Development, elections and beach bars: What's Inside Sunday's FLORIDA TODAY
Often our most popular stories online center around growth and development.
People, naturally, are curious about what’s coming (or leaving) the community, whether that's a housing development, an employer, a restaurant or shop. And then there are concerns about the impact of the growth: more traffic congestion, increased stress on the already-fragile Indian River Lagoon, destruction of wetlands that could lead to more flooding risk and changes to a community's character.
The best growth and development stories capture both of the above: the excitement and energy around new development and new businesses and the accompanying concerns. I hope you'll agree that Sunday’s front page story by Business Editor Dave Berman achieves that balance with his deep look at Merritt Island. The island is booming, and as a resident of Merritt Island, I admit to reading with excitement about the new things on the way: a Wawa, Chipotle Mexican Grill, an amphitheater, a new hospital.
But I also, like many other Merritt Islanders, I’m sure, complain about the increased traffic and worry about over-building.
As an editor and a reader, I prefer stories with nuance, stories that don't pretend to be black-and-white. Few things in life are like that so our journalism shouldn't be either.
Friday gave us some late-breaking news that Dave Berman worked to get online and into Sunday's front page about the planned retirement of longtime U.S. Rep. Bill Posey, and the surprise candidacy of Former Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos to replace him. Look for more to come on that race and all of our contested races in the weeks and months ahead.
That Friday news caused us to shift our Sunday front page so I'm going to give you a little preview on what you'll see Monday with Education Reporter Finch Walker’s front page story about TikTok. Finch interviewed people who related the sense of community and connnection that this social media outlet fosters among Brevardians, but also the valid concerns about the dangers both politically (in the Chinese government’s control) and regarding mental health. Social media can turn nasty, and no parent wants their child to fall victim to online bullying. As a parent of a 15-year-old, I share the concerns about the impact of social media on our younger residents.
Inside Sunday’s FLORIDA TODAY, you’ll also find:
Trending Reporter Michelle Spitzer’s look at lottery tickets and which stores sell the most winning tickets, as well as other factoids. Disclaimer: Reading Michelle's story will not guarantee you a winning ticket. If only it were that easy, right?
Want to enjoy a drink with the water as a backdrop? Then check out the list of beach bars, popular with both locals and tourists, in our Style cover story.
Weekend Fun: Best beach bar in Florida? Top 10 we love for drinks, food, views and waterfront fun!
And Engagement Editor John A. Torres has a column about pretty questionable police training underway in Orlando this week, and the participation of some of our officers and Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey.
As always, look for plenty of space launch coverage at floridatoday.com. Get the latest in our launch calendar.
Thanks for reading us and supporting local journalism.
Contact Executive Editor Mara Bellaby at mbellaby@floridatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Merritt Island development, elections and beach bars | FLORIDA TODAY
