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FRIDAY, JAN. 18, 2008
DELAND:
Volusia Approves 'No-School' Zone
A plan for a "no-school zone" in the middle of Volusia County went forward Thursday, with the County Council sending it back for final review by state planners who have already challenged it.
County officials say allowing schools could help facilitate sprawling development, which they don't want.
[Source: Daytona Beach News-Journal]
More on this topic from Florida Trend:
TALLAHASSEE:
Allstate Strikes Back as State Expands Ban
The state's feud with Allstate Corp. heated up Thursday, with the company appealing an order forbidding it from doing future business in Florida after regulators expanded their ban from auto policies to all new insurance products the company sells.
On Wednesday, Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty said he immediately would yank Allstate's licenses to write auto insurance in response to what he considered the company's lack of cooperation with a state investigation into how it sets its homeowners' insurance rates. Late Thursday, Allstate filed a petition in the 1st District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee. "We filed for an immediate stay," company spokeswoman Amy Moore said. "We believe we are in compliance with the law." [Source: Tampa Tribune]
TAMPA BAY:
Column: Stubborn Sellers Make Home Bargains Elusive
James Thorner: Buyers are told the market is so lopsided - 41,000 home listings chasing fewer than 2,000 monthly buyers - that bargains abound. Yet when they try to haggle down a home price, sellers recoil as if someone were demanding a pound of flesh from their firstborn.
Why the discrepancy between statistics and supposed reality? Where are all the hard-up sellers?
For one thing, the median home sales price can trend lower even in the absence of genuine price cutting. That's what happens when price-shy buyers steer to smaller, less expensive homes. You saw that happen with the increase in townhome sales. [Source: St. Petersburg Times]
SOUTH FLORIDA:
Firms Use More Green Construction Products
When Rodrigo Vera started his building materials company in South Florida five years ago, few of his clients asked how his products were made or about their environmental impact.
But today, about half of Vera's $5 million-a-year business is "green."
Clients seek him out for tiles made from recycled glass, wood flooring from forests with logging limits and a cement-backer board for tiles that takes less energy to make and produces less dust when cut. He also pays close attention nowadays to the life-cycle of his wares, even buying forest land in Argentina to ensure logging there is sustainable. Vera's business growth reflects a boom in "green" building in the United States and a rise in demand for "green" building supplies.
[Source: Sun-Sentinel]
More on this topic from Florida Trend:
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
›Could Economy Get Any Worse? [St. Petersburg Times]
Putting money into the hands of households and firms that would spend it in the near term" is a priority, Bernanke told the House Budget Committee on Thursday.
Related: Fifth Third analysts question whether recession is imminent
›SEC Fine Tarnishes Treasure Hunter [Tampa Tribune]
Finding one of the world's largest sunken treasures has not ended well for Ernesto Tapanes.
Instead of being known worldwide as the man who discovered $500 million in sunken gold and silver coins, he'll likely be known for the story that ended with him paying a $216,000 fine to the government over insider trading violations.
›Golfweek 'Noose' Magazine Cover Causes Stir [AP]
The editor of Jacksonville's Golfweek said he was overwhelmed by negative reaction to the photo of a noose on the cover of this week's issue, illustrating a story about the suspension of a Golf Channel anchor for using the word "lynch" in an on-air discussion about how to beat Tiger Woods.
›Northeast Florida Balks at Evolution [Florida Times-Union]
School districts are objecting to a proposed change in science class.
›Layoffs 'Very, Very Likely' at USF [Tampa Tribune]
The University of South Florida plans to cut more than $52 million from its budget during the next two years, a grim prospect that likely will force layoffs and could further reduce the number of students accepted. Related: UF won't cancel summer classes
›Agencies Gear Up to Save People's Homes [Miami Herald]
Local nonprofits and government agencies are organizing efforts to deal with the wave of foreclosures sweeping over South Florida, in an effort to keep borrowers in their homes.
›Top Court Says Florida Needs More Judges [AP]
Florida needs 19 new circuit-court judges to deal with an increasing judicial workload, the state Supreme Court said Thursday in a recommendation to the Legislature.
›School Spending Increase Sought [St. Petersburg Times]
Gov. Crist says he wants $394 more per student, but his critics question the timing.
›Hospital Boosts UM Revenue [Miami Herald]
After the purchase of Cedars Medical Center, patient care will provide more than half of the University of Miami's revenue.
›Proposed 15-Year AirTran Lease Deal Includes Break on Rent [Sentinel]
The operator of AirTran Airways would have to pay only about $82,000 a year to use its new command center for the first five years of a 15-year lease. The annual rent payments would jump to about $214,000 during the final 10 years of the deal.
›How Florida Would Vote [Florida Times-Union]
Demographic differences might explain Northeast Florida's poll results.
›Sen. Martinez: SW Fla. Has Worst Medicare Crisis [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
Florida residents will have a harder time finding a doctor. Economics is forcing doctors to drop Medicare patients, stop taking new patients and even move out of state, he said.
›Harris Donates $5 Million to Florida Tech [Orlando Sentinel]
The gift -- Harris' largest-ever to a Central Florida college -- will finance the new Harris Institute for Assured Information at Florida Tech's Melbourne campus, officials said. Harris also plans to provide significant research and development support during the next four years. Related from Trend: Harris Corp: Well-Grounded
›Study: Save Our Homes Aids Rich Most [Palm Beach Post]
"Higher-value properties receive a greater benefit of the (Save Our Homes) tax shield relative to lower-value properties," Florida Atlantic University's Tim Allen and Oklahoma State University's Bill Dare write in their 16-page report.
›McDonald's Withdraws Report-Card Promotion [Orlando Sentinel]
A lone parent's complaint has forced the fast-food giant to dump a promotion of its Happy Meals rewards program on district report cards. The decision delighted critics, who contend the campaign pushed junk food to schoolchildren at the same time the country faces widespread child obesity.
›Jabil CEO Urges Patience [St. Petersburg Times]
He asks those at a shareholders' meeting to stay calm, despite the company's declining stock.
›Housing Starts Fall 24 Percent Nationwide [Sun-Sentinel]
The prolonged slump in housing pushed construction of new homes in 2007 down by the largest amount in 27 years with the expectation that the downturn has further to go.
›St. Petersburg Seeks Developer Ideas for Trop Spot [St. Petersburg Times]
The city says its attempting to stick to the Rays' suggested timetable, which calls for a November referendum. Mayor Rick Baker said he preferred to have more time after developer proposals have been submitted than before.
›Paper Ballots Could Pay Off for Counties, States [Miami Herald]
Citing Florida's disputed 2006 U.S. House race, a longtime congressional critic of electronic voting machines proposed Thursday to offer cash bonuses to counties and states that switch to paper ballots by the November election.
›Mote Marine and USF See Partnership Benefits [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
The two top ocean research centers on Florida's west coast are hoping to blend into a more powerful institute to boost fundraising, expand research opportunities and gain national prominence.
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