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Friday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Millions have already voted in Florida’s Tuesday primary election as mail voting surges
Nearly 2.3 million Floridians have already cast ballots four days before Tuesday’s primary as counties across the state see a surge in mail voting. Democrats have taken the lead in the number of mail ballots cast so far, a reversal in the historic vote-by-mail edge held by Republicans. Nearly 960,000 Democrats have voted by mail as of state data through Thursday, compared with more than 670,000 Republicans. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Here’s who’s moving to Florida from the Northeast and elsewhere in the U.S. And why
The groundswell of Americans moving to Florida from other parts of the country has been one of the more interesting subplots of COVID-19’s effect on 2020. Foremost among these would be which areas of the country people are leaving, and the reasons for that. More from the Miami Herald.
Southwest Florida private jet firms hope to land new opportunities during pandemic
For commercial airlines, travel restrictions and public health concerns have led to canceled flights, panicked passengers and plummeting profits. For businesses involved in private air travel, the story is more nuanced. The beginning of the pandemic brought difficult days, but as coronavirus dragged on, many passengers have turned to private aviation as a welcome alternative to commercial flights and airports packed with people. More from the Business Observer.
Orlando airport leadership shrinks as COVID challenges grow
With the deepening financial crisis of COVID-19, and despite its size and role as a keystone for Central Florida’s economy and employment, Orlando International Airport’s oversight leadership has dwindled from seven to four members. That’s the smallest number in memory, according to longtime senior airport executives. More from the Orlanndo Sentinel.
7 new West Nile cases announced. Miami-Dade passes 30 residents who’ve contracted it
Miami-Dade County passed 30 West Nile virus cases as the Department of Health announced seven more. On Thursday, the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County announced seven more residents have contracted the mosquito-borne illness from local transmission. This brings the county’s total of West Nile virus cases this year to 33. More from the Miami Herald.
In Memoriam
Cal Dodson, Selby Gardens’ first director, dies at 91
As the founding director of Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Calaway (Cal) Dodson helped to transform acres of tropical plants and weeds into an internationally recognized research center and cultural destination for the decades that followed. The botanist, orchidologist and taxonomist who led Selby for its first 10 years died Sunday at age 91 in Sarasota. He was born in Selma, California, on Dec. 17, 1928.
» More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Out of the Box
Duval trial makes history: How they did it virtually
The first civil trial with a jury and binding verdict in the U.S. since the pandemic began ended at about 5:45 p.m. Aug. 10 when the jury’s $354,833 award was read into the record at the Duval County Courthouse. Jury trials were suspended in mid-March to slow the spread of COVID-19. Through their service, the jurors in the remote trial “brought the sound of justice back to the courthouse,” said presiding Circuit Judge Bruce Anderson.
» Read more from the Jacksonville Daily Record.
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