Milton deals big blow to citrus Industry
Damage from Hurricane Milton is driving down citrus production from what was already expected to be a historic low in the current growing season, according to a federal report released Tuesday. An updated forecast from the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Florida is projected to produce enough oranges to fill 12 million 90-pound boxes, 3 million less than expected before Milton. The industry produced 17.96 million boxes of oranges during the 2023-2024 season, which ended in July. [Source: News Service of Florida]
Florida Trend Exclusive
Food fight 2.0
The Kroger Co. — which operates under 20-plus banners, including Harris Teeter, Ralphs and Fred Meyer — reigns as one of America’s largest grocery retailers. In fiscal year 2023, it boasted $150 billion in sales and more than 11 million customers per day nationwide. The Cincinnati, Ohio-based company operates more than 2,700 stores and 35 food production and manufacturing facilities. Nearly half a million employees span 35 states. Aside from a single Harris Teeter in Fernandina Beach, Kroger (NYSE: KR) has no storefronts in Florida. Instead, the company inched into the state in 2021 with its cutting-edge customer fulfillment center in Groveland, a town of nearly 19,000 about 30 miles west of Orlando. [Source: Florida Trend]
Commentary: Florida hospitals make gains in workforce shortages
Long wait times for health care appointments are not only frustrating, but they can also be detrimental to health outcomes. As consumers, we expect relatively short wait times for an MRI or CT scan. We hope to see the cardiologist, neurologist or psychiatrist with minimal delay. We anticipate that our hip replacement surgery can be scheduled soon to ease our pain. For our primary care physician or pediatrician, timely appointments are vital. But when it comes to an emergency or traumatic event with an urgent need for hospital care, it is crucial that our hospital’s emergency department assesses our needs quickly and has staffed beds available for immediate inpatient care. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Tampa Bay Wave partners with NOAA in $13.9M initiative to advance 'bluetech' solutions
The Tampa Bay Wave will join The Continuum, a $13.9 million initiative funded by a National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration program. The Ocean Enterprise Accelerators collaboration unites seven entrepreneur support organizations to confront critical challenges threatening oceans, coastal communities and the global economy. The initiative aligns with NOAA’s broader agenda to impact ocean observation and the wider blue economy through business accelerators, supported by President Joe Biden’s Investing in America plan and funded by the Inflation Reduction Act. [Source: Tampa Bay Business Journal]
Florida seeks to lower pension investments in China for state workers
Florida is moving to place a "zero" benchmark for pension investments in China. Members of the state Investment Advisory Council on Monday voted 7-2 to direct portfolio managers to lower China exposure in the Florida Retirement System Investment Plan. The move came as the state has been taking steps to divest holdings in China-owned companies. Lamar Taylor, chief investment officer for the State Board of Administration, pointed to a change in philosophy about China. Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, investments in the country were viewed as a step to bring China into the global market and potentially improve issues such as human rights. [Source: CBS News]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Florida state lawmaker leaves Democratic Party, joins GOP: 'I will be welcomed'
Florida state Rep. Susan Valdés of Hillsborough announced Monday she has abandoned the Democratic Party for the Republican Party in the Sunshine State’s House of Representatives.
› Call us Boomtown: Big business discovers Southwest Florida
Giant companies are snapping up land along the I-75 corridor, bringing a type of boomtown to Charlotte, Lee and Collier counties.
› North Florida key manufacturing indicators increase in November, showing rebound from October
After a few months of slowdowns, North Florida manufacturing is improving as several key indicators showed signs of expansion in November.
› Agriculture Department breaks ground on new $208 million Tallahassee lab, office complex
Local and state leaders broke ground Tuesday for a new $208 million Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) complex in Tallahassee, celebrating it as a revolutionary step forward for Florida farmers.
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› End of the line
The state’s SunRail commuter line opened a station in DeLand, the northern terminus of its decade-long effort to connect 61 miles of Central Florida track and 17 stops that stretch south to Poinciana.
› Environmental concerns, Doral's objections, Trump's 'illegal' involvement - what now for Miami-Dade's new incinerator?
A Doral councilman and a Miami-Dade County commission chairman squared off over the ongoing and contentious debate over where to build a new trash incinerator in Miami-Dade County: Doral or some other county location.
› Swipe right on Tampa, left on Port St. Lucie: Florida’s dating divide exposed
After comparing 182 U.S. metros across 35 indicators of what researchers call “dating friendliness,” a new report from WalletHub ranks two Florida cities at opposite ends of the spectrum, with Tampa named as one the best cities for singles in 2025 — and Port St. Lucie listed among the worst.
› District plans new $38M school in west Orange County
Orange County Public Schools is lining up construction for a new school at the western edges of the county.