Florida citrus acres getting squeezed

As they prepare for the 2022-2023 season, Florida citrus growers are using 32,046 fewer acres than during the past season and about half of what was used two decades ago, according to a federal report. With the industry coming off perhaps its least-productive season in eight decades, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported last week that 375,302 acres are being used for citrus production in Florida, down 8 percent from last year and 53 percent from what growers used in the 2001-2002 season. [Source: News Service of Florida]

Hurricane center watching 2 tropical waves

After a busy week, the Atlantic basin has calmed down a tad with the National Hurricane Center now only having two tropical waves to keep tabs on. Both have low odds of developing for the time being. First, a tropical wave moving off the west coast of Africa is producing an area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms, the NHC said in its 2 a.m. update. The wave is in a marginally favorable environment. Hurricane specialists gave the wave a 20% chance of developing into a tropical depression or storm in the next five days. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

Hydrogen is NASA's fuel of choice for Artemis I, but it's also hard to manage

As NASA pushes toward a third attempt at launching the Artemis I mission later this month, the agency's use of a popular rocket propellant – supercooled liquid hydrogen – has become the center of attention due to its finicky nature. Now set for liftoff no earlier than 6:47 a.m. EDT Friday, Sept. 23, the 322-foot Space Launch System rocket's ground support equipment is under repair at Kennedy Space Center. Two previous attempts at launching an uncrewed Orion capsule to the moon were scrubbed due to hydrogen-related cooling and fueling issues. [Source: Florida Today]

As Florida’s top universities rise, many low-income students are left out

A surge in rankings has helped make Florida the No. 1 state for higher education based on graduation rates, lower tuition and other factors. But prestige comes at a cost. The higher these schools strive, the less accessible they’ve become. The percentage of students from low-income families at Florida’s three “preeminent” public universities is shrinking, according to state and federal data that tracks “access rates.” Experts say the state’s push for performance and its keen focus on metrics may be to blame. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

Lawmakers spread $175 million across the state

A legislative panel Friday approved money for more than 230 local projects and programs across the state, after receiving a detailed analysis of Florida’s financial picture from a top economist. The Joint Legislative Budget Commission, with little comment, signed off on a list of “local support grants” totaling $175 million. The grants are a new program, with the list put together after Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed parts of a state budget that took effect July 1. [Source: News Service of Florida]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› South Florida competes with Sun Belt cities for corporate relocations, site selector says [South Floridad Business Journal]
When it comes to securing corporate relocations, South Florida's biggest competitors are urban metros throughout the Sun Belt, a local site selector told the Business Journal. John Boyd, Jr., principal of Boca Raton-based Boyd Co., said he's fielded requests from companies interested in opening branch offices not just in the tri-county area, but also in Nashville, Tennessee; Atlanta; Reno, Nevada; and Durham and Raleigh in North Carolina.

› Tampa’s public access channel, the last in Florida, has new studio, mission [Tampa Bay Times]
Florida’s last public access channel is under construction — structurally and organizationally. Structurally, the Tampa Bay Community Network is building a new multi-camera television studio, podcast recording studio and editing suite in their facility on the first floor of the former University Mall, now rebranded as RITHM@Uptown.

› Championship drought ends for Orlando City with U.S. Open Cup win [Orlando Sentinel]
On a warm, sunny afternoon in March 2015, Major League Soccer arrived in Orlando. It did not enter quietly. More than 62,000 purple-clad fans screamed, yelled, cheered and chanted for Orlando City SC in its inaugural MLS match at the Citrus Bowl. They saw Kaká score a stoppage-time goal to earn a 1-1 tie against fellow expansion team New York City FC. Seven years later, on a rainy September night before more than 25,000 equally loud fans at a sold-out Exploria Stadium, Orlando City hoisted its first trophy as an MLS club.

› Questions swirl over how $500k concert bill got so high. Fort Lauderdale taxpayers on hook. [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Hey, big spender. That would be you, Fort Lauderdale. Inquiring minds want to know how the city managed to blow $500,000 on a four-hour concert without commission approval – and who’s to blame. “I’d like to know what happened,” Mayor Dean Trantalis said. “I believe there is more below the surface than we’ve been able to uncover so far. We still want to find out how this fiasco occurred.” Part of the answer lies in a series of emails now being scrutinized by city officials.

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› Sarasota food bank names new CFO [Business Observer]
Amid one retirement, All Faiths Food Bank in Sarasota has named a new CFO. Following Michael Ziebell’s retirement on Sept. 2, Timothy Taylor stepped into the role bringing finance, logistics, operations and business analytics experience with him. Ziebell has been with the organization since 2018. He was promoted to CFO in 2019.

› University of Florida's most anticipated construction projects [Gainesville Sun]
Over the past eight years the University of Florida has significantly expanded its campus adding 2.8 million square feet of new facilities, the UF president says. President Kent Fuchs also recently said the UF community can expect more campus work underway, adding an additional 1 million square feet that is authorized for construction.

› Florida electric aviation startup VerdeGo Aero to hire after investments from Raytheon, Stetson alumni [Orlando Inno]
Growth is taking off at a Daytona Beach-based hybrid-electric aviation propulsion startup. VerdeGo Aero Inc. expects to nearly double its team by next year, co-founder and CEO Eric Bartsch told Orlando Inno. This growth follows the company’s $12 million Series A fundraising round announced in July, which was led by RTX Ventures, the venture capital arm of aerospace and defense giant Raytheon Technologies Corp. (NYSE: RTX).

› Trulieve adds $5 million to pot initiative [News Service of Florida]
The medical-cannabis company Trulieve contributed another $5 million last week to a ballot initiative aimed at legalizing recreational use of marijuana, according to a newly filed finance report. In all, Trulieve has contributed $10 million to the Smart & Safe Florida political committee, which is trying to get the initiative on the 2024 ballot. The committee had not received any other contributions as of Sept. 2, according to its finance report.