Levy County Utilities Fight Heats Up

The Bronson Town Council faced public pushback on Aug. 4 over a water project to Cedar Key, with residents warning of aquifer contamination, well failures, and long-term resource depletion.

“If our wells run dry, we have no recourse. This has got to be stopped,” said Robbie Blake, a longtime Bronson resident.

Those fears echo statewide warnings. Florida TaxWatch cautioned last year that the state’s growing population is putting unprecedented strain on its water resources.

They projected that Florida will need to invest an estimated $1.7 billion for critical water projects through 2040 to avoid a significant water supply shortage.

Florida Filling Job Market Gaps

Cape Coral Technical College is breaking ground on a new 30,000-square-foot facility to allow the college to expand its programs in construction, welding, HVAC, and automotive repair, all high-demand jobs in Lee County.

These fields reflect a statewide trend, with carpentry and automotive repair ranking 12th and 17th, respectively, among the “Top 30 High-Demand Careers.”

Florida’s overall job market is also showing signs of strength.

The U.S. Department of Labor data shows 6,129 initial unemployment claims were filed last week in Florida—218 fewer than the 6,347 recorded for the week ending July 26.

FDA Considering Orange Juice Rule Change

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is weighing a rule change that would allow store-bought orange juice to have a lower sugar content, known as its Brix level.

The Florida orange industry has advocated for the rule change, as currently most “not-from-concentrate” products contain at least some imported oranges to meet the standard.

“Changing the minimum Brix level for orange juice will modernize the standard to more accurately reflect the naturally occurring levels of the Florida oranges. This will allow our juice processors to more fully utilize the Florida orange crop and support the Florida citrus grower,” said Robin Bryant, executive director of the Florida Citrus Processors Association.

The FDA is seeking public comments on the proposed change through Nov. 4.

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➤ Statewide: Researchers at Colorado State University have revised their hurricane forecast, predicting 16 named storms this season—down from the 17 they initially expected. (More)

➤ Pinellas County: St. Petersburg City Council voted 7-1 on Thursday to approve $1.3 million in funds to make turf repairs to Tropicana Field later this year. (More)

➤ Seminole County: The city of Winter Springs cleared nearly 30,000 feet of debris from five local creeks—a move aimed at reducing the risk of flooding like what residents experienced during Hurricane Ian. (See Video)

➤ Santa Rosa County: A fireworks ban from the school district has ended a long-standing tradition of pregame fireworks at Pace High School. (Details)

➤ Orange County: The city of Winter Garden is considering lower speed limits on several stretches of city streets to allow for more golf cart traffic. (More)

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➤ The Jacksonville Jaguars lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Tennessee Titans 29-7 in their preseason openers last night. (More)

➤ Miami Marlins pitcher Edward Cabrera struck out the side in the eighth inning to cap off his excellent 11-strikeout, one-run performance on Friday. (Watch Video)

➤ Florida Panthers star forward Matthew Tkachuk says he may require offseason surgery that would cause him to miss significant time in the NHL regular season. (More)

Yesterday’s Results: NFL | MLB | Soccer | WNBA | PGA | LLSWS

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➤ A man captured 87 invasive Burmese pythons in the Everglades in July, earning the $1,000 top prize in the South Florida Water Management District’s python removal program. (See Photo)

➤ NASA astronauts carried seeds aboard a SpaceX launch to the International Space Station, aiming to use zero gravity and cosmic radiation to trigger DNA changes that could make the plants more resilient to hot climates like Florida’s. (See Photo)

➤ Marine researchers at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton are using “biologging” to track stingrays, attaching specialized devices that reveal where they hunt and how they socialize. (See Stingrays)

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How often do you mail things through the post office?

1. Daily
2. Weekly
3. Monthly
4. Holidays/specific need
5. Never

Yesterday’s Results:

Do you own an Elvis Presley record or CD?

1. No: 54%
2. Yes: 34%
3. My collection is digital: 12%

Which Florida city is home to the smallest working post office in the U.S.?

Show me the answer