Florida News That Impacts You – April 23rd, 2024
Bottom Line: Your daily recap of the biggest news from around the state that impacts you in South Florida.
- On Monday, at a stop in West Palm Beach at the Cox Science Center and Aquarium, Governor DeSantis announced he’ll sign off on a $1.5 billion expansion of the Everglades Restoration project approved by the legislature. Of the new round of funding, $850 million will specifically go to Everglades projects, with the balance going to improve water quality in Florida’s waterways – including the efforts to end east-west discharges from Lake Okeechobee. Specific to the Palm Beaches, $100 million is for the completion of the second phase of the C-51 Reservoir, which when completed, will reduce eastern discharges through the C-51 canal into the Lake Worth Lagoon.
- Central Florida based Tijuana Flats has entered bankruptcy and has closed 11 of its locations across four states, including a location in Boynton Beach. On Friday the company entered bankruptcy and announced a new ownership group, Flatheads LLC, was assuming operational control. The company is continuing the operation of 65 company owned locations and 26 franchised stores.
- The Stuart City Commission pushed back a planned rezoning vote for a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center. The Perseverance Recovery Center is seeking to convert a former assisted living facility into a rehabilitation center at SE Indian St. For the proposed mixed-use facility to be established, the City would have to rezone the 9.5-acre site. Martin County Sheriff William Snyder stands in opposition to the rezoning proposal. A vote has been rescheduled for May 13th.
- Windy with cooler temps today. Highs will be in the upper 70’s, which is about five degrees cooler than usual. We should have pleasant weather for the rest of the week.
- Gas prices continued to trend lower on Monday dropping by three cents per gallon. The average price statewide for regular unleaded is currently $3.53 per gallon. In Palm Beach County the average price is $3.76 per gallon, in Martin the average is $3.61 and in Indian River County the average is $3.58 per gallon.