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Tampa Bay businesses rebounding from pandemic

Tampa Bay’s retail and service businesses are rebounding from the COVID-19 pandemic better than most other places in the country, according to a new report by Tampa-based real estate firm Franklin Street LLC.

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Who said that?

Who said that?
| 4/12/2021
"I couldn’t tell you whether it’s 30 or 50, but there are a good number of them that make that flight on the way south and again on the way north."
-- Ron Smith
Smith, 63, a retired St. Petersburg police officer and author of A Birder’s Guide to Pinellas County (Florida), has been an avid birder since 1987 and has sighted more than 700 bird species out of an estimated 850 found in North America. He said some 400 species have been spotted in Pinellas, considered one of the best birding spots in the Southeast.
Smith, who leads birding tours at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve in St. Petersburg the first Saturday of every month, talked with the

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Monday's Afternoon Update

FloridaTrend.com delivers Florida business news along with reports on Florida politics, Florida public policy and government. Florida executives and professionals rely on FloridaTrend.com for in-depth analysis and perspectives on the issues, people and ideas that define Florida.

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Monday's Daily Pulse

Monday's Daily Pulse
| 4/12/2021
Florida sues CDC: Governor demands cruise ships be allowed to sail immediately
DeSantis said the no-sail order is outdated and hurts the state as the industry generates billions for the economy and employs tens of thousands of Floridians. “We don’t believe the federal government has the right to mothball a major industry for over a year based on very little evidence and very little data,” the Republican governor said at a news conference at the Port of Miami. [Source: WJW]
Florida will get more than 550,000 COVID vaccines this week. Here’s where they’ll go
Florida will receive 554,370 doses of the COVID-19 vaccines from the federal government this week, a significant drop from the previous week as production issues all but halt shipments of Johnson & Johnson doses. Last week, the state received 811,400 doses that included the largest shipment of Johnson & Johnson doses to date. Next week, only 43,000 of the single-shot doses will come to Florida, a decrease of nearly 200,000. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

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Florida grapples with projected $2.75 billion deficit for 2021-22 fiscal year

| 3/1/2021
At the end of January, Gov. Ron DeSantis proposed a $96.6-billion budget — $4.3 billion over the current year. In making his request, DeSantis cited higher-than-expected revenue for December and January and optimism that Florida’s economy is gaining momentum. But lawmakers, who’ll consider DeSantis’ priorities as they craft the budget, are warning of deep cuts as they grapple with a projected $2.75-billion deficit in general revenue for 2021-22 fiscal year.
Online Sales Tax — Potential Revenue: $480 million-$1 billion
The Florida Retail Federation and its allies have tried for years to pass legislation that would require online vendors without brick-and-mortar stores in Florida to collect and remit sales tax to the state. Some Republicans have balked at the idea in the past, for fear they could be seen as increasing taxes, but a $2.75-billion budget gap may make the idea more palatable. The state’s Revenue Estimating Conference says collecting those taxes would bring in an extra $480 million a year to Florida and $133 million a year for local governments. Texas (with 29 million residents) raked in $1.25 billion in online sales taxes during the past fiscal year, and Florida TaxWatch estimates the Sunshine State could bring in about $1 billion. Senate President Wilton Simpson and House Speaker Chris Sprowls have both signaled support for the measure.

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Keith Overton and Paul Teutul Sr. plan motorcycle-themed restaurant in Pinellas Park

Cycling Through
Keith Overton, a former president of the TradeWinds resort in St. Pete Beach, and Paul Teutul Sr., a motorcycle maker and co-star of the American Chopper reality television show, plan to open a motorcycle-themed restaurant in Pinellas Park. The Orange County Chopper Roadhouse & Museum will display motorcycles and other memorabilia from the television show, which started on the Discovery Channel in 2003, and items from Teutul’s Orange County Choppers motorcycle factory in Newburgh, N.Y. “This just makes sense,” Teutul told the Newburgh Times Herald-Record newspaper. “There’s more of a sense of freedom in Florida, more of a fan base, and you can ride for about nine months out of the year. There are also motorcycle events that take place all over Florida throughout the year.”

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Monday's Afternoon Update

Monday's Afternoon Update
| 4/5/2021
Florida expands COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to everyone 16 and older
Florida has reached a major milestone in the statewide distribution of coronavirus vaccines. Shots are being made available to anyone 16 and older starting Monday. “It looks like we’re going to have about 42,000 available first doses. That’s a lot of availability for those who want to get their vaccine. 9 in addition to that you still have your retail pharmacies, your Publix, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Winn-Dixie,” said Hillsborough health department spokesman Kevin Watler. Watler said people can expect to see longer lines as the new age group arrives for vaccinations. More from WFLA and the Miami Herald.

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Thursday's Daily Pulse

Thursday's Daily Pulse
| 4/1/2021
Florida’s consumer confidence grows amid vaccine expansion
As more Floridians are vaccinated and the economy returns to normal, a University of Florida survey finds that Florida residents are feeling more confident in their personal finances than they were just a month ago. After tumbling in February, consumer sentiment among Floridians increased in March 3.7 points from February’s revised figure of 77.2. Similarly, national consumer sentiment surged 8.1 points. All five components that make up the index increased. More from UF News and WJCT.
Hurricane forecast by AccuWeather calls for another busy season for 2021
Another busy hurricane season appears likely, although it won’t be as bad as last year, according to a prediction released Wednesday by AccuWeather, a private weather forecasting service. The prediction calls for seven to 10 hurricanes. Three to five of these are expected to reach major hurricane strength, which means winds of at least 111 mph. “Current indications are this will be another above-normal season,” said Dan Kottlowski, AccuWeather’s lead hurricane forecaster. “This can translate into high impacts on the United States.” [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

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Wednesday's Daily Pulse

Wednesday's Daily Pulse
| 3/17/2021
$1,000 checks for first responders and other ways Florida’s governor wants to spend federal stimulus money
Gov. Ron DeSantis expects that the Sunshine State will receive between $9 billion and $10 billion from the American Rescue Plan, which he said is less than he would have liked. “Florida’s policies have been more effective and yet with the advent of the federal stimulus bill, we are getting comparatively less money than our population because our unemployment is lower and a lot of those states that have much higher unemployment are getting much, much -- billions and billions of dollars more,” DeSantis said [Source: WKMG]

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Who said that?

Who said that?
| 3/17/2021
--
Steven Shlemon
Shlemon is membership coordinator for Grand Cathedral Cigars, a cigar shop and lounge built inside the 115-year-old renovated historic First Congregational Church building. It opened in January.
Located at 2201 N. Florida Ave. in Tampa Heights, the first floor boasts a full bar, outdoor patio, walk-in humidor, gift shop and lounge area. It’s open to the public Sundays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
The second through fourth floors include a sports bar, private cigar lockers, conference rooms and a private party room in the bell tower. Those are open 24 hours a day for members only.

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