What Hurricane Dorian’s miss cost Florida utilities

When forecasts for Hurricane Dorian first put the storm’s bullseye on Central Florida, the roar of its winds were still far offshore, but electric utilities spent heavily on out-of-state crews and other preparations. Dorian doglegged north along the state’s Atlantic coast and barely tousled Floridians, but the storm’s costs for electric utilities were still significant as the price of living in the nation’s most hurricane-prone state. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

Jeanette Nuñez to lead delegation to Colombia Monday

Jeanette Nuñez will lead envoys from 19 Florida businesses Monday on a four-day trade mission to Colombia’s capital. The Lieutenant Governor’s group of 51 includes small and mid-sized manufacturing and exporting business leaders and Secretary of Commerce Jamal Sowell. Delegates will meet one-on-one with Colombian importers and pursue long-term trade opportunities. [Source: Florida Politics]

Don’t travel to the Florida Keys, tourism website says

Fodor’s Travel has just said no to the Florida Keys. The travel website, which releases a “Go” and a “No” list each year, has put the Keys are on the “No” list for 2020. Now what have the Keys done to earn the ire of Fodor’s? In the case of the Keys, the decline of its coral reefs are the cause for concern (a legitimate one — they’re struggling). Fodor’s wants to give them a break and let them heal. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

Florida marijuana measures drawing attention from wary lawmakers

Three ballot proposals that would legalize recreational marijuana in Florida are still looking iffy as far as making it before voters next year. But state lawmakers aren’t taking any chances. House health committees have been hearing testimony in recent weeks about states that have approved adult-use marijuana and now face a host of unexpected issues. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]

Florida city has the most gun violence in the country

Some mixed news for Florida from a new survey on gun violence across the United States. Ocala, a city in the central part of the state, notched the highest volume of firearm-related incidents in the country, overall, at 28.9 incidents per 10,000 people, according to Gun Violence Archive data comparing a four year period of 2014 to 2018, and studied by researchers at Security.Org. [Source: Miami Herald]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› DeSantis picks Orlando airport board member Randall Hunt to run Florida Lottery [Orlando Sentinel]
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday picked one of his Orlando airport board appointees to run the state lottery. The Republican governor named Randall Hunt, a fitness-club owner from Lake Mary who has been a member of the Orlando airport board since February, the new secretary of the Florida Lottery.

› Hurricane season isn’t over yet as tropical system appears [Orlando Sentinel]
With 12 days remaining in the 2019 hurricane season, meteorologists are keeping their eyes on a new tropical system, according to the National Hurricane Center’s 5 a.m. Monday update. The system is 350 miles east-northeast of the northern Leeward Islands and is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms with winds blowing up to 30 mph on its northeast side, said NHC hurricane specialist Andrew Latto.

› Officials concerned about businesses being run from homes in The Villages [Villages News]
One of the worst-kept secrets in Florida’s Friendliest Hometown is that businesses are being run out of homes in The Villages. The businesses can run the gamut, from a low-key tax preparation service to pet sitting in a residence. Running a business in a home in The Villages – which is forbidden – falls under an internal deed restriction. That means it is the responsibility of the Developer to enforce the rule.

› Cafes may be a trend in Tampa parks, but not everyone has an appetite [Tampa Bay Times]
When is a park a park? And what should take place there? In recent weeks, downtown residents, homeless advocates and urban boosters have all weighed in on these questions and their underlying premise: When is it okay to turn over public space for private use?

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› Miami downtown agency names new director and keeps previous one as a $200K consultant [Miami Herald]
Miami Beach Commissioner John Elizabeth Alemán wants to trade her elected office for the top administrative position at one of the city of Miami’s largest tax-funded agencies. Alemán, elected in 2015, will leave her commission seat this month in the Beach after one term and is expected to assume the top post at the Downtown Development Authority beginning Jan. 1.

› New cruise ship Norwegian Encore arrives in Florida [Orlando Sentinel]
Florida has its first brand spanking new cruise ship of the season as Norwegian Encore arrived to PortMiami on Friday. The fourth Breakaway Plus-class ship from Norwegian Cruise Line was delivered to the company a little more than two weeks ago and sailed into South Florida for the first time as it preps for its inaugural season.

› How airlines are planning more perks for Fort Lauderdale fliers [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Air travelers could see even more flight options and other benefits after Spirit Airlines and Silver Airways decided to build new headquarters in Broward County, aviation officials say. The companies’ moves come as other airlines invest millions in bigger terminals and other facilities at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

› Opponents call JEA brochures ‘scare tactics’ [Florida Times-Union]
JEA customers opening the mail for their November bills found a stark warning that they face a future rate increase “as high” as 52 percent combined with worse service caused by “deep cuts” to JEA’s workforce and reduced spending on the utility’s system. But JEA’s own studies don’t have any scenario that would result in a 52 percent increase in rates along with deep cuts to the number of JEA workers and to spending on the utility’s operation and maintenance.