unit rental complex.

› Full circle moment for Johanna Mikkola, the new CEO for Tech Equity Miami [Refresh Miami]
Tech Equity Miami, the nonprofit collective of social investors backing the programs that most efficiently expand upward mobility in Miami-Dade County, has a new CEO at the helm. She is familiar to most everyone in Miami’s tech community: Johanna Mikkola. Mikkola and her husband, Juha, co-founded Wyncode, a pioneering tech bootcamp, in Miami’s Wynwood in 2014.

› Fraud complaints surge in Orlando. Here's how it compares to other cities. [Orlando Business Journal]
A new report shows the City Beautiful punches above its weight as far as financial fraud complaints are concerned. The report by USA Today Blueprint found Orlando was the No. 9 city with the most financial fraud complaints in the U.S. Per the report, the city has seen a 112% increase in overall fraud over the past four years — in addition to a 121% credit card fraud increase.

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› As injuries increase at CSX, here's how the railroad is responding [Jacksonville Business Journal]
After having one of its safest quarters ever at the end of 2023, CSX Corp. has had a rough start to the new year with a sharp uptick in injuries during the first quarter of 2024. The personal injury rate at CSX jumped 17% compared to the same period last year, a deterioration from the reduction in injuries the Jacksonville-based railroad saw at the end of last year.

› Land like 'gold' in western Palm Beach County sought by developers [Palm Beach Post]
Homebuilder PulteGroup has a knack for acquiring small patchwork properties in Palm Beach County with three such purchases in the past six months of land likened to “gold” by one real estate consultant. The most recent deal, a $22 million sale that closed April 5, folds 36.5 acres of former cow pasture near Wellington into the PulteGroup portfolio.

› Jabil CEO Kenny Wilson faces investigation, placed on leave [Tampa Bay Times]
An internal investigation at Jabil, Tampa Bay’s largest publicly traded company, has lead to a shakeup of leadership there. Kenny Wilson, CEO of the global electronics manufacturing firm, was placed on paid leave on April 15 pending an investigation related to corporate policies, according to a recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

› Unemployment remains low across Southwest Florida, Collier leads in adding jobs [Naples Daily News]
Southwest Florida's job count continues to grow. The region's three metros – made up of Collier, Lee and Charlote counties – added 8,300 nonagricultural jobs over the year in March, bringing their combined total to 544,200. The latest monthly report by the Florida Department of Commerce, released Friday, shows of the three counties, Collier gained the most jobs – at 4,000.