Use of Florida drug database increases amid opioid fight, new law

One of Florida’s main weapons to thwart “doctor shopping” has been expanding substantially after the passage of a tough new law aimed at addressing the continuing opioid crisis. State officials said Thursday that more than 92,000 health-care providers had registered to use an electronic database that tracks patients who are prescribed controlled substances. More from the Orlando Sentinel and NorthEscambia.com.

Florida Supreme Court says tobacco giant must pay $18.5M award to Delray woman

In a stinging rebuke of the notion that a financially independent adult child shouldn’t be entitled to millions in damages for the loss of a parent, the Florida Supreme Court on Thursday ordered a cigarette-maker to pay a Delray Beach woman $18.5 million for the 1993 death of her mother from lung cancer. [Source: Palm Beach Post]

Brightline tries to revive train travel in America

Amtrak has not revived rail’s fortunes. Brightline, a startup from Florida, thinks it can. Early this year it opened its debut line, costing $3 billion, between Miami and West Palm Beach in Florida, America’s first new privately-funded passenger line for over a century. On September 18th it announced plans to expand, starting with a new line between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. [Source: The Economist]

See also:
» Brightline to build express intercity passenger rail connecting southern California and Las Vegas

SeaWorld Orlando becomes ER for manatees stricken by red tide

The animal rescue facility tucked in the behind-the-scenes part of the theme park has been bombarded with sick manatees from the toxic algae bloom that has plagued the state for months from South Florida to Tampa Bay and this week reached the Panhandle. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

Three film projects may get business rolling again in Miami

Three film projects eyeing Miami-Dade as their primary shooting site could each receive a $100,000 grants to film there, as county commissioners last week forwarded for full commission consideration items approving the financial incentives. [Source: Miami Today]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Diners can't get enough of Olive Garden as Darden sales, profits soar [Orlando Sentinel]
Diners couldn't get enough of Olive Garden as parent company Darden Restaurants Inc. reported big sales and net income increases led by the flagship brand. Olive Garden delivered big on the most important metric in the industry, same-restaurant sales.

› Colorado-based alternative fuel company to hire 45 at new $10 million factory inCity [News Releases]
MLMC Florida (MLMC), a manufacturing company specializing in alternative fuels technology, will open a new facility in Plant City creating 45 new jobs. The new jobs will fulfill various functions including production, sales and logistics. Also read more at the Tampa Bay Times.

› ‘Wellness tourism’ a burgeoning new industry in Collier, officials say [Florida Weekly]
Collier County already boasts the designation of the happiest and healthiest city in the country for third year running, according to annual Gallup rankings. Now, local tourism leaders and industry experts hope to capitalize on that title by drawing more visitors as part of what they’re calling wellness tourism.

› Medical cannabis company invests big in Alachua [Gainesville Sun]
Quickly after arriving at Liberty Health Sciences’ Alachua County campuses, it’s clear the millions of dollars invested by the Toronto-based cannabis cultivator into former Alachua County farms are being put to immediate use.

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› Firm selected for Jacksonville convention center project at courthouse site [Florida Times-Union]
The Downtown Investment Authority voted Wednesday to move forward with two costly redevelopment projects that would turn dead zones along Bay Street into a convention center and hotel on the site of the old county courthouse and a hotel and family amusement center on land occupied by the partly-built Berkman II tower.

› Oyster farmer sees business as 'the key' to saving Florida's environment [Fort Myers News-Press]
Donnie McMahon, of Pensacola Bay Oyster Co., says his top issues this election year include the deteriorating environment, lack of workforce training, responsible business growth and planning for the overgrowth of Florida's population.

› Pérez Art Museum Miami may create Caribbean art center [Miami Today]
Pérez Art Museum Miami – along with its predecessor institutions – is coming up on its 35th anniversary of bringing modern and contemporary art to South Florida and is now looking at the potential to create a center to study Caribbean art within the building, according to CEO Franklin Sirmans.

› New Florida prison policy to stop contraband: ‘Inmates will not be placed in’ their home county [WSVN]
A new policy to stop contraband from getting into Florida prisons has inmates and their families upset. And some experts even question whether it will do more harm than good.