With dollar strong, Florida tourism industry watches for impact

As Americans find that their cash is packing more of a punch — and continue to reap savings from falling gas prices — travel providers are pitching this as the perfect time to book trips to Europe. At the same time, tourism promoters in Florida are watching to see whether currency fluctuations will keep international visitors away. [Source: Miami Herald]

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Florida cities lead in 'underwater' homes

Florida cities are still among the nation's top metro areas in the share of "underwater" homes in their communities. Roughly a quarter of the homes in the Florida cities are underwater, a situation in which the loan on a home is greater than the worth of the property. [Source: WESH]

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Jobless number shows promise for 2015

Fueled by newcomers moving south, renewed construction and cheaper gasoline, employment gains in Southwest Florida and those statewide showed promise for a strong 2015, based on December statistics released on Friday. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]

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Spending marathon without end: military buffer zones

Buying up land around military bases has become an economic strategy all on its own in recent years, with millions being spent from Northwest Florida to California in a competition that's heating up. [Source: Pensacola News-Journal]

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Canadians hope immigration bill will allow them a longer stay

Canadians aren't the first nationality that comes to mind for most people when they think about immigration politics in America.. But a little-noticed bill that has become wrapped up in the larger immigration drama would allow Canadians over 50 to visit the U.S. for up to eight months at a time, a potential economic boon for Florida [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]

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ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Millions of genetically modified mosquitoes could be released in Florida Keys [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Millions of genetically modified mosquitoes could be released in the Florida Keys if British researchers win approval to use the bugs against two extremely painful viral diseases.

› After 17 years, Florida, Nebraska company lawsuit continues [AP]
Seventeen years after it started, a multimillion-dollar insurance dispute between the state of Florida and a Nebraska company continues to meander through the courts.

› Orlando's Spring Home & Garden Show gives businesses future leads [Orlando Sentinel]
Since participating in their first Orlando Home & Garden Show in September, Gilded Home, a luxury home furnishing company in Winter Park, has seen an uptick in business.

› For gay couples in Florida, an easier path to adoption [Tampa Bay Times]
In recent years, a process known as second-parent adoption has been at the cutting edge of gay family law in Florida, but even lawyers who advocated its use had a love-hate relationship with it.

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› Florida among nation's toughest places to have voting rights restored [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Commit any felony in Florida and you lose your right to vote for life — unless the governor and the clemency board agree to give that right back to you. The result: more than 1.6 million Floridians — about 9 percent — cannot vote, hold office or serve on a jury.

› As Tampa Bay tech firms scramble for talent, boot camp aims to boost supply [Tampa Bay Times]
At one of Tampa Bay's largest technology companies, 116 Tech Data Corp. employees report to marketing vice president Angie Beltz. But only seven of them hold technology degrees.

› Southwest Florida home sales hit all-time high in 2014 [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
Home sales in Southwest Florida reached an all-time high in 2014, outpacing activity from even the historic boom of the mid-2000s and pushing prices to levels not seen since the Great Recession.

› Lao Conference of Churches moving headquarters to St. Petersburg [Tampa Bay Times]
Lured by a great deal on a church whose own membership is shrinking, the Lao Conference of Churches is moving its national headquarters from California to St. Petersburg.