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Thursday's Afternoon Update

Florida realtors and builders have busy agendas for legislative session

Though the Florida Legislature’s session doesn’t begin until March 7, Realtors and homebuilder associations are busy laying the foundation for the agendas they’ll promote. The chief concerns in the state’s real estate and construction industries focus on taxes, workforce and regulations. More from the Jacksonville Daily Record.

Florida Governor joining with other governors in DC

Gov. Scott is leaving Thursday for Washington D.C. where he will attend events connected to the winter meetings of the National Governors Association and the Republican Governors Association. This includes a Friday luncheon with Vice President Mike Pence and a visit to the White House on Sunday. More from the AP.

Commentary: Credit unions work to protect consumers’ interests, balance Florida economy

Massive one-size-fits-all regulations have been detrimental to many Florida credit unions, with limited resources as not-for-profit financial institutions. It is simply not reasonable to treat behemoth financial institutions the same way as not for profit, member-owned and governed credit unions. More from Clay Today.

Spirit Airlines CEO dismisses new, cheaper fares by rivals

The CEO of discount carrier Spirit Airlines says he isn't worried about competing against new, cheaper fares from American and United. The "basic economy" fares from American and United are designed to attract the kind of thrifty fliers that have helped Spirit double in revenue in four years. More from the AP.

Port Canaveral CEO Murray gets positive annual review, $15,000 raise

Port Canaveral commissioners gave Chief Executive Officer John Murray positive evaluations for his first year in the job. That review earned him a 4.4 percent, or $15,000-a-year, bringing his annual salary up to $350,000. More from Florida Today.

Profile
Blue Line Bears

blue line bears Megan O’Grady is helping grieving families of fallen police officers one teddy bear at a time. The 14-year-old student from Cape Coral founded Blue Line Bears, a nonprofit organization that provides the children of slain officers with a stuffed bear made from their parent’s uniform.

» More from the Orlando Sentinel and WINK News.

Out of the Box
Micro Mansions

florida originalsWhat do you do when you’ve maxed out mega? You go micro—as in micro mansion. The idea is to create a home that’s small on space and low on maintenance but big on luxury.

» Read more from Jupiter Magazine.