Wednesday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 11/7/2018

Florida’s U.S. Senate race headed for a recount

A recount will be conducted of the vote tally in Florida’s hard-fought U.S. Senate race after Republican challenger Rick Scott’s lead over Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson fell below the threshold of half of one percent. “We are proceeding to a recount,” Nelson said Wednesday morning. Unofficial results show Scott ahead by about 34,000 votes out of more than 8 million cast, or 0.42 percentage points. More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and the Tampa Bay Times.

Office Depot tops revenue, earnings estimates in quarter

Boca Raton-based Office Depot delivered an increase on revenues and beat earnings estimates in its third quarter results released Wednesday. Office Depot reported sales of $2.89 billion, up from the consensus estimate of $2.83 billion, and earnings per share of 13 cents, one cent better than analysts’ estimates of 12 cents. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and the AP.

Coconut Grove Business Improvement District gets new lease on life

Property owners have granted another 10 years to the Coconut Grove Business Improvement District’s lifespan. The organization has just won approval by a 61% vote from property owners within its boundaries – 140 of 229 affidavits. The votes now move to the Miami City Commission for formal ratification. More from Miami Today.

Wyndham Grand Orlando Bonnet Creek rewards guests who give up cellphones

The Orlando hotel is one of five in the nationwide chain testing a way to reward guests who put their phones away for a predetermined length of time such as over dinner. Guests who volunteer their phones get entered into a drawing that awards the equivalent of a free five-day hotel stay every month or so. More from the Orlando Sentinel.

Tamarac-based City Furniture plans $100 million expansion

City Furniture is planning a $100 million expansion. The Tamarac-based company expects to open a 100,000-square-foot site in 2019 in the Doral area of Miami-Dade County as a dual-brand City Furniture and adjacent Ashley HomeStore. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

FSU successfully 'Raises the Torch' for the future

Eight years ago, Florida State University embarked on the most ambitious fundraising effort in its history. Raise the Torch: The Campaign for Florida State was launched to attract $1 billion in philanthropic support to implement bold ideas that would continue to distinguish Florida State as a preeminent university and positively affect the future for students, faculty and alumni. [Sponsored report]

Out of the Box
Letting Your Coworkers Decide on Your Raise

Asking your boss for a raise can be intimidating enough. But at one Florida-based company, your boss isn't the only person who gets a say — the whole office gets a vote. Since it was founded in 2003, travel insurance site Squaremouth has had a policy of peer-reviewed raises.

» More from Business Insider and CNN.

Florida 500
Delores Kesler

The founder of AccuStaff (now Adecco), Delores Kesler became the first woman in Florida to lead an IPO when she took the staffing company public in 1994.