New laws take effect today in Florida

New laws will take effect in Florida today that will add benefits for first responders who suffer post-traumatic stress disorder and impose harsher penalties on people who abuse animals, along with 19 other measures signed by Gov. Rick Scott after the 2018 legislative session. See the new laws here. Also read more at  NorthEscambia.com, WTSP, WWSB, and NBC Miami.

Breathing problems and eye irritation shut down South Florida beaches. Is it red tide?

A stretch of South Florida beaches has been shut down until at least Monday after cities along the coast indicated a “possible red tide.” The problems began Saturday when swimmers in the Jupiter area complained of breathing problems and eye irritation. The health concern expanded into Martin County. The town of Palm Beach closed its beaches, and on Sunday, so did Lantana to the south. [Source: Miami Herald]

Florida facing its own ‘Supreme’ drama — in triplicate

While the nation was fixated on the drama surrounding Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, Floridians were reminded last week that they have their own Supreme Court controversy in triplicate. Gov. Rick Scott has asserted in court that he has the power, before he leaves office in January, to appoint replacements for three Florida Supreme Court justices who have reached a mandatory retirement age. Opponents contend the next governor, who takes office on Jan. 8, has that right. At stake in the new year is the potential to swing the court’s political leanings. The three justices with expiring terms are Fred Lewis, Peggy Quince and Barbara Pariente — considered the liberal wing of the high court. More from Florida Politics and NorthEscambia.com.

Related, Florida Trend Profile
» Justice Barbara Pariente: 'The Questioner'

State bridge inspections guide local maintenance

To ensure that bridges are maintained — or, when necessary, replaced —Florida counties rely on a state-administered federal program that keeps a regular watch on the structures and reports any issues to local officials. The state, which is responsible for maintaining the bridges on state roads and interstate highways, also relies on the program. [Source: Northwest Florida Daily News]

Florida Trend Regional Report
Rewarding customers

After emerging from bankruptcy in May, Winn-Dixie’s parent, Jacksonville- based Southeastern Grocers, rolled out a new rewards program for its customers. The program, SE Grocers Rewards, replaces Plenti, the now-defunct American Express-operated loyalty program that enabled customers to collect points and redeem rewards at Macy’s, Chili’s, ExxonMobil and other participating companies. Full story here. (Story also includes business briefs and "players" for Northwest Florida.)

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Gillum and DeSantis give voters a choice to turn left, or right [St. Augustine Daily Record]
Republicans are blasting Democrat Andrew Gillum as a lefty who is “too extreme” for Florida because of his calls for a major tax increase, health care expansion and softer immigration laws. But Gillum’s gubernatorial opponent, Republican Ron DeSantis, also is poised to be a disrupter — only he’s coming from the right.

› New headquarters, new jobs on the way for Coral Springs company [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Aldora Aluminum & Glass Products is consolidating southeast Florida operations into a new regional headquarters in Coral Springs. Its current headquarters is also in Coral Springs, and it has a manufacturing plant in Miramar.

› JEA and others with ties to controversial nuclear project get credit downgrades [Florida Times-Union]
A Wall Street ratings agency Friday downgraded the credit of several electric utilities in Florida, Georgia and Alabama with financial ties to the controversial Plant Vogtle nuclear expansion project, an indication of the high stakes and risk each faces in continuing to finance a $27 billion construction effort that has blown deadlines and budgets for years.

› Unclaimed property fund exceeds $825 million in South Florida [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
The state of Florida is sitting on a pile of cash and goods from Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties worth more than $825 million, and about one in five residents can claim a piece of it, according to a news release Friday from the Division of Unclaimed Property.

Related:
» Consumer Alert: $655 Million of Unclaimed Property in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties

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› Commentary: ‘Citrus wizard’ merits place in Hall of Fame [Orlando Sentinel]
In 1911, horticulturist Lue Gim Gong of DeLand was awarded the prestigious Wilder Silver Medal by the American Pomological Society, the first time such an award was made for citrus. His achievements had saved the citrus industry millions of dollars, the New York Times noted in 1925. But you won’t find Lue Gim Gong in the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame.

› Sweetening the deal: Volusia auto dealers add perks to customer lounges [Daytona Beach News Journal]
In the old days, an auto dealership service department waiting-room wasn’t known for its creature comforts. A portable TV set, a dog-eared copy of Field & Stream magazine and a faint scent of gasoline were perhaps the best a customer could expect, but that has all changed now.

› Claim over construction of cold-storage warehouse at Tampa port lands in court [Tampa Bay Times]
Port Tampa Bay’s new refrigerated warehouse has been receiving bananas, limes, mangos and, most recently, pineapples, but one subcontractor on the project says it has yet to see all of the fruits of its labor.

› Miami is getting its first Waldorf Astoria hotel [Miami Herald]
A new skyscraper will radically change downtown Miami’s iconic skyline — and introduce the city to one of the most famous luxury hotel brands in the world. The Waldorf Astoria Hotel and Residences Miami, to be located at 300 Biscayne Boulevard, will mark the debut of the Waldorf Astoria brand in Miami.