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Monday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
The Saharan dust coating Europe may actually help weaken hurricanes this season
Western Europe and the Canary Islands have been coated with an inordinate amount of Saharan dust this spring. And though the dust is considered a hindrance, if things go just right, the rust-colored plumes may swing toward the U.S. and help dampen hurricanes during the upcoming “extremely active” hurricane season. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
See also:
» 50 days out from hurricane season: Here's how you should be preparing
Florida Trend Exclusive
Economic backbone: Streamlining reorganizations
Fort Lauderdale forensic accountant and CPA Soneet Kapila usually makes the news for untangling the financial mess left behind in busted Ponzi schemes and other frauds. This year, as president of the Virginia-based American Bankruptcy Institute, he’s been busy asking Congress to make it easier for failing small businesses to salvage their operations. His work is of particular importance in Florida. The state is home to 3.1 million small businesses — 99.8% of all Florida businesses, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. More from Florida Trend.
Publix 2023 sales increase, but fourth quarter was mostly flat
Lakeland-based Publix Super Markets Inc. reported on Friday it had $57.1 billion in sales during 2023 – which was a 4.7% increase from 2022, which was a 53-week year, the grocer said. Without the added week in 2022, sales for 2023 would have increased 6.7%. Comparable store sales in 2023 increased 4.2%. But in the final quarter of 2023, its results were flat. More from the Lakeland Ledger.
3 Miami-Dade chefs named James Beard finalists
Three South Florida chefs are finalists for the 2024 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards. The James Beard Foundation whittled down its semifinalist picks from January. Of the six restaurant semifinalists, only three chefs from two local restaurants made the final list announced on April 3. Both restaurants hail from Miami-Dade County. More from the South Florida Business Journal.
Tampa Bay named one of the ‘best’ places to find starter home
According to the study, Florida is the 13th-best state to find a starter home, with a score of 62.1. The Tampa Bay area was the best large metro area to find a starter home in the Sunshine State. Construction Coverage ranked the metro at No. 6. The study showed that the average sale price of a starter-size home was $327,827. More from WFLA.
Profile
Orlando dancer finds social media stardom fusing Irish and hip-hop styles
While some artists work to fit an existing genre, others craft their own niche, even by accident. The latter is what happened to Orlando-based dancer Kaitlyn Sardin, 26, when she began blending her love of Irish dancing with hip-hop and other styles.
» More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Florida History
Did you know Sunshine State was almost split for a shipping shortcut?
A shipping shortcut that would have linked the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico through the heart of Florida wasn’t just a dream – it was more than a quarter of the way completed before being abandoned. The proposed waterway, called the Cross Florida Barge Canal or often referred to as the Ditch of Dreams, would have cut more than 600 miles off of the route around the Florida Keys using a series of five locks.
» Read more from Click Orlando.
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