Florida is actually a top farming state. But that status may not last.
There’s nothing like savoring delicious strawberries, tomatoes, and green peppers in wintertime. But in the United States, much of these winter crops are grown in Florida, and farmland there is rapidly disappearing. A new report by the University of Florida reveals the extent of the threat. More than two hundred thousand acres—roughly the size of New York City—that are currently devoted to fruit and vegetable production are at risk of conversion to other uses by 2070. [Source: National Geographic]
4 Florida deaths attributed to Tropical Storm Debby
Hurricane Debby was downgraded to a tropical storm Monday, but forecasters said the weakened Debby could bring historic flooding to the Southeast U.S., while surge along Florida’s gulf coast remained a threat. Gov. DeSantis said that even though the wind force isn’t as strong, the amount of water the storm dropped on the state can lead to serious hazards. Four people in Florida have died as a result of the storm, DeSantis said. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Florida gas prices climb despite falling crude oil costs
Average gasoline prices in Florida increased 8 cents during the past week but were a penny lower than the national average Monday, according to the AAA auto club. “Although gas prices rose last week, fundamentals are moving lower,” AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said in a statement. More from the News Service of Florida, WPEC, and the Miami Herald]
Florida ranks top nationwide for startups. Here are 5 Florida startups to watch.
Did you know that Florida, California, Texas and New York have economies so big that if they were countries, they would rank in the top 20 in the world? In June, WalletHub released a study that ranked Florida’s economy the seventh-best in the U.S. Within that study, Florida topped an individual category, placing as the state with the most startup activity. [Source: Florida Today]
Florida voters have cast 650,000 mail-in ballots
More than 650,000 Floridians have voted by mail in the Aug. 20 primary elections, as early voting sites open this week. The state Division of Elections website Monday said 277,922 Republicans and 265,152 Democrats had returned vote-by-mail ballots to county elections supervisors. Also, 98,078 unaffiliated voters and 9,360 third-party voters had cast ballots by mail. [Source: News Service of Florida]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Florida Forum to feature Boris Johnson, Deepak Chopra and Carl Hiaasen
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will lead off the Women’s Board of Wolfson Children’s Hospital’s 2024-25 Florida Forum Speaker Series, the board announced Aug. 5. Johnson is scheduled to speak in Jacksonville on Oct. 29, followed by physician, author and alternative medicine advocate Deepak Chopra on Jan. 15, 2025. Floridian journalist and novelist Carl Hiaasen will speak Feb. 12, 2025.
› 4 communities in Southwest Florida rank among top 15 for U.S. home sales
Two communities in the Sarasota area and a community north of Tampa rank among the top 10 master-planned communities in the United States based on sales from the first half of 2024, according to a new list. A Punta Gorda development also landed in the top 15 on the list of 50 master-planned communities.
› Orlando restaurant chain Buca di Beppo files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Orlando-based Italian-American restaurant chain Buca di Beppo has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The chain's Buca C LLC filed in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas on Aug. 5. Filings in court for the chain list roughly $10,000,001 to $50 million in assets and $50,000,001 to $100 million in liabilities.
› Delray Beach votes to reduce tax rate for next fiscal year
Delray Beach residents may get some slight relief in their property taxes after city commissioners voted 3-2 to back a tax rate reduction for the upcoming fiscal year. The new tax rate will be about 5.91 instead of 6.36, the current tax rate. This means residents would save about $67 a year per $300,000 in taxable property value, or about $5 a month. A resident with a home worth $600,000 would save about $12 a month, according to city officials.
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› Orange-Osceola public defender candidates seek to make history
As longtime Public Defender Robert Wesley heads into retirement, two candidates are looking to carry the torch as the first woman to lead the Orange-Osceola Office of the Public Defender. With no other contenders, the Democratic primary will decide the region’s next chief public defender between Melissa Vickers and Lenora Easter. They both have long careers as defense attorneys with stints serving indigent clients in Orange and Osceola counties.
› New restaurant coming to the Dunedin Golf Club, with some big names in the mix
A new restaurant and venue is coming to the historic Dunedin Golf Club this fall. The Highland House is the latest from The Feinstein Group, who operate Dunedin restaurants The Black Pearl, The Living Room and Sonder Social Club. It will be the dining anchor for the club, which is undergoing a $6.4-million restoration to bring it back to its original 1927 Donald Ross design
› Jupiter U.S. 1 bridge update: Construction passes two-thirds mark as fall reopening nears
Construction on the $122 million new U.S. 1 bridge over the Loxahatchee River in Jupiter has passed a milestone as crews work to reopen a lane in each direction this fall. Two-thirds of the project is complete, the Florida Department of Transportation said last week. Drivers can see it jut out toward the other side of the river, with its lanes and control house taking shape.
› Fort Myers airport lands nearly $25M dollar grant
The Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers was recently awarded a sizable grant from the Federal Aviation Administration. The Airport Infrastructure Grants (AIG) program awarded $24.9 million to the airport, which will be used to improve the concourse, taxiway and runways.