Florida’s opioid crisis: billions of pills, millions in campaign cash

In a seven-year span that saw an opioid epidemic reach crisis levels, 5,556,553,071 hydrocodone and oxycodone pills flooded into Florida. They poured across the state through shady clinics that became known as “pill mills.” But hundreds of millions streamed through grocery stores and chain pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens, according to newly released data. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

See also:
» 5 takeaways from new data on Florida’s opioid crisis

Green iguana control is big business in Florida

Green iguanas hail mostly from Central and South America, but they are also found in Florida, where they are considered an invasive species. They reproduce rapidly. And since Florida lacks natural predators to keep the reptiles in check, and iguanas thrive in hot temperatures, the population keeps growing. So iguana control businesses are flourishing, too, finding plenty of work from home owners, golf courses, hotels and other businesses that want to get rid of the reptiles Read more from Marketplace and hear the full story below:

Songbirds are being snatched from Miami’s forests

Law enforcement has discovered a thriving underground business of trapping songbirds around Miami—to become pets and to sing in competitions. Thousands of migratory songbirds are caught around Florida each year to supply a thriving illegal market. People buy them for their beauty and to hear their songs—and perhaps in the hope they’ll win big in singing competitions. [Source: National Geographic]

How should cities draw the line between luring tourists and making life livable for residents?

Tourism-reliant cities — which, as we all know, account for a lot of cities here in South Florida — are constantly seeking a balance between drawing in visitors and making workaday life more tolerable for residents. In Delray Beach, crowds along the downtown corridor have meant an increased police and firefighter presence, which means some of those tourism dollars that were going to local businesses are instead going to police and fire. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

Florida banking regulator fired over sexual harassment allegations

Florida’s top banking regulator was fired by the governor and Cabinet Thursday over allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior. Capping a three-month saga that has riveted Tallahassee, Office of Financial Regulation Commissioner Ronald Rubin was removed from the job less than five months after he was hired. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

Sponsored Report
5 steps to avoiding litigation before a contract's signed

Corporate litigators take pride in effectively and successfully arguing their client’s case. But for many, the best success they can deliver is to help their client avoid costly litigation in the first place. The following steps can help avoid contractual conflicts. [Sponsored Report]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› CityGrader.com lets Floridians sound off on government workers, teachers [Orlando Sentinel]
If you have ever wanted to offer a city or county worker a compliment - or a criticism, for that matter - a new web-based platform can help with that. CityGrader.com debuted in Miami this year and recently expanded its Yelp- and TripAdvisor-like platform across the entire state, including Central Florida governments.

› Weather postpones SpaceX launch of supplies to space station [AP]
Storm clouds forced SpaceX to postpone its Wednesday launch of a capsule carrying supplies to the International Space Station. The private firm only had a split second window to launch its Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon capsule.

› Nikki Fried announces members of new Hemp Advisory Committee [Florida Trend]
Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried announced the members of her new Hemp Advisory Committee, which will help guide the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' hemp rulemaking process and the state's emerging hemp industry development.

› Lakewood Ranch ranked No. 1 in U.S. home starts [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
Two of Southwest Florida’s master-planned communities — already among the fastest sellers in the nation — are now ranked at the top for housing starts. Lakewood Ranch was No. 1 in the U.S. with 1,561 new annual home starts as of the second quarter, according to a new report from data supplier Metrostudy.

Go to page 2 for more stories ...

› Human blood may have contaminated beef shipped to Florida [Orlando Sentinel]
An employee may have cut himself and have contaminated raw pork and beef with his blood, the federal government said over the weekend in announcing a recall of 17 different meat products shipped to restaurants in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee.

› Over $1 billion in impact reported by manufacturers working with the FloridaMakes network [Florida Trend]
The FloridaMakes Board of Directors announced that Florida manufacturers who received services through the state-wide FloridaMakes network have reported a combined total of over one billion dollars in measurable economic impacts and created or retained 6,953 manufacturing jobs since the program started delivering services in 2016.

› Bulletproof backpacks are selling out in Florida: report [Orlando Sentinel]
Bulletproof backpacks can now be purchased in Orlando stores, according to Fox 35. The company, Guard Dog Security, will be selling the backpacks at OfficeMax, Office Depot and Kmart, according to the report. “It’s a very tightly woven fabric, it’s similar to what people might think of as Kevlar, it’s lightweight,” said CEO Yasir Sheikh.

› Florida seafood company says someone stole 17,000 oysters [Tampa Bay Times]
A Florida seafood company says someone stole 17,000 oysters. Pensacola Bay Oyster Co. posted photos on Instagram of more than 35 empty bags that were tossed into a wooded area along the beach in East Bay. They’re offering a reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those involved in the theft.