Melbourne Square Mall has been sold.
Melbourne Square Mall has new owners. The sale was part of the bankruptcy proceedings of its former owner. The mall was sold to Second Horizon, an investment group, who says they will invest in upgrading the shopping center, the county's largest. 40 year old Melbourne Square Mall has 125 retailers currently.
Bill to reduce out-of-state enrollment at state universities advances.
An effort to further limit the number of out-of-state and international students at top Florida universities advanced in the Florida House yesterday. But it hasn’t made any traction in the Senate with less than two weeks remaining in the regular legislative session. The proposal requires some state-funded universities to reserve 95 percent of new fall undergraduate enrollments to students from Florida. That’s an increase to the current 90 percent requirement for all universities.
NASA locates problem in SLS rocket.
It took rolling the SLS rocket and Orion capsule back into the Vehicle Assembly Building, but yesterday NASA said it had found the problem in the rocket’s upper stage. An out-of-place seal restricted the flow of helium to the SLS. More work will need to be done before the rocket returns to the launch pad, but an early April mission to the moon may now be possible.
Astronaut rescuers to team with Health First.
A Melbourne-based company specializing in astronaut rescue is partnering with Health First. The partnership will help Operator Solutions expand its trauma-response services to reach medical victims aboard cruise ships, people injured in natural disaster zones, and search-and-rescue operations worldwide. The company is currently prepared to rush hundreds of miles offshore in the Atlantic if private astronauts need rescuing after launching from the Cape.
Titusville to test nano bubbles to clean the IRL.
The city of Titusville has launched a pilot program using nano bubble technology in an effort to improve water quality in the Indian River Lagoon. The system adds oxygen to the lagoon floor to break down muck and reduce algae blooms. Researchers from Florida Tech will monitor the six-month pilot program to evaluate its effectiveness. If successful, the program could be expanded across Brevard County.
DeSantis’ vaccine legislation makes it to the Florida Senate floor.
Legislation to give parents more opportunities to refuse vaccines for their kids is headed to the full Florida Senate for a vote. But the version of the bill has not moved forward in the Florida House. With the legislative session scheduled to end a week from Friday, the bill’s future is cloudy.
In other news from Tallahassee, the Florida House passed a bill Tuesday supporters say would lower housing costs. The bill would limit how much cities and counties can charge for development permits, make it harder to deny certain housing projects, and make it easier to make land-use changes. Republicans touted the bill as a way to increase housing supply in unaffordable areas. Democrats worry it would take important development decisions out of the hands of local governments -- and lead to too much development.
Happy birthday, Florida! You're looking good for 181.
Did you celebrate yesterday? It was the 181st anniversary of the State of Florida joining the U.S. Florida became the 27th state to join the union on March 3,1845. It didn’t last long. Less than 20 years later, Florida seceded from the union, and joined the confederacy.
