Where are the hurricanes? New forecast says a busy season is still on the way.
The tropics may be relatively quiet for the moment but the latest forecast outlook for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season doesn't expect that to last. A more active than normal season is still expected, reports the tropical research team at Colorado State University. The forecast is unchanged from its initial April release, which calls for 17 named storms, nine hurricanes and four major hurricanes. Activity is expected to be about 125% of the average hurricane season from 1991-2020. More from USA Today and the Orlando Sentinel.
Lawmakers to provide $394K for Pulse memorial
Florida lawmakers have agreed to provide $394,000 in state funding for a memorial honoring the victims of the 2016 Pulse nightclub massacre. Efforts to build a memorial began as a private campaign, which collapsed amid infighting. Now, government agencies have assumed responsibility for the undertaking with the goal of beginning construction in the summer of 2026. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Rayonier touts alternative energy opportunity as way to boost revenue
Rayonier Inc. was long known as a forest products company before forming a real estate development subsidiary 20 years ago to profit from its vast land holdings. While it continues traditional development activities in communities such as Wildlight in Nassau County, where Rayonier is now headquartered, the company is looking at other potential uses for its real estate to meet market needs. More from the Jacksonville Daily Record.
For $1B Clearwater estimate, Duke Energy hired firm favored by utilities
Last month, Duke Energy Florida surprised Clearwater officials. Consultants hired by the city were finishing up a study analyzing the possibility of dropping Duke Energy as the electricity provider for Clearwater’s residents and businesses. But before the city’s report could be completed, Duke announced it, too, had hired consultants to complete a study of its own. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Bill could open Florida Keys to new development
The Florida Keys is poised to see a flurry of new development — despite warnings that island chain is already overpopulated with worsening traffic and rising flooding risks — thanks to a new bill set to become law at the end of the month. Senate Bill 180, which primarily focuses on hurricane recovery and emergency response, would also allow up to 900 new developments over the next 10 years in the Florida Keys. More from the Miami Herald.
Event
The Florida Surf Film Festival returns to Daytona Beach
There’s no better example of the grass roots power of a local surf community than the Florida Surf Film Festival, now in its second decade as one of the world’s best places for surf filmmakers to show their work to an engaged, raucous, multigenerational audience. The festival’s programming includes feature films, short films, and workshops in filmmaking, photography, and journalism, often led by notable figures in the surf industry.
» More from Surfer Magazine.
Florida Health Care
Mayo Clinic brings carbon ion therapy to Western Hemisphere, offering new hope for cancer patients
In a bold step to transform cancer care, Mayo Clinic is bringing new hope for patients diagnosed with the most aggressive and treatment-resistant cancers. This week, Mayo Clinic opened the new 228,000-square-foot Duan Family Building at its Jacksonville, Florida location. The building will house the first carbon ion therapy program in the Western Hemisphere, and advanced technology that can seamlessly deliver both carbon ions and protons to treat the same tumor.
» Read more from Florida Trend.