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Friday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Along the Space Coast, the legacy of Apollo and dreams of new frontiers are intertwined
Florida's Space Coast may be best defined by glory days, but the region has seen its fortunes rally. The satellite business is booming, and private companies are stepping in where NASA stepped back. It’s too soon yet, but someday, they hope to send astronauts into space from the same launchpads that propelled men toward the moon. Someday, they want to bring back not just the money but the magic. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Florida Trend Exclusive
Florida Trend wins 5 'Charlie Awards' from the Florida Magazine Association
Florida Trend attended the Florida Magazine Association's annual conference on Friday, July 12 at The Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club and was awarded five "Charlie Awards." The conference celebrated the work of magazines from around the state —from writing and design to outstanding contributions in photography, digital publishing, marketing and more. More from Florida Trend.
Florida’s guardians have a huge responsibility — and potential for abuse
Court-appointed guardians in Florida can decide whether your leg should be amputated, your dog should be euthanized, the home that has been in your family for generations should be sold — and even where you should live. It’s an enormous responsibility, and some fear the potential for abuse is enormous too, with the state making it too easy to become a guardian and too hard to get rid of the bad ones. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
CarMax rolls into Florida with new online experience
CarMax, Inc. the nation’s largest retailer of used cars, today announces its new personalized car buying experience is now available to CarMax customers in Florida. Customers can now choose to complete the entire car-buying experience from home and have the car delivered, including the ability to test drive, prior to purchase. More from Florida Trend.
Florida’s new hemp law is changing how Seminole, Brevard prosecutors handle marijuana crimes
Effective July 1, hemp — a strain of the cannabis plant primarily grown and used for industrial purposes — is no longer illegal in Florida. Though hemp plants and flowers are virtually indistinguishable from illegal cannabis, hemp has very small concentrations of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Out of the Box
Florida company offering alien abduction insurance
You may not believe in little green men or UFOs – but if you do, a Florida insurance agency has you covered. Mike St. Lawrence owns the St. Lawrence Agency located in Altamonte Springs. His agency offers limited or comprehensive alien abduction insurance. “I went and I looked at my homeowner’s insurance policy to see if I was covered for a risk like this and I was not,” said St. Lawrence. St. Lawrence, who says he is in the “humor business” has sold close to 6,000 policies since 1987.
» More from WFLA.
Business Profile
Doral firm finds successful niche in luxury kitchen appliances
Josu Gaubeca got into business by selling kitchen sinks out of his truck in Caracas, Venezuela, when he was a college sophomore. Now he runs companies based in Doral that log multimillion-dollar annual sales and provide high-end kitchen appliances to customers in South Florida, Latin America and the Caribbean.
» Read more from the Miami Herald.
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