Thursday's Afternoon Update
By renting their homes, Floridians will make $24 million as the Super Bowl comes to town
During last year’s Super Bowl in Atlanta, one in four hosts who rented out their homes on Airbnb were doing so for the first time. It’s safe to expect more of the same this year, as about 61,000 guests fill Airbnb rooms in South Florida during the Big Game week of Jan. 27 to Feb. 3. With rooms going for an average of $170 per day in Miami-Dade County and $118 in Broward County, there’s definitely big money to be made renting out your home or apartment. More from the Miami Herald.
See also:
» Willing to pay $40,000 a night for a hotel for the Super Bowl? It’s available
Florida House supports asking voters to repeal state’s Constitution Revision Commission
The state House approved a proposal Wednesday that would ask Florida voters in November to eliminate a powerful panel that placed seven constitutional amendments on the 2018 ballot — all of which passed. The proposal (HJR 301), which seeks an end to the Constitution Revision Commission, still must go before the Senate, which backed eliminating the commission last year. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Florida gas prices on the decline after 2020 record high
Florida gas prices are finally trending down after shooting up 7 cents during the first few weeks of January. According to AAA, current prices are 10 cents more than they were in December and 29 cents per gallon more than this time last year. “The sudden, but brief jump at the pump came as a surprise, considering wholesale prices remained low last week,” said Mark Jenkins, a AAA spokesman. More from the Gainesville Sun.
Human trafficking continues to be a growing problem in Florida
Data from the U.S. State Department reports an estimate of between 18,000 and 20,000 human trafficking victims each year. Last year’s 767 reports of human trafficking in Florida led to the identification of 1,771 victims, 506 traffickers and 306 trafficking businesses. More than a fifth of human trafficking victims in Florida are children and the majority are female. More from WFLA.
Sysco’s FreshPoint Central Florida distribution center to add 150 jobs after doubling size
A produce distribution center south of Orlando has doubled in size and is expected to add 150 jobs by 2029. The expansion brings Sysco’s FreshPoint Central Florida warehouse — delivering to restaurants, lodging establishments, hospitals and schools — to 150,000 square feet. The Exchange Drive facility’s dock grew from six receiving bays to 24. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Entertainment
Florida’s hidden gems: Under-the-radar places worth checking out in the Sunshine State
See a list of some of Florida’s hidden gems, those tiny towns and under-the-radar spots you might never have heard of but are worth checking out. In other words, they’re a lot less popular than the House that Mickey built, but could be more fun.
» More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Profile
Brian Kornfeld
Clearwater native Brian Kornfeld did the rocket scientist thing after he earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and a master’s from the University of Florida, both in aerospace engineering. He moved to Los Angeles and worked for Northrop Gruman. But Kornfeld longed to get back to Tampa and launch his own business. He returned to the region, got an MBA from USF in 2014 and started a software company — a startup, he says, that soon became “a complete and utter failure.”
» Read more from the Business Observer.