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Tuesday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Unemployment taxes going up for Florida employers
More than five million people have filed for unemployment benefits in Florida. The new unemployment milestone comes as Florida employers begin the new year with higher taxes to cover unemployment benefits. Florida employers were sent a notice about the increase from the State Department of Revenue. It let them know their cost of doing business will increase in order to help replenish the state’s reemployment trust fund. Businesses could see their rate go from one tenth of a percent to nearly three tenths of a percent on the first $7,000 in wages. More from WFLA.
Radical surgery to save Sunset Place was off, then on. Now its owners dumped the mall
The high-profile partners who acquired the failing Shops at Sunset Place mall in South Miami five years ago with ambitious but controversial redevelopment plans have given up on the project and dumped the landmark property at a $45 million loss. The buyer is Midtown Opportunities, a real estate investment firm that owns vacant land in Midtown Miami and partnered on development of an apartment tower in the neighborhood. The firm said it closed on the purchase of the 9.7-acre Sunset Place for $65.5 million on Dec. 31. More from the Miami Herald.
Boeing’s troubled 737 Max will fly into Tampa International Airport this month
Boeing’s troubled 737 Max airplane will return to Tampa International Airport this month for the first time in nearly two years. The plane, which was grounded from March 2019 to late December due to safety concerns following deadly crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia, will return with two American Airlines flights between Tampa and Miami on Jan. 19, according to Cirium, a global aviation data company. Those flights will continue two or three times per day going forward. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Broward Meat and Fish Co. taking over Penn Dutch’s former Margate site
The new occupants of the former Penn Dutch Meat and Seafood in Margate might feel familiar to the iconic retailer’s former customers. Broward Meat and Fish Co., whose owners regarded Penn Dutch as their closest competition, has bought the site for $11.9 million. Like Penn Dutch, Broward Meat and Fish offers a wide variety of meat and seafood sliced and packaged on site and sold at discount prices. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
The JEA report: A 'lack of transparency' amid effort to sell utility
A yearlong Jacksonville City Council investigation shows evidence that Mayor Lenny Curry’s administration engaged in a “multi-year” effort from 2017-19 to sell JEA and shielded some actions from the Florida Sunshine Law and the public. Council’s independent attorney, Steve Busey of the law firm Smith Hulsey & Busey, released the 132-page report and companion 242-page chronology of events Jan. 4. More from the Jacksonville Daily Record and the Florida Times-Union.
Profile
Well-known drinkware company names CEO
Drinkware company Tervis has named Rogan Donelly its new CEO. Donelly is the third-generation owner of the North Venice-based company. He was initially appointed president of Tervis in May 2016, according to a statement; the company hasn't had a CEO in several years. Under Donelly's leadership over the past four-and-a-half years, Tervis has expanded its drinkware offerings to include stainless steel tumblers and wide-mouth stainless bottles, resulting in new sourcing and manufacturing practices.
» More from the Business Observer.
Entertainment
Robot Love returns: Grassroots art exhibition coming to Foosaner Art Museum
“Robot Love” is back, and it could not have arrived at a better time. The organizers of the self-proclaimed “legendary grassroots mashup of art, dance, music and tech” have again stepped up to try and save humanity - or at least provide some socially responsible ways to mingle - under the efficient gaze of robots. And as everyone knows, under their emotionless veneer, robots are starved for affection.
» Read more from Florida Today.
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