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Tuesday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Why Florida scientists have a hint of hope amid the coral bleaching crisis
Several rescued corals plucked from Miami’s hot waters spawned in the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel hatchery lab last week. At a lab further south, staghorn corals evacuated by the Coral Restoration Foundation spawned at Keys Marine Laboratory on Long Key late Friday night. And offshore in ocean waters, marine biologists from the university also filmed threatened staghorn corals spawning off Key Largo, despite many of them being bleached or dying. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Sarasota County, city of Sarasota to keep property tax rates flat while spending more
Property owners in Sarasota County and the city of Sarasota can expect to see their tax rates for the city and county to stay the same, or nearly the same, though they could still pay more in taxes, as values have broadly increased. The county and city commissions each voted tentatively in July to keep their property tax rates relatively flat. But Sarasota County’s taxable property value rose by 14.3% this year – not as high as last year’s 17.8%, but still a major increase. More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
New toll road linking interstate to highway is proposed in Northwest Florida
Transportation officials have started working on a proposal that could lead to a new toll road linking Interstate 10 and U.S. 98 in Northwest Florida, as the state's Turnpike Enterprise increases its presence in the region. The Turnpike Enterprise, a division of the Florida Department of Transportation, introduced a rough outline last week for a multibillion-dollar, four-lane toll expressway from Interstate 10 to U.S. 98 along Florida Power & Light property and easements in Bay, Calhoun and Jackson counties and maybe Gulf County. More from the Tallahassee Democrat.
Brightline delays Miami-Orlando service start by 2 weeks
Brightline announced Monday it is delaying by as many as two weeks the start of service between South Florida and Orlando as the passenger rail company completes its final stages of operational certification and crew testing. Passengers who purchased tickets for the intended inaugural weekend of Sept. 1 through Sept. 5 were being notified Monday that along with refunds they would get upgrade credits for Premium class and a 35 percent discount for Avis rental cars for the dates of the cancelled tickets. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
ADT announces sale of commercial business for $1.6 billion
ADT announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its commercial security, fire and life safety business unit to GTCR, a leading private equity firm, for a purchase price of $1.6 billion, subject to customary purchase price adjustments. Proceeds from the sale, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2023, will be used to reduce debt by $1.5 billion, with cash interest savings expected to offset the impact of divesting the commercial business. More from Florida Trend.
AdventHealth creates ER with groundbreaking patient experience, unique Disney touches
AdventHealth has opened the doors of a unique emergency room located near Walt Disney World Resort, bringing trusted emergency care and a first-of-its-kind patient experience for Central Florida visitors and community members, including Walt Disney World Resort guests and cast members. [Sponsored report]
Profile
'My office is the Everglades': Florida woman gave up real estate job to hunt Burmese pythons
Unfulfilled with her real estate career in Indianapolis, Amy Siewe packed up her life a few years back and moved to Florida to make a living hunting Burmese pythons. For the past four years, Siewe has made a name for herself as the self-styled "Python Huntress," where she now hosts guided hunts with ticket-buying guests and even spent time capturing and killing the snakes as a government contractor.
» More from the Naples Daily News.
Business Trends
The friendly business card has a new foe: Digitalization
With digital business cards in place, paper business cards are being forced to get creative or become irrelevant. Like many industries going through a digital transformation, customer education on what the new side offers is a constant challenge.
» Read more from the Business Observer.
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