Home prices in South Florida defy the odds and keep rising despite a drop in sales
Home prices in South Florida continue to climb higher despite another drop in transactions. The Miami Association of Realtors home sales report compared housing activity between October 2023 and October 2022. Condo prices followed suit, rising to $405,000 from $388,531. [Source: Miami Herald]
Gas prices continue to drop, hitting 2023 low as Florida gets ready to celebrate Thanksgiving
AAA announced on Monday that Florida is seeing its lowest prices at the pump so far this year, even as almost 2.8 million Floridians plan to hit the road for Thanksgiving. The average gallon of gas in the Sunshine State cost $3.08 on Sunday, down from $3.23 at the start of last week. The national average stood at $3.37 a gallon on Sunday. Last year, Floridians saw the average gallon of gas in the state cost $3.41 on Thanksgiving. [Source: Florida Daily]
Florida among 7 states hit by listeria outbreak, CDC warns
Infected fruit, possibly from a batch already subject to a recall, may be behind an outbreak of listeria in multiple states, including three cases in Florida, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning. Ten people have been hospitalized and one person died, according to a health alert sent out by the agency Monday afternoon. The true number of those infected could be higher, since some of those infected will recover without medical care and are not tested for the disease. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
New Florida bill proposes strong restriction of personal pronouns in workplaces
Bill HB 599, filed by Rep. Ryan Chamberlin, R-Belleview, also would restrict workplace training about issues involving sexual orientation and gender identity. Mirroring parts of a law that the Republican-controlled Legislature passed this spring about gender identity issues in the education system, the bill says it is “the policy of the state that a person’s sex is an immutable biological trait and that it is false to ascribe to a person a pronoun that does not correspond to such person’s sex.” [Source: WOKV]
Hundreds of family farms chosen for land protection program
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson has released the final project acquisition list for the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program (RFLPP), a ranked list of agricultural lands eligible for protection. The list was finalized after the program’s final public meeting in Tallahassee establishing the ranked list. [Source: Florida Politics]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Lawmakers eye space industry issues
Private aerospace leaders want Florida lawmakers to consider steps to streamline local regulations, expand a pool of workers such as machinists and welders and provide more dock space for the industry at Port Canaveral.
› Does Small Business Saturday give a helping hand to Florida's economy?
After shoppers raid big retail stores for deals this Black Friday, they‘re encouraged to shop more locally the following day on Small Business Saturday. The campaign started more than a decade ago as a way to promote shopping at local small businesses.
› HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital opens new hybrid operating room
HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital, a 435-bed full-service acute care facility, and part of HCA Florida Healthcare, the largest healthcare system in the state, today announces the opening of its new hybrid operating room (OR) as part of its $100 million tower expansion.
› App helping businesses sell surplus food debuts in Tampa Bay
“Too Good to Go” aims to reduce food waste by partnering with local favorites such as La Segunda, Pete’s Bagels and more. A lot of food can end up in the trash if it’s not bought by customers that day.
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› Country clubs are at a crossroads. Some are closing. Some see a big opportunity.
The 99-year-old Decatur Country Club in Alabama closed in late 2022 after years of declining membership and rising costs. After 125 years, the Bethlehem Country Club in Vermont is set to close after the 2023 season.
› Florida scrub jay: Threatened, politically controversial and possibly the first snowbird
The Florida scrub jay is like a lot of Floridians; the bold bird with a bright sky-blue head and grey underbelly is descended from tourists who never left, and seemingly just wanders into political controversies.
› Developer proposes workforce apartments in Miami-Dade County
Beacon Hill Property Group has proposed a workforce apartment complex in the Princeton neighborhood of southern Miami-Dade County. The Coral Gables-based developer filed a pre-application with county officials concerning the 2.97-acre site at 23815 S. Dixie Highway. Beacon Hill has the vacant property under contract from Virginia Beach-based Homestead Land FL LLC, which bought it for $1.93 million in 2022.
› Sarasota notches top-10 ranking for 'most Instagrammable' Florida cities
Sarasota is among Florida’s top 10 most-Instagrammable cities, according to a vacation rental organization that recently examined hashtags for 400 cities and towns in the Sunshine State on the ubiquitous social media site.