Florida Chamber launches ‘Coolest Thing Made in Florida’ competition
Florida manufacturers are getting a chance to show off their products and earn some bragging rights. The Florida Chamber of Commerce and FloridaCommerce on Monday launched the second annual “Coolest Thing Made in Florida” competition, reopening statewide nominations for a bracket-style contest aimed at spotlighting products made across the state. The initiative is part of a broader push to highlight Florida’s manufacturing footprint and the sector’s role in job growth and exports. [Source: Florida Politics]
Florida Trend Exclusive
Florida Icon: Rhea Law
Rhea Law, former president of the University of South Florida, reflects on her journey from USF's research office to law school to leading a $3-billion institution — and what comes next. She tells us: "If you think about it, (USF) is a $3-billion business out there. You have to have business chops to run an organization like that. But you have to have really good academics around you because the whole purpose of us being there is to educate our students and to give them opportunities." [Source: Florida Trend]
Florida to give teens new path to earn in-state college credits
Florida teens soon will have another option for earning college course credits while still in high school. The State Board of Education is scheduled to consider a proposal this week to add the Florida Advanced Course Test to the list of courses, alongside Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and others that can count for credit at state colleges and universities. So far, Florida offers one FACT course and exam, in algebra, with another in U.S. History slated to roll out in the fall to selected high schools as a pilot program. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Florida residents admit to these 'broke behaviors' to save money
A new study is shedding light on some of the behaviors Floridians are adopting to stretch their budget. Beyond lifestyle tweaks, the study found a more serious trade-off that Floridians are facing in an effort to save money. Thirty percent admit to putting off replacing glasses or contact lenses. About 28% of Floridians say they put off dental check-ups to avoid costs, whereas 26% say they delay general health checkups. [Source: WFLX]
Florida bar exam results for February test: Who's on top?
The Florida State University College of Law came out on top in results from this February's Florida bar exam. Six out of seven FSU law students, or 85.7%, clinched the test on their first try, according to an April 13 announcement from the Florida Board of Bar Examiners, which develops and administers the exam. Overall, 332 of the 537 who took the high-stakes exam for the first time passed, or 61.8%. [Source: Florida Today]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› How did Ybor City celebrate 140 years? A 140-foot cigar, of course
The parking lot across from Ybor City’s Hotel Haya is something special. The spot on East Seventh Avenue is where the Sanchez y Haya Cigar Company opened the first cigar factory in Ybor City. On April 13, 1886, it’s also where someone rolled the first cigar in Cigar City. Across the street and 140 years later, this anniversary was celebrated with the ceremonial rolling of a 140-foot cigar.
› Miami-Dade could take action against Amazon over warehouse closure
Miami-Dade County could take action against Amazon.com after the e-commerce giant announced it will temporarily close a massive warehouse distribution facility in Homestead that opened less than two years ago. The county board of commissioners' intergovernmental and economic impact committee will vote on a resolution that would direct Mayor Daniella Levine Cava or a "county mayor designee" to enforce the terms of a job creation agreement the county made with Amazon, according to the agenda for its April 15 meeting.
› Jacksonville considering up to $12 million in tax incentives for Winn-Dixie
The city of Jacksonville is considering granting up to $12 million in incentives for The Winn-Dixie Co. LLC, as the Jacksonville-based grocer considers investing in its headquarters and adding 200 full-time jobs to its headquarters workforce. According to a memo from the Office of Economic Development, the incentives would come as a 20-year, 50% Recapture Enhanced Value Grant. A REV grant is a refund on ad valorem tax revenue generated by a new development or property enhancement. It can apply to property and tangible personal property.
› Construction giant moving local HQ, jobs from Naples to Fort Myers
The Manhattan Construction Group, one of the largest contractors in the region, has begun building a new office in Lee County where it will eventually relocate its local headquarters from Naples. The company, which held a ceremonial groundbreaking on the site April 9, says in a statement that the new office will serve as “a centralized hub” for it and its sister companies Manhattan Road & Bridge, SafeZone and Spectrum Contracting.
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› A new Sarasota event space is now open near downtown
The downtown Sarasota area has a new place to gather, celebrate and, depending on the night, lose track of time entirely. Aleur Event Collective opened earlier this year at 1001 Central Ave., inside a historic building on the north end of the Rosemary District that sat vacant for years before owner Amber Bixby saw it and made up her mind on the spot. "I know we can do this," she said. "We've done it before, let's do it again."
› South Florida’s AMPERA lands major shipping deal as it opens new global headquarters
For decades, the shipping industry has been stuck in a contradiction. It powers global trade, yet relies on some of the dirtiest fuels on earth to do it. (And these days, we also know the political and economic peril that comes alongside that dependence.) Now, a South Florida company is stepping into that tension with a proposal that sounds closer to science fiction than logistics: nuclear-powered ships that could operate for decades without refueling.
› Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket raised for third Cape Canaveral launch
Blue Origin's giant New Glenn rocket is standing tall on the Cape Canaveral launch pad once again in preparation for the new rocket's third flight. While it has been teased that a launch is upcoming, Blue Origin has yet to release an official launch date. According to a Federal Aviation Administration advisory and the Space Coast Office of Tourism, the liftoff is set for no earlier than 6:45 a.m. Thursday, April 16.
› Year-over-year ridership down through two months of JTA fare pilot
Despite cutting fares to try to drive up ridership, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority has seen lower year-over-year demand for its services two months into a fare-reduction pilot program. Ridership on fixed routes with reduced fares in the pilot fell in February and March 2026 by about 18.3% (27,042) and 10% (15,272), respectively, compared with the same periods in 2025.