March 28, 2024

Wednesday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 8/11/2021

With COVID cases rising in Florida, what numbers can you count on?

Florida has gained national attention as the state contributing the most new COVID cases to the U.S. count. But tracking the state’s COVID data became complicated, with discrepancies between figures provided by the Florida Department of Health and published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And on Tuesday, after a frenzy of social media accusations because of an apparent record-setting pandemic day in Florida, the CDC and the Florida DOH adjusted all the COVID case counts and death tallies dating back to March 2020, which are displayed on the CDC site and collected by the state Department of Health. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Miami board OKs Merrick Towers

A developer plans to construct two companion 20-story buildings and a parking garage to contain residential units, office space and commercial-retail uses near Coral Gables and invokes the name of Gables founder George Merrick. The property is at 3898 Shipping Ave., in the City of Miami’s southern region near Coral Gables and close to the Douglas Road Metrorail Station. More from Miami Today.

Fanatics raises $325 million in capital from investors that include Jay-Z

Fanatics raised $325 million in additional capital, including an investment by a high-profile celebrity, as the Jacksonville-based merchandising company seeks to expand into new businesses such as sports gambling, several major financial news outlets reported Aug. 10. The latest round of funding increases the valuation of the company, which started with a single store in the Orange Park Mall in 1995, to $18 billion, they said, citing unidentified sources More from the Jacksonville Daily Record.

New Allegiant flights bump SRQ up to 50 destinations

The Las Vegas-based airline said it will begin service to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, from Sarasota-Bradenton later this year. Cedar Rapids service will start Nov. 19 and flights to and from Tulsa will begin Dec. 15. At Punta Gorda Airport, which was Allegiant's busiest destination during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the airline will start flights to Bentonville, Arkansas, Nov. 17. Flights to Austin, Texas, will start the next day. More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Florida Coastal School of Law loses bid to stay afloat by keeping federal tuition aid

A federal judge has rejected Florida Coastal School of Law’s last-gasp bid for federal funds that represented most of its income, apparently dooming Jacksonville’s law school to close this month. The school sued the U.S. Department of Education last month for dropping it from a student aid program that provided about 80 percent of its revenue, but U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard found the school “has not shown that the department acted contrary to the law or outside of its ample discretion.” More from the Florida Times-Union.

Event
The bee's knees: Brevard Backyard Beekeepers' festival celebrates honey bees

 National Honey Bee Day, celebrated in August, helps to raise awareness of the importance - and plight - of these little buzzers. In Brevard, the day is celebrated with a festival hosted by Brevard Backyard Beekeepers. From 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 21, this organization of bee fans will be abuzz with activity at the UF/IFAS Extension Brevard County Center, 3695 Lake Drive, Cocoa.

» More from Florida Today.

 

Profile
Every sunset, he’s at Pass-a-Grille to ring the bell

floridaThe stench of dead fish pierced nostrils, but Jim LeBlanc stood with his tote bag, ready to do his duty. He does it nearly every night at sunset and has for more than eight years. LeBlanc, 74, is one of the Keepers of the Bell, a club that has been ringing the bell at Paradise Grille in Pass-a-Grille at sunset since 1997. There have been ringers before LeBlanc, but he’s the leader now.

» Read more from the Tampa Bay Times.

Tags: Daily Pulse, Afternoon Pulse

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Bitter-to-swallow cocoa costs force chocolate shops to raise prices
Bitter-to-swallow cocoa costs force chocolate shops to raise prices

Central Floirda chocolate shops are left with a bitter taste as cocoa prices hit an all-time high earlier this week.

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