Melbourne airport plans conference for airline officials to help spur air service increase
Melbourne Orlando International Airport is lobbying airlines to introduce or beef up their air service into and out of Brevard County.
Among the airport's tactics will be hosting a conference of airline officials, so they can see what the Space Coast has to offer. The conference will be held in February — at a time when the Space Coast's weather will shine, while the Northeast and Midwest are likely to be mired in snow and cold temperatures.
The conference is being held in partnership with the Space Coast Office of Tourism, which plans to arrange for tours for attendees of Brevard County's attractions, and arrange for them to experience local hotels and restaurants.
Office of Tourism Executive Director Peter Cranis said he expects 20 to 25 airline officials to be represented at the conference.
Cranis said the Office of Tourism will continue its co-op marketing program to support TUI airline’s flights to Melbourne.
It also will work with the airport to support new domestic and international routes.
Rumors were true. Trade Joes is coming
It’s official! Brevard County is getting a Trader Joe’s. WFIT’s Rick Glasby has details:
Melbourne was listed under the "Opening Soon" tab on the Trader Joe's website yesterday. The address listed for the store is 2221 Town Center Ave., which is located in The Avenue Viera. It’s the former Michael’s craft store location. Officials have said the store should open six months after it appears on "coming soon" section on Trader's Joe's web site. That would mean the store should be open around March of next year.
Florida plans to become first state to eliminate vaccine mandates
Florida plans to become the first state to eliminate vaccine mandates, a cornerstone of public health policy for decades that served to keep schoolchildren and citizens safe from infectious diseases.
WFIT’s Terri Wright has more.
In a sharp break from decades of public health policy. Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo said the goal is to end “all of them,” though some changes would require legislative action. The Florida chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics warned the move would raise risks for children and society.
According to the WHO, globally, vaccines have saved an estimated 154 million lives in the past 50 years. Gov. Ron DeSantis also announced a new state “Make America Healthy Again” commission, modeled after federal efforts led by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Developers plan 100 workforce apartments in Rockledge off Barton Boulevard
Developers are planning to bring 100 units of workforce housing to Rockledge just off Barton Boulevard with a targeted groundbreaking of early 2026. The project is called Ekos at Rockledge Park, and is currently in the permitting stages, It’s designed to be workforce housing that leases specifically to those making 60% or less of the area's median income.
City of Rockledge planning director John Cooper said it's important for developers to build workforce housing that's affordable, the type of development the city is hoping to attract.
Cooper said that this is going to be for people like police officers and teachers. He said the new housing would make it possible for the people who work in Rockledge can live there as well.
He added that the housing market is often higher than what people are able to afford.
Currently the four-acre property is already zoned properly for the five-story residential building, Cooper said.