Record holiday travel expected in Florida
A record number of travelers are expected to hit Florida roads and crowd airports during the July 4 holiday period. The AAA auto club has forecast 4.5 million Floridians will travel more than 50 miles between Saturday and July 7. That would be a 7 percent increase from last year. Orlando, Miami and Fort Lauderdale are expected to be among the top U.S. destinations around the holiday. [Source: News Service of Florida]
Odds increase for possible tropical storm to form in Atlantic this weekend
Odds are increasing for a tropical wave in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa to develop, possibly into a tropical storm this weekend. The National Hurricane Center said “environmental conditions are forecast to be unusually conducive for late June” in the Atlantic and that the disturbance is likely to develop. Positioned several hundred miles southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands, which are about 300 miles off the west coast of Africa, the tropical wave had become better organized by Wednesday night. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Opinion: Businesses have multiple needs for hurricane preparedness
Forecasters are predicting a busier-than-average hurricane season for Florida, and according to FEMA.gov, about 25% of businesses do not reopen after disasters. Now’s the time to prepare your business and encourage your employees to take measures to secure their homes and safeguard their loved ones. [Source: Business Observer]
Advocates say so far, Florida’s new plans to heal polluted springs still fall short
As the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) works on required revisions to its Basin Management Action Plans, or BMAPs, some environmental advocates worry the pending changes still won't do enough to restore polluted Florida waters to good health. BMAPs are supposed to reduce nitrate pollution levels in Florida’s freshwater springs and aquifer/groundwater, per Florida’s Springs and Aquifer Protection Act. That 2016 law identified 30 Outstanding Florida Springs, mandating FDEP to create 20-year water quality improvement plans for any of the 30 OFS determined to be impaired, or polluted. [Source: WLRN]
Florida Chamber study offers deep dive into workforce needs
The Florida Chamber of Commerce is rolling out a new study on the workforce challenges the Sunshine State needs to overcome in its march toward a Top 10 economy worldwide. The “Florida Workforce Needs Study 2.0” is a follow-up to Chamber’s 2021 deep dive into workforce issues, but where version 1.0 focused on how COVID impacted the state’s industries and supply of in-demand workforce talent, version two has its sights set on 2030. [Source: Florida Politics]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Disney World, Universal Orlando try tactics to lower wait times
The Walt Disney Co. on June 24 launched a new way theme park guests can cut down wait times. In response to guest feedback, Lightning Lane access has become more sophisticated with guests able to book Lightning Lane Multi Pass (formerly an element of Genie+) and Lightning Lane Single Pass before even entering the park, said Disney Senior Manager of Communications Eric Scott.
› Fear factor: Fort Lauderdale ‘one hurricane away’ from being under water again
Fort Lauderdale was in the bull’s eye of an intense “1,000-year” rainstorm that swamped homes, streets and neighborhoods last year. Residents of Broward County’s largest city didn’t have to wait long for the next deluge to hit. In June, a storm dumped up to 20 inches of rain in 48 hours in parts of southern Broward, overwhelming drainage systems from Fort Lauderdale to Hallandale Beach and beyond and forcing a section of Interstate 95 to close for more than five hours. Now Mayor Dean Trantalis and his colleagues on the dais are calling on everyone to be braced for the next big storm.
› Unlike last year, Pinellas won’t cut transit services for 2025 — it’ll add
Pinellas County’s public transit agency has the money to keep all its routes and add new services in the next year, its staff said Wednesday. Those include more bussing between Eckerd College and Grand Central and, if the agency’s board of directors approves, a new route to move tourists between St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport and the beaches.
› Miami-Dade County Mayor Levine Cava poses dilemma: raise garbage fees 21% or borrow millions
In an election year, Miami-Dade faces either raising garbage collection fees 21% or borrowing $39 million to fill the budget hole. Mayor Daniella Levine Cava dumped that bad news on commissioners last week. The choice is theirs. She recommended keeping rates flat and borrowing.
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› International arms dealer with lucrative Saudi contract merges into St. Pete company
St. Petersburg-based Treasure and Shipwreck Recovery Inc. is pivoting to the defense sector through a reverse merger with an arms dealer that has a joint venture in Saudi Arabia and leads in Ukraine and Israel. TSR acquired Largo-based Native American Pride Constructors' exclusive rights to produce and sell a proprietary weapon system called CornerShot domestically and abroad, plus a lucrative contract with the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defense.
› Miami-based Connexa Capital closes debut VC fund at $20M+
Miami-based Connexa Capital closed its debut venture capital fund with over $20 million in commitments, exceeding its target. The firm invests in early-stage technology companies. Founed in 2022, Connexa is led by Managing Partner Jonathan Bed, a venture capital investor and former CEO & co-founder of Zumbini, a spin-off of Zumba Fitness.
› Clearwater’s Coachman Park celebrates first anniversary with special events
Clearwater spent $84 million to renovate Coachman Park last year, adding a concert venue, waterfront promenade and green space that has drawn thousands for concerts and events. Earlier this year, the City Council finalized a deal for developers to build an apartment tower and hotel on two parcels surrounding the park.
› Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas on its way to Port Canaveral
Royal Caribbean’s newest ship Utopia of the Seas is making its way across the Atlantic for its new home in Port Canaveral. The second largest cruise ship in the world left the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France on Sunday and will arrive to Florida on July 11.