An aerospace manufacturing company, Brunswick, Ga.-based ALM Technologies Inc., is relocating to Yulee in Nassau County, adding 30 new positions in the next three years, the governors office announced. We welcome ALM Technologies to Florida and look forward to its contributions to our aerospace and manufacturing sectors, which are vital to our states economic growth and job creation, Gov. Rick Scott stated in a release.

In case you didnt know, there are many Floridians -- the good citizens living in the family-friendly Sunshine State -- that are rude. More to the point, those in Miami and Orlando are perceived that way by readers of Travel+ Leisure. The two Florida cities scored places in the top 10 of Americas Rudest Cities. Orlando is No. 10. Miami landed at No. 2, just behind New York.

Gov. Rick Scott has appointed Jeffry R. Jontz, an attorney with Swann, Hadley, Stump, Dietrich and Spears, to the Statewide Nominating Commission. The commission reviews the conduct of existing compensation claims judges and submits names for the governor to appoint. According to a release from the governors office: Jontz, 67, of Winter Park, has been an attorney with Swann, Hadley, Stump, Dietrich and Spears PA since 2005.

Florida placed a record five cities on the list of America's "Most Stressful" metropolitan areas, according to Sperlings Best Places. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater ranked No. 1 (worst), rating in the 97th percentile for suicides and near the top in a host of other pathologies, such as crime. Miami -- with an even higher crime rate than Tampa's -- came in third, Jacksonville fourth, Orlando sixth and West Palm Beach 10th.

Drawing on past experience, Gov. Rick Scott said he isnt going to make an endorsement prior to the Florida Presidential Preference Primary on Jan. 31. Im not endorsing a candidate, Scott responded when asked to make a prediction in the primary during a meeting with members of the Florida Retail Federation at the Hotel Duval in Tallahassee on Thursday. Scott then referred to the polls -- noting former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney was at the moment ahead -- instead of making a prediction.

Democratic Palm Beach County State Attorney Michael McAuliffe will step down before his term expires in a year in order to take a job with a local company headed by billionaire Bill Koch, the Palm Beach Post is reporting. No departure date for McAuliffe has been announced. Gov. Rick Scott would be expected to name McAuliffes replacement.

The student activist group, Florida Alliance for Student Action, is planning a statewide campus protest for March 1 aimed at recent appointments to the state Board of Governors. Besides expressing concerns about Gov. Rick Scott appointing businessmen and developers -- rather than educators -- to the board, the group opposes bills now in the state Legislature that would replace how the student representative to the board is selected.

U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Tequesta, released a statement after today's announcement of Floridas 9.9 percent unemployment rate to note that the federal government should take action similar to that of the Sunshine State's leadership. Florida was one of the countrys top job-creating states last year because, under Governor Scott, we focused on creating an environment where the private sector can grow and add new jobs, Rooney stated in a release.

Floridas unemployment rate for December stood at 9.9 percent, down from 10 percent in November and marking the first time the state has been below double digits since April 2009, according to the state Department of Economic Opportunity. Gov. Rick Scott, in a conference call with reporters on Friday, said Floridas growth is the strongest since 2007; the result, he said, of a reduction in business regulations and streamlining government. This proves the changes we're implementing, with the help of our friends in the Legislature, are working, Scott said.

Gov. Rick Scott will appear before the Bradenton Herald editorial board on Friday. An hour has been set aside for Scott to talk with the editorial board members starting at 9 a.m. Scott is scheduled to hold a conference call at 10 a.m. to discuss the December unemployment numbers.

Gov. Rick Scott has reappointed Ava L. Parker and appointed Joseph L. Caruncho and Thomas G. Kuntz to the Board of Governors of the State University System. The appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate. According to a release from the governors office:

House Education Committee Chairman Rep. Bill Proctor, R-St. Augustine, released the following statement Thursday, following the conclusion of the third day of testimony from the presidents of the states universities. Over the past week, we have gained valuable insight from the leaders of our 11 public universities regarding their strengths as individual institutions and as units of the state university system. What they have provided will be invaluable in shaping recommendations for the future of our public higher education system.

Update: The Delta IV rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 7:38 p.m. The weather is listed as perfect over Cape Canaveral for a launch tonight of a next-generation military community satellite. The launch window opens at 7:38 p.m., closing at 9:11 p.m.

If Barack Obama's call on Thursday to boost tourism and expedite visas sounded familiar to Floridians, that's because Gov. Rick Scott used almost the same exact pitch last year -- and continues to do so. Scott informed a top Disney Destination executive on Dec. 21 that the federal government would allocate 98 additional visa adjudicators to Brazil and China in 2012. And the governor has been all over the airwaves promoting tourism in Florida.

Senate Regulated Industries favored Thursday, by an 8-1 vote, regulation rather than a prohibition of Internet cafes as a House committee supported earlier in the week. These regulations were proposing make it really, really clear, said Sen. Miguel Diaz de La Portilla, R-Coral Gables. These games and these terminals are for amusement only.