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Tuesday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
2020 was a sunny year for Florida orange juice
While 2020 was bad for many businesses, it was an exceptionally good year for Florida citrus growers. The industry wants to keep that momentum going. Remember at the beginning of the pandemic when everyone hoarded toilet paper? Turns out they were stocking up on orange juice, too. Sales of OJ have been declining for years. But in 2020 retail sales hit a five-year high according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. More from WMFE.
See also:
» The Top Reasons Why We Believe in Florida Citrus
Orlando airport is busier than expected despite COVID as travelers are wary of each other
The nation’s 10th busiest airport prior to the pandemic, Orlando International has seen far more passengers than predicted for the holiday stretch even as the nation struggles with a record-high numbers of coronavirus cases. Airport passenger traffic is exceeding 50 percent of last year’s volume. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Will Biden restore ties with Cuba? Debate swirls over next steps as Florida loss muddies plans
On the campaign trail, President-elect Joe Biden promised to reverse Donald Trump’s restrictions on travel and remittances to Cuba. But he stopped short of saying just how far he’ll go in restoring ties with the communist island. To rewrite Cuba policy, Biden will have to navigate the perilous waters of Florida politics, where a large exile population has turned increasingly Republican. The landscape in Cuba has also changed since former President Barack Obama and Raúl Castro agreed to reestablish diplomatic relations in December 2014. More from the Miami Herald.
Broward has a curfew, but will you really get a ticket if you’re out late on New Year’s?
With New Year’s Eve fast approaching, it just might be a free-for-all for partiers who venture out to ring in 2021 when it comes to all those COVID-19 rules, curfew included. Broward County Mayor Steve Geller says some mayors have told him privately that they don’t intend to crack down on mask and social distancing rules. And Fort Lauderdale has already said it has no intention of enforcing a new county curfew. It remains to be seen which cities plan to follow Fort Lauderdale’s lead. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Delray Beach real estate company starts 'silver linings' campaign
What started off as Noelle McIntyre’s worst year, pivoted into best the year yet for her company True Floridian Realty. The shutdown sparked McIntyre and her team to pay it forward. “To focus on the good,” she said. They started a campaign all about the silver linings of 2020. From rescuing animals to saving lives - True Floridian Realty donated meals to Feeding South Florida for every "silver lining" story shared. In all 27,000 meals were donated through the campaign. More from WPTV.
Education beyond high school for all is key to Florida's economic recovery
Sometimes a crisis will transform a mission that’s important into one that’s urgent, too. For some time, the data crunchers at the Florida College Access Network were reading tea leaves suggesting that Florida needed to boost the number of residents with a degree or credential after high school and close the opportunity gap that held back people of color. [Sponsored report]
Profilie
Longtime hospitality exec-turned-entrepreneur adds another project to schedule
Keith Overton didn’t survive 25 years as a top executive with St. Pete Beach-based TradeWinds Island Resorts without being able to sniff out and respond to trends in the tourism industry. That's why since leaving the company in fall 2019 he’s embarked on not one but two new ventures he believes will capitalize on the changing ways in which people are traveling and spending money on recreation and leisure.
» More from the Business Observer.
End of an Era
Macy's in Winter Haven, the last in Polk County, has closed
The last-standing Macy's in Polk County has shut its doors. Macy's, an anchor for the Citi Centre shopping mall in Winter Haven, is the latest department store to fall victim to the COVID-19 pandemic's assault on brick-and-mortar retail. A Macy's spokesperson confirmed the store's closure on Monday in an email. "With careful consideration, Macy's has decided to sell the Macy's Winter Haven location," Lauren Vocelle Phillips said. "We will continue to serve our customers through December."
» Read more from the Lakeland Ledger.
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