In time of COVID, Florida charities reel and reinvent

The coronavirus pandemic not only shuttered for-profit businesses in Central Florida, it has caused the cancellation of scores of charitable fund-raising walks and runs, shut down galas and annual dinners, and made some corporate sponsors wary while causing smaller donors to give less or not at all. And it has done so at a time when tens of thousands of the region’s residents have lost their jobs and are now asking for assistance covering the most basic of needs. More from the Orlando Sentinel.

Florida communities look to sports tourism to boost coffers

With traditional leisure travel on the decline because of the COVID-19 crisis, Gulf Coast communities with economies that rely on visitors are hoping sports tourism will make up for lost revenue. Collier, Manatee and Pasco counties have all recently opened new or improved current major sports complexes intended to serve residents while also attracting big-time scholastic, collegiate and amateur athletic events and competitions. More from the Business Observer.

Will workers return to downtown Orlando? Developers banking on yes

With so many office workers dispatched to their spare bedrooms or a desk tucked in a living room corner to help stop the spread of coronavirus, developers and city officials are grappling with what could be long-term — even permanent — changes to the demand for physical space downtown. The same officials have spent nearly two decades trying to mold the area into a premier destination for companies and their young, affluent workforce who want to be able to walk to their jobs. More from the Orlando Sentinel.

Pensacola contractors in high demand, warn of scams as many need repairs following Hurricane Sally

Roofers and contractors around the Pensacola area are being inundated with calls from residents who have wind, water and tree damage to their homes and property following the storm. That may leave residents who can't get connected with roofers or contractors vulnerable to scams, shoddy work or unlicensed companies. More from the Pensaqcola News Journal.

Florida’s sugar harvest sends fields up in smoke. Some residents are literally sick of it

The Palm Beach County school year coincides with the seasonal agricultural practice of sugarcane burning. Before harvesting, leaves around the cane are ignited and burnt off like newspaper, revealing the sugar-rich stalks, which are about 70 percent water. This decades-old practice fills the air with smoke, soot, and ash. The result is the kind of particulate matter pollution that has been linked to a litany of adverse health effects. More from the Miami Herald.