Airlines may see profits during 2009
(Cleveland Plain Dealer © 12/30/2008)
The cold economy and the possibility of wild price swings in jet fuel prices promise to make 2009 a year of uncertainty for U.S. airlines. The recent plunge in energy prices might allow big carriers to eke out a profit in 2009, in the throes of a recession. That would be a first for the American aviation industry. But it assumes stability in fuel prices, when volatility rules the day. With
Aerospace companies finding success in Northwest Florida
(Crestview News Bulletin © 12/30/2008)
More than 200 aerospace and defense companies are finding success already in this burgeoning aerospace and defense industry cluster on Florida’s Panhandle. The tri-county area of Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties formed the Gulf Coast Aerospace and Defense (GCAD) corridor in July to engage the global aerospace and defense market and train the eye of the world on the Gulf Coast. Th
Tourism saw a Christmas slump
(Englewood Sun Herald © 12/30/2008)
Hopes focusing on the rest of the winter season Charlotte County's Christmas-New Year's tourist trade so far has been a mixed season. According a quick, unofficial survey taken Monday by Charlotte County Tourist Development spokeswoman Jennifer Huber, home rentals appear to be booked solid, while hotel and motels reported a 10- to 20-percent drop in their bookings. In prior years, Cha
It's sneezing cats and dogs
(Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel © 12/30/2008) (Registration Required)
By Susannah Bryan South Florida Sun-Sentinel December 30, 2008 Ah-choo! That wasn't you. That was your cat. You're not the only one sneezing and sniffling this season. Just like us, cats and dogs can catch highly contagious cold and flu viruses. The good news: We can't catc
Repairs on section of A1A almost done; road to reopen in February
(Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel © 12/30/2008) (Registration Required)
By Bill Dipaolo The Palm Beach Post December 30, 2008 MANALAPAN Repairs on the three-mile stretch of State Road A1A south of Ocean Avenue are almost complete, and the roadway should reopen in February. "We get lots of calls from customers asking if we are open,"
Father takes on hotel in battle for beach access
(Ft. Myers-WBBH (NBC) © 12/30/2008)
NAPLES: A Collier County man and his three young children were kicked off of Vanderbilt Beach near the Ritz-Carlton in Naples. Hotel security says it is private property, but the booted beachgoer says he had every right to be there. What started as some family fun in the sun ended with Graham Ginsberg protesting up and down Vanderbilt Beach. "It's not right. It is a public beach," he said. Sund
Packed beaches boosting business
(Ft. Myers-WBBH (NBC) © 12/30/2008)
FORT MYERS BEACH: The shorelines of Fort Myers Beach are packed with tourists. Leaders are happy to see all the people. But now, town council members are trying to figure out the best way to keep them coming. Unlike its namesake in New York City, Times Square on Fort Myers Beach doesn't always ring in the New Year with big crowds. "We were slow earlier in December, but thank God the weather is g
Gator Bowl filling hotel rooms
(Jacksonville Business Journal © 12/30/2008) (Registration Required)
Visitors to Jacksonville for the Gator Bowl will spending an estimated $13.4 million, the city said Monday. Local tourism bureau Visit Jacksonville said the total economic impact, based on preliminary hotel occupancy, will hover around $31.8 million for the Clemson-Nebraska match up. The New Year’s Day face off between the Tigers and the Cornhuskers was apparently a good decision for the Kon
2008 Full Of Weird Events in Florida
(Lakeland Ledger © 12/30/2008) (Registration Required)
TALLAHASSEE | The past year in Florida saw deputies Taser an emu, iguanas fall from trees and a Christmas tree used as a weapon. What else would you expect in a state where a longtime congresswoman hung up on President-elect Barack Obama not once, but twice? Click to enlarge AN IGUANA THAT SEEMS DEAD lies belly up under a buttonwood tree in Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park i
6 Polk County Towns Lose Population
(Lakeland Ledger © 12/30/2008) (Registration Required)
LAKELAND | The financial crises over the last year and a half and the housing market drying up like crocus on the desert floor has had an impact on Polk County's population growth - six municipalities lost population in the last year. Click to enlarge Click to enlarge
Hawaii banking on Obama tourism
(Los Angeles Times © 12/30/2008) (Registration Required)
Reporting from Honolulu — Locals here sometimes call Barack Obama a kamaaina, the Hawaiian word for native-born or one who has lived here for some time. Chicagoans, of course, think of him as a South Sider who often wears a White Sox cap. Both are correct, and both illustrate an increasing pull on the future 44th president by those who want to use his native-son status for marketing adv
Jimmy Buffett's empire extends far beyond 'Margaritaville'
(Los Angeles Times © 12/30/2008) (Registration Required)
