Monday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 11/25/2019

Hurricane season 2019 closes this week, and Florida avoided the worst

On Nov. 30 Floridians can breath a sigh of relief and eat their hurricane snacks as hurricane season 2019 comes to an end. The season was predicted to be unremarkable, but it was anything except boring. Not only was tropical activity above average, but historical milestones were made with events such as Category 5 Hurricane Dorian reaching maximum sustained winds of 185 mph - the strongest ever recorded for a storm that made landfall. More from the Orlando Sentinel.

Financial literacy is no longer required in Florida schools, but many still teach it

At the end of the 2019 legislative session, a bill was signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis. But rather than make financial literacy mandatory, as many advocates hoped, it did the opposite. It removed the requirement that it be taught in economics, and called for a more in-depth course worth half a credit - but that course is only an elective. [Source: WJCT]

Pasco tourism draws 1 million visitors in 2019

Pasco County drew more than 1 million tourists in the 2019 fiscal year, and the county’s annual bed tax collections topped $3 million for the first time. Those visitors also spent an estimated $462.6 million during their stays on hotels, restaurants, shopping, entertainment and attractions. More from the Tampa Bay Times.

AutoNation hires Office Depot’s chief financial officer

AutoNation has hired away the chief financial officer at Office Depot. Office Depot, based in Boca Raton, made a filing with securities regulators Friday that CFO Joseph Lower was leaving the company in early 2020. In an unusual move for big corporations, Office Depot also announced that Lower had been hired as CFO at Fort Lauderdale-based AutoNation. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Brightline deaths prompt ‘concern’ from DeSantis, oversight letter to FDOT

In response to the ongoing spate of fatal accidents along the Florida East Coast rail corridor, Gov. Ron DeSantis has asked Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Kevin Thibault to look into the issue. At the same time, the Florida Transportation Commission has sent a letter to FDOT over passenger-rail safety concerns. More from the Miami Herald.

Entertainment Trends
When this building spree is done, Florida will have eight new roller coasters

Florida’s theme parks are in the midst of a roller coaster building spree of sorts. Between June 2018, when Slinky Dog Dash opened at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and October 2021, when Disney says Guardians of the Galaxy at Epcot and Tron at Magic Kingdom will have opened, the parks are adding eight new roller coasters. That’s twice as many as the parks have built in any other 3 1/2-year period.

» More from the Miami Herald.


Florida's Most Influential Business Leaders
Charlotte Baker founded cyber-security services firm Digital Hands in 2001. She was a founding member of the Tampa Bay Technology Forum. Read More.