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Gov. Scott Announces License-Free Freshwater and Saltwater Fishing for Florida Law Enforcement and First Responders

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SANFORD, Fla. – Today, Governor Rick Scott announced that Florida’s law enforcement officers and first responders will be able to enjoy license-free freshwater and saltwater fishing beginning today through June 30, 2018. This is in recognition of their lifesaving work preparing and responding to Hurricane Irma. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will accept official first responder identification in lieu of a Florida fishing license during this period. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is also offering free day-passes to Florida State Parks that can be used on an unlimited basis until October 2018 for all law enforcement officers, first responders and utility workers.

 Governor Scott said, “Before and after Hurricane Irma, Florida’s brave law enforcement officers and first responders have been tirelessly working around the clock to meet the needs of our families and communities. Even as their own families were evacuating or working to begin the recovery process, they have been putting their own lives on the line to keep our state safe. We owe these brave heroes a debt of gratitude, and I am proud to announce this license-free fishing opportunity as a gesture of appreciation and recognition for their service to our state.”

Brian Yablonski, FWC Chairman, said, “These true heroes of hurricane response efforts will be able to enjoy Florida’s world class freshwater and saltwater fishing opportunities without buying a fishing license. It is our hope this small token of appreciation will give these dedicated men and women an opportunity to get a break from stressful recovery work so they can relax and enjoy good times fishing with family and friends.”

Tip Line established in nursing home investigation

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HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Hollywood Police Department, along with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, are investigating the patient deaths from the Hollywood Hills Rehabilitation Center at 1200 N. 35th Avenue in Hollywood, Florida.

A tip line has been established and investigators are asking anyone with information about the deaths or the Hollywood Hills Rehabilitation Center between the dates of 9/9/17 and 9/13/17, please call FDLE toll free at (866) 452-3461.

For Further Information Contact:

Miranda Grossman

Hollywood Police Department

Phone: 954-967-4279

PALM COAST WOMAN CLAIMS TOP PRIZE IN THE $500,000 GOLD RUSH DOUBLER SCRATCH-OFF GAME

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TALLAHASSEE – The Florida Lottery announces that Rosemarie Ismaili, 64, of Palm Coast, claimed a 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 250 Palm Coast Parkway Northeast in Palm Coast. 

The $5 Scratch-Off game, $500,000 GOLD RUSH DOUBLER, launched in January, and 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-3.98.

Scratch-Off games are an important part of the Lottery’s portfolio of games, comprising approximately 68 percent of ticket sales and generating more than $784 million for the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF) in fiscal year 2016-17.

ABOUT THE FLORIDA LOTTERY

The Florida Lottery is responsible for contributing more than $32 billion to education and sending more than 750,000 students to college through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program. The Florida Lottery reinvests 98 percent of its revenue back into Florida’s economy through prize payouts, commissions to more than 13,000 Florida retailers and contributions to education. Since 1988, Florida Lottery games have paid more than $52.4 billion in prizes and made more than 1,900 people millionaires. For more information, please visitwww.flalottery.com.

Unique gene therapy prevents, reverses multiple sclerosis in animal model

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Multiple sclerosis can be inhibited or reversed using a novel gene therapy technique that stops the disease’s immune response in mouse models, University of Florida Health researchers have found.

By combining a brain-protein gene and an existing medication, the researchers were able to prevent the mouse version of multiple sclerosis. Likewise, the treatments produced near-complete remission in the animal models. The findings, which researchers said have significant potential for treating multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune disorders, are published today (Sept. 21) in the journal Molecular Therapy.

Multiple sclerosis affects about 2.3 million people worldwide and is the most common neurological disease in young adults. The incurable disorder starts when the immune system attacks the myelin sheath surrounding nerve fibers, making them misfire and leading to problems with muscle weakness, vision, speech and muscle coordination.

The researchers used a harmless virus, known as an adeno-associated virus, to deliver a gene responsible for a brain protein into the livers of the mouse models. The virus sparked production of so-called regulatory T cells, which suppress the immune system attack that defines multiple sclerosis. The gene was targeted to the liver because it has the ability to induce immune tolerance.

