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Monday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Data is the key to Florida’s reopening. Here’s a guide to the coronavirus statistics that matter most
The stakes are high as state and local officials puzzle over when to ease coronavirus restrictions: open too quickly and Florida risks a deadly second wave, open too late and the chance of economic recovery gets smothered. But from the tip of the peninsula to the hills of the panhandle, those trying to grasp the true extent of the coronavirus pandemic are confronted with a series of knowledge gaps, data holes and omissions on the part of the state that make it so that no one has the entire picture of what is really going on. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Florida's airline industry could take years to recover
Reviving the airline industry in Florida could take years to get back to January levels, requiring confidence from passengers that their flights and their destinations are safe from the coronavirus. To try to provide that comfort, Spirit Airlines President and CEO Ted Christie recommended to members of a task force created by Gov. Ron DeSantis that a standardized set of policies and rules could be used for such things as airlines, car-rental companies, hotels and local governments hosting travelers. More from WUSF.
Florida farmers: Fix supply chain logistics and we will deliver
Florida’s $8 billion agriculture industry is poised to deliver much needed fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy products to consumers nationwide but is hamstrung by logistics in getting surplus crops from fields to tables, state farmers said. As a result, crops are rotting in fields, milk is being dumped and many of the state’s 48,000 farms are floundering financially. More from the Center Square.
Florida construction company pays $38,000 to settle sexual discrimination lawsuit
A Davie construction company paid $38,000 to settle a sexual discrimination lawsuit that claimed an applicant for heavy equipment operating jobs was told “We are not allowed to hire women on this job.” The applicant, Davie resident Colleen Bendel, has 20 years experience operating heavy machinery. Bendel began receiving the $38,000 as compensatory damages for BHT’s actions in March. More from the Miami Herald.
Tampa-based Railroad & Industrial Federal Credit Union Ranked on the Top 200 Credit Unions in America
DepositAccount.com by Lending Tree has named Railroad & Industrial Federal Credit Union (RIFCU) to their list of the Top 200 Credit Unions in America. Coming in at number 80 on the list, RIFCU was the only Tampa headquartered credit union on this year’s Top 200 list. More at Florida Trend.
Business Profile
A.P. Bell Fish Company
Fishing boats are still leaving the docks in Cortez, but coronavirus has changed the specifics of where the hauls wind up. Karen Bell, president of A.P. Bell Fish Co., said “we’re holding our own” when asked about the impact the virus has had on the fish house she owns in the historic village of Cortez that sends seafood all over the world. Business is far from brisk, but demand is still there, even if the target has been altered.
» More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Event
Blue Angels to fly over Tampa on Saturday
The Blue Angels will pay tribute to frontline workers with a flight over Tampa this weekend, according to city spokesperson Ashley Bauman. Last week, the Pentagon announced “Operation America Strong,” a national tour of flyovers, which will happen over the areas of the country hardest hit by COVID-19. The Blue Angels will fly their F/A-18 Hornets over at least 13 other cities, including Miami, Tallahassee and Jacksonville.
» Read more from WFLA and the Tampa Bay Times.
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