Florida is on the verge of a COVID-19 resurgence

Florida’s rising number of COVID-19 cases could be the leading edge of a dangerous spike that could continue for months as the state remains wide open for business, tourism and education, public health experts warn. A decline of cases since the summer surge is over, four weeks into the state’s Phase 3 reopening of bars and restaurants at full service, state and national data indicates. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

2020 hurricane season sets record with formation of Tropical Storm Zeta south of Cuba

Tropical Depression No. 28 became Tropical Storm Zeta early Sunday morning, as predicted, making the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season the fastest to get to 27 named storms. The 2005 season got to 27 named storms, requiring Greek alphabet usage, but 2005’s Tropical Storm Zeta didn’t get its name until December. More from the Miami Herald and the Tampa Bay Times.

Small business owners questioning when the next round of stimulus will come to Florida

Despite early problems, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) helped thousands of small businesses across the country survive the shutdown. While lawmakers continue to bicker over another round of stimulus, there is a bipartisan support for another round of the PPP funding—we just do not know when that will get here. Jovita Carranza, Head of the U.S. Small Business Administration, visited Martinizing Drycleaners in Jacksonville on Friday. The mom-and-pop owned business has been around for nearly two decades. [Source: WJAX]

Luxuries Floridians are spending big bucks on during the pandemic

If retail therapy was a remedy for the coronavirus, then some South Floridians might be close to a cure. Those with lots of disposable income have been going on a major spending spree for sports cars, fancy watches, country club memberships and home upgrades. Even as unemployment numbers rise, the stock market has been very good for others, and they are indulging. [Source: Port Charlotte Sun]

Why is Florida the only state requiring SAT/ACT for 2021 college admissions? A popular scholarship may be one reason

Florida’s popular Bright Futures Scholarship program could be behind a controversial decision that has left the state as the only one in the country insisting students sit for ACT or SAT tests during the pandemic in order to apply for admission to public universities. Ally Schneider, a member of the board that oversees Florida’s 12 public universities, said Board of Governors staff have told her the state is reluctant to waive SAT/ACT requirement this year because students who want to qualify for the scholarships must still submit scores. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Fort Lauderdale Boat Show gives hope to bars and restaurants [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
In the fog of a pandemic and a stormy political season, the 2020 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show is a much-anticipated beacon for local bars, restaurants and hotels, where reopenings, new menus and other fresh features have been synchronized to the Oct. 28 start of the five-day event.

› Southwest Florida cities closing gender pay gap, study shows [WINK News]
Southwest Florida is becoming a must-be place for working women. A business.org study shows Lee and Collier counties are among the best paying areas for women in the nation. In the Naples area, the median income for men is more than $43,000, but women aren’t too far behind, coming in at more than $39,000. This means women are earning around 90 cents on the dollar compared to men.

› A $41 billion investment firm is coming to South Florida [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
A prominent New York investment firm that manages approximately $41 billion in assets has plans to move its headquarters to South Florida. Elliott Management is relocating from midtown Manhattan to West Palm Beach, according to the Palm Beach County Business Development Board — making it the latest in a growing line of financial firms to move their headquarters from the Northeast or add offices to the South Florida region.

› Electric scooter and moped rentals are back in Miami and Coral Gables. There’s a new rule. [Miami Herald]
Scooters are back in Miami-Dade — thousands of them, in fact. Last month, Miami-Dade quietly lifted its pandemic-related order that had banned the rental of electric motorized vehicles. The city of Miami subsequently voted to revive its scooter pilot program Sept. 24.

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› For years, homeless sold newspapers to South Florida drivers; COVID-19 curbs it [WPLG]
In March, the founder of The Homeless Voice, a South Florida newspaper about homelessness, took his vendors off the streets because of COVID-19. Sean Cononie said they just got back to selling and collecting in September. Now, he is curbing them again because of the safety risk they may pose.

› TIAA Bank largely an online operation [Jacksonville Daily Record]
In a city once known as Florida’s banking capital, TIAA Bank is the only large banking institution still headquartered in Jacksonville. TIAA Bank is a national institution that does business with customers across the country, and it has an obviously large presence in Jacksonville. The TIAA name sits atop Jacksonville’s football stadium and a Downtown office tower.

› Sarasota company hires sports card experts to lead grading service [Business Observer]
Certified Collectibles Group has hired sports card experts Andy Broome and Westin Reeves to lead the Certified Sports Guaranty grading team. CSG is the latest company to be formed by Sarasota-based CCG. It will launch soon to provide sports card collectors and dealers with expert, impartial and efficient certification services, according to a press release. Together, Broome and Reeves have nearly three decades of experience as professional graders in the sports card industry.

› North Miami Beach rescinds approval of Intracoastal Mall project, schedules new vote [Miami Herald]
A day after North Miami Beach commissioners voted to approve Uptown Harbour, a massive mixed-use redevelopment of the Intracoastal Mall, Mayor Anthony DeFillipo announced he was scrapping the results and scheduling another vote to be held at a later date. The motion to reschedule was approved 7-0.