'Potentially volatile' Atlantic hurricane season predicted
AccuWeather is predicting 2025 could be a year with "volatile hurricanes" and warns storms could rapidly intensify shortly before making landfall. That's not welcome news for anyone who has been affected by hurricanes. "Texas, Louisiana, western Florida, North Carolina and Atlantic Canada face a higher-than-average risk of direct impacts this year," forecasters warned. More from the Gainesville Sun and AccuWeather.
Tampa-based AI mortgage platform surpasses $5B in loans
Toorak Capital Partners, a Tampa mortgage company, recently announced its AI-powered platform surpassed a significant milestone of completing $5 billion worth of loans. The platform, Toorak Connects, was launched in 2022 and has processed more than 11,000 loans. It has saved the company 57,000 of review time and thousands of reams of papers, according to a released statement. More from the Business Observer.
Dave & Buster’s accuses Florida restaurant chain of trademark infringement
Dave & Buster’s, a national chain operating as a restaurant, sports bar and arcade, has accused a South Florida-based competitor of promoting its growing business with infringing use of a long-held trademark. Arcade Time USA incorporates the phrase “Eat Drink Play” into its marketing, advertising and promotion of services “categorically identical” to those provided by Dave & Buster’s, according to a lawsuit filed on March 13 in U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Payouts lined up to host World Cup, NASCAR mega-events in Miami-Dade
Miami-Dade is looking ahead to two of next year’s premier sports events, the FIFA World Cup 2026 soccer matches and the NASCAR Championship Weekend, with eyes on how much the county could have to spend to host these big-money, high-profile spectacles. Last week, commissioners voted to increase their World Cup payout for matches already coming here in 2026 while they were also asked to commit to talks with NASCAR about funding if the Homestead Motor Speedway is chosen for its annual event. More from Miami Today.
Northeast Jacksonville denied a special land development board
A bid to create a new board to review land development matters in Northeast Jacksonville died March 25 when the Jacksonville City Council voted 10-7 against it. Council member Mike Gay sought to establish the Northeast Jacksonville Development Review Board, which would have supplanted the city Planning Commission in reviewing requests for rezonings and land use changes. More from the Jacksonville Daily Record.
Event
UCF’s downtown arts festival: Music, murder and dancing dragons
One of Central Florida’s best festivals is upon us as UCF Celebrates the Arts returns to the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. UCF Celebrates the Arts is a treasure trove of music, dance, theater and art — and an exciting look at the future of the arts, with animation and other technology in play. There’s fun for the little ones, too, with a range of children’s theater activities.
» More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Entertainment
Netflix show ‘Love on the Spectrum’ filmed around Pinellas County for season 3
When the third season of “Love On the Spectrum” hits Netflix soon, Tampa Bay viewers might recognize some familiar scenery. According to Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, the show filmed several dates around Pinellas County. The unscripted dating show follows a collection of hopeful romantics who are on the autism spectrum.
» Read more from the Tampa Bay Times.