Hurricane Dorian projected to become a major hurricane as it churns toward Florida

Dorian is now exceptionally well-formed and is expected to be a major hurricane as it approaches Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center’s 5 a.m. update Thursday. Landfall on Sunday or Labor Day as a Category 3 is increasingly likely, forecasters say. But it is difficult to say where Dorian will strike, therefore all of Florida is in the cone. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the Tampa Bay Times, and the AP.

See also:
» Governor Ron DeSantis Declares State of Emergency, Urges Floridians to Prepare for Hurricane Dorian
» Hurricane Dorian could be worst storm to hit Central Florida in three decades if current track holds, meteorologist says

Inside Florida’s gig economy

In 2007, iPhones appeared on the market. In 2009, Apple opened the app store. Now, software app developers are projected to be one of the fastest growing jobs in the Sunshine State over the next decade, according to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. Some of those apps themselves, such as Twitter and Instagram, have opened new jobs for public relations professionals and “brand influencers.” Others such as Uber and Shipt have given rise to jobs in what is sometimes called “The Gig Economy.” [Source: Fort Myers Weekly]

Study: Wealth is also migrating to Florida

Florida has always been an affordable sanctuary for retirees, but a new report documents that the Sunshine State is the nation’s top destination for growing migration of wealthy tax refugees and businesses. A State Migration Study by Lending Tree, the nation’s largest “online lending marketplace,” documents that Florida’s relatively low property taxes and lack of an income tax is a primary reason why the state is projected to add 330,000 people a year and top 25 million in population by 2030. [Source: The Center Square]

Justices grapple with utility ballot measure

With state leaders, business groups and utilities fighting the measure, the Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday appeared skeptical about a proposed constitutional amendment that would overhaul and deregulate the way residents and businesses get electricity. More from WJXT and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

The big prize: GOP and Democrats seek Florida independents as 2020 election nears

In battleground Florida — a state President Donald Trump believes he must win next year to be reelected — the right and left are already in voter-registration mode to build their ranks. Democrats have audaciously aimed to add 1 million people to their cause ahead of the presidential election. Republicans, meanwhile, have quietly shrunk Democrats’ numerical advantage below 244,000 voters for the first time since at least 1972. Both parties are setting out early in hot pursuit of an estimated 4 million unregistered and eligible voters. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Sea change shaping Miami-Dade labor market [Miami Today]
Miami-Dade influential business and education minds met Tuesday to discuss the county’s next generation of talent. All agreed adaption is key to staying competitive and retaining a strong, nimble workforce. “Our graduates are facing the most dynamic labor market in human history,” said University of Miami President Julio Frenk, whose campus hosted the Beacon Council event.

› DeSantis seeks to lure Chicago financial firms to Florida [Orlando Sentinel]
Gov. Ron DeSantis intends to take his next sales pitch for financial-sector companies to Chicago. Appearing Wednesday at an Enterprise Florida Board of Directors meeting, DeSantis said plans are in the works for a trip to Chicago that would emulate two trips he made this year to New York.

› Tampa Mayor Jane Castor announces $15 an hour minimum wage for city employees [Tampa Bay Times]
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor pleased union officials and at least one city council member Wednesday with her announcement that city workers will be paid at least $15 an hour as soon as the city reaches a union collective bargaining agreement.

› With 300 Central Florida self-storage centers and more on the way, developers warn of oversupply [Orlando Sentinel]
Three self-storage high-rises are going up near downtown Orlando, keeping with the metropolitan area’s standing as one of the fastest-growing markets for the storage industry. But some developers worry it’s also becoming one of the most saturated. The Central Florida region has almost 300 personal storage facilities, with another 36 properties in the pipeline, according to data from industry analyst Yardi.

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› More arrests likely in Florida nursing home deaths [Florida Times-Union]
Additional arrests are expected in the case against a Florida nursing home where 12 patients died in sweltering heat after Hurricane Irma knocked out the facility’s air conditioning in 2017, Hollywood police said.

› Large Fort Myers lab firm, behind $25M project, looks to get larger [Business Observer]
One of the region’s largest medical services companies plans to spend tens of millions of dollars on a new headquarters in Fort Myers. NeoGenomics (NASDAQ: NEO) provides cancer-focused genetic testing services to doctors and patients worldwide, leveraging a network of laboratories with locations as far as Fresno, Calif., and Rolle, Switzerland.

› Davie construction firm faces EEOC lawsuit for gender discrimination [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Davie-based BHT Constructions is being sued by the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission for gender discrimination. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Fort Lauderdale by the EEOC’s Miami District office, claims the contractor discriminated against a job candidate by refusing to hire her because she is a woman.

› Coral Gables to fight for right to ban Styrofoam [Miami Today]
The Coral Gables City Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to appeal a recent Third District Court of Appeal decision slapping down the city’s ban on Styrofoam and single-use plastics in retail establishments. The commission also asked the Florida Legislature to repeal statutes that would inhibit local governments’ ability to regulate polystyrene or single-use plastic bags, and for Gov. Ron DeSantis to step in, as he did when vetoed a law that would have prohibited bans on plastic straws.