Lawyers struggle to advise Florida schools on books

It’s been no secret that Florida law governing issues such as library book selection has confused educators around the state. Attorneys charged with advising school boards and superintendents have found themselves equally flummoxed. Recently released email chains show school board lawyers struggling to determine whether mere mention of certain words would get districts in trouble. Meanwhile, the state has advised school districts to consult their lawyers if uncertain about what a law means. More from the Tampa Bay Times and the Miami Herald.

Stunned by a Citizens Insurance ‘depopulation’ letter? Here’s what you need to know.

Tens of thousands of customers of state-owned Citizens Property Insurance Corp. are getting a stunning surprise in their mailboxes. It’s a letter from Citizens’ “Depopulation Unit” stating their policies have been assumed by a private-market company. Cause for celebration? Not if the private company’s estimated annual premium is higher than what the policyholder is paying Citizens. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

School districts hit by Idalia face millions of dollars in repairs

The school districts hit by Hurricane Idalia are looking at millions of dollars in repairs. Taylor, Madison, Suwannee and Dixie County school districts were hit the hardest by the Category 3 hurricane, with Taylor experiencing the most damage, said Dave Stephens, executive director of risk management for the Florida School Boards Insurance Trust. [Source: Tallahassee Democrat]

Florida researchers find stormwater ponds and reclaimed water feed red tide blooms

Nutrients from stormwater and reclaimed water are feeding red tide algae blooms, according to findings from a peer-reviewed study out of the University of Florida. There are over 76,000 urban stormwater ponds across Florida, and the state leads the nation in reclaimed water use, primarily in residential areas. [Source: WFSU]

Take a safari through Florida's 500 invasive species

Florida has more than 500 invasive species— more than any other state in the country. In July, Vox reporter Benji Jones spent a week in Florida on what he’s called an “invasive species safari." Essentially, he traveled all around the state, from Tampa and Naples to Miami and Fort Lauderdale, searching for nonnative animals — and he found them. [Source: WBUR]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Judge weighs Gainesville utility overhaul [News Service of Florida]
A Leon County circuit judge heard arguments Friday in a challenge by the city of Gainesville to a new state law overhauling control of the Gainesville municipal utility. Judge Angela Dempsey held a hearing on competing motions by the city and the state for summary judgment in the case filed in July. The law, approved this spring by the Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis, created the Gainesville Regional Utilities Authority to direct the utility system, known as Gainesville Regional Utilities.

› Two new towers will be West Palm Beach’s tallest as the city sees massive growth [South Florda Sun-Sentinel]
Two massive towers are rising in West Palm Beach, reaching 426 feet high to clutch the tile for the city’s tallest high-rises. They’re just the latest sign of the expansive growth as the downtown lures more businesses and residents. The 30-story mixed-use complex, titled One West Palm, will contain 326 luxury residential units, 200,000 square feet of Class A office space, a hotel and a long list of amenities, including a fitness club, spa, movie theater and indoor tennis courts.

› Tampa Bay EDC wins top international award [Business Observer]
The Tampa Bay Economic Development Council has won the International Economic Development Council's Gold Economic Development Organization of the Year Excellence Award for 2023 in the large market category, which means regions with a population greater than 500,000.

› Miami-Dade County looks to cut ties with Ygrene energy improvement funding [Miami Today]
Miami-Dade County is moving to cut all ties with a tax assessment district that helps finance energy-efficient home improvements and is administered by Ygrene, whose financial problems left some homeowners in highly publicized binds. The commissioner who is championing the pullout says the improvement financing vehicle is actually making consumer loans.

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› Commissioner spent 57 days in Miami’s ‘ultimate business playground.’ Then he was arrested [Miami Herald]
Room 801 at the 40-story East Miami hotel is described as the “ultimate business playground” — complete with a wet bar, full master bathroom, king-sized bed and a conference room that “comfortably fits” more than a dozen people. It’s in this room, investigators say, where Miami City Commissioner Alex Díaz de la Portilla spent weeks in the summer and fall of 2020, racking up nearly $30,000 in expenses— and relying at times on lobbyists to cover the costs.

› Top of the List: Orlando's largest women-owned businesses [Orlando Business Journal]
Orlando Business Journal features Central Florida's women-owned businesses, ranked by their local gross revenue in 2022. The top five businesses with a majority women ownership combined for $143.54 million in local gross revenue for 2022. They employ 752 people locally and 1,170 companywide. All the top five were at least two-thirds women-owned.

› How parking at Rays games could be affected during ballpark construction [Tampa Bay Times]
It’s not easy to find parking space around downtown St. Petersburg on a Tampa Bay Rays game day — and it could get trickier as construction of a new stadium takes over Tropicana Field’s parking spots. The Rays and city of St. Petersburg announced Tuesday that they finalized a deal for a new stadium that’s set to begin construction late next year. It’ll be built over the main parking lot in front of the current stadium.

› ensembleNEWSRQ growing into eighth season with premiere works and new staff [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
There have been some growing pains since percussionist George Nickson and violinist Samantha Bennett started ensembleNEWSRQ, or enSRQ, eight years ago, as a way to provide opportunities for themselves and musician colleagues to explore a wide-range of contemporary classical music.