Florida’s Citizens is deferring flood coverage proof while NFIP is shut down
Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance Corp. is deferring the required proof of flood insurance while the federal government shutdown continues and the National Flood Insurance Program is in limbo. Citizens, still the state’s largest property insurer, noted that as of this year, dwellings with replacement costs of $500,000 or more are required to obtain flood insurance. By January 1, 2026, properties valued at $400,000 must have flood coverage. By 2027, all Citizens-covered structures will need flood coverage, according to the law. More from Insurance Journal.
Some Central Florida businesses already paying above new $14 minimum wage
Florida’s minimum wage increased to $14 an hour at the end of September. Many Central Florida businesses already pay above minimum wage to attract, retain workers and keep up with high costs of living. CareerSource Central Florida reports the average advertised wage is $24 an hour — 71% higher than the state minimum. More from Spectrum News.
Florida rejects St. Johns County’s 2050 Comprehensive Plan as too restrictive
The Florida Department of Commerce rejected the St. Johns County’s 2050 Comprehensive Plan, the county’s blueprint for the next 25 years of growth and development. In a letter written to County Commission Chair Krista Joseph, FloridaCommerce identified a conflict with the plan’s land development regulation, calling it too restrictive and burdensome, and therefore deeming it null and void. More from the St. Augustine Record.
Whistleblowers allege Full Sail University ‘hoodwinked’ students with fake jobs
Whistleblowers in a federal court case in California allege Central Florida’s Full Sail University engaged in a “pay-for-play” student hiring scheme to earn more federal funding. The complaint alleges that LA Film School and Full Sail funneled money to employers to hire students for jobs that lasted scarcely longer than two days, all so the schools could count them as “employed” to hit a 70% employed threshold for more federal funding. The students were “hoodwinked” into going along, it said. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Melbourne airport officials hope large land buy attracts aeronautical facility, hundreds of jobs
Melbourne Orlando International Airport officials hope a newly purchased tract of land gets developed as a major aeronautical facility, attracting hundreds of millions of dollars in investment and hundreds — if not thousands — of jobs. Large companies have already made inquiries about the parcel, said Melissa Naughton, the airport's assistant director of business development and marketing. More from Florida Today.
Arts Business
In U.S. first, 17 Rembrandts to be displayed in Norton Museum’s blockbuster new show
When a billionaire couple unveiled their trove of Rembrandts in Amsterdam this spring, the artist’s hometown suddenly had nearly twice as many of his masterpieces. That’s because their 17 paintings, which rival the 22 in Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum, make up the world’s largest collection of Rembrandts in private hands. And lucky for us: In October, this cache will form the backbone of the Norton Museum of Art’s new blockbuster show.
» More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Out of the Box
Cruise line launches flexible month-to-month residential rentals
Villa Vie Residences, a residential cruise line based in Pembroke Pines, has launched a month-to-month program that lets travelers live aboard its ship, the Villa Vie Odyssey, without long-term commitment. The Odyssey, a 642.5-foot vessel with 485 cabins, is scheduled to follow a continual global route, visiting more than 400 ports in over 140 countries during a 3.5-year circumnavigation.
» Read more from the South Florida Business Journal.