Florida Trend Exclusive
Regional snapshots of Florida's job market

Florida's jobs picture is — robust. In the past five years, Florida has added nearly a million jobs. Miami has grown from 2.4 million jobs in 2014 to 2.7 million jobs in 2018. Amazon plans to move its cargo operations to Lakeland from Tampa. In 2018, for the fourth year in a row, the Bureau of Labor Statistics named Orlando the fastest-growing job market among large U.S. metros. See what the job market looks like around the state. [Source: Florida Trend]

See also:
» Florida job outlook: 2019

Editorial: How did Florida turn into “Jurassic Park” for invasive species?

How did Florida turn into “Jurassic Park” for invasive species? It’s a combination of perplexing regulations, foot dragging and lobbying power. The situation is magnified by a balmy Florida climate that makes it a 65,755-square-mile welcome mat for all sorts of things Mother Nature did not intend to be here. The invasion actually began when Spanish explorers came ashore with feral hogs. Those original Spanish hogs have been joined by more than 500 other nonnative plants, reptiles and mammals, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

See also:
» Snakes On A Plain: Invasive Species And How We Handle Them

Get a taste of Florida's wine industry

Many people may not realize that wine making in Florida is a billion-dollar industry. There are dozens of wineries across the state employing nearly 100,000 people, and university research departments dedicated to viticulture. How can this hot, humid, fungus-friendly state support successful wine production? And how does the reputation of Florida wines stand up to wines grown elsewhere like California or New York? [Source: WUSF]

Impact of Florida’s Medicaid expansion remains elusive

State economists Tuesday agreed to disagree when it comes to the financial impact that a proposed constitutional amendment to expand Medicaid would have on Florida. Economists, meeting as the Financial Impact Estimating Conference, could not reach consensus on the impact of the proposed amendment on the state budget and overall economy. [Source: WLRN]

Is Lakeland Florida’s next hip food city? It sure seems like it

Something is happening in Lakeland, and it seems to be happening all at once. The city halfway between Tampa and Orlando is in the middle of a food entrepreneur boom, buoyed by the plucky spirit of a younger population striving to invigorate the hometown they never thought they’d come back to. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Orange County cites diversity in pick for architect of $605M convention center expansion over original designer [Orlando Sentinel]
Orange County commissioners picked a diverse team headed by Orlando architect C. T. Hsu to design the estimated $605 million expansion of the convention center. By a 6-1 vote, the board chose the joint venture Populous + C.T. Hsu & Associates over a group headed by another Orlando-based design firm, Helman Hurley Charvat Peacock, or HHCP, whose worldwide resume includes the convention center and previous expansions.

› Attorney says city of Tampa can’t use reclaimed water for drinking supply [Tampa Bay Times]
A controversial plan by the city of Tampa to produce 50 million gallons a day of drinking water by pumping treated wastewater into the Floridan aquifer may have run into an insurmountable legal problem.

› Genting ends ferry service from Miami to the Bahamas in favor of move to Fort Lauderdale [Miami Herald]
For three years, the Bahamian island of Bimini 50 miles off the Florida coast has been a two-hour ferry ride away from Miami. As of Monday, the only way to get from Miami to Bimini by sea is by private yacht. Instead, ferry service to Bimini will be available from Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades later this week.

› At Bradenton fire truck plant, attention to detail reigns — right down to shiny red paint [Business Observer]
Red isn’t just a color. It’s a sense of pride. So getting the shade of red exactly right is important. It’s a good thing Pierce Manufacturing has 250 options its customers can choose when it comes to selecting the just-right red paint for its fire trucks.

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› The Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens Earns Sensory Inclusive Certification [WMFE]
The Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens is now a certified sensory inclusive facility. Zoo staff have been trained to help visitors who may suffer from sensory overload, such as people on the Autism spectrum, giving these “invisible” disabilities accommodations they’ve always needed.

› Point Blank Enterprises’ bulletproof vests fall apart while worn by police, suits claim [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Bulletproof vests made by Pompano Beach-based Point Blank Enterprises are falling apart while being worn on the job, putting the lives of law enforcement officers at risk, two federal lawsuits are claiming. The lawsuits accuse Point Blank of substituting genuine Velcro straps formerly used to keep the vests covering officers’ chests and backs with a cheaper hook-and-loop material that doesn’t last as long as promised.

› Withlacoochee River water levels are rising. Here's why. [Tampa Bay Times]
The main Withlacoochee River flows from the Green Swamp north to the Gulf of Mexico in Yankeetown, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The 157-mile stream flows through Hernando, Pasco, Citrus, Marion, Sumter and Levy counties.

› Sea turtles flourishing in Sarasota this summer [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
This year has been a big year for sea turtles overall, but notably so for green sea turtles, according to figures from Mote Marine Laboratory’s Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program (STCRP). The nesting season continues into the fall, but in a news release, Mote reported a 38-year-record number of nests in the Sarasota area.