Florida’s citrus industry is showing signs of a strong revival

Florida's citrus industry is showing signs of a strong revival after years of losses caused by canker and citrus greening, a pest-borne disease that devastated orchards across the state. Dun-D Citrus Growers, a cooperative of local farmers, reports that trees are thriving under the Citrus Under Protective Screen (CUPS) method, which uses large screened structures to block the Asian citrus psyllid, the vector of greening. [Source: Fresh Plaza]

Florida Trend Exclusive
The yacht whisperer

Before he ever sold a yacht, AJ Blackmon was washing them. It didn’t pay much — he earned $3 per foot at various Tampa Bay yacht clubs — but things took a lucrative turn when one of his clients enlisted him to help sell his boat. “Within two weeks, I had sold the boat, and I was holding a check for I think around $47,000,” Blackmon recalls. For the then 18-year-old from a “very, very middle-class family,” it felt like he’d hit paydirt. After that single sale, Blackmon “went all in,” got his yacht broker license and joined Cambridge Yacht Group in Miami, where he became a top producer. [Source: Florida Trend]

SpaceX defends airspace safety ahead of Florida Starship launch plans

With plans to launch the massive Starship from Florida next year, SpaceX defended its commitment to airspace safety after a Wall Street Journal article claimed an explosive mission in early 2025 was a greater danger to some flights than previously reported. The article published Saturday cited Federal Aviation Administration documents that stated debris from the Jan. 16 launch from SpaceX’s Texas site Starbase, which led to the upper stage disintegrating on its flight path, threatened three airplane flights. The debris field could be seen from Florida, the Bahamas and several Caribbean islands as the broken-up spacecraft streaked across the sky. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

A mystery: Why are sharks suddenly snatching so many fish from anglers?

Imagine pulling up to a fishing spot. You hook a fish, a beautiful snook. As you reel it in, the water boils, a shark’s tail smacks the surface. Your line goes slack. All that’s left of the snook is a bloody stump. On the next cast the same thing happens. There’s no reason to continue fishing in this spot, so you leave. Anglers say this kind of shark encounter seems to be happening more and more in parts of South Florida. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

Citizens Insurance plans to cut premiums next year. Will that lead to fewer takeouts?

Now that state-owned Citizens Property and Casualty Insurance Corp. is seeking to reduce premiums in South Florida and other parts of the state, customers of private market insurers are likely wondering if their policies will get cheaper as well next year. The answer is a resounding maybe. Several private market insurers have already announced significant rate decreases that could drive down renewal premiums for their customers. Others are likely to follow. [Source: South Florida Sun Sentinel]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Central Florida poised to see strong job creation in several sectors [Spectrum News]
Economists are looking ahead to 2026, and there is hope for the holidays for Central Florida residents looking to get a job or make their next career move. Economic forecasts for 2026 show Central Florida’s overall economy and job growth should see steady if not dramatic growth.

› Sarasota County breaks ground on a major flood prevention project [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
Sarasota County has begun a major flood prevention project at Phillippi Creek, after months of advocacy by local residents.. The operation comes months after flood victims of Hurricane Debby told the Herald-Tribune they were anxious for a major project before another major storm swept through. Many have felt that a lack of proper dredging and maintenance of the creek is a big reason why they were flooded in 2024.

› University of Florida researchers pave way for tastier strawberries [Gainesville Sun]
Researchers at the University of Florida are working to identify genes that create tastier strawberries. Scientists tasted over 5,000 strawberries and analyzed the aroma of 400 varieties to find desirable traits. The research team successfully located genes responsible for peachy and caramel aromas preferred by consumers.

› Miami-Dade Tax Collector cracks down on businesses with suspected ties to Cuba [NBC Miami]
Miami-Dade Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez announced this week that he revoked the licenses of 20 businesses suspected of engaging in trade with the Cuban regime. Fernandez announced the crackdown in a news release, reinforcing that according to county code, the tax collector's office is authorized to revoke or refuse to renew the local business tax of any business with ties to Cuba in violation of federal law.

More stories ...

› Study: Charlotte County growth straining services, facilities [Gulfshore Business]
Charlotte County’s rapid population growth is straining public services and driving increased demand for new facilities, according to a new population study presented earlier this month to the Board of County Commissioners. The report, prepared by Bonita Springs-based Metro Forecasting Models, shows the county is growing at a pace far exceeding historical trends, resulting in reduced service levels for emergency response and increasing pressure to expand infrastructure, such as fire stations, parks, libraries and retail centers.

› Railcrew Xpress cutting jobs in Jacksonville after losing contract with CSX [Jacksonville Daily Record]
A Missouri-based company that provides transportation for railroad crews filed a notice with state officials saying it is closing several facilities in Florida after losing a contract with CSX Corp., affecting 34 jobs in Jacksonville. The letter sent Dec. 22 by Railcrew Xpress to the Florida Department of Commerce said Jacksonville-based CSX notified the company its contract has been canceled as of Feb. 27.

› Legionnaires’ disease warnings appear at Orange federal courthouse [Orlando Sentinel]
Signs posted around the George C. Young Federal Annex Courthouse in downtown Orlando warn court staff and visitors to be wary of the water because of the presence of the bacterium which causes Legionnaires’ disease — the latest incident in Orange County, which has the state’s highest tally of confirmed cases of the potentially deadly pneumonia this year.

› Fort Lauderdale gets a spot on CNN’s ‘New Year’s Eve Live.’ What to expect. [South Florida Sun Sentinel]
Fort Lauderdale will be in the national spotlight come Dec. 31, snaring a spot on CNN’s “New Year’s Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen.” Visit Lauderdale, the county’s tourism arm, is partnering with CNN for a three-minute broadcast from Pier Sixty-Six, a landmark resort newly renovated to the tune of $1 billion. The segment will air live aboard a Sanlorenzo yacht, said Stacy Ritter, president and CEO of Visit Lauderdale.

Endangered Florida panther faces dual threats of urban sprawl and increased traffic