“Using a clinically tested gene therapy platform, we are able to induce very specific regulatory cells that target the self-reactive cells that are responsible for causing multiple sclerosis,” said Brad E. Hoffman, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the departments of pediatrics and neuroscience at the University of Florida College of Medicine.

The protein, myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein, was found to be effective in preventing and reversing muscular dystrophy on its own. A group of five mouse models that received the gene therapy did not develop experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, which is the mouse equivalent of multiple sclerosis in humans. In another experiment, all but one mouse model showed a significant reversal of the disease eight days after a single gene therapy treatment.

Hoffman said he was also encouraged by the treatment’s longevity. After seven months, the mouse models that were treated with gene therapy showed no signs of disease, compared with a group of untreated mouse models that had neurological problems after 14 days.

When the protein was combined with rapamycin — a drug used to coat heart stents and prevent organ transplant rejection — its effectiveness was further improved, the researchers found. The drug was chosen because it allows helpful regulatory T-cells to proliferate while blocking undesirable effector T-cells, Hoffman said.

Among the mouse models that were given rapamycin and the gene therapy, 71 percent and 80 percent went into near-complete remission after having hind-limb paralysis. That, Hoffman said, shows the combination can be especially effective at stopping rapidly progressing paralysis.

While researchers have established how gene therapy stimulates regulatory T cells in the liver, Hoffman said little else is known about the detailed mechanics of how that process works.

Before the therapy can be tested in humans during a clinical trial, further research involving other preclinical models will be needed, Hoffman said. Researchers also need to target the full suite of proteins that are implicated in multiple sclerosis, he added.

Still, Hoffman said he is extremely optimistic that the gene therapy can be effective in humans.

“If we can provide long-term remission for people and a long-term quality of life, that is a very promising outcome,” he said.

The research was funded by grants from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the National Institutes of Health and the Children’s Miracle Network.

DSC’s Small Business Development Center offers statewide post-Irma resources

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Daytona State College features the Florida Small Business Development Center (FSBDC) at DSC. The center works to assist small and mid-sized businesses in the region. In that light, the DSC center is sharing important disaster relief and assistance information offered by FSBDC to support the business community affected by Hurricane IRMA.

The announcement below details state and federal assistance available and the best and fastest way to access it, as well as how the FSBDC can help. Please contact DSC’s FSBDC with questions or for assistance, (386) 506-4723.

State, Federal Disaster Loan Programs Activated to Aid Businesses Impacted by Hurricane Irma

Recommended First Step: Businesses to Complete Disaster Assessment

Florida businesses impacted by Hurricane Irma may now apply for various state and federal disaster loan programs. As a principal responder in the state’s Emergency Support Function for Business and Industry, the Florida SBDC stands ready to assist businesses with disaster loan applications and with other post-disaster challenges.

State Assistance

Gov. Rick Scott activated the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program to provide short-term, interest-free loans to businesses damaged by the storm.

Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program

Administered by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) in partnership with the Florida SBDC Network and Florida First Capital Finance Corporation (FFCFC), the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan helps businesses bridge the gap between the time damage is incurred and when a business secures other financial resources, including payment of insurance claims or longer-term Small Business Administration loans. Up to $10 million has been allocated for the program.

Under the program, eligible small businesses in all 67 Florida counties with two to 100 employees may apply for short-term, interest-free loans for $1,000 to $25,000 for 90- or 180-day terms. To be eligible, a business must have been established prior to Sept. 4, 2017, and demonstrate economic injury or physical damage as a result of Hurricane Irma.

To Apply for a Bridge Loan

Visit www.floridadisasterloan.org for more information and to apply for the Florida Emergency Bridge Loan program. The deadline to apply is Oct. 31, 2017.

Business Damage Assessment Survey

DEO is assessing the damage caused by the storm. Small businesses that have incurred losses due to Hurricane Irma are asked to complete a Business Damage Assessment Survey. The survey will help the State Emergency Response Team determine the needs and level of assistance for impacted businesses. To take the survey, please visit www.flvbeoc.org. 

