WASHINGTON — The state of Florida and the federal government would swap several parcels of land to both expand Apalachicola National Forest and potentially relocate the North Florida Fairgrounds, under legislation the House approved Wednesday.

Though it will move its headquarters and consolidate some of its outlying offices, an official with the St. Joe Co. said personnel dedicated to its SouthWood community in Tallahassee will remain even after the company completes its relocation by the summer of 2011.

Governor Charlie Crist today, as part of his continued focus on strengthening Florida’s economy, joined Senator Jeremy Ring and Representative Lake Ray to promote two ports bills designed to create jobs, generate revenue and increase trade opportunities for Florida ports. House Bill 963 would help Florida more effectively compete with other states to attract port-related businesses, and House Bill 1169 would generate investments in new and expanding port projects through insurance premium credits.

A federal grant has come to the rescue of those in need of transportation in Taylor County. Taylor County’s bus shuttle will return to five days a week, thanks to a $40,000 federal transit grant. Several years ago, commissioners had to cut the service down to three days a week because of state budget cuts.

The city of Gretna issued a news release late Tuesday afternoon saying it was terminating its consideration of allowing private energy company Adage to build a biomass plant in the small Gadsden County community.

Visit Tallahassee is stepping up its effort to attract visitors to the city and to make Tallahassee a destination location.
To do that, the organization is launching its “Tallahassee T.O.U.R. Guide” campaign. The acronym stands for Tourism is Our Unlimited Resource.

When high-speed rail finally arrives in Central Florida, Orlando International Airport wants to be ready — with a “Grand Central Station” of terminals that could include multiple rail lines, food and retail concessions, a hotel and rental-car counters, officials said Wednesday.

The controversial proposed biomass plant in Gretna is on hold.

The 1,700-resident city in Gadsden County issued a press release Monday saying it would defer consideration of the plant for six months so it could “study this matter in greater detail.”

The first new international airport in the United States in more than decade is set to open in May near Panama City, Fla., a community of 37,000 people on the state’s panhandle. That is no small feat given the environmental, regulatory and financial hurdles involved in building runways and terminals, as well as community opposition to planes flying overhead.

Tallahassee is so fortunate to be a beneficiary of the Knight Creative Communities Institute, which is again this year acting as a catalyst to four extraordinary projects that within in the next year expect to make real and lasting improvements in the quality of life here.