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Friday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
› St. Petersburg firm finds winning formula in government contracts
Eric Knellinger lost his wife to cancer, and now he’s battling it himself. Despite those personal challenges, more than a decade into leading US Federal Contractor Registration, the fast-growing St. Petersburg company he founded in 2009, he has no plans to slow down and sees only more solid growth ahead. Revenues have increased nearly 20% since 2017, to $12.3 million last year.
› New Anna Maria pier set for ‘soft’ opening
No ribbons will be cut, no speeches given, but the long-awaited opening of the Anna Maria City Pier is nonetheless a notable event. The rebuilt pier — originally destroyed by Hurricane Irma in 2017 — will finally become open to the public on Friday, but there will be several conditions made necessary by the coronavirus pandemic. The city of Anna Maria Island, according to mayor Dan Murphy, will eschew the pomp and circumstance of a formal “Grand Opening” and opt for a “Soft Opening” instead.
› South Florida pandemic transportation changes could become permanent
Miami-Dade’s transportation picture has been in flux since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, and many changes – including new safety strictures, increased telecommuting and a rise in non-motorized mobility – could prove permanent, experts say. “This is a lifetime event that’s really going to change a lot of things, including transportation, how people work and where,” said Javier Betancourt, executive director of the Citizens’ Independent Transportation Trust. “And if anyone tells you they know for sure what’s going to happen, they’re lying to you.”
› Pasco wants Super Bowl fans to take notice of their ‘Sports Coast'
For Pasco County’s tourism promoters, the stars have aligned providing a rare opportunity. In February the biggest sports event anywhere, the Super Bowl, is scheduled to be in Tampa, delivering tens of thousands of sports enthusiasts, NFL corporate sponsors and others interested in the unique spectacle near the doorstep of Pasco County’s newly-rebranded Sports Coast.
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