April consumer sentiment continues to rise despite mixed signals from labor market

Consumer sentiment among Floridians ticked up 1.7 points in April to 83 from March’s revised figure of 81.3. Similarly, national consumer sentiment increased 3.4 points. “Consumer sentiment dropped at an unprecedented rate in the second quarter of 2020, when it tumbled 26 points between February and April. One year since, consumer confidence remains 19.3 points below pre-pandemic levels, indicating that confidence has recovered at a slow pace,” said Hector H. Sandoval, director of the Economic Analysis Program at UF’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research. Among the five components that make up the index, three increased, one decreased, and one remained unchanged. [Source: UF News]

Reported COVID variant cases in Florida doubled in two weeks

Over 10,000 cases of COVID-19 “variants of concern” have been reported in Florida, state health officials disclosed Monday, more than double the total just two weeks earlier and an indication that the spread is accelerating. By far, the most common variant was the B.1.1.7 — the strain first detected in the United Kingdom — reported in 9,050 cases statewide. Estimated to be 60% more infectious than the original dominant strain of COVID-19, it is also believed to result in more severe illness and higher hospitalization rates. The most recent estimate is that it is 67% more deadly. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

Is Florida the next Coffee King? UF Scientists believe climate change could soon allow farmers to grow coffee beans

Florida has been known as a major player in the citrus farming sector for decades, namely because of its production of orange juice and citrus products. In fact, in most seasons, Florida produces more than 90 percent of the country’s supply of orange juice and produces more than 70 percent of the United States’ supply of citrus. But it may soon have a competitor in the form of caffeine—coffee beans. [Source: Florida Insider]

Florida small businesses can apply for up to $100,000 in low-interest loans from SOAR fund

Small businesses still in need of help getting through the pandemic have a new route to recovery. Business owners and nonprofits with fewer than 50 employees in Florida can apply to the recently launched Southern Opportunity and Resilience Fund for the lesser of $100,000 or 100% of their revenue for any three-month period during 2019 or the first quarter of 2020. [Source: South Florida Business Journal]

Will $8 million more save the manatees this year? The state is hoping

Florida wildlife officials are set to get another $8 million this year — more than double the usual manatee recovery cash on hand — to help sea cows rebound from a year that's on pace to be the deadliest on record for the threatened species. The manatees appear to be starving across the state from a shortage of seagrass decades in the making. The extra money would only be for one year, and state biologists aren't sure yet how they'd spend the extra cash or what difference it might make. [Source: Sarasota Herald Tribune]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Orlando White Castle sets single day sales record for chain [Orlando Sentinel]
Orlando’s White Castle set a single-day sales record Monday on its opening day, according to vice president Jamie Richardson. The previous record for the hamburger slider chain was the opening day of the chain’s Scottsdale, Arizona, restaurant in 2019. The company did not provide a specific sales total. “Our grand opening exceeded our wildest expectations and beat the previous record by over 15%,” Richardson said in an emailed statement.

› Monroe County will not enforce mask mandate — but businesses can have their own rules [Miami Herald]
Monroe County will no longer enforce its mask mandate following Gov. Ron DeSantis’ executive order that invalidates local COVID-19 rules. Key West had already stopped enforcing its facial covering mandate in early March after DeSantis canceled fines for violating COVID emergency orders.

› Kforce: Selling Tampa headquarters could save company $2 million per year [Tampa Bay Times]
Selling its Tampa headquarters will save staffing and professional services firm Kforce Inc. up to $2 million per year, company executives said this week . Speaking on an earnings call with investors, Kforce leaders said selling its office in Ybor City and shifting its workforce to a mix of remote and in-office employees will give the firm greater flexibility in how it operates in a post-COVID-19 world, said president Joseph Liberatore.

› Florida’s Port Canaveral first to vaccinate port workers in effort to boost cruise return [Travel + Leisure]
Florida's Port Canaveral started vaccinating port workers and cruise ship crew in an effort to boost the eventual restart of the cruise industry in the state. The first U.S. port to sponsor COVID-19 vaccine distribution, Port CEO Capt. John Murray said in a statement on Friday, the move follows a Florida public health advisory that extended vaccine eligibility to people in the state who provide "goods or services for the benefit of residents and visitors of the State of Florida."

Go to page 2 for more stories ...

› Long-time head of Florida foster care agency resigns to take new job [Tampa Bay Times]
The head of Florida’s Guardian ad Litem program has resigned to take a new position as the chief executive officer of a nonprofit that works with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Alan Abramowitz led the state funded program for about 10 years. It receives roughly $53 million each year to provide advocacy for roughly 35,000 children in Florida’s foster care system.

› Mysterious, new tarantula-like spider identified in the Florida Everglades [WRCB]
An elusive spider related to the tarantula just joined the ranks of recognized spiders. The Pine Rockland Trapdoor Spider lives in the Florida Everglades and it's a rare breed. It has only been spotted a handful of times since the 1920s and only recently did the clever arachnid get its name for the habitat it lives in, according to Rebecca Godwin, an assistant professor of biology at Piedmont University.

› Suddath launches MoveDay in Jacksonville, Orlando [Jacksonville Daily Record]
Jacksonville-based moving and logistics firm The Suddath Companies launched a local moving brand, MoveDay, in Jacksonville and Orlando on April 26. Suddath said it did research to understand what consumers want in an ideal moving experience. A common theme centered on the challenges of moving, which consumers said they viewed as one of the most stressful and anxiety-inducing life experiences.

› Former circus elephants begin to arrive at Florida sanctuary [AP]
Former circus elephants are starting to arrive at a new wildlife sanctuary in north Florida. The White Oak Conservation Center announced Monday that a dozen female Asian elephants have already arrived at the Yulee refuge, located north of Jacksonville. Up to 20 more elephants are expected once more areas are completed at the planned 2,500-acre space.