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Tuesday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
› Zephyrhills, Florida city known for water, halting development to protect water supply
A Florida city famous for its bottled water fears it might run out of it. The City of Zephyrhills' City Council has halted new development for a year to alleviate strains on its water supply, giving approval to a yearlong development moratorium. Labeled as the "city with pure water," Zephyrhills is known throughout the state for its pure spring water. Now, the central Florida city is growing rapidly for the amount of water it has been allotted by the water district.
› Veterans learn commercial drone skills through CSX program
The sun was intense and the air thick with humidity as drones buzzed just above ground June 28 at the CSX rail yard off McDuff Avenue in Jacksonville. The commercial drones are not the same as those used by hobbyists and backyard pilots. Drones used by hobbyists can be bought without any regulatory guidelines. Commercial drone operators have to be certified by the Federal Aviation Administration. About 65 veterans will be FAA certified as part of the 2023 CSX program by the end of this year. The program has been active since 2021.
› Disney: Muppet Labs cooking up dishes for Epcot food fest
Muppet Labs, along with the Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker characters, will be in the mix for this year’s Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, which begins at Walt Disney World on July 27. Brace yourselves: Pickle milkshakes are on the menu. As the story goes, Honeydew and Beaker are cooking up new flavors for the Brew-Wing Lab inside Epcot’s Odyssey building. One of their concoctions will be the Unnecessarily Spicy, Yet Extremely Tasty Scotch Bonnet Pepper-Curry Wings.
› Sarasota-Manatee remains a 'pretty darn stable' real estate market
Despite the highest mortgage rates seen in more than 20 years, the collapse of three large banks last spring and a persistent belief the economy will experience a recession, the Sarasota-Manatee real estate market has not seen price decreases or a sharp drop-off in demand, according to local real estate professionals.
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