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Tuesday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida tops in U.S. for construction hiring
Florida led the nation in construction job growth over the past year, according to a new report. Contractors added 70,700 workers to their Florida payrolls, a 14.8 percent growth rate, in the 12 months ending in September, the Associated General Contractors of America reported. Florida topped the U.S. both in the number of new jobs and the annual percentage gain. Read the report from AGC, see the list of state rankings. Also read more at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Florida Trend Exclusive
Targeting concussions: A Tallahassee company's drug draws attention
Prevacus’ neuro-steroid drug, Prevasol, has the potential to reduce the chances of a victim developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease that can cause depression, mood disorders and cognitive changes. Full story here (part of a business news roundup for Northwest Florida).
Feds shut down self-driving school bus pilot in Florida
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has shut down a self-driving school bus project in Florida, calling it “unlawful.” It’s one of the most forceful interventions by the Department of Transportation in the early days of autonomous vehicles. More from The Verge and Ars Technica.
How to win Florida
Florida is the ultimate swing state, the land of the political cliffhanger. If you add up the 50 million votes Floridians have cast in the past seven presidential elections, a mere 20,000 votes separate the two parties—about 0.04 percent. That’s why confident proclamations of the key to victory in Florida tend to be incorrect. [Source: Politico]
Hurricane Michael could sour Florida's tupelo honey harvest
Hurricane Michael toppled beehives and stripped flowering plants across Florida's Panhandle, threatening tupelo honey production in a tiny community that is the primary source of the sweet delicacy. Tanker trucks of corn syrup and tens of thousands of pounds of synthetic pollen are being rushed to beekeepers from the Gulf of Mexico to the Georgia state line to feed surviving bee colonies. [Source: AP]
Drone technology at Duke Energy
For nearly a century, unmanned aerial vehicles – or drones – were military tools, but in the last decade, drone use for civilian tasks has skyrocketed. The energy industry is no exception. Duke Energy started using drones in 2015 to inspect wind and solar sites. Story here. [Sponsored Report]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Ringling College brings filmmakers to Sarasota despite loss of Florida tax incentives
Studio Lab pairs Ringling students with industry professionals in ways that include students working on film, television and web projects; visiting artists who hold speeches and master classes; and the mixed-use academic and commercial Ringling College Studio Labs with soundstages and post-production facility, with the latter set to open later this fall.
› Fresh perspective yields new faith in the future of Florida citrus
Anytime you see a new citrus planting in Florida, it gives hope for the future of the state’s signature crop. To see a new planting in Lake County, where acres have been on a steady decline since greening came on the scene, it’s cause for even more excitement.
› Community banks Seacoast and First Green complete $115 million merger
Seacoast Bank finalized its $115 million merger with First Green Bank on Friday following months of negotiations Seacoast is also expanding its footprint across Florida with 51 branches across the state, including First Green’s Fort Lauderdale and Mount Dora branches.
› Boca Raton restaurant group hiring for more than 50 jobs
Boca Raton-based Rapoport’s Restaurant Group is hiring for more than 50 positions from 9 a.m. to noon Oct. 27. The event will take place at its newest Italian restaurant, Prezzo, 5560 N. Military Trail, Boca Raton.
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