Stet News🗳️ Election results are in from Florida’s midterm primary and the biggest surprise is Democrat Angie Nixon’s defeat of Alex Vindman for U.S. Senate. Nixon and the state party’s chief, Nikki Fried, got into a heated conversation Friday that included a yelling match about the impact of socialism and the challenges of campaigning in a red state like Florida. (Axios)
🔎 Florida Tax Watch, a nonpartisan government watchdog organization, said it would be better if voters defeated Amendment 3, a major property tax cut for homeowners, asserting it fails to keep municipal spending in check and hurts vulnerable Floridians.
- The Legislature will have a greater opportunity next year when the 25-member Florida Taxation and Budget Reform Commission convenes to review the state’s overall tax structure, Tax Watch President Jeff Kottkamp said. (The Palm Beach Post $$$)
🚂 The federal government pledged $78.9 million toward rebuilding the century-old bridge that carries Brightline and Florida East Coast Railway trains over the St. Lucie River. It’s part of a $130 million federal commitment to the $262 million project that would rebuild the bridge with two tracks 50 feet higher than the old bridge, allowing for more boat clearance. (Sun-Sentinel $$$)
🤿 Catch up quick on developer Stephen Ross’ deep dive into West Palm Beach from a national perspective. (The New York Times gift link — email required)
- Local note: Stephen Ross had nothing to do with the 1980s clearing of downtown land that later became CityPlace. David Paladino and Henry Rolfs, who assembled that property under the name Downtown/Uptown, razed all the homes at the city’s insistence.
🦖 Two homecomings for Lake Worth Beach. Former Commissioner Andy Amoroso, who suffered a stroke Aug. 16, returned home to a downtown gathering after convalescing for two weeks at his sister’s home in Jupiter Farms. And Dino the dive-bar dinosaur returned to the rooftop of Harry’s Banana Farm bar for the first time in five months after city commissioners dropped code enforcement fines, clearing the way for its return. (Lake Worth Beach Independent, Amoroso story, dinosaur story)
🚁 A sarcastic look at Palm Beach County Mayor Sara Baxter and where she fits in the county’s colorful history from original Stetter Pat Beall. (Sun-Sentinel $$$)
🔬 A research group led by biochemist Luiz Pedro Carvalho of The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology in Jupiter has found that one of the supposedly “known” genes in tuberculosis has a completely unexpected biological role. The work could impact research on TB antibiotic resistance and new drug development. (University of Florida Health newsroom)
🥞 John G’s, the iconic Lake Worth casino restaurant, has been sold and is being franchised. Plans call for expansion as far north as Port St. Lucie, heading south to Jupiter, West Palm Beach, Boynton Beach and Boca Raton. (The Coastal Star)
✈️ From Morrison Field to President Donald J. Trump International Airport, taking a measure of the former Palm Beach International Airport as the new three digit code — DJT — becomes official. (The New York Times gift link — email required)
🍽️ 10 signature dishes in Palm Beach County restaurants, according to Michelin. (Michelin Guide)
🧮 Census data shows St. Lucie County surging as Palm Beach County growth slows. (CBS12)
🎧 “Top of Mind Florida,” the podcast by Michael Williams and Brian Crowley, explores the globe-trotting corporate story behind the career of Delray Beach City Commissioner Tom Markert. He helped run Nielsen’s ratings business across the globe and moved his family 14 times before settling in Delray. His third book, a CIA psychic thriller called “Death Watch,” is out. (Listen now; watch after 4 pm today.)
