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Wednesday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida wants to improve semiconductor manufacturing, create jobs
Florida is hoping to boost manufacturing and create more jobs. Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday awarded $6 million to Osceola County to build infrastructure that will allow the NeoCity Technology District to manufacture semiconductors, which are materials used in a variety of electronic devices. The governor said the U.S. is "overly dependent on foreign nations" to produce semiconductors. More from WFLX and the Orlando Sentinel.
Statistics show human trafficking is on the rise in the Panhandle
Human trafficking is a crime that can be hard to spot, and with platforms like social media, it’s happening more than you think. January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. The 14th Judicial Circuit Human Trafficking Task Force serves six Panhandle counties, and board member, Dr. Laurie Lawrence said the crime is on the rise within our community. More from MyPanhandle.com.
Could new Florida appeals court help on insurance litigation?
The Florida Supreme Court’s call for an additional appellate court and six – now seven – new judges in the state has met with mixed reviews, with some attorneys welcoming the idea, while others, including a few judges, have said the caseload does not warrant the expense. One insurance attorney said that in at least some parts of the state, the redrawing of appeal court district lines could have an impact on the types of decisions that have resulted in large plaintiffs’ attorneys’ fees and large judgments against insurers. More from the Insurance Journal.
Senate proposal targets public employee unions
A Senate Republican filed a proposal Tuesday that would make changes targeting public-employee unions, including preventing workers from having union dues deducted from their paychecks. The proposal (SB 1458), filed by Sen. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, would require union members to pay dues directly to their unions. The change would not apply to unions representing law-enforcement officers, correctional officers, correctional probation officers and firefighters. More from the News Service of Florida.
ZooTampa shattered attendance records in 2021
While so many of Florida’s attractions limped along as audiences were reduced because of the coronavirus pandemic, ZooTampa at Lowry Park reports it set a record for attendance in 2021. When taken out of the theme park realm and considered in a category with museums, it had more than 1.2 million visitors, “establishing the zoological park as Florida’s most popular cultural institution,” a zoo news release says. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
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Business Profile
Raider Outboards
From a building hidden away in a Titusville industrial park, Raider Outboards Inc. has become a leading supplier of marine motors for the U.S. military and some of its allies. After one of Raider's major competitors, Evinrude, left the military outboard market in 2020, Raider has stepped up to fill the gap, and now has more than 1,600 motors in the field for the U.S. military branches and other government agencies.
» More from Florida Today.
Florida History
How did Key West land up with a giant buoy as a tourist attraction? Here’s the story
A 20-ton concrete buoy, which marks the Southernmost Point and 90 miles to Cuba, is one of Key West’s famous landmarks. Tourists flock to the marker every day to take photos, snap selfies, buy a souvenir or two. But how did such a magnet arrive in 1983 on an otherwise quiet street that leads to the water? Ask the thieves. They kept on snatching the former signs that marked the Southernmost Point at Whitehead and South streets.
» Read more from the Miami Herald.
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