First COVID, now a lockout: MLB labor dispute latest blow for spring training businesses

Having hoped to hit a financial homer at long last, businesses that cater to fans flocking to check out baseball's spring training are starting to worry whether they will face another strikeout. A labor dispute between Major League Baseball and its players union that began with a lockout in December has left restaurants, hotels and other businesses that depend on fans in limbo. More from USA Today] and Yahoo Finance. 

Florida health equity experts reflect on progress, setbacks two years into COVID

Experts have been working to close the gaps between the health care haves and have-nots for years. But gaining the traction necessary to result in a substantial change in health outcomes has been difficult. What’s different about the pandemic is that it exposed and exploited disparities in health, health care access and resources on a global scale. People were forced to start paying attention. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

Column: Florida’s 21st century infrastructure must be robust to meet challenges ahead

Florida is poised for continued growth and prosperity in the 21st century as it taps state and federal funding to revitalize the state’s critical infrastructure and enhance its resiliency in the face of environmental challenges. Leaders in Tallahassee as well as Washington, D.C., recognize that robust infrastructure — covering all areas from transportation to digital connectivity — is a must as Florida works to meet the challenges of a rapidly expanding economy. [Source: Orlando Business Journal]

Florida Trend Exclusive

The Miami-Dade Women's Fund launches website to assess barriers for women in the community

The Miami-Dade Women’s Fund has launched an online dashboard that provides local data on how women are faring in terms of economic mobility, personal health, safety and leadership positions. The dashboard, available on the nonprofit’s website (womensfundmiami.org), is designed to show where barriers to well-being exist for women so that community leaders can make more informed decisions, says interim Executive Director Marya Meyer. [Source: Florida Trend]

Despite spring training delay, baseball fans flock to South Florida

It’s a wrap on a full week of negotiations between Major League Baseball players and owners, trying an end a lockout and start spring training. No deal yet, but it seems the fans are still coming. As the players marched back for another day of negotiations with owners, fans could only guess what was going on. "It's not looking too good. The players vibes did not look very uplifting today, but I'm hoping for the best," said fan John Matthew. [Source: WFLX]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› An Elon Musk tunnel? North Miami Beach ponders underground loop to alleviate traffic [Miami Herald]
Hard Rock Stadium and Florida International University’s Biscayne campus are part of the latest proposal submitted by billionaire Elon Musk’s Boring Company to North Miami Beach to build a transit tunnel underneath Miami-Dade. The core of the plan involves developing a 6.2-mile tunnel for Tesla vehicles to ferry passengers underneath State Road 826 East from Northwest 2nd Avenue to Northeast 35th Avenue in North Miami Beach. 

› Kentucky craft distillery expands distribution to Tampa Bay region [Business Observer]
Independently owned New Riff Distilling has expanded its distribution network of Kentucky-made bourbons, ryes and gins to multiple parts of Florida, including the Tampa Bay region. According to a news release, Newport, Kentucky-based New Riff was founded in 2014 by Ken Lewis, a veteran Kentucky liquor retailer and entrepreneur. It uses traditional sour mash methods to make its bourbon and gin.

› Women entrepreneurs can apply for grant money through UCF program [Orlando Sentinel]
Women entrepreneurs in Central Florida could be the beneficiaries of a new grant through the UCF Incubator program. UCF is part of the Florida High Tech Corridor team that recently won a $150,000 federal grant to support women entrepreneurs in 23 Florida counties. The University of South Florida, University of Florida and Florida Tech are also part of the program.

› Bacardi USA distribution center tops $11 million in North Jacksonville [Jacksonville Daily Record]
The city issued a permit Feb. 24 for Arco Design/Build to build-out a North Jacksonville distribution center for Bacardi USA at a cost of $1.01 million. Called Project Pineapple on plans, the project has been identified as Bacardi. The $11 million project is a 351,520-square-foot build-to-suit center on 26.8 acres at 3559 Port Jacksonville Parkway in the NorthPoint Industrial Park.

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› Move over, 305. Your next phone number in Miami and the Keys may have a new area code [Miami Herald]
How do you know there are too many people in Miami? Rising rent. Eternal traffic jams. Long lines at the DMV. Oh, and phone numbers that are running out. That’s why our 305 and 786 area codes just got a new sibling. Meet 645, the new area code that will soon be used in Miami-Dade County and the Florida Keys.

› Judge appoints receiver for failed Orlando property insurance company [Orlando Sentinel]
In another blow to the state’s troubled insurance market, a Leon County circuit judge Friday appointed the Florida Department of Financial Services as a receiver for a property-insurance company that records described as “insolvent.” The department will liquidate the Orlando-based St. Johns Insurance Co. The department’s website said it was seeking court approval of a transition plan that would move policies to Slide Insurance Co., effective Tuesday.

› Your FPL bill helps fund charging stations for 58,000 electric vehicle owners. Two lawmakers say it shouldn’t [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
If you are a Florida Power & Light customer, you are helping to fund the utility’s $175 million plan to expand its network of electric vehicle charging stations across the state. FPL’s plan to expand charging stations through 2025, part of a program it calls EVolution, was approved by the Florida Public Service Commission last October as part of the utility’s latest four-year rate plan.

› Cybersecurity startup names industry veteran to board as growth picks up [Business Observer]
A new board member for Nucleus Security was announced as the company heads into uncharted waters of scaling up the startup. The Sarasota-based startup designed a program that provides vulnerability management solutions. The Nucleus program automates virtual machine processes and workflows, allowing companies to mitigate vulnerabilities.