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Florida News That Impacts You – August 10th, 2022
Bottom Line: Your daily recap of the biggest news from around the state that impacts you in South Florida.
- Today is the first day of school in several school districts across the state including in the Palm Beaches, Martin and Monroe school districts.
- Gas prices are another two cents per gallon lower in Florida today. The statewide average for a gallon of regular unleaded is $3.72 per gallon. In Southeast Florida prices range from a low of $3.81 per gallon in Broward, to a high of $3.93 per gallon in the Palm Beaches.
- Florida’s COVID-19 trend has hit another multi-month low. With fewer than 8,300 new COVID cases reported on Tuesday, Florida’s weekly trend for daily cases has fallen below 8,400 – the lowest since May 22nd.
- A new ten-year study from University of Florida researchers has quantified the human impact on algal blooms in Florida’s waterways. The study focused on the impact stemming from Lake Okeechobee discharges west through the Caloosahatchee River basin into the Gulf. They were able to identify levels of nitrogen contamination discharged into waterways, which was directly linked to increased algal conditions, including the exacerbation of red tide. While this link has been proven with eastern discharges involving blue-green algae, this study is the first to quantify the impact on red tide - which is in part a naturally occurring phenomenon. The top recommendation is the modification of Lake Okeechobee discharge protocols.