Friday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 10/10/2014

Small businesses face big danger from hackers

It’s not just big businesses like JPMorgan Chase, Target and Home Depot that get hacked. Small companies suffer from intrusions into their computer systems, too. The costs associated with computer and website attacks can run well into the thousands and even millions of dollars for a small company. More at the Claims Journal.

Tit-for-tat in Florida governor's debate leaves little room for candidates to lay out vision

As the first debate between Gov. Rick Scott and Charlie Crist at WSCV-Telemundo 51 wrapped up its taping, the Hispanic voters watching were left with few specifics. Sure, the questions reporters asked related to big, important issues. Yet the two men's responses, while mostly polished, shed little new light on where they stand. More at the Miami Herald.

Note: The debate taped today (Friday, Oct. 10) will be aired tonight at 7 p.m. on Telemundo stations across the state. You can also catch it online at telemundo51.com.

Activist investor wins all 12 of Darden board seats

Florida Dining
Belgian food and drink takes center stage in Florida

Just as Belgium broke into the World Cup quarterfinals, Belgian chefs have begun to put their best food forward, with a clear Belgian imprimatur. The culinary spectrum of Belgium is no longer hidden in Florida under a broadly European, Continental or French rubric.

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Activist investor Starboard Value this morning won a shareholder vote to take total control of Darden Restaurant's board of directors. Starboard won all 12 seats on the board at the company's annual shareholders meeting in Orlando. More at the Orlando Sentinel.

Record $25 million gift spurs newly named USF Muma College of Business

It's a very good time to be a College of Business at the University of South Florida. USF president Judy Genshaft announced at a Friday morning community unveiling that Les and Pam Muma are donating $25 million to name the College of Business in Tampa. More at the Tampa Bay Times.

Cuban-American billionaire's gratitude as big as a skyscraper

Cuban-American billionaire Miguel B. "Mike" Fernandez can measure exactly how much he loves this country. The chairman of Coral Gables-based MBF Healthcare Partners wants to build a 425-foot-tall flagpole in downtown Miami. More at the South Florida Business Journal.

Agriculture
Beekeeping is on the rise in Pinellas County

The number of registered beekeepers in Pinellas County has more than doubled in the past two years. In 2012, the number was less than 50; in 2014, the number is at 106. "And that number is growing,'' said Dave Westervelt, the chief apiary inspector for the Florida Department of Agriculture.