Insurance reform may already be DOA for 2019

Florida lawmakers have wrestled with ways to reform the “one-way” attorney fee provision in the state’s assignment-of-benefits (AOB) law since 2013 to no avail. This year, Senate Business and Industry Committee Chairman Doug Broxson, R-Gulf Breeze, thought he’d found a way to address AOB reform. [Source: Florida Watchdog]

Florida Trend Exclusive
Big ideas: Six successful small Florida businesses

From skateboard storage to temperature controls for grills, these six small companies are finding success in Florida.

Featured in this article: Garlene Atcherson, Joel Rivera, Michelle Birt, Medic Inc; Maria Bailey, BSM Media; Roger and Michael Collins, Flame Boss; Tim Shoop and Brian Wilkey, Digital Boardwalk; Carol Thompson-Finn, MyLegalEdge.

» Read the full article

Florida's 2019 rocket launch schedule: astronauts, moon landers and mighty rockets

The new year is ramping up to be a historic one for the private space industry as it endeavors — along with its partners at NASA — to return humans to space from the United States. The Space Coast will be ground zero for those launches and other notable flights in 2019. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

Miami boat and yacht shows promise world's largest watercraft collection

Are you ready to immerse yourself in the Super Bowl of boating? The Miami International Boat Show and the Miami Yacht Show each begin five-day runs Thursday, offering attendees what yacht show spokesman Danny Grant calls “the world’s largest collection of boats” — about 1,900 — for $53 combined admission. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

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» Twin boat shows: An interview with Thom Dammrich, president of the National Marine Manufacturers Association

SunPass was ‘completely overwhelmed’ last year, but most problems are fixed, FDOT says

The company system behind the SunPass debacle last summer “clearly wasn’t good enough,” but most of the problems have been fixed, a Florida Department of Transportation official told lawmakers Wednesday. When the state’s electronic tolling system went down in June, the result was chaos, with bills not going out, some customers getting overbilled, and general confusion about how to fix the problems. [Source: Miami Herald]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Lockheed Martin announces expansion in Orange County [Florida Trend]
Lockheed Martin has announced the opening of its $50 million, 255,000 square foot Research & Development II facility in Orlando, Fla. Since 2017, Lockheed Martin has created more than 1,000 jobs to support this facility and others in Orlando, with hundreds more expected over the next three to five years.

› Florida Supreme Court warns of email scams [CBS Miami]
The Florida Supreme Court is warning about email scams by fraudsters who use fake court letterhead to bilk people out of money. The scams involve claims of fake inheritances or paying off legal “debts” of someone who purports to be interested in an online romance, according to court spokesman Craig Waters.

› Reservations going fast for 'romantic' Valentine's Day dinner at one Orlando Waffle House [Orlando Sentinel]
Waffle House is once again offering one of the most unique ‘romantic’ Valentine’s Day dining experiences — but only for lucky couples at one restaurant in the Orlando area

› Seatrade Cruise Global sails back to Miami Beach [Miami Today]
Seatrade Cruise Global 2019, a leading global business-to-business event for the cruise industry, returns to Miami Beach Convention Center April 8-11 after a four-year absence. The event is expected to draw more than 11,000 registered attendees, more than 800 exhibiting companies from 113 countries, international journalists and others involved in the industry.

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› Miami named one of the most corrupt cities nationwide [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Bribery, embezzlement and fraud. Miami has it all but it’s not the most corrupt city in the country. The Magic City is No. 4. That’s according to the “Corruption in Chicago and Illinois” report released Monday by the University of Illinois at Chicago which looked at the biggest corrupt cities nationally.

› County Commission rejects proposal to nix funding for Port Canaveral aquarium [Florida Today]
County Commissioner John Tobia failed in his attempt to rescind a commitment of $10 million in county tax money to help pay for a proposed $70 million aquarium. The aquarium project would be developed by the Brevard Zoo and would be located at Port Canaveral.

› Two top leaders resign from Bayfront Health St. Petersburg [Tampa Bay Times]
The chief executive officer and chief financial officer at Bayfront Health St. Petersburg resigned Wednesday. John McLain became the CEO of St. Petersburg's oldest and largest hospital in July 2017, replacing Kathryn Gillette, who retired at the time. Pamela Modisett, the hospital's now former CFO, worked in the position for almost two years.

› Rapture’s suit against Ultra is back in court after judge accepts revised complaint [Miami Herald]
The legal battle over which electronic music festival gets to play Virginia Key will resume after Rapture Electronic Music Festival submitted an amended lawsuit against Ultra Music Festival outlining specific allegations that Ultra and Miami’s government broke anti-trust laws.