Florida Trend | Florida's Business Authority

Friday's Daily Pulse

50th anniversary: Apollo 11 inspired a generation to go to space

Florida’s growing space industry is now, in large part, led by the young people that watched the Apollo 11 astronauts in awe, from the rank-and-file workers putting satellites into space to billionaires plotting ambitious trips beyond the pull of Earth’s gravity. Many workers leading today’s projects to return astronauts to the moon or even send them to Mars were inspired by the Apollo 11 astronauts, scientists and engineers. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

See also:
» 50 years after Apollo 11, the moon’s allure still resonates
» With the world watching, the Apollo 11 anniversary is Brevard's to celebrate
» Cocoa Beach to Host Astronaut Parade on Saturday

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JoAnn Morgan

» Florida Icon: JoAnn Morgan:
NASA aerospace engineer, first woman senior executive at Kennedy Space Center, New Smyrna Beach; age 77

Morgan told Florida Trend in 2018: "The Apollo 11 launch was the first launch that I stayed in the firing room all the way through liftoff. I had moments when I felt like a goldfish in a bowl, even though I was surrounded by people. It was 500 men and me."

Florida is selling drivers' personal information to private companies and marketing firms

Records show the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FHSMV) made $77 million in 2017 by selling drivers' personal information to more than 30 private companies, including marketing firms, bill collectors, insurance companies and data brokers. While the FHSMV sells driver data to private companies, those companies are not permitted to use that data for marketing purposes. It turns out that not every company plays by the rules. [Source: WFTX]

Commentary: In Florida, manufacturing part of environmental, economic success story

In Florida, manufacturing is at the center of economic vitality. The state is home to over 20,000 manufacturing companies that produce a variety of goods, including aerospace products, batteries, food and beverages, communications equipment, pharmaceuticals, boats, and more. Many of these manufacturers are using innovative techniques such as resin infusion, closed mold processes, etc., in reducing emissions as well as biodegradable products to clean hand tools and equipment. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

Ultimate Software tops millennials workplace list

For the third year in a row, Weston-based Ultimate Software tops Fortune’s ‘best workplace for millennials’ list. The rankings are determined by anonymous employee survey feedback on how much workers trust company leaders, whether people are treated with respect, fairness of workplace decisions, and camaraderie in the workplace. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

Florida ranked among states with the least student debt

Florida's student debt load is lighter than most other states, according to a WalletHub study. The Sunshine State comes in at No. 45 in the list that includes the District of Columbia. Since Florida's state population leans older, that factors into student debt calculations as fewer residents have recently graduated college compared to other states. [Source: WJXT]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Company’s first Florida cannabis dispensary to open in Gainesville
One of the nation’s largest manufacturers and providers of medical cannabis will open its first Florida location in Gainesville next week. Columbia Care Dispensary will open at 318 NW 13th St., the former location of ABC Liquors and now a newly constructed building. The 4,080 square-foot dispensary will have a grand opening Tuesday.

› Brightline looks for more South Florida stops
It may be easier to hitch a ride on Brightline trains as the company plans to announce up to three more South Florida stations by the end of the year. The company, currently rebranding itself as Virgin Trains USA, has stations in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.

› Rabies alert issued for Walt Disney World Resort's Epcot theme park
Be careful what you touch if you visit Epcot at any point during the next two months. The Florida Department of Health in Orange County issued a 60-day rabies alert Tuesday after a cat found near the Walt Disney World Resort theme park tested positive for the disease.

› Paid parking starts in downtown Sarasota
The paid parking program started on Monday in the Judicial District, east of North Washington Boulevard on Main Street and Ringling Boulevard, in downtown Sarasota. Throughout downtown, roughly 450 parking spaces will be affected by the program and drivers will be charged $1.50 for an hour, but patrons won’t have to pay for the full hour if they don’t plan on staying parked for that long.

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› Sarasota Art Museum tweaks its name
The proposition for a new art museum in Sarasota now includes a change in preposition. What has been called the Sarasota Museum of Art will open in December as the Sarasota Art Museum. Anne-Marie Russell, executive director of the museum, joked that SAM will be a better acronym than SMoA. She says the name change is not a big deal.

› Inter Miami gets city OK to begin construction on Lockhart site. Here are the details
As expected, the Fort Lauderdale City Commission on Tuesday night unanimously approved Inter Miami’s plans to redevelop the Lockhart Stadium site into a new 18,000-seat stadium and 50,000 square-foot training facility.

› Southeastern Grocers Donates More Than $1.2 Million in Honor of U.S. Military Heroes
Today, Southeastern Grocers, Inc. (SEG), parent company and home of BI-LO, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, is proud to announce the donation of $1,216,416.65 to Folds of Honor, which will provide at least 243 educational scholarships to the children and spouses impacted by a loved one’s sacrifice for the United States military.

› Orlando drops enforcement of vegetable garden rules after state preemption, but won’t clear all regulations
After a new state law banned cities and counties from regulating vegetable gardens, Orlando has dropped enforcement of its regulations on them — but won’t totally repeal its ordinances, officials said. In some instances, where gardens aren’t specifically named, the rules will stay, and places they are mentioned will be amended, assistant city attorney Kyle Shephard said.