Florida to dedicate $30 million to saving manatees amid die-off

As manatees continue to die in record numbers, Florida is poised to spend more than $30 million on efforts to rescue the iconic animals and restore the habitats where they live. The money, according to the state, includes $20 million to cover efforts such as improving manatee access to springs — where they find shelter — and experimental projects like the state’s attempt to feed starving manatees lettuce this winter in the Indian River Lagoon. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

Florida fruit growers combat HLB to keep on exporting to Japan

With Florida's citrus farmers facing some of their toughest ever times due to the combined effect of a spreading tree blight and the fallout from the pandemic, innovation appears to be essential to sustain exports to Japan. In the 2020-2021 season, citrus shipments dropped to less than 7,000 tons, and now the double blow of soaring labor and fuel costs amid the pandemic is compounding the problem. [Source: Fresh Plaza]

Hurricane season is less than a month away

The official start of the Atlantic hurricane season is less than a month away, but in recent years, we've had named storms popping up in May. The federal government declared May 1-7 as Hurricane Preparedness Week. Whether it's your first hurricane season or you're a seasoned pro, it's always a good idea to make sure your plan is up to date. Here are some key things you can do to prepare now, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. [Source: WTSP]

Northwest Florida rebuilds after every hurricane. But are we rebuilding in right places?

When the waves inevitably wash away a sandcastle, it only takes a few pails of sand and a light afternoon's work to rebuild. When hurricane winds, storm surge and flood waters inevitably come crashing down on the Gulf Coast — toppling beach homes, cracking asphalt and eroding the shoreline — it takes years of work and millions, sometimes billions, of dollars to rebuild. Still, communities stubbornly rebuild condos, beach homes, retail, resorts and even shorelines, knowing full well it could all come crumbling down again in the next big storm. [Source: Pensacola News Journal]

Small business, huge Impact: A cornerstone of the Southwest Florida economy

The mom-and-pop shops along the Gulf coast are essential to Southwest Florida’s economy—maybe more so than we thought. Small businesses account for about 24% of total employment in Southwest Florida, according to a new report from Florida Gulf Coast University’s Regional Economic Research Institute. For the sake of the report, small businesses were defined as companies with fewer than 20 employees. Employment in small business has ranged between 25.7% and 23.4% in the 2010s. Statewide, that number stood steady around 19%. [Source: Gulf Shore Business]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Twitter moving to Florida? Here’s what Gov. DeSantis said about it [Click Orlando]
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is not as eager as the state’s chief financial officer to bring Twitter’s headquarters to the Sunshine State. After it was announced that Elon Musk was in a deal to purchase the social media platform in a $44-billion deal, Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis has begun an online campaign to encourage the billionaire businessman to bring Twitter’s headquarters to Florida.

› Why this businessman returned to UF for an online master’s — after almost 50 years [UF News]
It’s never too late to go back to school. At least that’s what 79–year-old Charles Roberson believes. Roberson is the oldest graduate of the University of Florida’s Spring 2022 class. He received a Master of Science in Entrepreneurship from the Warrington College of Business. “When I began my graduate studies, I had not been in a college classroom for almost fifty years, though I have been in numerous similar settings while in the corporate world,” he said.

› Brightline, FEC and state seek millions in federal money help to cut down on rail deaths [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Plagued with a spate of train-auto collisions, and facing a future surge in rail traffic, Brightline and the Florida East Coast Railway are teaming with the state of Florida to pump millions more into accident prevention along the railroad corridor between Miami-Dade and Brevard counties. The companies, along with the Florida Department of Transportation, are asking the U.S. Department of Transportation for $25 million to supplement $20 million in combined contributions from the railroads and the state.

› SeaPort Manatee receives two additional cranes in response to growth [Business Observer]
As cargo continues to grow, SeaPort Manatee is working to keep up with those demands. This time in the form of two eco-efficient cranes. The port along with the terminal operator Logistec USA Inc., a Logistec Corp. subsidiary, added two mobile harbor cranes, which arrived Friday, April 22. Each crane is able to lift 125 metric tons and together have a lift capacity of more than 200 metric tons.

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› Riverfest returns to Tampa’s Riverwalk this weekend [Tampa Bay Times]
After taking a two-year pandemic pause, Tampa’s Riverfest returns this weekend with activities along the entire length of the Riverwalk’s many parks, on the water and even in the air, with hot air balloons and artistic lanterns lighting up the night. Though the Riverfest took a break to avoid large crowds gathering, the Riverwalk itself became a magnet for Tampa Bay residents looking for some solace outdoors, said MaryBeth Williams, executive director of Friends of the Riverwalk, which has produced the community event since 2015.

› Bound for SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch, NASA’s asteroid probe Psyche arrives at Kennedy [Orlando Sentinel]
SpaceX has only launched its Falcon Heavy three times, but it has two more possible missions for it slated this summer. One of them, NASA’s Pscyhe probe headed for an asteroid between Mars and Jupiter, has arrived at Kennedy Space Center. The Falcon Heavy, which is basically three Falcon 9 rockets strapped together, is one of the most powerful rockets ever built, producing more than 5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff.

› Fleet Week Returns To South Florida After 2-Year Hiatus [CBS Miami]
Fleet Week is back! The festivities kicked off on Sunday with an All Hands on Deck Welcoming Party and Concert featuring Sailors, Coast Guardsmen and sea cadets at the Las Olas Oceanside Park. The fun lasts all week long following a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

› Sharks bit 3 people in South Florida in recent weeks [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Summer in South Florida means two things: hordes of people are going to head to the beach to work on their tan and cool off in the ocean. And as a result, that means sharks are more likely to wander near the shore, creating potentially hazardous situations. In the past month, two people in Palm Beach County were bitten by sharks, when last year’s total was one. And about two weeks ago, a shark bit another person in the Florida Keys.