Florida wary on harsher punishments for illegal gambling
After a year that saw storefront gambling operations across Florida yield high-profile arrests, including the Osceola County sheriff, state lawmakers are being pushed to get even tougher on illegal wagering. But the drive for beefing-up penalties is troubled. Many lawmakers worry about who might get caught up in a law enforcement dragnet, with gaming machines popular in American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars halls and even at church bingo nights. [Source: Gainesville Sun]
Space Force seeks to fill 200+ Florida positions at upcoming public job fair
From dental lab technicians to airfield managers, Space Launch Delta 45 officials seek applicants for a wide-ranging array of more than 200 job positions on Florida's Space Coast. Headquartered at Patrick Space Force Base, SLD 45 operates the Eastern Range and oversees rocket-launch operations at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. SLD 45 and Patrick's 45th Force Support Squadron will host a public job fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 5 at The Tides Club. [Source: Florida Today]
Gardeners beware: a microscopic menace found the perfect climate in South Florida
Inside a lab in Redland, behind double doors that require a lab coat to enter, a team of scientists is breeding a tiny terror. The invasive pests, known as short-spined thrips, may be microscopic, but they’re a menacing threat. South Florida’s warming climate offers an ideal place for them to thrive — putting local nurseries at risk. There are millions of dollars worth of plants in every nursery, and there are hundreds of nurseries. [Source: Miami Herald]
Planning to vote by mail in the 2026 Florida elections? Here’s what you need to know
Data from recent elections show that more Florida voters prefer voting by mail. Of the 11 million voters in the 2024 election, more than 3 million used Florida’s no-excuse vote-by-mail system, according to data from the Florida Division of Elections. That’s an increase of 255,000 voters from 2022, and aside from 2020, when more people avoided polling places because of COVID-19, shows growth of VBM voters has been steady over the last 10 years. [Source: Click Orlando]
Florida landowners submit record applications to agricultural preservation program
A record number of Florida farmers and ranchers have applied to the state’s Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, reflecting growing interest in preserving agricultural land amid mounting development pressure, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson announced Monday. More than 500 applications were submitted during the most recent cycle, seeking to protect hundreds of thousands of acres of working agricultural land across the state. [Source: Florida's Voice]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Saks Global to shut Miramar support center, lay off all workers after Chapter 11 bankruptcy
A support center for Saks Global in Miramar has become a casualty of the luxury retail giant’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, along with the business’ entire 74-member workforce. The New York-based Saks Global notified Florida Commerce on Jan. 23 that the center operated by Saks & Co. LLC at 2784 Executive Way will soon close, and that permanent layoffs will take place between March 27 and April 30.
› Orlando punts on trying to stop ICE facility, Orange still exploring options
As U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement considers opening a detention and processing facility on Orlando’s eastern edge, city attorney Mayanne Downs said the U.S. Constitution prevents city officials from blocking it. Her conclusion comes even as Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said the county’s attorneys were still reviewing their own options Tuesday in response to an outpouring from residents at a Tuesday county commission meeting seeking to stop the potential facility.
› How Pinellas County allocates tourism tax dollars
Tourism dollars in Pinellas County come with rules, limits and consequences. The money is restricted by state law. It cannot lower property taxes. It cannot fund police or firefighters. It can only be spent in ways that promote tourism. Commissioner Brian Scott, chair of the Pinellas County Tourist Development Council, said that constraint shapes every decision tied to the county’s Tourist Development Tax.
› A resurrected Miami Marine Stadium deal could be headed to voters this summer
A city plan to hire a private group to restore and run the historic Miami Marine Stadium that was stalled last year by criminal charges against the company’s CEO could be back in play. Miami Commissioner Damian Pardo told the Miami Herald Monday he plans to ask fellow commissioners at their Feb. 12 meeting to revive a proposal that would award the Marine Stadium project to Global Spectrum, a subsidiary of Oak View Group, one of the country’s largest operators of sports and entertainment venues.
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› Developer resuscitates stalled St. Pete affordable housing project
An affordable housing-focused developer is breathing new life into a long-dormant, $67.2 million project in west St. Petersburg after several years of uncertainty. Washington D.C.-based Gravel Road Partners is now building Sixty90, a 204-unit apartment community with ground-level retail space. Pinellas County commissioners unanimously approved $6.71 million in funding for the new iteration, which will dedicate 60% of its units to households earning up to 80% of the area median income (AMI).
› A new hotel planned in downtown Boca Raton moves closer to reality
A 12-story, 219-room hotel proposed for Boca Raton’s “pink plaza” recently received a city panel’s support, further advancing in the process. The city’s Community Appearance Board, which reviews building exterior alteration plans, reviewed the hotel’s landscaping plans and has recommended approval. Other city boards still have to review the project.
› Jacksonville will knock down old MOSH building for new development
The final science exhibit at the old MOSH building in downtown will involve the physics of demolition. The Downtown Investment Authority approved knocking down the four-story building at 1025 Museum Circle on the Southbank. The nonprofit organization overseeing the Museum of Science and History closed the building last August while fundraising continues for a new building on the other side of the St. Johns River. The vacant building won't be standing much longer.
› New outdoor music spot in downtown Orlando moves forward
Orlando city commissioners on Monday approved a legal agreement that keeps a planned downtown outdoor music spot on track. The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts is planning to construct a “listening garden” along South Street, outside its Judson’s Live venue. The idea, according to the city’s documentation, is to “allow more accessibility to the arts for people walking through downtown Orlando who may not be paying for a ticketed event.”