Wednesday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 3/7/2018

Florida House votes today on gun and school security bill

Since the Feb. 14 shooting at a Parkland High School left 17 dead, Florida lawmakers have vowed that they would do something to make sure it never happened again. Today, the Florida House will vote on a bill that some say does just that. Others say it doesn’t even come close. Some say it makes schools even more dangerous. See the latest version of SB 7026, the "Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act," here. Also read more from the Times/Herald, USA Today, and Reuters.

See also:
» Five things you need to know today about Florida’s gun politics
Quick poll: » Do you support the Florida bill SB 7026 - Public Safety? (Bill includes 3-day waiting period to buy a firearm; must be 21 to buy a gun; some school personnel can carry concealed weapons)

Miami's real estate market is so strong that homes are selling for near-asking price

The shortage of properties on sale partially determines the prices and speed of the sales. In January 2017, 6,590 single family homes were for sale, compared to 6,255 this January. More from the Miami Herald.

Land eyed by Jaguars for entertainment district is contaminated

Long before the Jacksonville Jaguars turned their attention to a stadium parking lot as a possible place for a shiny new entertainment district, the property was a fuel tank farm in the era when wharves and manufacturing put an industrial stamp on that part of downtown. More from the Florida Times-Union.

Auto insurance rates in Florida rank 5th highest in nation

On average, Floridians are paying $1,800 a year for auto insurance. Drivers everywhere can't figure out how insurance companies come up with the rates we all pay. More from WFTS.

FEMA to stop sheltering Florida Irma victims in hotels

Federal disaster officials are ending a program that paid for hotel rooms for more than 27,000 Florida households in the wake of Hurricane Irma. FEMA officials announced Tuesday that the short-term emergency sheltering program will end March 10. More from the AP.

Agriculture
Positive signs for upcoming Florida peach season

There are positive signs that the Florida peach season will be a good one this year. The moderate cold snap that the state experienced at the start of the year helped the trees prepare well for the upcoming season.

» More from Fresh Plaza.

Business Profile
Norman Love Confections

Norman Love Confections sells more than 7 million pieces of tasty and premium-made handcrafted chocolate a year. But what really eats at company founder and president Norman Love? The amount of sales that sit — unbought — in an online shopping cart at normanloveconfections.com.