Tropical Storm Dorian gathering strength, could hit Florida as Category 2 hurricane

Tropical Storm Dorian is gathering strength and could make landfall as a Category 2 hurricane on Florida’s east coast Sunday or Monday, according to the National Hurricane Center. The latest advisory moves the projected path farther to the north. However, a great deal of uncertainty remains in the intensity forecast due to differences in the models. More from the Tampa Bay Times, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, and the Orlando Sentinel.

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» Almost two years after Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico may face crucial test from Dorian

Thousands of Florida drivers charged monthly for toll roads they never used

A Florida Department of Transportation y spokesperson said the state tolling system has a 99.5 percent success rate. But with millions of cars using toll roads, that adds up to about 96,000 mistakes every month. The state highway department said using a SunPass transponder reduces errors and can save drivers up to 25 percent on tolls. Drivers who think they may have been billed in error can contact SunPass directly through www.sunpass.com. [Source: WFTS]

Florida farmers work together to change the narrative about climate change and agriculture

Through the Florida Climate-Smart Agriculture Working Group, Lynetta Griner is opening a discussion and developing a solution with fellow farmers across the state of Florida about a previously avoided topic — climate change. “We don’t talk about who’s causing anything,” Griner, a timber and cattle producer, said. “We just talk about how to respond, how to adapt so we can remain a viable operation. Agriculture is so important to the state of Florida.” [Source: Panama City News-Herald]

Slow summer tourism in Sarasota could be a ‘red tide hangover’

Summer season in Sarasota County is experiencing what the head of the local tourism bureau calls a “red tide hangover.” Hotel occupancy fell by 7.1% in June, down to 63% from 70.1% in June of last year. May occupancy was basically flat at 64.5%, following several months of steady occupancy and average room rate prices during the winter tourism season. The average room rate for June was $157.19, 3.8% less than June of 2018. In May, the average room rate fell by 3.7% to $165.74. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]

It’s your last chance to buy or change your hurricane insurance

South Florida is in Tropical Storm Dorian’s forecast cone, but it’s still not too late to buy or change your homeowners insurance. Better hurry though. Most homeowners insurance, including wind protection coverage also known as hurricane insurance, can be purchased until the National Hurricane Center issues an official watch or warning for a targeted county, according to Mark Friedlander, Florida communications consultant for the industry-funded Insurance Information Institute. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Fundraising for Jacksonville’s Emerald Trail nears $1 million [Florida Times-Union]
An “emerald necklace” of trails has been talked about for so many years in Jacksonville that it’s taken on a fairy-tale sheen in the annals of urban planning. On Monday, Groundwork Jacksonville announced several hundred thousand dollars in private donations that will help get the long-discussed plan into ground-breaking mode.

› Longwood’s greyhound track sells; future development could remake city [Orlando Sentinel]
Longwood’s Sanford Orlando Kennel Club — one of the last greyhound racing tracks in the state — is under contract for sale to an Atlanta-based developer, potentially opening more than 32 acres to housing, retail or office space in a way that could change the complexion of the city.

› Is green the new black? Sustainable fashion has begun to take root in Miami [Miami Herald]
Walk any mall and stores scream out to you: Buy me, I’m pretty, I’m cheap, buy more, of course you need that ninth pair of sneakers. A Miami fashion entrepreneur believes consumers are ready for something different. Next month, a large store selling only sustainable fashion and beauty brands is set to open in Little Haiti.

› Someone needs to watch Florida’s dwindling scallop population. Enter the ‘scallop sitters’ [Tampa Bay Times]
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission estimated that only two scallops lived in every 200 square meters of Hernando County waters this year, down from 3.5 last year. In Citrus County, the drop was even more severe, from 21.1 scallops per 200 square meters last year to 4.3 this year. The Pasco County count this year was 6.4 per 200 square meters, a slight bump from last year’s 6.1.

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› Managers behind Sarasota’s The Bay want to hear from you [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
Plans for The Bay project — what promises to be one of the most impactful redevelopments in the region on one of Southwest Florida’s most valuable pieces of real estate — continue to move forward and evolve, and members of the nonprofit behind the proposal for the site, now home to the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and other amenities, want to hear from members of the public.

› Growth raising need to manage St. Johns River’s water, lawmakers told [Florida Times-Union]
Bustling population growth will increase the potential to strain the St. Johns River’s health and will make smarter use of the region’s water more important, Florida lawmakers were told during a forum on the river Monday. “Right along the St. Johns, 200 people a day are moving in. ... We’ve got some challenges,” said Tony Carvajal, executive vice president of the business-led Florida Chamber Foundation.

› Filling in downtown Miami’s FEC boat slip could cost $232M. Will the city go for it anyway? [Miami Herald]
For years, politicians and developers have coveted the historic FEC boat slip that brings Biscayne Bay into downtown Miami’s Maurice A. Ferré Park as a prime candidate for reclamation — that is, to be filled in to create valuable land where today there’s only murky water and the occasional docked tall ship or superyacht.

› Olive Garden fights off social media boycott, says it hasn’t donated to Trump [Orlando Sentinel]
Olive Garden has taken to social media to fend off calls for a boycott of the restaurant over what it calls false information that the company is helping to fund President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign. “We don’t know where this information came from, but it is incorrect,” Olive Garden posted on Twitter in response to someone calling for a boycott of the restaurant chain. “Our company does not donate to presidential candidates.”