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Thursday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
› A hurricane away, how could St. Petersburg avoid ruin like Fort Myers?
City and business leaders from St. Petersburg took a field trip to Fort Myers last week to see what they could learn from its experience with the third costliest storm in U.S. history. As they were repeatedly reminded throughout the trip, Hurricane Ian initially had Tampa Bay in its crosshairs.
› Port Canaveral's $6B annual economic impact posts significant gain in last five years
The economic engine that is Port Canaveral has shifted into overdrive, according to a new study released Wednesday. The study found that the port is having an estimated economic impact of $6.06 billion this year, primarily along the Space Coast and in the Orlando area, based on data already compiled and projections for the rest of the year. That's up 57% from the $3.85 billion economic impact in 2018, when the study was last done.
› Lake County takes aim at growing its tourism industry. Here's how.
Lake County plans to develop a new strategic plan that will highlight its natural beauty, small towns, events and more as a way to up its tourism game. The county will create a one-year strategic plan as a starting point, as the office of Visit Lake "embarks on hiring a consulting firm to develop a five-year destination strategic plan" that will provide guidance to county leaders on priorities for the use of its tourist development tax revenue, said county documents.
› This generous Miami couple has put schools and arts first. Now they have been honored
Carlos and Rosa de la Cruz have been married for 61 years, and when they talk, they always say “We.” When the Cuban-American couple speak separately, two words come up in the conversation: help and opportunity. “In life, everything is about opportunities. If no one gives you an opportunity, you don’t make it and it is very important that people make it,” Rosa de la Cruz says. The couple have made opportunities for themselves, and for others.
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