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Wednesday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida Trend Exclusive
Best companies to work for in Florida
The 100 companies that made the cut in our thirteenth annual Best Companies To Work For rankings. To identify Florida’s best employers, Florida Trend partners with the Best Companies Group, which surveyed firms that chose to participate. Any firm with at least 15 employees in Florida, including firms based outside the state, could participate at no cost. More from Florida Trend.
Cruise industry charts summer comeback, but it’s far from smooth sailing
Aboard cruise ships that relaunched passenger operations from Florida ports this summer, happy celebrations ushered in a new — and uncertain — beginning for the beleaguered industry. The festivities were 15 months in the making since companies halted their U.S. operations in March 2020 after COVID-19 outbreaks on ships killed dozens of passengers and crew. More from the Miami Herald.
Cecil Spaceport launches new mission control and tower as plans for Jacksonville's first spaceflights continue
The ribbon cutting on Tuesday morning seemed like a small step at the Jacksonville Aviation Authority's Cecil Air and Spaceport. But it was a giant leap as its new 11-story-tall air traffic control tower and spaceflight facility were officially dedicated as the Dr. Norman Thagard Mission Control Center. The Paxon High School graduate, who completed five missions in space and was the first American astronaut to ride to space on a Russian spacecraft, helped cut the ribbon as the site's former U.S. Navy base tower was decommissioned. More from the Florida Times-Union.
Florida defense attorneys call for return to virtual court amid COVID-19 surge
As Florida grapples with a surge of COVID-19 cases, an association of the state’s criminal defense attorneys called on courts to return to virtual hearings for non-essential legal proceedings. The Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers is “extremely concerned” about the uptick in infections, said Jude Faccidomo, a Miami attorney and the organization’s president. The Sunshine State accounted for nearly a quarter of all new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. in the past week. More from the Orlando Sentinel .
Complex public-private Miami administration building deal stumbles
A complex public-private partnership is apparently falling apart between the City of Miami and a developer that won a bid to build a multi-million-dollar project on the Miami River. Because the city is considering other options for construction of its new administration building, the Adler Group, through affiliate Lancelot Miami River LLC, is moving ahead with its own standalone residential tower on its own land near the river, at 230 SW Third St. More from Miami Today.
Profile
Stuntwoman Michaela McAllister of Naples
She’s been attacked by a pit bull. Drowned in a bathtub. Punched. Kicked. Even shot with a flamethrower. Does it hurt? Yeah, sometimes. But it’s all part of a day’s work for Michaela McAllister. The former Naples gymnast now makes a living as a movie stunt double, and her work can be seen in some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters.
» More from the Naples Daily News.
Florida History
How Orlando’s Milk District came to be: The story of a dude, a cow and a dream
It is hard to imagine downtown Orlando and the surrounding areas as open pasture land. Yet a generation ago, cows were grazing in the open fields right on the outskirts, east of downtown Orlando. This is the story behind how the Orlando Milk District came to be. The back story l began in 1925. It is the story of a dude, a cow and a dream. The dude, Thomas Gilbert Lee, with his cow, Hopper, had a dream to build a bustling dairy farm, which he did right here in his hometown of Orlando.
» Read more from the Orlando Sentinel.
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