March 29, 2024

Monday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 7/11/2022

World-class locations and facilities elevate Florida’s filmmaking potential

There’s nothing quite like seeing the Sunshine State on screen. “There’s no doubt about it, locations are Florida’s calling card,” said John Lux, executive director at Film Florida, who added that the state is “a bit of a one-stop-shop” when it comes to unique environments for shooting. While Florida continues to have a hard time attracting big-budget filmmakers to the state due to the lack of incentives for production companies in the state, world-class facilities are helping to elevate limited-budget projects, due in part to some big pushes for increased accessibility for independent and student filmmakers, specifically. More from the Orlando Sentinel.

Sarasota ranks second in country for people looking to move

From some of the best beaches in the state to quality schools and an abundance of activities, it's not surprising that Sarasota is a popular destination where people daydream of becoming a resident. But it is still somewhat shocking that Sarasota, with a county-wide population of only about 450,000 residents and fewer than 60,000 inside city limits, was the second most popular location in the country for people to compare with their current location in a new feature on national real estate company Coldwell Banker's website. More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Hurricane forecasters watching rough weather spilling into Gulf of Mexico

The Florida Panhandle and other parts of the Gulf Coast could get heavy rain this week because of a rough patch of weather that is spilling into the Gulf of Mexico. The weather stems from a “decaying frontal boundary” that is now over the southeastern United States but that will move offshore into the Gulf of Mexico, the National Hurricane Center said in its 2 a.m. advisory Monday. More from the Tampa Bay Times.

Jacksonville hotel room rates up nearly 9%

Inflation and supply chain challenges are affecting the hotel business, like almost all others, causing an across-the-board increase in room rates. Average daily rate for hotels in Duval County was $115.01, up 8.9% in May compared with May 2021, according to data compiled by STR, a lodging industry analytics firm, and provided by Visit Jacksonville. More from the Jacksonville Daily Record.

‘It’s our time now’: Pompano Beach is luring restaurants downtown with major perks

Pompano Beach is on a mission. It is giving away hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to lure restaurateurs to popular Atlantic Boulevard, hoping to turn long-vacant, city-managed properties into dining destinations. The larger goal: City officials want to evolve Pompano Beach from a sleepy bedroom community into a touristy mecca, said Community Redevelopment Agency Director Nguyen Tran. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Out of the Box
Florida social media influencers entertain millions by observing the weird, wacky things in the Sunshine State

Most of us love a good viral video. Some of those videos make us laugh, cry or simply leave us scratching our heads as to what we just witnessed. Whether it’s on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook or anywhere else, these videos can rack up of millions of views and become viral sensations. These are the videos shared over and over again, which is one of the ways they become so popular, so thank goodness to those dedicated souls who are always first to post the clips everyone will be talking about.

» More from Click Orlando.

 

Profile
Husband and wife team launch Storybook app to help parents connect with kids

After more than a year of research and content creation, husband and wife team Francisco Cornejo and Daniela Vega launched the Storybook app in 2019. User reviews said the app, geared for infants to 12-year-olds, helps parents put their kids to sleep, but it also brings families closer.

» Read more from Florida Trend.

Tags: Daily Pulse, Afternoon Pulse

In case you missed it:

Florida Trend Video Pick

Facial recognition cameras in Florida city spark privacy concerns
Facial recognition cameras in Florida city spark privacy concerns

New security cameras in downtown Lakeland are raising concerns about privacy. The Lakeland Downtown Development Authority has begun installing 13 new security cameras on streets, sidewalks, and alleyways, and there are mixed feelings about them.

Video Picks | Viewpoints@FloridaTrend

Ballot Box

Should Congress ban the popular social media app TikTok in the U.S.?

  • Yes
  • No
  • Need more details
  • What is TikTok?
  • Other (Comment below)

See Results

Florida Trend Media Company
490 1st Ave S
St Petersburg, FL 33701
727.821.5800

© Copyright 2024 Trend Magazines Inc. All rights reserved.