Is the future of teen summer jobs over?
Florida youth youth are grappling with the impacts of AI and inflation on the job market. The days of teens working behind the counter over summer could be becoming a relic, according to new research from the industry firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas. Last year, the number of teens in the workplace fell to its lowest point on record in nearly eight decades. The U.S. teenage unemployment rate in May was the highest it’s been in any May since the pandemic, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Lake County considers 1-year ban on data centers
A surge in data center projects is spreading across the U.S., and in Lake County, one commissioner wants to hit pause before any are built. District 1 Lake County Commissioner Anthony Sabatini is pushing for a one-year moratorium that would stop new data center development in the county. Multiple Florida counties have passed or are considering similar moratoriums — including Nassau, Pasco, and Jackson Counties. More from Click Orlando.
Winn-Dixie makes strong comeback, converts all Harveys in Florida
After celebrating its 100th anniversary last year, The Winn-Dixie Company hopes to come back strong with new stores, a new logo, more products, and a renewed focus on Florida. The Miami-born, Jacksonville-based grocery chain completed converting eight Harveys Supermarket locations into Winn-Dixie stores, the chain announced on June 22, bringing all its stores under one name. More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Jacksonville tops $100 million for ditching septic tanks
The anticipated completion date in late 2028 for installing JEA sewer service will finish the last of three septic phaseout neighborhoods the city announced back in 2016: Biltmore, Beverly Hills East and Christobel. The combined cost of nearly $104 million for converting the three neighborhoods is focused in an area of northwest Jacksonville where septic tanks date back to the era before creation of Jacksonville's consolidated city-county government in 1968. More from the Florida Times-Union.
Rumble acquires AI company, splits business into two divisions
A publicly traded company based on Longboat Key has rebranded and formally split its business into two divisions. Rumble, which trades on the Nasdaq under the ticker RUM and is headquartered at 444 Gulf of Mexico Drive, is now calling itself Rum Group Inc. The company’s mission is to “maximize the power of human imagination through an independent technology ecosystem built on privacy, resilience and an open alternative to Big Tech,” according to a statement. The two divisions of Rum Group Inc. are its video platform, Rumble, and its cloud and AI infrastructure business, which it is calling Quake AI. More from the Business Observer.
Business Profile
Historic Clearwater home repurposed as art studio and tea room
Built circa 1896, the Plumb House is one of the oldest structures still standing in Pinellas County. The Clearwater Historical Society has decided to repurpose the home, currently located on S. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. It now has multiple art workspaces and a tea room/event space. An open house was held Saturday.
» More from the St Pete Catalyst.
Florida Trend Exclusive
Bright idea
Bigger than a golf cart, smaller than a sedan and powered by the sun, INTI, an electric car made by Solar Transport Systems, is set to debut this summer. Over the past year, the Palm Bay company has been trialing a demo vehicle at The Villages, according to COO Les Morton. He believes INTI will be a popular mode of transportation for residents of master-planned developments and other communities where speed limits are low and golf carts are allowed.
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