Hurricane forecast slashed again with 'ludicrous, but real' El Niño

A leading hurricane season forecast has again reduced its prediction for the number of named storms expected this year to its lowest tally in a decade as a cyclone crushing El Niño deepens to record intensity. In an update released Wednesday, July 8, Colorado State University is calling for a total of nine named storms to form between now and Nov. 30. The new prediction, which includes the short-lived and soggy Tropical Storm Arthur, is down from the 13 named storms CSU originally predicted in April. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]

Florida Trend Exclusive
The king of fruits

The Sunshine State may be famous for its oranges, but this is the peak harvest time for Florida mangos. Florida grows more mangos than any other state, and pirates get credit for bringing them here over 200 years ago. Eight quick facts about the fruit, from peak season to why most supermarket mangos still aren't Florida-grown. [Source: Florida Trend]

Artemis II astronauts return to Florida for 1st time since historic launch

The last time the four astronauts of Artemis II were together in Florida, they were taking a ride on the most powerful rocket to ever launch humans into space. The quartet of NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, as well as the Canadian Space Agency’s Jeremy Hansen, returned to the launch site Wednesday, where they offered an engaging, descriptive recap of their singular experience of being hurtled out of Earth’s atmosphere for a 10-day mission that ventured around the moon. More from the Orlando Sentinel and Florida Today.

As rising seas invade the Everglades, spoonbills are finding new homes

Decades of research have pointed out a curious pattern for where the spoonbills make their nests — an inland shift. The culprit, the science suggests, may be sea level rise. Spoonbills have called the Everglades home for centuries, so they’ve grown to depend on its wet and dry seasons. In the dry season, when they have their babies, water levels drop. Fish and other tiny critters get grouped together in the remaining shallow puddles. [Source: Miami Herald]

Brightline Florida rail company faces bankruptcy

The privately owned, 235-mile railroad connecting Miami and Orlando, Florida, faces a July 15 deadline to make a payment on $985 million in “commuter” bonds, according to The Bond Buyer. The Florida Development Finance Corp., which issued the bonds, previously agreed with bondholders to defer payment from Feb. 17 to July 1, and then to July 15. If Brightline or its affiliates default on making the required payments, it could be forced into bankruptcy or liquidation, according to a Feb. 5 FDFC memorandum. [Source: Smart Cities Dive]

Why early civil coordination is a key cost-control strategy

Across Florida, development projects are becoming more complex to finance and execute. Rising costs, labor constraints, unpredictable permitting timelines and longer material lead times often leave developers with less margin for error and fewer opportunities to course-correct. One of the most effective ways to manage that risk is by bringing a civil contractor into the process early, before key decisions are finalized. [Sponsored report]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Florida Power & Light customers to receive hurricane recovery refunds [WUSF]
Florida Power & Light customers will receive about $80 million in refunds stemming from charges imposed for storm restoration work from the 2024 hurricane season, state regulators determined Tuesday. The Public Service Commission approved the refund, which will result in a one-month reduction in base rates to reflect any "revenue over-recovery" charges from the Juno Beach-based FPL, which serves more than 12 million Floridians across 43 counties.

› Orange County to buy $13M hotel next to jail as possible homeless housing [Orlando Sentinel]
Orange County Commissioners voted to spend $13 million for a recently renovated hotel next door to the jail, with indications it could become their latest effort to find more housing for the homeless. Without publicly acknowledging its intentions, the county last month agreed to a contract to acquire the 3.82-acre hospitality parcel, located at 2500 33rd St., in a direct sale transaction.

› Palm Beach County students gain hands-on business experience at entrepreneurship forum [WPBF]
Students in Palm Beach County participated in the "Mind Your Business" entrepreneurship forum Tuesday, gaining hands-on experience in business and innovation. The forum is designed to inspire the next generation of creators, problem-solvers, and emerging business leaders. There are four key learning areas in the program: STEM, media, artificial intelligence, and trades.

› Jacksonville-based Palladium secures $66 million loan for renewable energy development [Jacksonville Daily Record]
Palladium Energy, a Jacksonville-based renewable energy company, secured a $66 million loan from Voya Investment Management, the company announced July 7. The loan will support further development of 300 megawatts in sustainable energy sources in South Carolina, the company wrote in a news release. The development in South Carolina is part of a growing investment into infrastructure across multiple markets.

More stories ...

› $1 billion Tampa development grows tenant roster [Business Observer]
Midtown Tampa, the $1 billion mixed used development on the city’s main commercial thoroughfare, is adding three new tenants to its already crowded roster. Midtown is a self-contained 1.8 million-square-foot development that includes office, hotel, retail and multifamily. Its current mix of occupants includes Whole Foods, REI Co-op and Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux as well as corporate heavyweights TECO Energy, Booz Allen Hamilton and the Tampa-based technology staffing company Kforce.

› Attorney Matt Morgan wants to save Winter Park’s endangered Merrywood House [Orlando Sentinel]
Orlando-based attorney Matt Morgan has offered $10 million to buy the land where the historic — but imperiled — Merrywood House stands in Winter Park with the goal of preserving it. But the real estate agent working with the building’s owners said the offer is far below what the property is actually worth. Meanwhile, a proposal to split the property in half is moving forward before the city commission.

› Miami charter change could force vote to fill elected official vacancies [Miami Today]
A proposed City of Miami charter change could require future vacancies in the offices of mayor and city commissioner to be filled through elections only, eliminating the option to appoint replacements. On July 9, the city commission is to consider placing the charter amendment on the Nov. 3 ballot, asking voters whether to end the current practice that allows a majority of commissioners to appoint replacements when a mayoral or commission vacancy occurs.

› Siesta Key beach lawsuit ends with Sarasota County land deal [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
The Sarasota County Commission approved the settlement of a federal lawsuit over public beach use near Siesta Key Beach Access 3 that will give the county clear ownership of three sandy beach lots. The deal will also give Siesta Beach Lots LLC ownership of a nearby lot adjacent to the beach and permission to build a house there.

Students still have questions after USF Sarasota-Manatee becomes New College