SHARE:
Tuesday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Lawmakers back tying gambling money, environment
Legislative leaders have agreed to use hundreds of millions of dollars in gambling money to help pay for further expansion of a state wildlife corridor and other environmental projects. The Senate Fiscal Policy Committee and the House Infrastructure Strategies Committee last week approved identical bills (SB 1638 and HB 1417) that, in part, would provide $100 million a year for the wildlife corridor, a priority of Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples. More from the News Service of Florida.
Number of Orlando home listings hits highest mark since 2019. Is it a buyer's market yet?
New listings of homes for sale in metro Orlando rose 46% between December and January, with the influx to the marketplace contributing to the region seeing its strongest supply of homes for sale in years. An Orlando Regional Realtor Association report for January shows 3,524 homes were listed for sale, up from 2,409 in December. That number helped swell the total inventory of homes for sale in Orange, Seminole, Osceola and Lake counties to 8,217 — the highest inventory for the region since January 2019. More from the Orlando Business Journal.
As Miami celebrates one of the best chefs in the world, he contemplates his legacy
Massimo Bottura, one of the best-known chefs on the planet, has lived a life of full of accolades. His innovative mastery of Italian cooking brought new prominence to an already-beloved cuisine. He has made appearances in movies like “Ferrari” and such television shows as “Top Chef” and “Master of None.” He has inspired chefs and dazzled diners around the world. But now, as he looks at what’s behind him and what lies ahead, Bottura, 61, feels a different sort of pressure: to leave a legacy for positive change in the world. More from the Miami Herald.
Jamie Grant, tech-savvy former lawmaker, to chair Associated Industries of Florida’s new AI coalition
Former Rep. Jamie Grant, who also previously served as the state’s Chief Information Officer, will now serve as Chair of the newly formed Associated Industries of Florida (AIF) Coalition for the Future of Artificial Intelligence in Business. Grant will lend his expertise to the Coalition, helping it to establish policy guidelines that continue to foster innovation and promote the adaptation of emerging technologies in Florida. More from Florida Politics.
Top-paying construction jobs in Tampa region lag national average
Installers and repair workers make median pay of $38.04 per hour, or $79,120 a year. There are about 320 such jobs in the Tampa-St. Petersburg metropolitan area, according to the report by Construction Coverage. That pay rate is well below the national median hourly rate of $47.60 (or a $99,000 annual median) for such workers — but it's tops in the region. More from the Business Observer.
Out of the Box
First boat powered by ‘fuel of the future’ debuts in Miami. You can’t buy it ... yet
A cutting-edge boat design was unveiled this week at the Miami International Boat Show— the world’s first recreational boat powered by a Yamaha engine built to run on what’s often billed as the fuel of the future, hydrogen. Don’t go look for prices anytime soon. It’s not for sale yet, hasn’t been tested in Florida waters and remains far from production for regular boaters. But it represents a growing wave from a marine recreational boat industry that is seeking innovative ways to reduce fossil fuel emissions that drive climate change.
» More from the Miami Herald.
Profile
Homeless in Tampa, but now with a bike. Thanks to these guys.
In October, two retired guys — Tom Henry and Tim Eves, buddies Tom and Tim — started working with Sacred Heart Catholic Church on a volunteer outreach program called Bikes from the Heart. They refurbish bicycles recovered from police impound lots, left behind on city buses and donated. Fill out an application one week, get your bike the next. The application asks, among other things, how the bike will help. For work, people wrote. To get to day labor gigs, to the doctor, the Social Security office, to court.
» Read more from the Tampa Bay Times.
In case you missed it:
