News Digest
“Historic hotel moved through streets of South Florida city”
Photo: AP "A historic hotel and boarding house had to be parked overnight on a South Florida street during a move because of delays with its relocation. Traffic had to be blocked off overnight Sunday on a street in West Palm Beach, and some light posts were...
Florida fall: Activities to enjoy with cooler weather
Photo: Patrick Connolly, Orlando Sentinel " ...Though Florida doesn’t experience the usual signs of fall that northerners look for — changing leaves, frigid nights and jackets worn by chilly commuters — there are cooler temperatures approaching for the Sunshine...
Historic Restoration: “JUSF team using 3D laser scanning to restore Tampa’s famed Jackson House.”
Photo: Luis Santana, Tampa Bay Times "It’s said that legendary singer Ella Fitzgerald wrote her 1938 hit ‘A-Tisket, A-Tasket’ in a ramshackle rooming house in downtown Tampa. She and other stars of the day were turned away from hotels. 'Because of Jim Crow and...
Miami’s Floating Billboards: “Amid ‘caution fatigue’ a new social media-inspired mask campaign is heading to South Florida”
Photo: Twitter in South Florida Sun Sentinel "...Across the Miami area, some of the most original tweets are popping up on billboards, sidewalks and other high-profile spots as part of the social media giant’s campaign to encourage mask wearing in a time when 'caution...
“Taking care of trees in Northeast Florida”
Photo: A lion tailed tree, Larry Figart "Sometimes we take trees for granted. We see them as the pillars in our landscape and sometimes forget that they are living things that need the same conditions to live and thrive as our favorite flower, shrub or groundcover......
“Students’ idea: Carving images onto the moon”
Photo: UT Austin "Want to leave a message on the moon’s surface? A group of University of Texas students have a vision that could — at least in theory — make that a possibility someday. The 10 UT engineering students devised a business plan to turn the idea into a...
Placemaking with “Square Footage – Signs that Define a Building, and Sometimes a City”
Photo: Robert Whitehead "Building signs have grown into a $37.5 billion industry. Some have become so iconic they are peranent parts of the landscape, often standing in for their hometown. Some signs have become so iconic, they are permanent parts of the landscape —...
“Billboard Ad Sales Dive 40% With Americans Staying Off Road”
Photo: Charlotte Kesl, Bloomberg "Surprising as it may seem now, 2020 was supposed to be a great year for billboard ads. New kinds of marketers, like the burgeoning weed industry, were flocking to outdoor advertising, letting it outshine other media. Then Covid-19...
“Florida approves utility storm protection plans; analysts advocate measures beyond undergrounding”
Photo: Wikimedia Commons "System hardening can help keep the lights on during a storm, but experts warn this addresses only the symptoms of a fragile grid. The Florida Public Service Commission on Monday approved agreements authorizing storm protection plans (SPP) for...
Update: “Hurricane-wary Palm Beach slowly, but steadily, burying all overhead utilities”
Photo: Mehgan McCarthy, pbdailynews.com "The 2020 hurricane season is cranking into high gear, and with it comes the dread of storm surges, wind damage and power outages. This is the first hurricane season in recorded history to bring nine tropical storms before Aug....
“Why didn’t New Orleans bury its power lines after Katrina?”
Photo: Rusty Costanza, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune "Ten years after Hurricane Katrina, the conversation over how to protect the New Orleans electricity grid against stronger storms continues to return to a single question: Why don't we bury our power lines? Katrina...
“FDOT to plant native greenery along Hart Expressway”
"Conceptual plans for the Hart Expressway landscaping project received an overwhelmingly positive response from those who attended the Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) July 18 public meeting at the Northeast Florida Safety Council. Members of the project...
“A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make Jacksonville’s riverfront parks great”
Photo: Scenic Jacksonville "Great cities have iconic riverfront parks that connect people to their waterways. In Jacksonville, we are fortunate to have one of our nation’s great rivers, the St. Johns, flowing through the heart of our city, while also having an...
“Wide open places in Central Florida where you can catch your breath this summer”
Photo: Ashley Belanger "I can see for miles. The key to making it through the summer might be the opposite of past years (our usual annual advice: Park yourself in front of the strongest air conditioning and don't move). In fact, we think taking in some fresh air,...
“10 scenic drives around Tampa Bay to take while self-isolating”
Photo: 10 Tampa Bay, Getty/istock "In the age of social distancing and isolating, we must avoid other people and places that could increase the spread of coronavirus. But, that doesn’t mean we can’t go outside and enjoy some of the beautiful parts of Florida. Your own...
“The Perfect Family Road Trip along Florida’s 30A”
Photo: Emily Krause "Along the Florida Panhandle between Panama City and Destin runs a scenic highway called 30A. This small strip of land has become somewhat famous in the last few years thanks to the 16 beautiful beach neighborhoods of South Walton... Whether you...
“H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act (formerly the INVEST in America Act) passes the House”
"H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act (formerly the INVEST in America Act) passes the House On July 1, at 5:23 p.m., H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act, passed the House by a vote of 233-188 – a moment that marked a huge victory for Scenic America and all those who care about...
Dade City – “Century-old log cabin, built to last, is next exhibit at Pioneer Florida Museum”
Photo: Pioneer Florida Museum and Village, Douglas R. Clifford "[The log cabin] was built by hand with local trees from when logging was the primary industry in Dade City. The Pioneer Florida Museum & Village likes to collect old things, from tiny...
Florida Forest Service: Urban Forestry and Community Grant Programs
Photo: Florida Politics "The Florida Forest Service...announced that applications are now being taken for three community and urban forestry grant programs. 'Urban forestry accounts for over 80,000 jobs and contributes more than $8 billion to Florida’s economy,' said...
“Cape Coral tree planters say the shade that will come will improve the city’s future”
Photo: Fort Myers News-Press "A group of Cape Coral residents spent Saturday morning throwing shade around the city, but it could be a few years before it provides results. The shade thrown was in the guise of hundreds of slash pine seedlings planted near the...