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Friday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Government shutdown could affect future hurricane preparedness, forecasters worry
Hurricane season is never really over for the federal employees at the National Hurricane Center in Miami. When scary storms stop threatening at the end of November, the Hurricane Center goes into planning mode. But this year, with the partial government shutdown preventing non-essential federal personnel from working, key planning activities simply aren’t happening. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
See also:
» Feds boost money for Hurricane Michael recovery
» He’s a father of four and a federal employee. Dinner these days: bread and cheese
» South Florida federal workers impacted by government shutdown get a little help from food bank
» Federal employee asks Jacksonville agencies and businesses to help during government shutdown
Florida Trend Exclusive
Community portrait: Orlando tourism
George Aguel, president and CEO of Visit Orlando, along with other executives in tourism have diligently worked with economic-development officials throughout the region with the understanding that a rising tide will lift all. And so, they have invested both time and money to ensure vitality, industry by industry, across the board. Yet, there is no mistake to be made. Aguel and his counterparts are clear in pronouncing that tourism drives the ship in the Orlando region. [Source: Florida Trend]
Getting into UF, FSU, UCF may depend a lot on where you went to high school
Students at Florida high schools in more affluent communities are more likely to get into UF or FSU — the state’s top-ranked universities — than students from high schools in lower-income neighborhoods, according to an Orlando Sentinel analysis of an admissions database for state universities. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
Shop for electricity? Florida voters could decide in 2020.
A petition for a ballot measure that could potentially reinvent Florida’s electric utility industry is headed to the Florida Supreme Court. The petition reached the threshold of 76,632 signatures required to be reviewed by Attorney General Ashley Moody and soon after, Florida’s highest court, according to Alex Patton, the chairman of Citizens for Energy Choices political committee. [Source: Miami Herald]
Gov. DeSantis hosts event aimed at deregulating business
Gov. Ron DeSantis says he wants to identify "harmful regulations" that are hurting businesses across the state, which is why he plans to host a "Florida Deregathon" event in Orlando next week. Representatives from each of Florida's 23 professional licensing boards have been invited to attend the event at Valencia College on Jan. 31. More from WKMG and the Orlando Sentinel.
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Tampa Bay's grid is getting smarter. Here's how.
Tampa Bay’s electrical grid isn’t particularly “smart” right now. But over the next few years, it will get a lot more intelligent. The bay area’s two dominant utilities are rolling out technology that they say will make the electrical infrastructure easier to manage, more resilient to outages and able to give customers more control over their energy use.
› Gainesville delivery services expand options for staying in
Charlie Polczynski is one of hundreds of delivery drivers in Gainesville who deliver for Bite Squad and other food delivery services that are based elsewhere but operate in Gainesville, like GrubHub and UberEats.
› Florida architect is a disrupter on both sides of the pond
Throughout her career, architect Joyce Owens has been a disruptive force in residential and commercial design. The Fort Myers architect has been a trendsetter in London and in Southwest Florida. Her modern approach to building design is reflected in her business model.
› Study finds St. Johns is richest county in Florida
If you live in St. Johns County, you are living in the richest county in Florida, according to a new report by 247wallstreet. The study shows the median household income in St. Johns County is $73,640, compared to the state's median income of $50,883.
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