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Thursday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Busy 2018 hurricane season defied forecasts for fewer storms
The 2018 hurricane season ends Friday with a tally of 15 named storms, including eight hurricanes and two major hurricanes. That’s a more active season than normal and defies predictions that called for a less active season. A normal season has 12 named storms, including six hurricanes and two major hurricanes. More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and the Tampa Bay Times.
State eyes Deepwater Horizon money for land preservation
Florida officials are looking at using money from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill to help shield timber land in Dixie County from future development. Gov. Rick Scott and the Cabinet next week will decide whether to spend $6.4 million to purchase what is known as a “conservation easement” on nearly 20,000 acres of timber land near the Suwannee River and Gulf of Mexico in the sparsely populated county. More from the Lakeland Ledger.
Ex-Olive Garden boss Brad Blum envisions FoodFirst as next great American restaurant firm
Chairman and CEO Brad Blum’s corner office overlooks Orlando and beyond, a region that has fostered restaurant industry successes such as Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Ruth’s Chris, Sonny’s Barbecue and more. Blum thinks FoodFirst could one day be listed among those nationally known companies. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Brightline can negotiate for land on Orlando-to-Tampa train corridor, state says
Brightline got the green light this week from the state to negotiate for land to add high-speed passenger rail service from Orlando to Tampa — a link envisioned to eventually connect with Brightline’s existing service in South Florida. More from the Miami Herald.
In one year, the number of Florida kids with no health insurance went up by 37,000. Why?
A new report by the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, found that Florida, after years of marking declines in the number of children without health insurance, is suddenly seeing a rise. It’s part of a national trend, with the number of uninsured children in the U.S. increasing last year for the first time in a decade. See the full report here and read more from the Tampa Bay Times.
Policies, training, enforcement help avoid workplace discrimination claims
While alleged sexual harassment cases are prevalent in the news, employers need to be aware that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is serious about enforcing all types of workplace misconduct and know what steps to take to limit their exposure. [Sponsored report]
Around the State
Drone deputy
The Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition and the Pensacola Police Department are collaborating on a high-tech police drone program. Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward and IHMC Director Ken Ford announced the partnership in August.
» More from Florida Trend.
Florida 500
Luis H. Navas
Luis H. Navas, Co-Founder & Senior Partner at Global Governance Advisors in Miami, moved to Florida from Canada in part because there was help available for his autistic son.
» Read more from Florida 500.
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