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Friday's Afternoon Update

FSU study finds tourism industry pays lowest wages nationwide

Florida’s booming tourism industry is the state’s leading industry with an annual economic impact of $86 billion supporting 1.5 million jobs, yet new research from Florida State University reveals wages for hospitality workers have not kept pace with the rising economy. More from FSU News.

Florida credit unions ranked by Forbes

Forbes recently released a list of “America’s Best Credit Unions in Each State,” which ranked the top 10 in Florida. There are more than 5,000 credit unions with 117 million members across the U.S., according to the list. Forbes worked with market research firm Statista to produce the list. More than 25,000 customers in the U.S. were surveyed for their opinions. More from The Arcadian.

Florida Trend Exclusive

Time well-spent

For years I have struggled with it … and my family will be the first to tell you: No matter how much vacation time I have, I always seem to leave plenty on the table at the end of the year. Don’t get me wrong. We’ve always had the annual family vacation that took us away from home for a week or so. And generally, I take an extra day or two around the larger holidays. But other than that, I don’t take much time off throughout the year. More from Florida Trend.

Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit arrests individuals in senior exploitation sweep

The sweep involved three separate investigations based on referrals from the Florida Department of Children and Families Adult Protective Services and resulted in the arrest of four individuals who exploited seniors and disabled individuals. All defendants used exploited funds for personal benefit, ranging from a down payment on a house to cruise and airline tickets. Authorities arrested the following individuals as a result of the Attorney General’s sweep: Alex Bellamy, Kalonya Bellamy, Willie Mote, Jr., and Robin Stapleton. More from the Office of the Attorney General.

June unemployment rate down

Florida saw a .2 percent decrease in its unemployment rate in June compared to the same time last year.And much of the same is true for the region, which saw a .3 percent dip in that time across Charlotte, DeSoto and Sarasota counties. It’s not the lowest unemployment rate this year, though. And employment is expected to ramp up even more once the busy season returns. Unemployment was at its lowest in April. More from The Arcadian.

Florida Travel
Want to stay in a Star Wars-themed house? Florida has it covered.

 As Walt Disney World prepares for the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, some vacation rental properties in Central Florida are busy decorating. As Walt Disney World barrels like a runaway tauntaun snow lizard toward its highly anticipated Aug. 29 opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, some vacation rental properties in Central Florida have been trying to capitalize with themed rooms.

» More from the Tampa Bay Times.

 

Museum News
St. Pete Museum of History to expand

MuseumIn 1920, Mary Wheeler Eaton and a few community leaders founded the St. Petersburg Historical Society. The following year, they purchased a hurricane-flooded aquarium building on the approach to the Pier to house and showcase city artifacts. Now, 100 years later, the society plans to expand the county’s oldest and state’s third-oldest museum and create a Florida history-based museum that plays a crucial role in the visitor experience to Pinellas. The museum will be a cultural and historical tourism anchor for the state of Florida.

» Read more from Tampa Bay Newspapers.