The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Collier County Sheriff’s Office today arrested Sammy Hamilton, 84, a former mayor of Everglades City, of 316 N. Storter Ave, for one count of grand theft and 16 counts of official misconduct.
Farm Share distributes more than 16,000 pounds of food to Leon families
Last week, 400 families received a box of free food during a Farm Share distribution held in partnership with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, where more than 16,000 pounds of food was given away to community members.
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Enterprise Florida Opens Pavilion at 2018 Farnborough International Airshow
This morning, Enterprise Florida, Inc. (EFI) opened the Florida Pavilion at the 2018 Farnborough International Airshow. The Florida Pavilion is again the largest exhibit of any U.S. state at the event, showcasing 12 Florida-based aviation and aerospace businesses and organizations. The Farnborough Airshow is one of the world’s largest industry events and will be open through July 22.
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Senator Linda Stewart Requests Chief Inspector General Probe of Flawed Concealed Weapons Permit Investigation
Alarmed by evidence of policy violations involving a probe into ineligible concealed weapons permits, and the recent admission of erroneous statements left unchanged for more than a year by Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam’s top watchdog, state Senator Linda Stewart on Monday requested an independent investigation by Florida’s Chief Inspector General.
DSC again improves in state performance funding measures
The State Board of Education’s 2018-19 performance funding report shows Daytona State College has inched ever so close to achieving gold-tier status among Florida College System (FCS) institutions.
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Florida Association for Behavior Analysis Calls on AHCA to Immediately Address Issue of Delays and Denials of Behavior Analysis Services
The Florida Association for Behavior Analysis (FABA) today called on the state
Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) to immediately address significant issues in how behavior analysis providers throughout Florida are approved and authorized to provide treatment for children. The association said many children with autism or other developmental disorders are being denied medically necessary behavior analysis services as a result of harmful delays, routinely lasting a month or longer, by a state contractor hired by AHCA.
Lakeland Woman Turns $5 Into $500,000 After Playing Gold Rush Doubler Scratch-Off Game
The Florida Lottery announces that Terri Carter, 56, of Lakeland, claimed a $500,000 top prize in the $500,000 GOLD RUSH DOUBLER Scratch-Off game at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. She purchased her winning ticket from Publix, located at 5375 North Socrum Loop Road in Lakeland.
The $5 Scratch-Off game, $500,000 GOLD RUSH DOUBLER, features more than $182.8 million in prizes, including 44 top prizes of $500,000. The game’s overall odds of winning are one-in-4.23.
Scratch-Offs are an important part of the Lottery’s portfolio of games, generating more than $784 million for the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF) in FY 2016-17, and comprising approximately 68 percent of ticket sales.
Plantation Man Claims $1 Million Prize In The Florida 100X The Cash Scratch-Off Game
The Florida Lottery announces that Gary Wall, 52, of Plantation, claimed a $1 million prize in the new FLORIDA 100X THE CASH Scratch-Off game at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. He chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $770,000.00.
Wall purchased his winning ticket from Publix, located at 6921 West Broward Boulevard in Plantation. The retailer will receive a $2,000 bonus commission for selling the winning Scratch-Off ticket.
The new $30 game, FLORIDA 100X THE CASH, launched on February 26, and features eight top prizes of $15 million – the largest Scratch-Off top prize ever offered by the Florida Lottery. The game also offers 20 prizes of $1 million. Overall odds of winning are one-in-2.59.
Scratch-Offs are an important part of the Lottery’s portfolio of games, generating more than $784 million for the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF) in FY 2016-17, and comprising approximately 68 percent of ticket sales.
PSC Transfers Vero Beach Electric Utility Customers, Rates Will Be Lower
Customers who currently are served by the City of Vero Beach’s municipal electric utility may see a 21 percent decrease in their bills after the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) today decided Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) should serve them.
The Commission directed FPL to charge customers in the added territory the same rates it charges its existing customers, which would result in an approximately $27 decrease on a typical 1,000 kWh monthly residential bill.
The decisions would go into effect only if the utilities close on their Asset Purchase and Sale Agreement (PSA) in which FPL would acquire Vero Beach’s electric utility assets and operations.
“Vero Beach customers will see many benefits from this acquisition, including lower rates, access to energy efficiency programs, and increased service reliability,” said Commissioner Gary F. Clark, adding “This Commission has always used the public interest as the measuring stick for its decisions, and today’s decision will have no adverse impact to existing FPL customers.”
The Vero Beach utility has approximately 35,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in the City of Vero Beach, a portion of the Town of Indian River Shores, and part of unincorporated Indian River County. In today’s PSC meeting, several of those consumers and their elected officials asked the Commission to make them FPL customers.
The PSC does not have direct authority over changes in electric utility ownership, but changes in service territories and the rates that are charged require Commission approval.
FPL requested recognition for future ratemaking purposes of its investment of $116.2 million above the value of the assets it will acquire, and a majority of the Commission agreed.
Under the PSA terms, FPL will purchase the Vero Beach utility system for $185 million by December 31, 2018. FPL serves 4.9 million customer accounts across Florida.
For additional information, visit www.floridapsc.com.
Florida Forest Service Announces Long Leaf Pine Program for Landowners
The Florida Forest Service announced today that the Longleaf Pine Landowner Incentive Program is now accepting applications from eligible, non-industrial private forest landowners. Applications will be accepted now through Friday, July 13, 2018.
The goal of the program is to increase the acreage of healthy Longleaf pine ecosystems in Florida by helping non-industrial private forest landowners make the long-term investment required to establish and maintain this valuable ecosystem. The program offers incentive payments for completion of timber stand improvement, invasive species control, prescribed burning, planting Longleaf pine, native plant understory establishment and mechanical underbrush treatments. The program is offered for private lands in Florida counties located west of the Aucilla River and several counties near the Ocala National Forest.
Longleaf pine forests are native to the southeastern United States and are among the most diverse ecosystems in North America. Longleaf pines provide high quality wood products and are highly valued for their resistance to damage by insects, disease, wildfire and storms. Longleaf pine forests have been dramatically reduced to less than four percent of historical area due to urbanization and conversion to other land uses. Florida is currently home to more than 2 million acres of Longleaf pine ecosystems, which is more than half of all known longleaf pine ecosystems.
Application forms and more information on program requirements and procedures can be found by visiting FreshFromFlorida.com or by contacting your local county forester. The program is supported through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation with funding from the Southern Company, USDA Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy, Natural Resource Conservation Service, US Department of Defense, Halliburton Company, and the US Fish & Wildlife Service.
The Florida Forest Service, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, manages more than 1 million acres of state forests and provides forest management assistance on more than 17 million acres of private and community forests. The Florida Forest Service is also responsible for protecting homes, forestland and natural resources from the devastating effects of wildfire on more than 26 million acres. Learn more at FloridaForestService.com.
