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Wednesday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida bracing for travelers during Thanksgiving holiday
From roadways to airports, Florida is expected to be crowded with those both coming and going over the Thanksgiving holiday and into the weekend. A combined 2.3 million travelers are expected to fly in and out of South Florida airports this holiday week, along with the 49 million people expected to be on the road. With so many people rushing to get a seat at their Thanksgiving dinner table, some planning is needed. More from NBC Miami, WWSB, WPLG, and WSVN.
See also:
» Orlando International Airport preps for Thanksgiving holiday rush
» Thanksgiving forecast good for Florida, not so for rest of country
» Florida’s Turnpike to offer free coffee during Thanksgiving travel
South Florida museums pack their galleries for Art Basel
Art Basel festivities and Miami Art Week events are at full swing in many South Florida museums. Art talk programs, art exhibits and special performances will have museum visitors second guessing themselves about art with most of activities starting as early as Sunday, Dec. 1. More from Miami Today.
Who’s flying on Florida’s state planes? No one knows, and that’s a problem.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement failed to report the names of passengers flying on state-operated aircraft and the purposes of their travels to show all transportation was for official state business, according to a new audit. State auditors examined a sample of flight records kept by the law-enforcement agency between January 2019 and June 2019 to determine whether it properly charged people for transportation costs. More from the Tampa Bay Times and WJXT.
Brevard's hotel tax collection sets record, as tourism outlook looks positive for coming year
Brevard County has set a record for tourist tax collections in the recently ended budget year, and is looking for another strong year ahead. That will help pay for everything from increased tourism marketing to bigger, better beaches and more tourism-related capital projects. More from Florida Today.
FBI: Hate crimes on the rise in Florida
Hate crimes in Florida are on the rise, according to a report by the FBI. Recent statistics compiled by the agency show a 51 percent rise in the state from 2016 to 2017, and some worry that number may be even higher. That’s because the current law doesn’t include all groups that could face discrimination. More from Bay News 9.
Florida History
For Thanksgiving, add old Florida fare to your table of gratitude
Around this time of year, those who dip into Florida history often proudly note that the first Thanksgiving took place at St. Augustine in 1565 — decades before the Pilgrims of lore dined up north at Plymouth Colony in 1621. But alas, as the late University of Florida historian Michael Gannon noted, “it’s very difficult to get the powdered-wig states to the north to recognize St. Augustine’s priority among American cities.”
» More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Sports Business
Sports exec readies region for a tourism touchdown
The countdown to Feb. 7, 2021, is on. That’s the date of Super Bowl LV — and it’s coming to Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium for the first time since 2009, when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Arizona Cardinals and Bruce Springsteen, and The E Street Band romped through some of their greatest hits during the halftime show.
» Read more from the Business Observer.
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