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Thursday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Red tide continues to spread around Southwest Florida
Red tide algae showed up in test samples again this week, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s weekly report. Florida endured a larger than normal red tide bloom in 2018 afflicting its coasts on a massive scale of distance for an unusually long time; leading to thousands of deaths in marine life. The state spent millions in 2018 on beach cleanups as well as money into research on how to battle red tide. More from the Orlando Sentinel and WFTX.
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» Beachgoers feeling effects of red tide along SWFL coast
Florida Keys neighborhood’s been flooded for over 40 days
Saltwater has been flooding the low-lying streets of a Key Largo neighborhood for more than 40 days, leaving many residents there trapped unless they can walk or are willing to sacrifice their cars to the nearly foot-high corrosive seawater. National Weather Service forecasters say the problem isn't likely to go away until November. More from the Miami Herald.
Florida Trend Exclusive
Palm Beach County benefits from 2017 federal tax cut
Around 2013, as high-tax northern states elected to ding their residents for more taxes, the Palm Beach County Business Development Board began knocking on the doors of financiers who lived part-time in the county to sell them on relocating their operations to Florida. Interest accelerated when the 2017 federal Tax Cut and Jobs Act limited state and local tax deductions for high-income individuals. More from Florida Trend.
Tropical system in Gulf targets North Florida with 80% odds of development
Meteorologists are keeping their eyes on a tropical system in the southern Gulf of Mexico as multiple projections show it making landfall in north Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center’s 8 a.m. Thursday update. All possible projections of the storm’s path make landfall in northern Florida, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration showed. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
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» Disturbance will bring wind, rain, possibly tornadoes to Tampa Bay this weekend
Judge rejects injunction to stop Jacksonville’s ‘simulated gambling’ ban
A federal judge has rejected a request for a preliminary injunction stopping enforcement of Jacksonville’s laws banning casino-style electronic games the city calls “simulated gambling devices.” A lawyer for three businesses operating internet cafes argued the ban illegally violated free-speech rights by restricting video games central to the cafes, but U.S. District Judge Brian Davis was unconvinced. More from the Florida Times-Union.
Miramar sounds perfect for growing audio company
JL Audio debuted in the 1970s when two high school buddies from Miramar began building loudspeakers for fun, friends and family. As their components won industry awards and earned national acclaim from audio enthusiasts around the country, JL Audio was born. [Sponsored report]
Retail Trends
Wawa set to break 200-store mark in Florida
Wawa will celebrate the grand opening of its 200th Florida store Thursday after opening its first store in the state in Orlando in 2012. The convenience store and gas station, which offers up freshly prepared food like hoagies, will have a grand opening at 9 a.m. for its 200th store in Naples. The first Florida store opened near SeaWorld in July 2012 with Gov. Rick Scott attending.
» More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Around the State
Mayo Clinic plans multimillion-dollar proton therapy center in Jacksonville
The Mayo Clinic plans to build a $233-million, 140,000-sq.-ft. cancer care center in Jacksonville, where patients will have access to, among other things, the newest form of proton therapy — pencil beam scanning. The technology uses a proton beam about the size of a pencil to precisely deliver radiation to a patient’s tumor, destroying the cancer while minimizing damage to nearby healthy tissue and organs, experts say.
» Read more from Florida Trend.
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