Federal Assistance

Following President Trump’s major disaster declaration, impacted businesses may now apply for low-interest loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Through the declaration, businesses and nonprofits in Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Desoto, Duval, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Saint Johns, Saint Lucie, Seminole, Sumter and Volusia counties in Florida are eligible for both Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the SBA.

Business Physical Disaster Loan Program

Business Physical Disaster Loans are intended to help repair or replace disaster-damaged property. Businesses and nonprofit organizations may apply for up to $2 million to repair or replace property, including real estate, equipment, inventory, machinery and other business assets.

Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program

Businesses in qualifying adjacent counties may apply for up to $2 million for working capital through the SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan program. The Economic Injury Disaster Loan program provides working capital loans to help small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and to help most private, nonprofit organizations meet financial obligations and operating expenses through the disaster recovery period.

Interest rates are as low as 3.305 percent for businesses and 2.5 percent for nonprofit organizations. The SBA customizes loan amounts and terms up to a maximum of 30 years for each applicant.

Applicants may also be eligible for a loan amount increase up to 20 percent of their physical damages to protect property from future damage, including adding a safe room or storm shelter.

To Apply for Physical and Economic Injury Loans

Businesses must first register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at www.disasterassistance.gov, or by mobile device at m.fema.gov or call the toll-free helpline at (800) 621-3362. Those who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services should call (800) 621-3362 (800-462-7585 TTY). Upon registration with FEMA, businesses may apply for a disaster loan a number of ways:

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is November 9, 2017. The deadline to return economic injury applications is June 11, 2018.

Florida SBDC Network Stands Ready to Assist

The Florida SBDC Network supports disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation through its Business Continuation Services. As part of the network’s service offering, the Florida SBDC will also be deploying its Mobile Assistance Centers (MACs) into affected communities to deliver small business owners on-site assistance with loan applications and with other post-disaster challenges. The Florida SBDC is working with state and federal officials to determine the MACs’ locations and will release that information soon.

For questions about the Emergency Bridge Loan Program, the U.S. SBA Physical and Economic Injury Loan Programs and how the Florida SBDC can help, please contact the Florida SBDC Network at (850) 898-3489 or [email protected]. The phone line will be answered during regular business hours; all voice mails and emails will be responded to within 24 hours.

About the Florida SBDC at UCF

With its main office in the National Entrepreneur Center located at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, the Florida SBDC at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) is part of the UCF Office of Research& Commercialization and the Florida SBDC Network (FSBDC Network). The FSBDC at UCF provides business seminars and no-cost, one-on-one business consultation to emerging and established businesses. The FSBDC at UCF serves an eight-county area that includes Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties and maintains 10 service centers across Central Florida.

In 2015, the FSBDC at UCF served over 2,400 entrepreneurs in Central Florida through consulting and training, resulting in nearly 6,700 jobs created, retained or saved; $980 million in sales growth; $92.7 million in capital formation; $154.6 million in government contract awards; and 120 new businesses started.

About the Florida SBDC Network

The FSBDC at DSC is a member of the Florida SBDC Network, a statewide partnership program nationally accredited by the Association of America’s SBDCs and funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Defense Logistics Agency, State of Florida and other private and public partners, with the University of West Florida serving as the network’s lead host institution. Florida SBDC services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Language assistance services are available for limited English proficient individuals. All opinions, conclusions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the she SBA or other funding partners.

For over 35 years, the FSBDC Network has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development organizations, dedicated to providing emerging and established business owners with management and technical assistance, enabling overall growth and increased profitability for the businesses and economic prosperity for the state. The FSBDC Network is a statewide service system of 41 centers with 60 outreach locations, including the FSBDC at DSC.

Since 2011, Florida SBDCs served almost 75,000 entrepreneurs and small business owners through consulting and training, resulting in 252,955 jobs created, retained or saved; $33.3 billion in sales growth; $1.4 billion in capital accessed; $2.6 billion in government contract awards; and 4,159 new businesses started.

