Business briefs, Nov. 24, 2015
Duke's tools help measure cost of holiday light displays
MANATEE -- Though Florida residents likely worry less about their wintertime utility bills than their northern counterparts, decorations and light displays can still raise bills and eyebrows. For example, six 100-bulb sets of large, incandescent bulbs (600 bulbs total) plugged in six hours every evening can add as much as $75.60 to a monthly power bill, according to a release from Duke Energy Florida.
To help homeowners estimate the cost of holiday displays, Duke Energy Florida has created an online cost calculator: www.duke-energy.com/lightscalculator
According to the release, users can identify the type of lights, the number of 100-bulb strands and how many hours the lights will be used per day to estimate the energy cost per day and per month. The calculator also offers energy-efficient tips and options.
Farm winter wonderland to open on Dec. 5
BRADENTON -- Geraldson Community Farm is bringing in holiday cheer farm-style with the Good Tidings Festival from 5 to 9 p.m. Dec. 5 at Geraldson Community Farm, 1401 99th St. NW.
The event will include a sleigh ride around the farm, a visit from Santa, booths with local vendors and produce from Geraldson available for purchase to complete your holiday meal. Vendor spots are still available and interested businesses can email vendors@fwcrcd.org.
Progress made in fight against citrus greening
LAKE ALFRED -- Researchers at the University of Florida say they have good news in the war against citrus greening: genetically modified citrus trees that show enhanced resistance to the disease. According to a news release sent Monday by the school, researchers at UF's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences has used a gene isolated from a plant that's a member of the mustard family to create the new trees.
The experiment resulted in trees that exhibited enhanced resistance to greening, reduced disease severity and even several trees that remained disease-free after 36 months after being in a field with diseased trees. The journal PLOS ONE recently published a paper on the study.
Greening is spread by the Asian citrus psyllid. It causes fruit to drop early and eventually kills the tree.
Pet retailer Petco sold in $4.6 billion deal
The private-equity owners of Petco Animal Supplies have reached a $4.6 billion deal to sell the retailer to CVC Capital Partners and the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board, Petco officials announced Monday.
CVC, a private-equity group, and the Canadian pension fund beat a joint offer from buyout firms KKR & Co. and Hellman & Friedman, as well as a bid by Apollo Global Management
-- From staff and Herald wire reports
This story was originally published November 24, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Business briefs, Nov. 24, 2015 ."