Monday's Afternoon Update

Posted 11/18/2019

Updated 4 yearss ago

Gov. DeSantis unveils proposed $91 billion state budget

Gov. Ron DeSantis revealed his proposed $91 billion state budget on Monday. It includes $603 million to bring the minimum annual salary for all teachers in Florida to $47,500. DeSantis also called for more $625 million in funding for Everglades restoration, water quality improvements, springs restoration, and to combat the harmful effects of algal blooms and red tide. More from WPEC and Florida Politics.

Florida Trend Exclusive
Florida's septic tanks and pollution

Florida isn’t paying enough attention to the role of septic tanks in fueling algal blooms throughout Florida, says Brian Lapointe. But getting rid of septic systems will be expensive — about 30% of Floridians rely on them. Toilets are a recurring presence in Brian Lapointe’s research — work that challenges assumptions about who’s to blame for Florida’s water troubles and whether certain Everglades restoration projects are likely to succeed. More from Florida Trend.

EA could revive NCAA College Football game in Central Florida

Electronic Arts could bring back its popular college football video game, a move that might mean hundreds of new hires for the company in Central Florida, industry analysts say. But one warns there are some significant hurdles that could stand in the way of reviving NCAA College Football. More from the Orlando Sentinel.

Former Michelin exec joins Tampa investment firm

Henry Schmitt, a former senior executive with tire giant Michelin North America, has joined Tampa-based Skyway Capital Markets, a boutique investment banking firm, as managing director. Schmitt, according to a press release, will focus on the commercial tire market, light manufacturing and other middle-market industrial businesses, assisting companies with M&A activities, financing growth, and market consolidation on the buy or the sell side. More from the Business Observer.

Florida gas prices hit lowest mark since February

AAA – The Auto Club Group reported Monday that after 17 straight days of decline, gas prices were the lowest since last February. “On average, Florida drivers are now paying the lowest price for gasoline since February,” said spokesman Mark Jenkins. “Strong gains in fuel supplies and flat crude prices are contributing to the downturn in prices at the pump. Drivers are now paying 43 cents per gallon less than this year’s highest daily price – set back in April,” Jenkins adds. Read more from AAA and Florida Politics.

Florida History
A century ago, train travelers entered a new, grand Jacksonville railroad terminal

If you wanted to get in or out of Jacksonville 100 years ago, the railroad was the way to go, and there was one grand way in and one grand way out: The Jacksonville Terminal train station, at the time the largest in the South. It was a remarkable engineering achievement, built over the swampy earth near McCoys Creek. That called for the the creek to be rechanneled and some 2,000 pilings driven into the marshy ground, just to hold up the new, impressive building and its 180-foot facade and 14 Doric columns.

» More from the Florida Times-Union.

Profile
It’s been fun and games across the board for Sarasota inventor

Tim Walsh of Sarasota has created between 45-50 board games. He says he’s hit two home runs, a couple of doubles, a lot of singles, and a few whiffs like the anti-clown game he devised because he doesn’t like clowns. Walsh now owns a company called The Playmakers, which is a design and marketing studio based in Sarasota. However, inventing games is not all he does. He is a successful author and renowned authority on the history of board games and their inventors.

» Read more from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.