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‘We got lucky’: How Florida wildlife died — or survived — in the brutal February freeze - The record-breaking arctic blast that hit Florida earlier this month may have sent humans scurrying for winter coats, but it sent wildlife scurrying, swimming and slithering for their lives. Some of those animals were native, some were invasive. Some survived. Thousands of others did not. The benchmark for cold snaps in Florida is the 2010 freeze, which killed manatees, crocodiles, iguanas, thousands of snook and goliath grouper, and caused 50% to 90% of invasive pythons to die in some areas.
Here are all of the plans so far to cut property taxes in Florida -The latest Legislative session is underway in Florida, and lawmakers have already filed several proposals for cutting property taxes statewide. These plans come largely in response to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ recent calls for property tax reform. That said, there are also a few other amendments being proposed, including some aimed at elections and government structure in the state. Even if any of these amendments gets through the Legislature, though, they will need at least 60% approval from voters in the next general election later this year before they can take effect.
Study finds Florida hospitals drive $198B in state economic activity
Florida’s hospitals generated $198.6 billion in total economic output in 2023 and supported nearly 977,000 jobs statewide when accounting for indirect and induced effects, according to an economic impact report released on Thursday. The study examined 337 licensed hospitals operating in Florida during 2023. Those hospitals directly employed 348,085 full-time equivalent workers and paid $34.5 billion in wages, salaries and benefits. They reported $97.3 billion in total operating and non-operating revenues and $80.2 billion in operating expenses. [Source: The Capitolist]
Florida lawmakers consider funding for struggling mobile home owners
The Florida House of Representatives is debating a bill that would make it easier for local governments to provide financial assistance to mobile home owners facing rising lot fees. And, as mobile home parks like Sweetwater’s Li’l Abner shutter across South Florida to make way for new developments, the bill requires counties and cities to create contingency plans to assist the people displaced by park closures.
Canadian airline dropping all Florida summer flights, what to know - A Canadian airline is canceling summer flights for the 2026 summer season, but just for its only two destinations in the U.S.: Fort Lauderdale and Orlando. Air Transat will start gradually winding down services in the spring to better manage its resources, The Canadian News Press reported based on statements from spokesperson Marie-Eve Vallières. The airline flies to 67 destinations, Vallières said, but only two are in the states. She said the Florida flight program for the 2026-2027 winter season will be determined at a later time.
Tampa Bay development slows as costs tighten through 2026 - Tampa Bay’s development machine is still moving; it’s just not expected to print through 2026. Architects tend to feel those shifts early. They’re hired long before ribbon cuttings, sometimes years before a project finishes. By the time the public sees a building, the costs behind it have already been (re)negotiated, trimmed and occasionally abandoned. The Tampa Bay chapter of the American Institute of Architects’ latest Voice of Architecture survey suggests 2026 will bring continued growth in real estate development – but at a slower pace than the last two years.
Remember Greenlight Pinellas?
A new boon for Boca Raton - Community is built next to Tri-Rail station -
Construction has begun on a mixed-use project rising right next to Boca Raton’s Tri-Rail station, starting what could become a string of transit-oriented developments that provide the commuter rail with a financial lift. Link at Boca will have an eight-story building with 340 residences, some of which will be workforce housing. A groundbreaking ceremony was held Thursday, with transportation officials and South Florida leaders hopeful about Tri-Rail’s future, despite recent funding concerns.
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