Florida Trend Exclusive
Staffing superyachts
Lauren Cotton has never strayed far from the water. She grew up at Lighthouse Point, a coastal town near Fort Lauderdale known for its bustling boating scene. Every summer, her family would vacation at their cottage on Lake June in the town of Lake Placid near Sebring, where they enjoyed fishing and watersports. “We were always on boats,” she recalls. After earning her degree in 2006 at Palm Beach Atlantic University, a small private Christian College in West Palm Beach, Cotton landed a gig as a concierge at Rybovich, a local superyacht marina. [Source: Florida Trend]
Business Beat - Week of December 19th
Get top news-to-know with Florida Trend's headline-focused video newsbrief, hosted by digital content specialist Aimée Alexander.
What are the four vaccines Florida plans to no longer require?
Florida’s surgeon general wants to do away with all state vaccine mandates. But the first step in his plan targets four specific vaccines. Earlier this month, the Department of Health had a meeting during which officials unveiled a proposal to drop the requirement for the chickenpox; the Hepatitis B; the Haemophilus influenzae type b, or Hib; and the Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines. Unlike many of the state’s other required vaccines, the health department can drop those four requirements without needing legislative approval. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Florida TaxWatch analysis offers recommendations to stabilize local Sheriff’s Offices
A government watchdog group has conducted an analysis of Florida’s Sheriff’s Offices, proposing recommendations to make the local law enforcement agencies more financially efficient and help with hiring. Florida TaxWatch published its Florida Sheriff’s Staffing Analysis, which looks at staffing and hiring challenges facing the law enforcement departments. The study, conducted in a partnership with the Florida Sheriff’s Association, concluded there are serious challenges facing Sheriff’s Offices in Florida. [Source: Florida Politics]
Florida Senate will try again to boost rural health care, education, economic development
A wide-ranging proposal dubbed the "rural renaissance bill" is back in the Florida Senate. It has already passed one committee and is ready to be heard by the full chamber. The bill would boost funding for health care, education, and economic development in rural counties. The same proposal didn't make it all the way through the legislature last year, so Sen. Corey Simon, R-Tallahassee, is trying again. [Source: WUSF]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Want school library information? Florida’s $15M site has yet to take off.
Soon after pressuring the Hillsborough County school district in August to remove library books he deemed inappropriate, Florida education commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas announced a new service aimed at making it easier for parents to identify acceptable material.
› What do Florida theme parks do for New Years Eve? See Disney, Universal celebrations
Are you one of the thousands planning on enjoying fireworks and dance parties at Disney World, Universal Orlando or any of the other parks? Here's a quick guide to their NYE events and ticket prices.
› Federal judge denies request to close Florida's 'Alligator Alcatraz'
A federal judge on Thursday denied a request for a preliminary injunction to close an immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” saying a detainee who asked for the order hadn't shown he was suffering irreparable harm at the facility.
› Florida’s 'oral health crisis': Can dental therapists expand access care?
Florida ranks among the lowest states for dental care access, with 65 of its 67 counties facing shortages of dental professionals.
Nearly 6 million residents live in federally designated dental health professional shortage areas (HPSAs).
More stories ...
› Parkway breaks ground on Phase II of $750M industrial park in Lakeland
Parkway has broken ground on Phase II of Lakeland Central Park, a $750 million industrial park spanning 740 acres in Lakeland. The second phase will comprise LCP 300, a new 261,000-square-foot cross-dock industrial facility at 1735 Winston Park Blvd.
› Wrigley heir sells North Palm Beach estate for $97.5 million to fintech billionaire
A trust in the name of billionaire William Wrigley Jr., an heir to the family chewing gum fortune, sold an estate near North Palm Beach for $97.5 million to a company led by a fintech billionaire.
› Developer investing $150 million to spruce up Orange County convention hotels
With Orange County breaking ground this week on a pricey expansion of its Convention Center, a Texas developer is spending $75 million on renovations to modernize each of its convention center hotels.
Houston-based RIDA Development teamed up with Los Angeles-based Ares Management last year to buy the Hyatt Regency Orlando, one of four hotels with skybridge connections to the OCCC, for over $1 billion.
› Tarbert’s target: Getting Downtown Jacksonville past the resident tipping point
For decades, Jacksonville residents were told that Downtown revitalization would reach a tipping point when 10,000 people were living in the city’s core.
The new head of the Downtown Investment Authority offers a different message.
“I don’t know if it’s the magic number,” CEO Colin Tarbert said of the 10,000 threshold.