Tropical Storm Fred forms, all of Florida remains in cone

Tropical Storm Fred spun around Puerta Rico and is preparing to take a swing at Dominican Republic and Haiti Wednesday morning threatening heavy rain, mudslides and flooding, according to the National Hurricane Center. Meanwhile, Florida potentially remains in Fred’s five-day forecast. The sixth named storm of the season is located 115 miles east-southeast of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph moving west-northwest at 16 mph. More from the  Orlando Sentinel], the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, and the Tampa Bay Times.

Florida Trend Exclusive

Florida Icon: First Hispanic U.S. congresswoman, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen tells us: When I was growing up, my dream was to be a teacher, and I did that. I became a certified teacher, and I thought, ‘Wow, this is as good as it gets.’ If you had asked me when I was a senior in high school if I thought I would end up in the U.S. Congress, I would have went, ‘Que?’ [Source: Florida Trend]

Florida hoteliers say labor shortage may be easing

The mismatch had some hotels closing entire floors for lack of housekeepers or limiting the number of times that bedsheets would be changed during a guest's stay. In March, employment in "accommodations" jobs as grouped by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity was down 40% from March 2020. But there are tentative signs that the labor crunch may be easing this summer, as more workers get vaccinated and incentives to stay home diminish. [Source: Travel Weekly]

Florida requests 300 ventilators from federal government as COVID cases keep rising

As a result of the increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, the state of Florida requested 300 ventilators from the federal government, according to a Department of Health and Human Services planning document obtained by ABC News. The request was made on Friday “to replace expended state stores,” the document said. The ventilators were expected to be delivered on Monday, though it was not said how they will be allocated. It comes as doctors are stressed and hospitals are tapped for resources, their beds continuing to fill with unvaccinated patients infected with the virus. More from WPLG and The Hill.

Brightline’s high-speed trains to roll again in November

Brightline, idled since COVID-19 forced its high-speed trains to the sidings, expects to revive its daily rail service between West Palm Beach and downtown Miami in November. Company CEO Patrick Goddard announced Tuesday that the trains will roll again “in the first half of November.” He did not give a specific date. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› St. Pete Council rejects mayor’s 25-year lease pitch for municipal marina [Tampa Bay Times]
In a last-ditch effort to come to a resolution on renovating the municipal marina, Mayor Rick Kriseman’s staff unsuccessfully tried to get approval for a long-term lease and push the issue before voters in a referendum on the November ballot. City Council unanimously voted down a motion to hold a public hearing on the marina this Thursday — the deadline to place a referendum on the ballot. Instead, they voted unanimously for council to discuss the issue in committee in September.

› Uber increases Miami footprint with new lease downtown [Miami Herald]
Uber has signed a new lease for 13,000 square feet at the 3 MiamiCentral building downtown, as it looks to double-down on its footprint in the city. Uber spokesman Javi Correoso said the space can house up to 70 employees, up from about 40 at its current location in Brickell. MiamiCentral was chosen in part for its access to MetroRail, MetroMover, and Brightline, in keeping with the company’s mission to improve mobility for its customers, Correoso said.

› International celebrity look-alike convention in Orlando rescheduled for 2022 [Orlando Sentinel ]
Central Florida will have to wait until next spring to see the likes of Lady Gaga, Tiger Woods and Frank Sinatra — or rather their celebrity look-alikes. The International Sunburst Convention of Celebrity Tributes, which is usually held during Labor Day weekend, has been postponed until May 25-29, 2022.

› Sarasota artist, clothing designer grows online and in-store business [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
For about three years, Debbie Dannheisser sold her art-imprinted leggings, sports bras and tank tops at charity events across Sarasota. Her "threads," as she calls them, were used to benefit local charities like Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Animal Rescue Coalition of Sarasota. But then COVID hit, and all charity events were canceled. So Dannheisser, who is an artist by trade, had to get creative.

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› Universal celebrates annual passholders with discounts and benefits [Orlando Sentinel]
Universal Orlando celebrates its annual passholders by offering discounts and benefits for a limited time. The resort’s Passholder Appreciation Days begin Aug. 16 and run through Sept. 30 at Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Volcano Bay, Universal CityWalk and select hotels.

› Higher water levels in Lake Okeechobee may be part of new Army Corps plan [Miami Herald]
Lake Okeechobee may be kept at higher levels for longer periods of time under a new management plan the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is refining now that a $1.8 billion upgrade of the Herbert Hoover Dike is nearly completed. The Corps picked a preferred alternative, called “CC,” out of six choices and will now work on fine-tuning the plan based on extensive feedback from environmentalists, agriculture representatives, Native American tribes and other leaders on how to balance the conflicting demands on lake waters..

› Tampa Repertory Theatre announces 2021-22 season [Tampa Bay Times]
After a two-year hiatus, Tampa Repertory Theatre has announced a return to indoor live theater and are encouraging audiences to come back for a varied season of productions. Among the five plays are The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and Shakespeare’s King Lear. A sixth production slated for June 2022 has yet to be announced.

› DIA to start public review of $151M redevelopment of former Times-Union campus [Jacksonville Daily Record]
Atlanta developer Jeff Fuqua proposes to start construction in 2022 of the $151.61 million retail, residential and park redevelopment at 1 Riverside Ave. in Brooklyn. The project, in two phases, would be completed in 2026. A Downtown Investment Authority Project Profile Assessment explains more details for Fuqua Development LP’s plans to buy and redevelop the 18.8-acre former campus of The Florida Times-Union on the Northbank of the St. Johns River.