How will Florida benefit from the COVID-19 relief package?
The U.S. House of Representatives gave final approval to the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan on Wednesday afternoon. The plan, which passed the U.S. House and U.S. Senate along party lines, is the largest COVID-19 relief package to date and likely the last. Under the plan, about 85% of Americans will receive a $1,400 stimulus check. The plan also extends $300 a week in federal unemployment benefits until September. Florida is poised to receive $17.33 billion from the package -- the fourth highest amount after California, Texas and New York. More from WFTV and the Tampa Bay Times.
Wall Street A-listers fled to Florida. Many now eye a return
For months now, A-listers and lesser-lights from the world of high finance have been traveling to the Sunshine State while riding out Covid-19. Hopeful locals see evidence that the area’s long-elusive dream of luring Big Finance for good might be coming true at last. Along Worth Avenue in Palm Beach, real estate agents count commissions from a pandemic-induced real estate boom. Private schools fantasize about attracting the Spence set. The reality is more nuanced -- much more. [Source: Bloomberg News]
U.S. farmworkers, including in Florida, face hurdles to get vaccinations
Florida, which grows half the nation’s domestic tomatoes and 70 percent of its citrus fruit, hasn’t specified farmworkers in its vaccine priority groups. What’s more, Florida has a restrictive residency requirement for vaccination. People must show a state ID or documents such as a utility bill. “The challenge for farmworkers is many don’t have these documents,” said Alexis Guild, director of health policy for Farmworker Justice, an advocacy group. [Source: AP]
Central Florida restaurants have high hopes for spring break
Spring break is next week and local business owners and leaders say the region could use the extra business after the pandemic hit Central Florida’s economy hard. But the anticipated uptick in business is also raising concerns about keeping COVID-19 cases from spiking. Infection control officer at AdventHealth Dr. Vincent Hsu says there is good news for spring breakers who’ve been vaccinated. The CDC updated its guidance this week to say people could gather in small groups as long as they have all got the shot. [Source: Spectrum News 13]
Voracious super termites are carving out a new existence in South Florida, leaving decades-old trees gutted and vulnerable
A species of invasive super termites is taking their voracious appetite from dead wood and timber to South Florida’s live trees, hollowing out decades-old canopies and making them vulnerable to high winds. The change in strategy by the newly arrived Formosan and Asian subterranean termites is alarming to experts who say they are seeing signs that normally wind-resistant trees such as oaks are being compromised and put at greater risk of being toppled during tropical storms and hurricanes. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Calling young artists! FWC hosts Florida state fish art contest
If you have a young artist at home, it’s time to pull out those water colors! The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is holding an art contest for students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. They are being asked to fill out a Florida State-fish art contest entry form, along with: creating an original piece of art from the official fish list, and a piece of creative writing, no more than a page long about the chosen species (required for grades 4-12).
› In East Tampa, pandemic relief merges with small business development
At a time when many small businesses are struggling to survive, Derrick Blue has seen a few blossom. “During the pandemic, we actually moved in about five new businesses,” said Blue, the CEO of the Tampa-Hillsborough Action Plan, an East Tampa nonprofit that combats economic and societal disparity. “What it demonstrated was the resilience of people here in Tampa. There were companies that moved in and started PPE companies. We have a mask company in the warehouse that’ll be producing nearly a million masks per month, all made in America.”
› DeSantis tries again to strip the Florida Cabinet of its powers
Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet met Tuesday, wrapping up a year of infrequent gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If DeSantis gets his way, it would have even less to do. For the second year in a row, DeSantis is pushing for a bill to eliminate Cabinet oversight over a slew of agency and state personnel rules and transfer many of those powers to himself or agencies he controls, arguing that America’s Founding Fathers envisioned a “unitary executive.”
› ‘A lot of potential’: Downtown Orlando’s Creative Village struggles to find its footing
Creative Village doesn’t look much like a village yet. From the ground, the 68-acre neighborhood on the former site of the Amway Arena feels disconnected from nearby downtown Orlando. Fences surround the construction work on a park, apartments and an office building for video game maker EA. Other than a couple of fast-casual restaurants, there’s little here yet to attract the average resident.
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› Outdoor events abound in Central Florida
Looking for some outdoor fun this week in Central Florida? Well, there are plenty of options. Take to the skies March 11-12 with the Hot Air Balloon Festival, go on a St. Patrick’s Day Paddle on March 12, shop for beautiful botanicals at the Leu Gardens Plant Sale and catch outdoor screenings of films, including “Woman in Motion,” “Aladdin,” “Back to the Future” and “The Secret Life of Pets 2.”
› Prohibition Kitchen and Tap opens in Dunedin
The wait is finally over: Prohibition Kitchen and Tap, the new restaurant and bar inside Dunedin’s beleaguered Whiskey Cartel space, is now open. The restaurant, cocktail lounge and bar — billed as a “southern comfort gastropub” — opened Tuesday afternoon, capping a two-and-a-half year saga that spawned internet speculation, countless memes and plenty of pithy jabs from locals in waiting.
› Florida wildlife officials using detector dogs to locate invasive Burmese pythons
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is utilizing dogs to locate invasive Burmese pythons. The python detector team was on the hunt in the Southern Glades wildlife and environmental area on Tuesday. State wildlife officers said their detector dogs have been carefully trained to search for pythons using scent signals. There are two detector dogs: Truman and Eleanor.
› Rooker submits plans for Northwest Jacksonville warehouse
The city is reviewing civil engineering plans for Atlanta-based Rooker's proposed 168,000-square-foot speculative building at Perimeter West Industrial Park in Northwest Jacksonville. The structure is planned on 10.48 acres at Perimeter Industrial Parkway West in the park at northwest Interstate 295 and Pritchard Road. Rooker Vice President Cason Bufe said by email Aug. 10 no tenants are lined up for the estimated $7 million building.