SHARE:
Monday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
› Florida county spends $182K on koozies at official-run firm
A Florida county has spent about $182,000 on beer koozies meant to promote the area that an audit found were produced by a government official’s company. Auditors say Carol Hudson used her position as county vice president of sports marketing to buy almost $420,000 in swag for the county.
› The rollicking history of a raucous town - Key West
It is a fact that Key West is both the southernmost and westernmost of the keys. But that’s not why it’s called Key West. The most accepted version of how it got its name appears to be that the Spanish corrupted “Cayo,” a Taino word for small island, and added “hueso,” Spanish for “bones,” because they’d given the name to a local tree. Or because the reefs looked like bleached bones. Or because explorers found bones of Calusas strewn on the beach. It’s all in how you tell the tale.
› FPL spends millions to sway lawmakers. The result can affect your electric bill.
Florida Power & Light Co. is on track to spend as much as $1 million this year to lobby lawmakers, regulators and state leaders, a situation that critics say could make customers the losers. Lobbying and campaign donations help FPL limit competition and hang onto its monopoly powering 5 million homes and businesses, which can lead to higher electric bills, environmentalists and watchdog groups contend.
› David Straz Jr.: A tycoon who could surprise you
Tampa’s high society was stunned this week when news broke that banker and philanthropist David A. Straz Jr. had died unexpectedly. But so were the employees at the Burger King nearest to his South Tampa home. Straz was an early-morning regular, and he would take a seat with a view of rush-hour traffic on W Kennedy Boulevard. He was friendly, wished everyone “Merry Christmas” in season and consistently ordered the same, slightly idiosyncratic breakfast: side of ham, side of eggs and coffee.
In case you missed it:
