FPL cuts interest rates; treasure found
1. As record temperatures continue, FPL lowers prices
Spring is just around the corner and behind it lies summer and the beginning of hurricane season.
It’s time for Floridians to hunker down and stay near air conditioning, especially given that NOAA is already predicting that 2024 will have a 99 percent chance of being one of the five warmest years on record.
But operating the air conditioning system comes at a cost.
The good news is that those who have Florida Power & Light can expect back-to-back rate reductions in April and May. A typical customer could reduce their electric bill by about $14 per month.
The Florida Public Service Commission already approved FPL’s request for a rate reduction in April.
Rates will fall because a temporary surcharge to pay for hurricane restoration work expired on March 31.
According to FPL, a typical FLL residential customer uses about 1,000 kilowatts of electricity per hour, so the rate reduction means a reduction of $6.81 per month on their bill.
Due to expected lower fuel costs, FPL again asked the Public Service Commission in May for a tariff reduction.
If approved, typical residential customers could expect a further reduction of $7.69 per month. – Cheryl McCloud/Staff
2. Florida tops the list of most searched spring break destinations by state
Spring break has begun and Florida is preparing for an influx of tourists hoping to take advantage of the sun and beaches to escape the cold that is omnipresent in the northern regions of the country.
Data shows that several Florida cities rank high among other states in Google searches for spring break destinations, making Florida by far the most sought-after spring break destination.
Only Texas and California have as many searches from hopefully spring breakers looking for beaches.
Despite strong advice from the city of Miami Beach, which hopes to avert the chaos of spring breakers streaming through the city, Miami’s nationwide popularity as a potential tourist destination has not waned.
Miami dominated the search data for the Northeast states. New Yorkers and many from surrounding states searched for Miami more often than any other spring break destination. People in Delaware, Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont are eyeing Miami for the season. – Tyler Vazquez/Staff
3. Walk on the beach in southwest Florida leads to the discovery of this impressive buried treasure
Cassie Shivley remembered the conversation she had with her father. He wanted to go for a walk on the beach and had only one thing on his mind.
Shivley’s father, Brad Vanderstow, lives in central Michigan. He is spending two months in Florida this winter. He has enjoyed shelling at Satellite Beach and Fort Myers Beach. On March 6, he visited South Englewood Beach near Stump Pass, south of Sarasota.
“He found a whole collection of small (shark) teeth and was hoping to find at least one that was a reasonable size for a necklace,” Shivley said. “He jokingly told me he wanted to find a megalodon tooth after he started finding the small ones.”
Vanderstow, 64, has found one. A big one.
It was about 6:30 p.m., Shivley said. Her father was just finishing his walk on the beach.
“My dad looked down searchingly,” Shivley said. “He saw something black, mostly buried in the sand, and decided to investigate.”
It was a megalodon tooth. And it was significantly larger than the tiny shark teeth he had already collected. Shivley said the buried treasure her father dug up was 3.4 inches long.
This was one of those moments you never forget. – Mark H. Bickel/Employee
More3 To Do: Assisted Living returns, a house and garden tour, more
AndSWFLA To-Do List: Niki Butcher’s “Daydreaming,” Mini Golf Tournament, and More
