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Wednesday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida law enforcement seized $26 million annually through civil forfeiture
Over the past five years, law enforcement agencies in Florida have seized an average of $26 million in assets through civil asset forfeiture, which allows the seizure of property even if the owner hasn’t been convicted of a crime. According to Florida law, every law enforcement agency in the state must submit an annual report to the Department of Law Enforcement on the agency’s seized or forfeited property under the Florida Contraband Forfeiture Act, detailing all receipts and expenditures. More from the Center Square.
Forecasters watch Gulf of Mexico system, 2 others in the Atlantic
The National Hurricane Center is monitoring three systems — two in the tropical Atlantic and one in the Gulf of Mexico. All three systems have varying chances of development in the next week, ranging from low to medium, the hurricane center said in an 8 a.m. update. None of the systems currently pose a threat to land. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Orlando Museum of Art sues ex-director, others over ‘Basquiat’ art
Orlando Museum of Art has sued its former director, Aaron De Groft, as well as others who were instrumental in bringing the now disgraced “Heroes & Monsters” exhibit of work attributed to Jean-Michel Basquiat to the Loch Haven Park institution in 2022. The 77-page lawsuit, with an additional 73 exhibits of emails and other records to bolster the museum’s case, was filed Aug. 14 in the state’s Ninth Judicial Circuit, which covers Orange County, by E. Ginnette “Ginny” Childs of the Akerman law firm. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Miami-Dade County supports Black Business Month with community events
The Miami-Dade Economic Advocacy Trust is commemorating Black Business Month by providing local residents and entrepreneurs opportunities and programs to build their career skills and professional networks. Bill Diggs, the trust’s executive director, thinks the county’s Black business community is among the area’s most underutilized resources. More from the Miami Herald.
Aldi acquiring Winn-Dixie, Harveys supermarket chains
German supermarket chain Aldi is growing quickly in the southeast U.S. — and not just by building new stores, but now through a major acquisition. Aldi announced that is taking over Southeastern Grocer’s Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket stores, according to a press release Wednesday morning. The acquisition will add about 400 stores across Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi. The price of the sale was not disclosed. More from the Tampa Bay Timesand CBS News.
Out of the Box
A dog walks into a Tampa bar: The legal fight for pup rights in pubs
In its first year and a half, Pups Pub Tampa passed three inspections from health department officials. Then, last year, authorities abruptly told the owners no dogs could be inside the buildings in either location — the very concept upon which the business is based.
» More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Profile
Live, work, scoot
J’Yah Marshall first saw the downtown high-rise apartment in 2017 while driving into Tampa for a job interview with ReliaQuest. When he got the job, the Jacksonville native remembers thinking, “I know where I want to live.” Downtown Tampa was a quieter place back then and Water Street was little more than a blueprint. But Marshall, now 29 and a ReliaQuest senior technical product marketing manager, can’t imagine moving out of the tower that stood out in a much emptier skyline as he first drove down Interstate 275.
» Read more from Florida Trend.
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