Not yet in effect, Florida’s new immigration law already being felt

The new immigration law, signed by Governor DeSantis which goes into effect July 1st , requires private employers with 25 or more employees to confirm workers’ immigration status through a system known as E-verify. Employers who fail to do that would be subject to audits and face fines of up to $1,000 (a day), if found to have violated the law. Some construction workers say they are losing their jobs because employers fear Florida’s new immigration law. More from WINK News, KUOW, and WUSF.

Florida Trend Exclusive
Research trends: Beating the heat

A new compound tested by an FAMU-FSU engineering team can withstand extreme temperatures. A team of FAMU-FSU College of Engineering researchers at the High-Performance Materials Institute in Tallahassee has conducted experiments that prove a compound of boron nanotubes can withstand temperatures up to 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The discovery has applications in everything from heat shields in space to medical delivery systems and specialized circuit boards. [Source: Florida Trend]

Florida gas prices may have peaked for the year, AAA says

AAA says Florida may have hit the peak for this year’s gas prices. It said the only thing that could possibly change things is a major hurricane affecting refinery operations along the Gulf Coast. Drivers are paying around $3.41 per gallon of gas at the pump. The cost is only up about a penny from last week. [Source: WFTV]

Is Florida's biggest property insurance company ready for hurricane season?

In just two days, hurricane season begins. After last year's devastating losses, many homeowners are preparing. As are insurance companies. "Don't wait until the forecast shows a potential storm is heading toward our state. This is the time to prepare," the Insurance Information Institute's Mark Friedlander said. [Source: WESH]

Hurricane center tracks Gulf system headed to Florida

Hurricane season doesn’t officially begin until later this week, but forecasters are already keeping an eye on a patch of rough weather moving toward Florida’s west coast that has a small chance of developing into a tropical system, the National Hurricane Center said on Tuesday afternoon. Whether that happens or not, Tampa Bay is likely to feel the effects of the system – largely rain and some gusty winds – beginning on Wednesday. More from the Tampa Bay Times, the Orlando Sentinel, and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Small town, big turmoil: What’s going on in Kenneth City? [Tampa Bay Times]
In a town defined lately by its instability, Barbara Roberts was a constant. Aside from one year off due to term limits, she had served on the town council since 2014 — the same year it reformed its archaic government and hired a town manager. By May 10, though, Roberts believed there was nothing more she could do to help her town. Less than two months after winning reelection, she announced her resignation.

› Gainesville places 1st in national water conservation competition [Gainesville Sun]
Gainesville has made a splash in the National Mayor’s Challenge, securing first place in the population category for water conservation. The win comes after Gainesville residents pledged to reduce their energy and water waste and consumption. Gainesville took the prize for having the highest percentage of its population take the pledge, edging out Miramar, Florida, Surprise, Arizona, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and Greeley, Colorado, according to a press release from Gainesville Regional Utilities.

› Miami, Tampa top housing price hikes [News Service of Florida]
Miami and Tampa continued to top other metro areas nationally in home-price increases in March when compared to a year earlier, according to a report released Tuesday. Miami remained atop the list for the eighth consecutive month. Miami and Tampa were the only Florida markets included in the analysis.

› ‘Wait, What Happened?’ TV game show features Orlando-based episodes [Orlando Sentinel]
Did a Missouri woman accidentally pick up a porcupine or a bobcat? This is just one of the strange, true stories turned trivia question in the new game show, “Wait, What Happened?” The first (of four) Orlando-based episodes is available for streaming beginning May 31 on the free Very Local app from Hearst Television, the parent company of WESH 2 News.

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› Lee County Tax Collector launches new initiatives to save customers time [Lehigh Acres Citizen]
Innovations launched in the last eight months include a new website, a digital customer service agent named Edison who can answer questions 24/7 at LeeTC.com, a queuing system where customers can check in on their phones, wait where they want, and be notified by text when to return, and a Smart Locker system to provide vehicle and vessel dealers next day turnaround on their title and registration documents.

› Bradenton couple turn passion for beach and travel into clothing business [Bay News 9]
A Bradenton couple say their love of beach and travel inspired them to combine their passions into a new coastal brand called SeaMonkey Apparel. “It’s a huge part of our relationship. It’s a part of our lifestyle,” said 32-year-old co-owner Alexandra Lowe-Mains. “We wanted to embrace that and put it into a brand.” Alexandra and her husband, James Mains, 33, said they came up with the idea to start a new apparel company while hanging out at Whitney Beach on Longboat Key in Manatee County.

› Eagle LNG’s Jacksonville operation key to Caribbean market expansion [Jacksonville Daily Record]
Nearly 3½ years after the Jacksonville City Council approved a development agreement for Houston-based Eagle LNG Partners LLC’s proposed liquefied natural gas export facility in North Jacksonville, the company is working to secure federal regulatory approval to complete construction. Eagle LNG has been coordinating with the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Coast Guard for a year to complete an Emergency Response Plan required by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

› Contract awarded to repair damage at Venice Airport caused by Hurricane Ian [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
Repairs of damage caused by Hurricane Ian at the Venice Municipal Airport will begin in earnest with the award of a contract worth more than $5 million to Gulfstream Construction by the city’s insurance recovery manager, Synergy. The contract covers completion of all rebuild/repair services for the remaining hangars damaged during the storm last September.