Monday's Afternoon Update
Long lines as 1st day of early voting in Florida begins
From Miami to St. Petersburg, people began posting pictures on social media of lines growing around early voting centers even before polls opened at 7 a.m. In South Florida, where storms are expected to blow through the region during the morning, voters waited in line wearing ponchos — and masks — and holding umbrellas. More from the Miami Herald, WOFL, and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Florida's first snow park set to open next month
The first snow park in the State of Florida will open on November 20. Snowcat Ridge announced on Sunday that tickets are now on sale prior to the park opening. The park will feature three different entertainment areas. Alpine Village will feature a variety of vendors offering hot and cold beverages, beer, wine and food. A second area called Arctic Igloo will feature real snow where guests can build a snowman. A bunny slope will also be available for children 3-years-old and younger. More from WEAR.
JAX Chamber exceeding employment and investment targets
JAX Chamber President and CEO Daniel Davis said the business trade group is exceeding its employment and investment targets for the year as of September. “We’ve announced thousands of jobs, hundreds of millions of dollars worth of capital improvements. And to think about us doing that at a time like this,” Davis told the group’s Mandarin Council on Oct. 8. The chamber’s most recent numbers show 2,447 jobs and $856.7 million in capital investment announced by 15 companies. More from the Jacksonville Daily Record.
Tropical Storm Epsilon forms over central Atlantic
Tropical Storm Epsilon formed Monday morning in the central Atlantic, the latest in what has been a very active hurricane season. The storm had maximum sustained winds near 40 mph. Additional strengthening was expected and Epsilon was forecast to be at or near hurricane strength by early Thursday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. The storm was centered about 735 miles southeast of Bermuda and was stationary. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Miami Marine Stadium closer to $45M makeover, but city is obscuring detailed plan
More than a decade after city officials pledged to revive the storied but derelict Miami Marine Stadium, they say a $45 million plan for its restoration is nearly complete and inching towards realization. But like anything to do with the long-running saga to save the 1963 Modernist landmark, widely regarded as one of the world’s most remarkable structures, it’s no sure thing, and key questions remain unanswered — including what precisely the renovation plan entails. More from the Miami Herald.
In Memoriam
The man who turned Sedano’s supermarkets into the largest Hispanic chain has died
Manuel Herrán never worried when someone came to one of his Sedano’s supermarkets eager for a job but unable to speak English. Even when his markets weren’t hiring, Herrán would find a place for a recently arrived immigrant in one of his 35 stores. And his customers, most of them Hispanic, many of them also recently arrived, found themselves reflected in his stores — comforted by foods they knew in the aisles and the language they spoke in the air. Herrán set a new employee off with a vote of confidence: “If you work hard enough, you can take my job one day.”
» More from the Miami Herald.
Business Profile
Alyssa Gay Consulting
Owning a business wasn’t part of Alyssa Gay’s plan. “I had actually sworn for years I would never own my own business,” Gay says. She grew up seeing family members run businesses — and how hard it was — and she knew she didn’t want any part of it. In college, she had a job at a startup hub with 15 different businesses, working with them with different tasks. The experience made her realize she had a passion for small business owners and helping them navigate their marketing.
» Read more from the Business Observer.