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Tuesday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Congress seeks relief for Florida’s struggling agriculture industry
The initial pandemic outbreak caused many farmers in Florida to plow under their crops for an estimated loss of more than $500 million, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. “U.S. specialty crop producers continue to be undercut by high volumes of low-priced Mexican produce due to the prevailing trade environment, which has persisted over the past several decades,” said John Walt Boatright, Director of National Affairs for the Florida Farm Bureau Federation. More from the Tampa Bay Times and Fresh Plaza.
Florida’s primary voter registration deadline is less than a week away
Floridians planning to vote in local primary elections have a less than a week left to register to vote or update their voter’s registration information. Since Florida is a closed primary state, only voters who are registered members of political parties can vote for respective party candidates or nominees during a primary election. Those who are eligible may register to vote at any time, but they must register at least 29 days before an election to participate in it. More from CBS Miami.
Orlando eagerly watches, hopes as NBA readies for its return to the court
Everyone wants to know what’s about to happen on the inside, and in due time, science will decide if this bold experiment to restart the NBA season will impress or implode. But what about the outside? How is the Other Half living? The state of Florida now grapples with a massive spike in COVID-19 cases and overwhelmed hospitals and could shut down again. It presents an interesting juxtaposition, how one part of Orlando is the center of hope, and the other part is the Florida epicenter of coronavirus devastation. More from NBA.
Some phone carriers are flagging Florida contact tracing efforts as spam
The scam call you ignored or sent to voicemail might just be a contact tracer. The call will come from 833-917-2880. The person on the other end will identify themselves as a representative with the Florida Department of Health calling with important medical information. They’ll ask to confirm a last name and date of birth, then continue with the call. While some phone companies are automatically flagging the number as potential spam, the calls coming from 833-917-2880 is legitimate. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
JEA executive Herschel Vinyard and eight other executives terminated without cause
JEA announced that it terminated the employment of chief administrative officer Herschel Vinyard and eight other executives, but they will receive 20 weeks of severance pay because their dismissals are without cause. Vinyard, who joined JEA in 2019 after working in private law practice and serving as secretary of the state Department of Environmental Protection, had a central role in the failed attempt last year to line up a buyer for the utility. More from the Florida Times-Union.
Florida Nature
Poisonous cane toads on the prowl during height of rainy season
They’re creepy, crawly and just down right ugly. Cane toads have become an invasive menace in South Florida in recent decades, and it appears they’re a permanent part of the landscape. Also known as the bufo toad or marine toad, they are common along some waterways year-round but explode in numbers every summer in various neighborhoods and in developed areas.
» More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Business Profile
Clothes Bin provides new life for old clothes
Nick Boariu says 85% of old clothes and shoes wind up in landfills. In 2015, he and business partner Marc Douglas founded Clothes Bin as a for-profit franchise targeting that market for recycling. Franchisees rent space for bins in high-visibility, high-traffic, easy-access locations — such as shopping centers or convenience stores or in a revenue-sharing partnership with schools. Franchisees sell the clothes by the pound locally to retailers, thrift stores or wholesalers or sell to bulk collectors through a national buyer program.
» Read more from Florida Trend.
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