Florida banks are feeling the strain on deposits as rates rise, economy sours
Higher interest rates are testing banks’ relationships with their deposit base. Over the last year, a third of U.S. bank customers have shifted roughly 40% of their deposits to accounts at secondary banks, largely in pursuit of higher-earning deposit rates. Bank customers aren’t just chasing higher yields, however. Florida banks, in particular, experienced a significant decline in customer satisfaction over the last two years, according to J.D. Power’s 2023 U.S. retail banking satisfaction study. [Source: Tampa Bay Business Journal]
A newly discovered orange tree may offer hope to Florida's citrus industry
Citrus growers in Florida are facing some of the toughest challenges yet with their crops. Last year, the citrus industry’s crop was one of the smallest since World War II, due to a bacterial disease called citrus greening and an extremely rough hurricane season. Citrus greening, also known as Huanglongbing (HLB), is a bacterial disease that affects orange trees and can ravage groves and nurseries. The disease can turn fruit green and misshapen and cause a bitter taste. No cure exists. But officials are hopeful that a newly discovered Donaldson tree could offer a reprieve to citrus growers struggling with greening. [Source: WUSF]
Budget snafu leaves agencies serving Florida's poor without a safety net
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity has informed more than 30 social service providers statewide that the department lacks the budget authority to pass on federal funds meant for low-income families in crisis. It’s a good thing the Legislature is in session. On April 7th, DEO Deputy Secretary for Community Development Benjamin Melnick wrote members of the Community Action Network that the department was reaching the end of its budget authorization for four programs. Those cover utility payments, child care, housing assistance and other anti-poverty services. [Source: WFSU]
Gas slowly returning to South Florida stations
Motorists whose tempers boiled over waiting in unexpected lines to get gas this week, take note: Supplies are slowly returning as resupplying operations from Port Everglades accelerate. That’s not to say things are back to normal. Supply issues lingered on Wednesday a week after massive flooding prompted 12 petroleum supply terminals at Port Everglades to shut down out of precaution. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Florida nursing homes had violations. Why couldn’t the public find them?
The Tampa Bay Times found that eight of 83 serious violations in Florida nursing homes last year were missing from the state website that publishes inspections. The website promises a “complete list of inspections” and is run by the regulator of the state’s long-term care facilities, Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration. While the agency isn’t legally required to publish nursing home inspections under state or federal law, it refers consumers to these inspections, agency documents show, to help them select a nursing home. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Reskilling and upskilling to meet the healthcare industry talent gap
Florida’s healthcare employers, both public and private, are grappling with how to deal with a ballooning talent gap. Short-term solutions like shuffling and stretching team members lead to staff burnout, and cutting patient services impedes quality care. Recruiting and hiring for an increasing number of open positions is a serious issue for the healthcare sector. The situation creates prospects for employers to expedite increasingly fulfilling careers for their staff. [Sponsored report]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Early morning test of emergency alert system upsets sleeping Floridians
Cell phones blared to life at 4:45 a.m. Thursday with an emergency alert, rousing many Floridians from sleep. But there was no actual emergency. The helpful message stated the system was just being checked out. “This is a TEST of the Emergency Alert System. No action is required.”
› Sarasota's Big Cat Habitat says guests are confusing them with Carole Baskin's closing place
Big Cat Habitat officials said guests are confusing them with Carole Baskin's famed Big Cat Rescue in Tampa that's closing. The Big Cat Habitat and Gulf Coast Sanctuary at 7101 Palmer Blvd. has been open for 37 years, but recent confusion with the closure of Baskin's sanctuary has affected business. Baskin and her zoo became popularized following Netflix's famed "Tiger King" show.
› People from Miami are moving to a growing Florida area. What’s happening there?
If it’s true that the three most important words in real estate sales are “location, location, location,” then it’s clear why Lakewood Ranch is getting a big bounce these days. Lakewood Ranch straddles the Manatee and Sarasota county line, giving it a foothold in two of the fastest-growing counties in Florida.
› Workers with Kennedy Space Center contractor seek unionization
Merritt Island employees with Kennedy Space Center contractor Arctic Slope Research Corp. Federal Data Solutions want to join a union. A group of roughly 30 workers with the subsidiary of Reston, Virginia-based Arctic Slope Research Corp. have filed with the National Labor Relations Board to be represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 2088. The workers are seeking an Armour-Globe election, which would allow them to join a bargaining unit that already exists versus forming a new one.
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› Orlando group rallies against bill regulating foreign control of land
An Orlando group is making their way to Tallahassee to protest House Bill 1355, which would prohibit foreign countries, specifically China, from purchasing agricultural land. The Orlando Chinese Professionals Association is opposing the bill, stating it is harmful to their community and the Florida economy. Supporters of the bill argue that it is necessary to address potential security concerns. But critics claim that the bill discriminates against the Asian community and could lead to more hate crimes and discrimination.
› At St. Pete-Clearwater airport, Allegiant pilots protest wages, working conditions
Dressed in uniform and carrying signs decrying substandard wages and retention issues, dozens of Allegiant Air pilots met outside St. Pete-Clearwater Airport on Tuesday under the morning sun to picket for a better contract. “Allegiant might be an ‘ultra-low cost’ airline, but we are not ultra-low cost pilots,” Capt. Andrew Robles, president of Teamsters Local 2118, said in a statement.
› Frost Science Museum in line for high honors
The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science is among 30 finalists for the 2023 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. Awarded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the medal is the nation’s highest honor given to museums and libraries that demonstrate significant impact in their communities. Frost Science is one of three institutions in Florida to be selected as a finalist for this award.
› Hotels removed from Florida bill that allows lawsuits over sex trafficking
Florida’s thousands of hotels have been called the center of the state’s human-trafficking industry, providing convenient venues for the forced sale of sex. A bill in the state Legislature that would have allowed victims to sue hotels had been sailing through the Florida House. But on Monday, the House Commerce Committee approved a new version that removed hotels from the provision, in a change that some victim advocates and legislators blamed on the state’s influential tourism industry.