Increasing percentage of uninsured drivers adding to Florida's insurance woes
Just like property insurance, what Florida drivers are paying for car insurance stands out nationally and part of what’s fueling those prices is the high number of motorists driving without insurance. Nationally, the portion of drivers on the road without car insurance started accelerating with the pandemic in 2020 and it’s kept increasing, according to the Insurance Research Council, an organization the insurance industry supports. The same study also shows that Florida drivers are revving up the trend more than the average. [Source: Palm Beach Post]
Florida Trend Exclusive
Florida Icon: Jeb Bush
The former governor tells us: "One of the things I enjoyed when I was governor, in retrospect, was the tension that a robust press created. I’m not trying to be righteous about this, because I didn’t like it when I was governor. Having some degree of accountability just keeps you on your toes and makes you think, ‘Is there a better way of thinking about this?’ Having the Legislature or an independent press or some other institution slap you across the face once in a while is not a bad thing." [Source: Florida Trend]
Arts groups grapple with state budget: ‘We’re between a rock and a hard place’
Proposed changes to the way Florida’s arts organizations receive state funding have leaders of cultural nonprofits watching developments in Tallahassee with a mix of wariness and hope. “We’re between a rock and a hard place,” said Jennifer Jones, president of the Florida Cultural Alliance statewide advocacy organization. This week, cultural leaders and advocates travel to the state capital to meet with legislators on the annual Arts and Cultural Advocacy Day. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
How a turf war between lizards in Florida impacts mosquitoes and maybe your health
Mosquitoes might be the bane of a summer evening, but researchers in Florida are now also looking at the insects’ more obscure targets — and how even a tiny, orange-flapped lizard could play a role in protecting our health. The researchers are still waiting for results, but in a few months, they’ll know exactly how the mosquito-bird-lizard-human transmission works. [Source: WUSF]
How much money you need to be upper middle class in Florida
The cost of living in Florida continues to rise, making it more challenging for residents to attain and maintain an upper-middle-class lifestyle. Recent data from the 2023 American Community Survey sheds light on just how much Floridians need to earn to be considered upper-middle class in the Sunshine State. Florida ranks 17th in the nation for the income required to be considered upper-middle class. While the cost of living in Florida is still lower than in states like California and New York, it remains higher than many Southern states. [Source: WFLA]
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ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Search firm narrows Orlando Airport CEO field, but contenders are a secret
The agency that runs the Orlando International Airport wants to hire a CEO as early as the end of the month, and a search firm has flagged 13 contenders for the job. But so far, the public has been mostly shut out of the firm’s work finding a new leader to oversee the nation’s seventh busiest airport. A list of the candidates hasn’t been released, with the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority insisting to the Orlando Sentinel that no written list even exists. It’s unclear if interviews will take place in public.
› How Brevard spent hundreds of millions of dollars in federal aid during COVID pandemic
Hundreds of millions of dollars in federal aid came to Brevard County during the COVID-19 pandemic in what became a hugely significant flood of public assistance that continues to reverberate in projects five years later. It wasn't spent without controversy, though.
› What if the Rays stick with stadium deal? What happens if they don’t?
The future of the Tampa Bay Rays stadium and a $6.5 billion redevelopment of downtown St. Petersburg hinges on a March 31 deadline for the Rays to meet a list of obligations. Rays owner Stuart Sternberg’s decision this month could set off one of two scenarios: shovels in the ground for a stadium and a revamped Historic Gas Plant District, or starting over on reimagining 86 acres in the city’s core.
› Citizens Property Insurance Corp. selects new headquarters space out of downtown Jacksonville
After drawing seven bids from its invitation to negotiate for “turn-key” office space in Jacksonville, Citizens Property Insurance Corp. has selected a property in South Jacksonville. The state insurer chose a bid for space in the former Florida Coastal School of Law building. It plans to move into its new offices in January 2026.
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› Embry-Riddle exploring plans for a new satellite campus in Lake County
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is scoping out a location in rural northeast Lake County for a satellite campus where it could train drone pilots and test autonomous flying vehicles. The new facility would be about 50 miles from the main college campus in Daytona Beach, according to a report in GrowthSpotter.
› Virtual reality simulation specialist Vrai launches new US base in Florida
Virtual reality simulation specialist Vrai is set to open a new base in Florida. The company, which has bases at Newcastle Helix and in Dublin, provides performance data systems in simulation training and works with organisations in defence and security, civil aviation and energy generation. Its clients include the Irish Defence Forces, the Royal Air Force, Orsted, Amazon Web Services and Samsung Electronics.
› MarineMax completes latest acquisition
After announcing last month that the company would be acquiring a marina in Marathon, Florida, MarineMax has officially closed the deal. Shelter Bay Marine, a full-service marina and storage facility, now counts itself as one of 65 such facilities under the MarineMax company umbrella. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
› SouthState Bank sells 165+ branches in massive leaseback deal
SouthState Bank has sold and leased back more than 165 of its retail branches in the Southeast U.S. The Winter Haven-based bank — part of SouthState Corporation (NYSE: SSB) — sold the branches in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia for $467 million in cash to affiliates of Blue Owl Real Estate Capital and agreed to rent them back under triple-net leases with initial 15-year terms.