DeSantis outlines second-term environmental plans

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced plans Tuesday to spend $3.5 billion in his second term on environmental projects such as restoring the Everglades and addressing water-quality problems. “This may be a bigger, more comprehensive executive order than we did four years ago. But I think that's the right thing to do,” DeSantis, who was re-elected in November, said while at Coconut Jack's Waterfront Grille in Bonita Springs. “You can make progress, you can do good things, and you just got to keep pressing forward.” The $3.5 billion, which would need legislative approval, would be spread over four years. The bulk would go to Everglades and water-quality projects. More from Florida Politics, the News Service of Florida, and WQCS.

Florida Trend Exclusive
Florida Icon: Mallory Lykes Dimmitt

"Both of my parents are native Floridians, which is unusual," says Dimmitt, a conservationist and the CEO of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation. "When I was a kid, we spent a lot of time outdoors, visiting state parks and paddling along rivers. My family is part of a ranching family, and we’d go to the ranch on certain weekends. We tried to be outside as much as possible. That definitely helped to shape my career interests and shaped what I do today."  [Source: Florida Trend]

Red tide is on the move in Florida. What to know about the toxic bloom along the coast

With reports of dead fish on the sand and “intense” amounts of breathing irritation, the effects of red tide amplified last week around Anna Maria Island and Manatee County’s coastline. Blooms of the toxic algae were carried near shore in October and have affected beaches since then. The often patchy nature of red tide blooms, along with their ability to be moved quickly by wind and currents, means that conditions can change rapidly. [Source: Miami Herald]

Florida cities should revamp recycling — not axe it — to save money, research shows

As Florida cities have grappled with rising recycling costs in recent years, some local governments have scrapped the practice altogether. At least six municipalities in Florida have canned curbside recycling for residents in recent years. But a new study released this week shows there may be a better way for households to save cash while also curbing greenhouse gas emissions that fuel climate change. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

Study: Florida in the bottom half of best states to raise a family

When it comes to the best place to raise a family, Florida comes in near the bottom — at least according to one new study. The Sunshine State came in at No. 32 on a list created by WalletHub, falling far below states like Iowa, New York, Illinois, Washington, California and Maine. The personal finance company looked at all 50 states and compared 51 indicators, including child mortality and housing affordability, to rank which states were best for families. [Source: Business Observer]

Value-based care is key to increasing health care quality in Florida

As part of its efforts to continually improve residents’ health and access to care, the state of Florida proudly stands as an early adopter of a nationwide shift toward value-based care, which incentivizes providers to value quality of care over number of patients treated. This health care delivery model reimburses providers (physicians, hospitals, labs, nurses and others) based on the health outcomes of their patients and the quality of service rendered. [Sponsored Report]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Curious about van life? A festival for nomads is coming to Tampa Bay [Tampa Bay Times]
If you’ve ever dreamed of leaving a mundane life behind and exploring the country in a van, the Florida Van Life Gathering is for you. The event, hosted at Withlacoochee River Park in Dade City on the first weekend in February, promises “three days of peace, love and vans.” There will be live music, vendors, food trucks and activities like a DIY van build contest and van tours.

› FAMU Law opens Economic Justice Clinic in Orlando [WMFE]
Florida A&M University’s Law School In Orlando opened an Economic Justice Clinic this month to provide free legal services to small and minority-owned businesses and nonprofits. Economic justice is the idea that the economy will be more successful if it is fairer.

› Port Canaveral business continues to grow with new cargo service agreement [WFTV]
Blue Water Industries and Ambassador Services International announced an agreement to import thousands of tons of construction materials through Port Canaveral. According to an announcement by the Port Authority, Blue Water will import between 400,000 to 800,000 metric tons of material into the port each year. Once offloaded, the materials will be used in construction projects throughout Florida and the Southeastern United States.

› Israeli coworking company secures Downtown Miami office [South Florida Business Journal]
A coworking office company has signed a 10-year lease for three floors within a Downtown Miami office building on Biscayne Boulevard. Tel Aviv-based Mindspace will occupy 31,192-square-feet within 100 Biscayne, a 30-story commercial building owned by New York-based real estate investment firm RFR. The space will be large enough to accommodate 450 workspaces, the company said.

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› Disney CEO Iger recalls hybrid workers to office 4 days a week [Orlando Sentinel]
Recently returned Disney CEO Bob Iger has told employees working a hybrid schedule to return to the office four days a week starting in March, according to a copy of a memo provided by the company. Iger wants the employees to work in Disney’s offices Monday through Thursday starting March 1 because he believes office employees working together in person will benefit Disney’s “creativity, culture, and our employees’ careers,” according to a memo sent to Disney employees Monday.

› St. Petersburg Police Department awards grants from forfeiture funds [Tampa Bay Times]
Framed by St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway and Mayor Ken Welch, Samantha Richardson-Hardy smiled for a photo as they handed her a $2,000 check. Richardson-Hardy was representing The Gathering of Women, Inc. — one of 13 organizations that received a grant from the police department on Monday. Richardson-Hardy said her organization runs a community garden for kids, and the money would go toward vegetables, soil and gardening tools.

› VyStar Credit Union hires Jim Edwards as CFO [Jacksonville Daily Record]
VyStar Credit Union hired Jim Edwards as chief financial officer, succeeding John Turpish, who retired in April 2022. Edwards started the position in November. Edwards is responsible for providing financial direction for the credit union, including strategic and financial leadership of balance sheet management, treasury, budgeting, acquisitions, analytics, and economic and financial forecasting.

› You’re not wrong, Miami: Study says we have some of the worst traffic in the world [Miami Herald]
If you’re thinking that traffic in Miami is worse than it has ever been, you’re not wrong: A new study reports that the Magic City has become one of the worst cities on the planet for traffic congestion. INRIX, Inc., a transportation data and analytics company in Kirkland, Washington, has released its 2022 Global Traffic Scorecard, and Miami turns out to be one of the top 10 most congested cities in the world.