Budget, bevy of Florida laws ready to take effect
More than 100 new laws passed during the 2021 legislative session will hit the books this week, ranging from a record $100 billion state budget to a ban on COVID-19 vaccine “passports” and an expansion of school vouchers. Also taking effect are two measures from the 2020 session, including a law that will allow college athletes to make money off the field based on their names, images and likenesses. Most of this year’s new laws take effect Thursday, which also is the start of the state’s 2021-2022 fiscal year. [Source: News Service of Florida]
‘Florida is now the solar leader of the Southeast,’ new report finds
As distributed solar adoption slowed across the Southeast due to the coronavirus pandemic, utility-scale solar made significant gains. Meanwhile, the state of Florida became the region’s leader in installed solar capacity. During a virtual event Wednesday where the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE), a regional nonprofit focused on the transition to clean energy, shared details on their fourth annual“Solar in the Southeast” report, lead author and SACE’s Solar Program Director Bryan Jacob announced that the Sunshine State had surpassed North Carolina to become the region’s “solar leader.” More from WJCT and WUSF.
International tourist drought hits some states, including Florida, hard
Beaches, hotels and casinos nationwide are filling up again as COVID-19 vaccination rates climb and closure orders lift. But the surge in summer tourism is being driven almost entirely by U.S. residents. Because of international travel restrictions imposed to slow the spread of the coronavirus, foreign tourists who used to visit in droves—such as Europeans and Chinese nationals—can’t yet enter the country. [Source: Pew Trusts]
Florida is now leading the nation in new HIV cases
Florida now leads the nation in new HIV cases, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Now EPIC, along with the Florida Department of Health, is behind a huge push to get people tested for HIV in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. Both are also working to connect to resources. [Source: WFTS]
Study: 33 species pose 'high risk' of becoming invasive across the globe, and some are in Florida
Scientists from across the globe tried to predict which aquatic species in their regions were likely to become invasive in the near future, according to a recent study. What they found was 33 species posed a 'very high risk' of invasion, and a few of them could be found right here in Florida. The study was conducted by scientists at UF/IFAS using an invasive species screening kit. [Source: WTSP]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Masks are off, but legal wrangling continues
Gov. Ron DeSantis in early May blocked cities and counties from requiring people to wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19. But that hasn’t stopped legal battles over mask mandates. Attorneys for Alachua County last week asked the 1st District Court of Appeal to reconsider a decision in a case about the constitutionality of a mask requirement that the county imposed in 2020. A panel of the appeals court on June 11 overturned a decision by an Alachua County circuit judge, who rejected a challenge to the requirement.
› Biden supports investigation into Surfside building collapse
President Joe Biden supports an investigation into the collapse of a condo building in Surfside to prevent similar disasters from happening again, the White House said Monday. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the administration wants to “play any constructive role we can play with federal resources in getting to the bottom of it and preventing it from happening in the future.”
› Central Florida enjoys spate of popular chains popping up
In just the past year, several noteworthy chains have made their way into Central Florida bringing their popular brands from places like Texas, California and Chicago into the Sunshine State. The most recent, Portillo’s Hot Dogs, opened on Tuesday, June 15. The City Beautiful has had its eyes on Portillo’s since it first opened two other Florida locations in Brandon and Tampa.
› Florida insurance regulator places Sarasota insurer under its supervision
The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation has placed a Sarasota-based property insurer under its supervision to “wind down” the company. Gulfstream Property and Casualty Insurance Co., the regulator said, failed to keep the minimum amount of funds on hand to pay policyholder claims. While under “administrative supervision,” Gulfstream is not writing new policies and will make policy information immediately available to other carriers that could take its policyholders on.
Go to page 2 for more stories ...
› VyStar Credit Union applies to build $21 million Jacksonville parking garage
The city is reviewing a permit application for VyStar Credit Union to build a proposed parking garage at 28 W. Forsyth St. Downtown at a cost of $21 million. The seven-level, 807-space structure is planned on 1.04 acres behind Regions Bank. It includes shell tenant spaces. Danis Builders LLC is shown as the contractor. Dasher Hurst Architects is the architect.
› ‘Rosie the Rocketeer’ to launch on Boeing’s Starliner again from Cape Canaveral
While SpaceX had “Starman” and “Ripley,” and Blue Origin has “Mannequin Skywalker” to simulate humans on launches, Boeing is giving “Rosie the Rocketeer” another ride when it attempts to launch its CST-100 Starliner to the International Space Station next month. The Starliner mission is the second uncrewed Orbital Flight Test, labeled OFT-2, for the private spacecraft that is attempting to join SpaceX as one of two commercial partners with NASA to ferry astronauts to and from the ISS.
› Some Florida and Georgia growers had to curtail harvests of tomatoes, watermelon, cucumbers and more
Tropical Storm Claudette, although it did not make landfall as a hurricane, managed to bring the first taste of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season with rainfall stretching up most of the East coast. Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida all experienced tropical storm-force winds, tornadoes, or flash flooding.
› Tampa office building, home to MetLife, sells for $43 million
An office building that houses a chunk of MetLife Insurance Corporation’s operations in Tampa has sold for $43 million to a New York City real estate investment firm. Sentinel Real Estate Corporation closed on the purchase of the four-story, 115,000-square-foot office building in the West Meadows area of northeast Tampa on June 23. The seller was Raleigh, N.C.-based Highwoods Properties Inc.