Florida's seniors lead nation in COVID deaths since April 2021; population can't explain it

While Gov. Ron DeSantis prioritized immunizing “Seniors First” in the first three months of 2021, the coronavirus has since killed more people ages 65 and older in Florida than anywhere else in the nation. And Florida's COVID death rate among the elderly is higher here than in most states. State health officials have logged 30,060 fatalities among seniors ages 65 and older between April 2021 — when adults 18 or older could readily get the shots — and September, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The disease has killed at least 82,065 Floridians overall since the pandemic began. The size of Florida’s elderly populace — 4.3 million — alone does not explain this. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]

University of Florida trustees approve Sen. Ben Sasse as president in face of opposition

The University of Florida’s board of trustees voted unanimously Tuesday to name U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse as the flagship school’s 13th president after weeks of growing criticism over his views on LGBTQ issues and a national search conducted largely in secret. Sasse, 50, a Nebraska Republican whose name emerged in early October as the sole finalist for the job, became the subject of protests and calls for action. More from the Tampa Bay Times and CNN.

Red tide is blooming offshore from Southwest Florida communities hit hardest by Ian

The red tide pushed toward the Southwest Florida coast by Hurricane Ian and recent cold fronts continues to bloom just offshore. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirmed that red tide reached bloom levels last week in an area that stretches offshore from south Sarasota County, past the mouth of Charlotte Harbor, all the way down to Sanibel Island. There have been no fish kills reported related to red tide so far this year, according to the commission. More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and the Tampa Bay Times.

Diesel shortage could impact holiday prices

From small trucks to big trucks, diesel fuel helps the world stay connected. Alex Miller with Florida Trucking Association said it's an important part of our society. "The economy and the supply chain is fueled by Diesel," she said. But Miller said the tank is close to running on empty. "There has been a shortage for several months now, and we've seen the pain financially at the pump for that long," she added. [Source: WFTS]

How to prepare for Florida hurricanes, and why you should start now

The most important time to prepare for a hurricane is before a storm has formed. The Tampa Bay Times spoke with 14 experts working in fields related to storm preparation, response and recovery, about how to prepare for natural disaster — and where people go wrong. Evacuation behavioral studies have found that people who have a plan in place before a storm is forecast are more likely to evacuate when orders are called, said hazard geographer Chris Emrich. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Central Florida election leaders warn of voter intimidation [Orlando Sentienl]
Central Florida elections supervisors vowed Tuesday that any attempts to intimidate voters will not be tolerated as scattered reports of trouble were already coming in. Elections chiefs from Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Lake and Volusia counties gathered at the Orange County office in Orlando. Their main message was to avoid lines, bad weather and other potential problems on Election Day and take advantage of early voting, which lasts until Sunday in Orange, Seminole and Osceola and Saturday in Lake and Volusia.

› JaxPort receives $23.5 million federal grant for conversion investments [Jacksonville Daily Record]
The Jacksonville Port Authority announced Oct. 31 it received a $23.5 million federal grant to fund part of the port’s $47 million program to reduce emissions in cargo handling. The money is from the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration’s Port Infrastructure Development Program. The project is focused on SSA Jacksonville Container Terminal at Blount Island Marine Terminal and Crowley’s JaxPort Talleyrand Terminal.

› Holland & Knight wins $159 million judgement for Norwegian Cruise Line in faulty propulsion case [Florida Trend]
Holland & Knight recently won a four-week jury trial for client Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) that has significant implications for the cruise industry. On October 20, a jury convened in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida awarded NCL $159 million in its lawsuit against ABB Inc., a U.S. company, and ABB OY, a Finnish company, related to fraudulent and negligent misrepresentations and omissions ABB made about their propulsion systems (Azipods) that are used aboard many of NCL’s cruise ships.

› Bombardier moves jet service center from Broward to Miami-Dade with over 100 well-paying jobs [Miami Herald]
Private jet manufacturer Bombardier opened a new service center Monday at Miami-Opa-locka Executive Airport — relocating from its Broward County facility and promising to bring hundreds of well-paying jobs to Miami-Dade. The new 300,000-square-foot maintenance facility will quadruple Bombardier’s footprint in Florida. The business jet manufacturer, based in Montreal, Canada, says the new facility will serve both the U.S. and Latin American markets.

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› Southwest Florida International Airport, despite dip, reports second-best September in its 39-year history  [Business Observer]
Passenger traffic at Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers slipped a bit in September year over year — but remains historically high. During September, 515,077 passengers traveled through the airport, under the call letters RSW. That's down 6.5 % from September 2021, according to airport officials. Yet it was still the No. 2 September for airport passenger traffic in the 39-year history of the airport and included three days of operations lost to Hurricane Ian.

› Gainesville to host Florida Artist Blacksmith Association Conference, become new region [WUFT]
David Sandlin did not set out to be a blacksmith, and he certainly didn’t set out to be the president of the Florida Artist Blacksmith Association (FABA). Even so, he will be busy Nov. 4-6 overseeing the FABA Conference in Gainesville. “I held my hand too close to the fire for a minute too long,” Sandlin said, jokingly referring to his brief and unopposed presidential campaign. The conference will be held at the Best Western Gateway Grand Hotel and Conference Center.

› Maitland-based Tijuana Flats hires Joe Christina as new CEO [Orlando Sentinel]
Tijuana Flats has tapped Joe Christina, the former CEO of Church’s Texas Chicken, to become the Maitland-based Tex Mex chain’s next top executive. Privately owned Tijuana Flats, founded by Brian Wheeler in 1995 in Winter Park, has 104 company-owned stores and 20 franchised locations in Florida, Indiana, Virginia and North Carolina. Previous CEO Brian Wright left the company in August, and he was named the CEO of Bar Louie in September.

› Single tenant may fill more than half of Midtown Tampa’s new office tower [Tampa Bay Times]
One major tenant could fill more than half of Midtown Tampa’s forthcoming 400,000-square-foot office tower, according to plans filed with the city. Architectural renderings and project descriptions indicate that “a single tenant,” described only as “Tenant A,” is lined up to lease the second through ninth floors and 16th through 18th floors of the Midtown East tower.