Tuesday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 2/5/2019

After Hurricane Michael, Florida considers new crops

Hemp and hops are being promoted among alternatives for crops wiped out by Hurricane Michael in the eastern Panhandle. Glen Aiken, director of the University of Florida’s North Florida Research and Education Center, said Monday the need for alternatives has grown as farmers in an eight-county region suffered most of the estimated $1.5 billion hit to the state’s agriculture industry in the October storm. More from the Tampa Bay Times.

Home Depot to hire 500 new workers in South Florida

It’s Home Depot’s busiest time of the year, when homeowners turn their attention to improving their house and planting gardens. So the home improvement store is hiring 500 new workers in South Florida. The new hires will include full-time and part-time permanent positions, as well as seasonal. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

UF researcher finds link between common food poison toxin and colorectal cancer

University of Florida researchers have found a link between colorectal cancer in mice and the most commonly reported bacterial cause of food poisoning in the United States. The study was published in the journal Gut this month and is featured as its cover story. See the full story here.

Amazon, shmamazon. Study finds South Florida can build its own mega-corporations

A new report by Florida International University's Miami Urban Future Initiative looks at how South Florida managed to get on Amazon's coveted shortlist for a new headquarters. It also covers what South Florida needs to do to lure similar companies here -- or, better still -- grow our own. See the full report here and read more from WLRN.

Orlando Utilities Commission is becoming its own weather service for growth of solar energy

Orlando’s electric utility is going to try to do weather forecasting like nobody else, even the National Weather System, as solar energy becomes a top source of power for the city. The Orlando Utilities Commission is installing two dozen weather stations in a perimeter around its more than 400 square miles of service area. More from the Orlando Sentinel.

Trend Mention

FAWL Lobby Days
Join the Florida Association for Women Lawyers on March 10-12 in Tallahassee for its 2019 FAWL Lobby Days featuring networking, CLE programming, powerful advocacy, and a special evening reception with your legislators. Details and registration at www.fawl.org. [Sponsored]

Community Portrait
Orlando's future trajectory

While the Orlando region certainly has opportunities, there also are challenges. The area is among the nation’s fastest-growing in population and jobs. That isn’t likely to change anytime soon. Yet, can the region meet the future demands both from residents and employers?

» Read more here.

Out of the Box
Hate grocery shopping? Let Sedano’s new robot do it for you

The future of grocery shopping can be found in the back of a Sedano’s in far-western Dade. There, a first-of-its-kind automated sorting system built by renowned Austrian logistics company Knapp and designed by a Boston-based startup is already packing groceries for Sedano’s Supermarkets customers who’ve placed orders online or by phone.