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Wednesday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
The seawalls in Florida’s future: Higher, stronger and better for marine life
Seawalls, despite more natural innovations like “living” shorelines, aren’t going anywhere in Florida — except up. With thousands of miles of coastline facing two feet of sea level rise by 2060, some cities and counties are already calling for raising the standard heights of seawalls. And many of the seawalls to come in the decades ahead promise to be different — not only stronger and more durable, but better designed to both absorb waves and reduce damage to the adjacent sea or bay bottom. More from the Miami Herald.
One of Jacksoville's longest-running art festivals revives for Easter
It used to be an annual Easter weekend tradition amid the century-old oaks of historic Mandarin until COVID-19 struck just over two years ago. Now one of Jacksonville's oldest art festivals hatches anew Saturday and Sunday for its 52nd anniversary. This would have been its 54th annual Mandarin Art Festival if not for the pandemic, which nipped it in the bud just weeks shy of the 2020 event, longtime festival chairwoman Susie Scott said. More from the Florida Times-Union.
A check on Miami’s digital economy: County may force retailers to accept cash
A Miami-Dade County proposal that would require shops, restaurants and other retailers to accept cash moved forward on Tuesday, responding to concerns about low-income and elderly people without access to credit cards or digital payment devices. “This is just giving people the option of using legal tender of the United States of America — to make sure they can use cash if they choose to,” said Commissioner René Garcia, who sponsored the proposal. “We have to have that balance.” More from the Miami Herald.
Don’t call it ‘slo-cala’: Ocala is quickly becoming a Florida destination
Don’t call it ‘slo-cala’ anymore. The southern city in north-central Florida is growing fast. According to data collected by Applied Geographic Solutions and GIS Planning 2021 and presented by the Ocala Metro Chamber and Economic Partnership (CEP), the leading industry in 2021 was retail. Across 1,941 establishments, more than 18,000 people had jobs in the industry. But it’s more than just business that counts in Ocala’s growth. It’s everything from retail, to the construction of apartments, and even the potential for a second downtown parking garage. More from WCJB.
St. Petersburg’s 22nd Street S corridor is ‘where the growth is happening’
Community leaders gathered to hear the latest on the impending renaissance of the city’s former center of Black culture and entertainment. Among them was St. Petersburg’s first Black mayor, Ken Welch. There are about 13 identified construction and redevelopment projects going on in the corridor, and on Tuesday the leaders behind five of them talked about their endeavors and took questions. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Florida Dining
The best rooftop bars and restaurants in Florida
While us Floridians love drinking and dining with our toes in the sand, we also enjoy an elevated experience. Here are a dozen of the best rooftop bars and restaurants, which are perfect to visit pretty much any day of the year but extra pleasant now during the spring.
» More from the Sarasota Herald Tribune.
Out of the Box
Space Perspective unveils look of its 'Space Lounge,' which people can ride to the heavens
The cramped quarters of the earliest space capsules were so tight, astronauts were sometimes referred to as "Spam in a can." But by 2025, you'll be able to float to the edge of space in a capsule decked out with a wet bar, mood lighting and even wi-fi. Of course, those early astronauts weren't ponying up $125,000 each for their rides.
» Read more from Florida Today.
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