Chamber report: Florida’s businesses need more mathletes
If you want one of Florida’s most in-demand jobs, you’re going to need math skills. The Florida Chamber Foundation, through its Future of Work Florida Initiative, has released an interactive “Math Skills Edition” of its Top 30 High-Demand Careers list, tying specific math competencies to jobs across the state’s 21 workforce regions. While “numbers-heavy” fields such as accounting and auditing are on the list, so are nursing, trucking and real estate sales. More from Florida Politics.
After steady declines, Florida gas prices skyrocket overnight
Yesterday's good news is today's sticker shock for Florida residents. The average price of gas jumped 14 cents between April 27 and April 28 in Florida. On April 27, we reported the national average for the price of gas had been slowly climbing, while Florida motorists were seeing some good news at the pump, with prices slowly dropping. More from the Gainesville Sun.
Publix No. 4 on list of most trustworthy grocers in the U.S.
Publix might be the No.1 grocery store in the hearts of many Floridians but it’s No. 4 nationally when it comes to trustworthiness — down two spots from last year and three from the previous year. That’s according to a Newsweek magazine survey which placed the Lakeland grocer behind Whole Foods, The Kroger Co. and an Oklahoma-based gas and convenience store chain named QuickTrip. More from the Business Observer.
Many downtowns ban outdoor drinking. One Florida city is expanding it
Letting people walk around downtown with an alcoholic drink in hand — a rarity in Central Florida — was a bold gambit for St. Cloud. But five years later, the city says the move has been so successful that it is doubling down. Earlier this month, the Osceola County city passed an ordinance extending outdoor alcohol consumption within its downtown entertainment district to seven days a week, up from Wednesdays through Saturdays. Now, some businesses plan to start selling alcohol to take advantage of the new ordinance in hopes of attracting more customers. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Developers got city land for affordable housing in Little Havana. Is it a good deal?
In his final act before leaving office last year, longtime Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo quietly put together a complex, multimillion-dollar deal to provide public land in East Little Havana to three developers to build 500 affordable apartments in one of the city’s most housing-challenged districts. The unusual no-bid deal, which Carollo conceived of and oversaw, was not a secret. More from the Miami Herald.
Transportation Trends
Two-boat ferry plan would restore daily Tampa-St. Pete service
A new Tampa Bay ferry service plans to run daily between Tampa and St. Petersburg with two vessels and a downtown Tampa dock, marking a shift from the single-boat model that limited the previous Cross-Bay Ferry. The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, which leads the project, is expected to vote this week on a plan to buy and renovate two vessels using a $4.8 million federal grant.
» More from Tampa Bay Business & Wealth.
Florida Trend Exclusive
Bringing health home
In January, Matt Zuino started his new role as president and CEO of Baptist Health. He succeeds Michael Mayo, who retired after about five years as CEO and more than four decades as a health care leader. Zuino originally joined Baptist Health in 2017 as president of physician integration before rising to COO in 2020. In an interview with Florida Trend, he shared his goals and strategies for the Jacksonville-based health system.
» Read more from Florida Trend.