Reporting from Las Vegas — It's like the world's biggest beach party, hosted by the world's richest beach bum. The 15,000 fans packing the sold-out MGM Grand arena were enjoying the final concert of the season by Jimmy Buffett, the singer whose popularity and fortune grow greater even as his hair grows grayer. Buffett, who turned 62 on Christmas Day, long ago became an icon o
Income disparity highest on Beach
(Miami Herald © 12/30/2008) (Registration Required)
A source of hope and a symbol of displacement, the condo towers loom just above Arthur Ford Jr.'s childhood home in Miami Beach, a tiny two-bedroom apartment on a street freshly paved with reddish brick.'When I step out and see those people in nice cars and nice suits, I think that maybe in five years I'll be one of them,' said Ford, 31, a produce department employee at a gourmet food market. ``
Report: Miami will get Pro Bowl in 2010
(Miami Herald © 12/30/2008) (Registration Required)
The Pro Bowl will abandon Honolulu for Miami Gardens in 2010, kicking off one week before the Super Bowl arrives at Dolphin Stadium, according to a source involved in the decision and local Super Bowl organizers.The anticipated move is seen as a bid to revive interest in the NFL's annual all-star game, whose timing and remote location makes it harder to attract fans, sports writers and even player
Report: Disney may expand Hong Kong park
(Orlando Business Journal © 12/30/2008) (Registration Required)
The Walt Disney Co. is looking to expand its Hong Kong Disneyland park by 30 percent, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal . Disney (NYSE: DIS) is currently exploring expansion options with the Hong Kong government, which holds a stake in the venture. The report says that any expansion could include adding attractions that are unique to the Hong Kong park. The report indicated th
SeaWorld Orlando ticket prices up $5
(Orlando Business Journal © 12/30/2008) (Registration Required)
SeaWorld Orlando will raise its ticket prices next year. Beginning Jan. 5, ticket prices will increase $5 to $74.95. The theme park increased its prices in November 2007 and introduced a new ticket plan in June. Both Walt Disney World and Universal Studios raised their ticket prices in August. The new ticket price hike puts the park just under Disney’s and Universal’s $75 one-day, one-park t
From free to luxury, party hats are ready for New Year's Eve
(Orlando Sentinel © 12/30/2008) (Registration Required)
The economy may be in the dumps, but plenty of Central Florida residents are apparently still in the mood to party on New Year's Eve. Organizers of events ranging from family-friendly light shows to midnight toasts and fireworks displays at luxury hotels say they anticipate plenty of revelers in search of a bargain or a break from penny-pinching. "The fact is, this has been a tough year
Resort developer Ginn Cos. to liquidate 2 projects
(Orlando Sentinel © 12/30/2008) (Registration Required)
The credit crunch and slumping real-estate sales have forced struggling Central Florida-based resort developer and operator Ginn Cos. to file to liquidate assets in two of its Florida residential projects, the upscale Tesoro development in Port St. Lucie and Quail West, near Naples. Ginn, based in Celebration, was unable to refinance its $675 million in debt owed to its lenders, led by Credit
12/30/08 - Miami Art Museum to Host Art Event
(South Florida CEO © 12/30/2008)
MIAMI, FL - Miami Art Museum is dedicated to engaging the public with art from the twentieth century through the present, as well as establishing dialogues among international artists and the participants in Miami’s vibrant cultural community. We invite you to be part of it – and to become a member of MAM if you aren’t already. Here are a few highlights to encourage you to visit MAM this month. J
For a lot of businesses and government offices this is a slow time of the year
(St. Petersburg Times © 12/30/2008) (Registration Required)
The week after Christmas. Businesses eke by while workers vacation. Governments grind to a halt. No juries fill courtrooms. Joe Adams, 47, sat in front of the George E. Edgecomb Courthouse in downtown Tampa Monday and by 2 p.m. had collected only a dollar — rather than his usual $30 — for the ornamental roses and crosses he makes out of sago palms. "Always during Christmas, it slows down," he sa
Florida Strawberry Festival keeps attendance ranking
(Tampa Bay Business Journal © 12/30/2008)
The Florida Strawberry Festival maintained its status on a list of Top 50 North American Fairs for 2008, said Carnivalwarehouse.com, an industry Web site that compiles the annual rankings. The Plant City event, held annually, was No. 35 based on attendance. Looking at overall guest numbers nationally, fairs were down just 2 percent in 2008 to 40.67 million guests in 2008. The State Fair o
Vacationers catch US alligator on Australian coast
(WFLX FOX Palm Beach County © 12/30/2008)
Associated Press - December 30, 2008 5:23 AM ET SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - Finding a crocodile on Australia's southern coast is strange, but finding an American alligator there is even stranger. That's why police assumed they had a crocodile, which is native to Australia's tropical north, when vacationers caught a reptile wandering around their campsite. But police have corrected their initial s
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