Wednesday Afternoon Update – Florida Trend
Florida Governor DeSantis announces $289 million in new education funding
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced $289 million in additional funding for educational programs to help close achievement gaps, improve STEM education, and build student resilience. Funding includes $105 million for after-school and summer learning camps to help struggling students catch up, $47 million for primary materials aligned with Florida’s new English language standards , math, civics and Holocaust education, $50 million to support reading intervention and professional development for reading coaches, $44 million to support STEM learning programs and practices, $22.5 million for resources to help parents become more involved in their children’s education, and $5 million to create regional mental health resilience teams that serve students. No more WTVJ.
What are the true costs of building more freeways in Florida?
In the never-ending drive to build a more prosperous economy in Florida, highways are often seen as an essential vehicle. But there are costs that come with the benefits. It’s critical to keep these costs in mind as freeway planners evaluate projects such as a northern extension of the Florida Turnpike and an upgrade from US 19 to I- 10 in Madison County. The Northern Turnpike Extension – with possible impacts to Citrus, Levy, Marion and Sumter counties – is in the early planning phase, with four alternative corridors being evaluated. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Florida-based Publix is the state’s grocery market leader. Can Amazon’s expansion change that?
For the foreseeable future, few competitors will have the strategic advantages to beat Publix in Florida grocery sales, according to industry experts. Publix Super Markets Inc. enjoys a loyal base of shoppers who repeatedly restock their pantries and refrigerators due to its focus on customer service. The employee-owned, Lakeland-based grocer is also often rewarded with high rankings on the top 10 lists for its efforts to keep those customers coming back and employees happy. But Amazon is trying to increase the competitive pressure. More from the ledger.
How Brightline’s New Bike-Sharing Program Will Work in West Palm Beach
About 17 docking stations at downtown grocery stores, government buildings, apartment complexes and the waterfront will allow customers to pick up and drop off the bikes. “We are creating alternative modes of transportation so that our passengers can easily get to their final destination,” Brightline Chairman Patrick Goddard said Tuesday morning when announcing the new program. More from the Palm Beach Post.
Florida standards assessments are officially abolished and replaced with a progress tracking system
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday signed SB 1048 — officially called the “Student Evaluations” bill — into law, which eliminates the FSA after this school year and replaces them with a progress-tracking system from the school year 2022/23. “Today we come, not to praise the FSA, but to bury it,” DeSantis said at a press conference in St. Petersburg. No more WPTV.
Focus on kindness
Food banks in Southwest Florida rise to the challenge of rising fuel prices and food demand
Area food banks such as the Harry Chapin Food Bank, Midwest Food Bank, and Community Cooperative join with hundreds of partner agencies, including other nonprofits and churches, to make sure no one goes to sleep hungry. Their missions became difficult in March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Thousands of people lost hospitality and other jobs, increasing the need for food by about 400% that summer, the agencies said.
» More from Gulfshore Business.
Innovation
Tallahassee Innovation Park Named Two Cash Grant Winners
Tallahassee’s Innovation Park has named two cash grant winners through its TechGrant Competition program. Manser Edbrooke Technology, which won first place and $15,000, develops prototypes that give customers the opportunity to explore and refine product concepts and demonstrate functionality before paying to fully develop the product. “Our goal is to refine this technology and increase the rate and quality of rapid prototyping,” said Patrick Manser, CEO and co-founder of MET.
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