'Arthur is it for a while': Saharan dust quiets Atlantic hurricane season
Another slug of Saharan air filters into Florida this week, dampening rain chances in the burning southern reaches of the state and contributing to a tropical cyclone hibernation that may last well past the July 4 holiday. Weather Trader meteorologist Ryan Maue said the Atlantic basin was heading into a “slumber” after the short-lived but soggy Tropical Storm Arthur doused the Gulf Coast. More from the Florida Times-Union and the Gainesville Sun.
NASA’s $4.3 billion planet-hunting Nancy Grace Roman Space telescope arrives in Florida
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has arrived at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The new telescope has a field of view 100 times larger than the Hubble Space Telescope. It will study dark energy, exoplanets, and potentially a billion galaxies. The telescope is scheduled to launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket as soon as August 30. Sunday’s payload more than doubled that. More from Florida Today and the Orlando Sentinel.
Port Tampa Bay charts a bigger course with major expansion projects
Down a long and winding road on a muggy Tuesday morning in Gibsonton, politicians, business leaders and construction and maritime workers celebrated the opening of Sesco Cement’s new cement import terminal at Port Tampa Bay’s Port Redwing. The celebration was one of many on port officials’ calendars this year, as Port Tampa Bay has accelerated a series of major infrastructure projects aimed at increasing cargo capacity, improving supply-chain efficiency and supporting the rapid growth of Florida’s economy. More from the Business Observer.
Spirit is gone, but other airlines filling gap for passengers out of Fort Lauderdale
Although the collapse of bankrupt Spirit last month wiped out more than 3,000 aviation jobs in South Florida and disrupted the travel plans of thousands, the rapid response of rival carriers to fill the void appears to be mitigating the business impact on Fort Lauderdale’s airport, which now says it expects its annual passenger count this year to rival the levels of 2025. More from the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
"Billionaire's corridor': What's inside West Palm's Alba luxury condos
The Alba luxury condominium's grand opening on June 11 offered those who attended a first look at what could become "billionaire's corridor" along North Flagler Drive. The 22-story tower in the Northwood neighborhood at 4714 N. Flagler is the first in a wave of ultra-luxury, high-rise developments coming to the north end of West Palm Beach. More from the Palm Beach Post.
Out of the Box
Coloring sessions? Foam parties? Florida theme parks target adults with kid stuff
The attractions industry and its fans are growing up, but the old “kid at heart” adage is creating tourism business opportunities seeped with nostalgia. Grown-ups are embracing events once geared toward younger audiences. Central Florida attractions are playing host to adults-only coloring sessions, 21-and-up poolside foam parties, after-bedtime theme park outings and more.
» More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Florida Trend Exclusive
Private pathway?
Saint Leo University president Jim Burkee sees the H1-B hiring freeze as an opening. Free from the Board of Governors' moratorium and the national H-1B cap, the small Pasco County school aims to become a pipeline that lets Tampa Bay employers tap international talent the public universities can no longer hire.
» Read more from Florida Trend.