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Friday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Home prices rise again in Orlando despite jump in inventory
Home prices in metro Orlando rose to a new record in June, signaling the market is still hot for sellers, though sales are declining and inventory made a significant jump for the second month in a row.
The median home price hit $387,000, the fifth new record in as many months and a 22.9% increase over the same time last year, according to the latest report from the Orlando Regional Realtor Association. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
The war on ‘wokeness’ is coming for companies
In December 2021, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, first proposed the legislation titled Stop the Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees ("WOKE" for brevity), with the transpicuous goal of combating, as he put it, "both corporate wokeness and Critical Race Theory (CRT)."
"We must protect Florida workers against the hostile work environment that is created when large corporations force their employees to endure CRT-inspired ‘training’ and indoctrination,” DeSantis said in a December 2021 statement announcing the legislation.
The new law amends the state's Civil Rights Act of 1992, and now defines certain DEI programs as unlawful discrimination if mandated by employers, associations, or certification organizations. More from Fortune.
Owners of derelict vessels across Florida could soon have a free option for disposal
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on Thursday advanced rule changes for the “Vessel Turn-In Program,” which is intended to help speed the removal of privately owned boats that have been abandoned, wrecked, junked or substantially dismantled in state waters.
Travis Franklin, a captain with the commission’s Division of Law Enforcement, said derelict vessels plague waterways across Florida, cause damage to sensitive fish and wildlife habitat and raise concerns for public safety. More from WUSF.
Orlando hotels deal with short-staffing as issue seen industry-wide
Tourist season is in full swing in Central Florida, and hotels are filling up with visitors paying a premium for lodging during one of the busiest times of year.
But like others industry-wide, Orlando’s hotels are still generally experiencing staffing shortages. Fewer housekeepers and culinary staff mean some hotel operations look different and guests could notice changes from years past. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Florida households hit hard with record inflation rates, expert says
The industry feeling the greatest impact of inflation in Central Florida is the housing market, according to an expert on the subject. But Sean Snaith, the director of the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Economic Forecasting, said the group hurting the most are low-income earners and those with a fixed income.
Snaith said they may not have the ability to work additional hours to bring in more money yet still have to deal with the rising costs of basic items, like groceries and gasoline.
The latest inflation report, out July 13, shows the Consumer Price Index rose 9.1% in June from last year. Those figures include a 10.4% increase for food and a 41.6% increase in energy. More from Click Orlando.
Business Beat - Week of July 15th
Get the top news-to-know with Florida Trend's headline-focused video newsbrief, hosted by digital content specialist Aimée Alexander.
Dining
Pensacola Fish House ranks among best Florida seafood restaurants in Trips to Discover
Trips to Discover, a popular travel destination website with nearly 23 million online readers, has ranked The Fish House among the top 15 best seafood restaurants in Florida.
The publication noted the restaurant’s proximity to Historic Seville Square and an inventive menu as just a few reasons it made the list.
» More from the Pensacola News Journal.
Nonprofits
In St. Pete Beach, free sailboat rides offer wellness to souls in need
When captain Dan Peretz found out his best friend, Art Nicholson, had been diagnosed with brain cancer in 2011, the two did what they had always done. They went out for a sail.
They took Peretz’s 41-foot yacht, the Phoenix. It was the same boat Peretz and Nicholson had sailed on for three decades, the boat where Nicholson and his wife, Nina, had exchanged their vows in 1977 and spent their honeymoon.
» Read more from the Tampa Bay Times.
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