Florida Trend | Florida's Business Authority

Tuesday's Daily Pulse

Lack of subsidies in film industry driving Florida jobs to other states

For decades, Florida trailed only New York and Hollywood when it came to landing film and television productions, but in recent years, thousands of Floridians employed by the film industry have had to cross state lines to find work. “Georgia is cleaning our clocks,” said Film Florida President Kelly Paige. Florida is one of only 16 states that currently has no film industry rebates or tax credits. [Source: WFTS]

South Florida hotels report unexpected gains in July

South Florida hotels were facing both local and global pressures heading into the summer season, and subsequently reported slowed growth as a result. However, the latest reports show hospitality properties across the tri-county area posted year-over-year increases in key industry indicators. [Source: South Florida Business Journal]

Florida gas prices rising after long declines

Gas prices are on the rise in Florida and around the nation. For the fourth consecutive day, gas prices have gone up across the state of Florida. According to AAA, the state average for a gallon of gas is $2.09. That's up one cent from last week, when prices were $2.08 a gallon. More from WKMG, the Tampa Bay Times, and WJXT.

See also:
» Southwest Florida gas prices climb about 4 cents in week

Florida Chief Justice wants to review courthouse security

Florida's chief justice wants to take a closer look at the security in place at courthouses across the state. Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Jorge Labarga on Monday announced that he was ordering the creation of a trial courthouse security workgroup. [Source: AP]

South Florida's Seminole cowboys: Cattle is 'in our DNA'

The earliest Florida cowboys were native people. And they're still at it. Florida, with its lush grasslands, ranks tenth in the nation for its beef cattle herds — nearly two million head. The Seminole Tribe of Florida, Inc., is a major player in the cattle industry. Listen to the story from NPR:

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Winter Park company helps create VR tours for Visit Florida
An Orlando company has helped create a series of videos to show off some of Florida’s tourist destinations in 360-degree, virtual reality.

› Port Canaveral warns transportation firms: Obey rules or face fines
Port Canaveral officials are warning commercial ground transportation providers that they must obey the rules — or risk being fined or barred from the port entirely.

› CEO of Boca Raton-based Office Depot will retire next year
Office Depot CEO Roland Smith will retire next year after a replacement is found. The office supplies retailer also said Monday that it is reorganizing its executive committee to bring its retail store, e-commerce and marketing operations together.

› South Florida loses 63 jobs to outsourcing
Optical Manufacturing Company of Florida Inc., based in Hialeah, will permanently lay off 63 workers due to restructuring and outsourcing.

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› Lawsuit targets Tampa parking, towing companies
Law firm Morgan & Morgan has filed a lawsuit seeking class-action status against Tampa-based 717 Parking Enterprises and its leading towing partner, Target Recovery & Transport.

› Deadline looming for South Florida homeowners to appeal market values
Homeowners in South Florida have a little less than a month to appeal their property market values as set by Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties. The counties notify owners in August of their homes' market values, which are used in determining the taxes residents must pay.

› Street Artists Transforming Tallahassee
Not all artwork hangs inside galleries. There’s now a small group of street artists working to turn many of Tallahassee’s outdoor surfaces into monumental works of art.

› Orlando dermatologist finds success in buying practices
Dr. Matt Leavitt, an Orlando dermatologist has grown his business to include 150 dermatology practices valued close to $1 billion