Florida tried to fix its elections after 2000. Why are today’s recounts so messy?

After the presidential recount in 2000 that helped launch the nickname “Flori-duh” into the nation’s vernacular, state lawmakers passed a sweeping set of election reforms. Yet Florida is once again mired in all the familiar trappings of recount chaos – multiple lawsuits, allegations of fraud lobbed without any evidence and crowds of lawyers and political operatives stationed at supervisors of elections offices. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

Recount roundup:
» Florida recount: What's true and what's false
» Florida recount chugs along as more irregularities surface
» ‘It is time to move on’: Brenda Snipes talks leaving elections post in Broward County
» New lawsuits may extend recount deadline as Broward finally begins process
» Here’s a handy guide to all those Florida 2018 recount lawsuits
» Palm Beach County’s voting machines overheat and force recount of more than 170,000 votes

Florida Trend Exclusive
Coaching cops: Profile of Lorie Fridell

Ten years ago, Lorie A. Fridell was a University of South Florida professor who was researching bias in policing when she founded a small business that has grown into the biggest provider of bias awareness training for law enforcement officers in North America. [Source: Florida Trend]

See also:
» Next in line? Profile of Kathleen Plinske

Theme park industry has smallest growth in 5 years

An industry group says the global theme park market grew 5 percent last year, but it was the smallest growth in the past five years. The report was released at the trade group's annual convention in Orlando, Florida. It started Monday. [Source: AP]

How is Hurricane Michael recovery affecting Florida's construction industry? Views differ

The post-Andrew rebuilding effort sparked a construction boom and skyrocketing demand for workers in a wide range of trades, including general construction, furniture making, air-conditioning repair, plumbers, electricians, and roofers. Workers from across the nation trekked to South Florida, while prices increased for labor and building materials. The recovery from Hurricane Michael will likely be different. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

Florida growers anticipate good fall produce deal

Although Hurricane Michael caused major damage to crops in the Florida Panhandle, the central and southern parts of Florida, where the vast majority of the state’s fall produce is grown, were not directly affected by the storm, and growers there anticipated a bountiful fall harvest, barring weather disruptions. [Source: The Packer]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Casselberry company hopes to sell sense of touch to theme-park rides [Orlando Sentinel]
An Orlando tech company that working in haptics will show off some of the work it has done for the amusement park industry at the megashow IAAPA. EAI CEO Gary Zets said his company has already landed its technology in a major theme park ride, though he would not say which one.

› Port Tampa Bay raises CEO Paul Anderson's salary 4.5 percent to $436,720 [Tampa Bay Times]
Port Tampa Bay CEO Paul Anderson on Tuesday got a 4.5 percent raise, taking his salary to $436,720 a year, plus a two-year extension of his contract to the end of 2023. The votes followed an annual review in which the board's six members gave Anderson outstanding job performance ratings, averaging 4.7 on a scale where 5 was the top score.

› No more games: Jacksonville poised for adult arcade moratorium [Florida Politics]
The Jacksonville City Council is poised to impose a six-month moratorium on adult arcades. Ordinance 2018-680 would ban permitting for so-called internet cafes, a bane to the existence of Jacksonville lawmakers.

› He made Miami love ‘pinchos.’ Now he’s a Forbes 30 under 30 [Miami Herald]
Burger and kebabs aren’t just tasty — they’re the stuff of business prosperity. Nizar Ahmad, 27, co-founder of the Miami-based burger chain Pincho Factory, has been named to Forbes Magazine’s 30 Under 30, an annual list of the country’s top young entrepreneurs.

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› Covenant House Florida gets record $1 million donation for homeless youth [Orlando Sentinel]
Covenant House Florida, a nonprofit agency for homeless and at-risk youth, has received a record $1 million donation from City Furniture — money that will help the charity provide food, blankets, crisis counseling and other aid to teens and young adults who survive on the streets of Orlando.

› Flu is sporadic around state of Florida [WFLA]
According to the CDC Flu Map, the flu is sporadic in the state of Florida currently. 3-4 outbreaks have been reported in Hillsborough County. 1-2 outbreaks have been reported in Pinellas County. Doctors say they are mostly treating flu strain A.

› Study: Tampa is a Top 10 area for retirees who like to travel [Tampa Bay Times]
Florida's reputation as a retiree state precedes it, but the city of Tampa may be an even more attractive spot for a particular slice of the retiree community: those who like to travel. A report by Smart Advisor Financial ranked Tampa No. 8 for retirees who have the travel bug.

› Could Lake Okeechobee become a dying lake like Lake Apopka? [WPBF]
Jim Abernethy guides tourists in stunning underwater encounters with Florida's sea life, including sharks. But lately he’s been spending all of his spare time investigating algae and red tide. Abernethy is worried that, not only his tourism-based business, but all of Florida’s economy and environment is at risk.