Lawmakers advance tax breaks and incentives to attract flying car industry
State lawmakers hope Florida will play a major role in efforts to develop new technologies for air transportation, as a key state legislative committee advanced a proposal Monday to help those efforts take off in the state. The incentives include tax breaks on aircraft, batteries, training equipment and electricity used for the new type of aircraft. The proposal allows the Florida Department of Transportation to fund infrastructure improvements, streamlines regulations for the building of “vertiports” and allows public-private partnerships to be used to construct the new facilities. More from the News Service of Florida.
Osceola County seeks design firm for $225M in NeoCity projects, including arts center and park
Osceola County is seeking a design firm for several major components of its NeoCity development, including a new performing arts center and a five‑acre public park. NeoCity, the county‑owned 500‑acre technology district, is envisioned as a hub for semiconductor manufacturing, advanced research and sustainable development. More from the Orlando Business Journal.
Why has SpaceX not launched from Kennedy Space Center this year?
SpaceX launched 26 missions from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-A in 2025, including four human spaceflight missions. That era is coming to an end. A massive crane has been put in place this week with speculation it will soon remove the crew access arm from the historic launch site that hosted most the Apollo and space shuttle missions as SpaceX shifts plans for all future launches of its Crew Dragon spacecraft to its neighboring pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Rayonier paying $3.25 billion for PotlatchDeltic in ‘merger of equals’
While the companies are describing the deal as a merger of equals, Rayonier Inc. is paying $3.25 billion to shareholders of PotlatchDeltic Corp. after completing the deal Jan. 30. Under the final terms outlined in a Feb. 2 Securities and Exchange Commission filing, Rayonier is issuing 1.8185 of its shares for each share of PotlatchDeltic, a total value of about $3.2 billion based on Rayonier’s closing stock price Jan. 30. More from the Jacksonville Daily Record.
Naples Winter Wine Festival online auction tops $1M
The Naples Winter Wine Festival’s online auction surpassed $1 million this year, continuing a decade-long run of strong fundraising that supports programs for vulnerable children in Collier County. The Naples Children Foundation, the founding organization of the Naples Winter Wine Festival, announced that its 12th annual online auction generated more than $1 million, with $742,500 coming directly from auction lots and the balance directed to Fund a Need. More from Gulfshore Business.
Out of the Box
Iguana pizza: Florida restaurant goes viral for using reptile as pizza topping
If you think toppings like pineapple or anchovies are unusual to go on a pizza, one Florida restaurant has one that may top them both. North Palm Beach restaurant Bucks Coal Fired is going viral after posting videos of making a pizza with green iguana meat. "We're going to call this one 'The Everglades'," an employee said in the video. "This is the first iguana pizza in the history of mankind."
End of an Era
Pirate Fashions in Tampa is closing with a ‘Grand Plundering’ sale
After 16 years of outfitting the swashbucklers of Tampa, Pirate Fashions is closing this month. The costume shop, long a staple with the Gasparilla crowd, is going out with cannon-like bang: a “Grand Plundering” sale and auction. All manner of booty is up for grabs, from puffy shirts and pantaloons to the 18-foot pirate ship that greets customers as soon as they walk the plank to enter the store. Even the business itself is for sale.
» Read more from the Tampa Bay Times.