Thursday's Daily Pulse

› Miami Beach scrambles to keep convention center development on track [Miami Today]
With longtime Miami Beach Procurement Director Gus Lopez suddenly out of a job, dogged by what are still vague allegations of professional misconduct, officials are hoping to keep on track one of the city's largest public-private development projects in many years.

› Suit alleges biomass talks violated Sunshine law [Gainesville Sun]
Gainesville’s biomass battle continues. On Wednesday, a local anti-biomass group filed a lawsuit arguing that the negotiations on the contract for Gainesville’s biomass plant violated Florida’s Sunshine Law and the agreement should therefore be declared null and void.

› Mystery business could bring high-wage jobs to Clearwater — for tax refunds [Tampa Bay Times]
For the first time in six years, a business is looking to move to downtown Clearwater with the help of state tax refunds encouraging high-wage jobs. Yet we can't know who's leading the business, what it's called or where exactly it's planning to move. In fact, the few details we know from city officials are that the company is coming from out of state and is "relatively new."

› Publix ranked as a top grocer by Consumer Reports [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Consumer Reports ranked Publix as one of the top grocers in the nation whereas Walmart ranked low on the list, according to a press release. Publix ranked among other national grocers like Trader Joe’s and Wegmans with high ratings in clean shopping environments, good prices and quality products. The report surveyed 52 grocers total.

› City to reconsider stadium-rental policy after mayor got freebies [Miami Herald]
Two days after it was revealed that North Miami’s mayor and a group of his friends were getting free use of the city’s stadium, the city says it may make the same deal available to most everyone else.