Friday's Daily Pulse
The recovery may be in doubt, but South Florida’s economy has seen some progress in recent months. The Economic Time Machine’s reading of the local economy shows a big gain from just a few months earlier. Thanks to an improving labor market, the ETM’s gauges see the economy moving about nine months closer to recovery. [Source: Miami Herald]
Related:
» Less hesitation, more hiring needed to boost Florida's economic recovery
» Small-business lending picking up at Jacksonville banks
»
Odyssey and the lost Spanish treasure
The case, which set a small, high-profile, money-losing public company against governments in both Madrid and Washington, featured WikiLeaks revelations about U.S. diplomatic overtures and art stolen by the Nazis. It drew attention to the possibilities of profiting from deep-sea exploration using sophisticated robotic vehicles. And it convinced the co-founder and chief executive officer of Odyssey, Greg Stemm, that if anything, his company’s ambitions were not grand enough. [Source: Businessweek]
South Florida real estate leading the rebound this year
Believe it or not, Miami real estate actually is doing better than the real estate in the rest of the country. It’s all relative, of course. The deeper the hole, the more impressive the climb back to the top. But the Case-Shiller housing index shows South Florida’s rebound is going better than in other major cities. The index lumps Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach into the umbrella term “Miami.” [Source: Miami Herald]
No slowdown at the Villages
Growth at The Villages is showing no sign of letting up. The 26,000-acre retirement community in Sumter, Lake and Marion counties was among the top three fastest-growing “micropolitan” areas in the country last year, with 4,336 more residents, up 4.6% and pushing the total population to 94,261, according to the latest Census figures. Only the oil and gas boomtown of Williston, N.D., grew faster in percentage terms, from a far smaller base. In 2007, before the energy boom, The Villages ranked No. 1 nationwide. Full story...
 Population at The Villages rose 4.6% last year to just under 95,000. |
Florida ranks No. 35 in affordable energy
A report titled “Energy Cost Index 2012,” which evaluates the affordability of energy, placed Florida No. 35 out of all states. The study tracked the cost of gas, electricity and other energy in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia.
[Source: Jacksonville Business Journal]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› State takes aim at mercury pollution [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Could the construction of power plants in Shanghai make it less safe to eat fish caught in the Everglades?
That's the difficulty Florida's environmental managers are grappling with as they try to write the state's first limits on mercury pollution in rivers, lakes and coastal waters.
› State launches investigation of 3 Florida justices
[AP]
The state opened a criminal investigation Thursday of three justices on Florida's Supreme Court, responding to a lawmaker's accusation that they violated a law against using on-duty public employees to help their election campaigns, authorities said.
› Get ready to pay more for Florida toll roads [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Get ready to shell out more money if you drive Florida’s Turnpike, Alligator Alley and other state-operated toll roads in two weeks. And this time, SunPass customers also will feel the pinch.
Tolls will go up by a quarter at most locations for both cash and SunPass customers at 6 a.m. June 24.
› Edison State College shows off new housing [Fort Myers News-Press]
Edison is officially stripping off its “commuter school” moniker this fall when it opens its first on-campus dorm, LightHouse Commons, in south Fort Myers.
» Sweet Dreams: Trendy Dorms in Florida
Go to page 2 for more stories ...
› Florida Orchestra names pops conductor [Tampa Bay Times]
The Florida Orchestra has gone with a known quantity in naming Jeff Tyzik as its principal pops conductor. As only the third conductor to lead the pops series in the orchestra's 44-year history, he fills a position that has been open since 2009.
› Miami’s CityWrights conference now for playwrights and lawyers, too
[Miami Herald]
This year’s CityWrights conference isn’t just for playwrights; it’s for lawyers too.
The weekend conference put on by City Theatre will include a Continuing Legal Education course worth 5.5 credits. Members of the Florida Bar are required to attend 30 hours of approved CLE every three years.
› Lender and insurer gouged me — and others — Florida homeowner says
[Miami Herald]
A South Florida homeowner is suing, saying he and many others have been gouged by lenders working in cahoots with insurance companies to enact force-placed policies.
› Business coalition hopes to be incubator for political leaders [Gainesville Sun]
To get more business people involved with local government, a coalition of business groups has been preparing 12 people to run for public office or help with political campaigns through the Public Leadership Institute.