Florida seafood landings rank below historic trends

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, hurricanes and increased fuel costs have reduced the catch of Florida’s seafood industry. According to preliminary data compiled by The Southern Shrimp Alliance from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fishery Monitoring Branch, Florida’s March 2023 landings off the West Coast were 72.7% below the historical average. In total, 2023 landings for the West Coast are 42.1% below historical trends. [Source: The Center Square]

Florida visitors feeling the brunt of extreme heat, which is forecast to continue

Forecasters are calling for another week of hot weather in Florida, and as temperatures rise, so does the potential for heat-related illnesses. Swaths of Florida and the American Southwest are expected to see record-setting temperatures this week until Friday. On Saturday, all of South Florida — from Naples to Miami to Fort Lauderdale — was under a heat advisory. [Source: Health News Florida]

It’s toxic slime time on Florida’s Lake Okeechobee

For thousands of years, Lake Okeechobee pumped life into Florida’s swampy interior. Summer rains swelled the shallow inland sea, creating seasonal overflows that sustained the Everglades and its alligators, panthers, spoonbills and snail kites. But a vast re-engineering over the past century has transformed Okeechobee into something life-threatening as much as life-giving. Toxic algal blooms now regularly infest much of its 730-square-mile surface during the summer, producing fumes and waterborne poisons potent enough to kill pets that splash in the contaminated waters, or send their owners to the doctor from inhaling the toxins. [Source: New York Times]

Kratom becomes the latest age-restricted product in Florida. What to know

Like alcohol, cigarettes and lottery tickets, kratom is now another age-restricted product in Florida. Gov. Ron DeSantis last month signed a bill where products containing the plant Mitragyna speciosa can only be sold or given to people older than 21. The law went into effect July 1. Kratom is from Southeast Asia and is part of the coffee family. The leaves contain two psychoactive ingredients. [Source: Gainesville Sun]

Florida poll: Florida voters deeply divided over DeSantis vs. Disney battle

Florida voters are evenly split in their assessment of the epic culture war between Gov. Ron DeSantis and Disney. A Florida Atlantic University/Mainstreet Research/PolCom Lab poll released Monday shows 47% of Florida voters strongly support DeSantis and 43% strongly or somewhat support Disney. With the poll’s margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points, that’s effectively a tie. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› L3Harris seeks $17.98M in Brevard, Palm Bay property tax breaks for plan to add 201 jobs [Florida Today]
High-tech and defense powerhouse L3Harris Technologies Inc. is proposing a $294.1 million expansion of its Palm Bay campus that would create 201 high-paying jobs at the company and 212 spinoff jobs. Details of the proposal were revealed in documents filed with Brevard County and Palm Bay governments, as Melbourne-based L3Harris is seeking property tax breaks totaling $17.98 million from the county and city.

› City leaders recommend preserving Miami River site, after discovery of ancient artifacts [Miami Herald]
A big piece of the recently uncovered prehistoric indigenous settlement near the mouth of the Miami River appears on its way to securing legal protection from the city as an archaeological site — but it still remains unclear to what extent remnants of the ancient find will be preserved or exhibited publicly in the long term.

› Altamonte Springs set to launch free, autonomous buses [Orlando Sentinel]
When Altamonte Springs’ CraneRIDES — a pair of fare-free autonomous buses — take off on the first trips July 24, the vehicles will carry passengers on short and slow journeys around one of the most densely packed commercial and residential spots in Central Florida. It will circle the Altamonte Mall, the AMC theater, the Renaissance Center and the city’s Cranes Roost Park at speeds of up to 15 mph on its 1.5-mile route every day.

› Former Johnson & Johnson exec to join Sarasota foundation board as chair [Business Observer]
A retired Johnson & Johnson executive is taking a seat at the board of a local foundation. Marilyn Thompson was announced as the new chair of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, succeeding Daniel DeLeo. Paul Hudson, senior managing director at Northern Trust, was announced as vice chair.

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› Zephyrhills, Florida city known for water, halting development to protect water supply [Gainesville Sun]
A Florida city famous for its bottled water fears it might run out of it. The City of Zephyrhills' City Council has halted new development for a year to alleviate strains on its water supply, giving approval to a yearlong development moratorium. Labeled as the "city with pure water," Zephyrhills is known throughout the state for its pure spring water. Now, the central Florida city is growing rapidly for the amount of water it has been allotted by the water district.

› Veterans learn commercial drone skills through CSX program [Jacksonville Daily Record]
The sun was intense and the air thick with humidity as drones buzzed just above ground June 28 at the CSX rail yard off McDuff Avenue in Jacksonville. The commercial drones are not the same as those used by hobbyists and backyard pilots. Drones used by hobbyists can be bought without any regulatory guidelines. Commercial drone operators have to be certified by the Federal Aviation Administration. About 65 veterans will be FAA certified as part of the 2023 CSX program by the end of this year. The program has been active since 2021.

› Disney: Muppet Labs cooking up dishes for Epcot food fest [Orlando Sentinel]
Muppet Labs, along with the Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker characters, will be in the mix for this year’s Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, which begins at Walt Disney World on July 27. Brace yourselves: Pickle milkshakes are on the menu. As the story goes, Honeydew and Beaker are cooking up new flavors for the Brew-Wing Lab inside Epcot’s Odyssey building. One of their concoctions will be the Unnecessarily Spicy, Yet Extremely Tasty Scotch Bonnet Pepper-Curry Wings.

› Sarasota-Manatee remains a 'pretty darn stable' real estate market [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
Despite the highest mortgage rates seen in more than 20 years, the collapse of three large banks last spring and a persistent belief the economy will experience a recession, the Sarasota-Manatee real estate market has not seen price decreases or a sharp drop-off in demand, according to local real estate professionals.