Gov. Scott to Thank Law Enforcement and First Responders in Seminole County

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SANFORD, Fla. – Today, September 21st, Governor Rick Scott will visit the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office Professional Development Center to thank local law enforcement, emergency management officials and first responders  for their commitment to Florida families before, during and after Hurricane Irma.

WHAT:                   Hurricane Irma First Responder Appreciation Event

WHEN:                   3:00 PM

 WHERE:                 Seminole County Sheriff’s Office Professional Development Center

2772 Depot Avenue

Sanford, FL 32773

UCF Partners with World Wildlife Fund for Study on Wildlife Rangers

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ORLANDO — Wildlife rangers are on the front lines protecting our most iconic species — tigers, elephants, gorillas and many others. But their challenges involve more than confrontations with wild animals and poachers.

“Generally, rangers are highly undertrained, undersupported and not respected,” said Barney Long, former director of species conservation for the World Wildlife Fund and now with Global Wildlife Conservation. “We put people in charge of these valuable resources and yet we don’t look after the people who are taking care of them.”

What motivates a ranger to do a job with low pay, long absences from family and the risk of life-threatening attacks? UCF researchers are working to answer this question in collaboration with the WWF, a leading international conservation organization headquartered in Washington.

The team’s findings are published in Oryx: The International Journal of Conservation.

“This is a completely new area of investigation for the WWF and really a new topic within conservation sciences and policy,” said Will Moreto, UCF assistant professor of criminal justice and the lead author of the new study with Long and others on rangers working in Asia.

“You need to understand the day-to-day realities of rangers if you want to develop a ranger force that is motivated and effective in conservation,” he said.

Moreto established himself as a researcher with interests spanning crime and conservation as a doctoral student at Rutgers University. His dissertation research focused on law enforcement rangers and poaching in Uganda.

Long learned of Moreto’s work and contacted him about a new WWF project on rangers. The organization was planning to survey rangers about their jobs, and Long invited Moreto to help develop the survey questions and examine the data.

From January to July 2015, data collectors trained by WWF employees and other partners met with hundreds of rangers in Asia to obtain their responses to 10 questions, most with subparts. Some rangers submitted their responses by email and postal mail.

In all, the WWF obtained responses from 530 rangers working in 39 conservation areas in 11 Asian countries – Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Nepal, Thailand and Viet Nam.

At UCF Moreto partnered with two criminal justice colleagues to analyze and interpret the data. Associate professor Jactina Gau contributed expertise in statistical analysis and professor Eugene Paoline shared his insight on law enforcement culture.

The survey asked rangers to rank nine job aspects according to what most and least motivated them to continue working as rangers. Moreto and his team tagged each aspect as being either intrinsically motivated (affected by internal influences) or extrinsically motivated (affected by external influences).

More than 47 percent of rangers selected “I have no other job option” as the aspect that most motivated them. They ranked having good promotion prospects and liking the power and authority of the job as second and third, respectively. All are extrinsically motivated aspects suggesting they are under the control of administrators of protected conservation areas, reported the authors.

More than 47 percent of rangers selected “I enjoy being close to nature” as the aspect that least motivated them and 43 percent selected “I enjoy being a ranger” as second. Both aspects are considered intrinsically motivated.

The survey also asked rangers if they would want or not want their children to become rangers and why. Rangers who were adequately equipped for the job were much more likely to want their children to become rangers, a finding that underscores the importance of work environment to rangers’ job commitment.

The top reasons rangers did not want their children to become rangers were low salary and no reward for hard work. “If you wouldn’t recommend the job to your children, you probably wouldn’t be motived to recruit others,” Moreto said. “You wouldn’t be a good representative in general.”

The WWF expanded its study to include rangers in Africa and Latin America, and Moreto and his team are examining this data as well. They also are involved in a more in depth study of rangers that includes a 120-question survey.

The ultimate goal is to bring policy changes, said Rohit Singh, a WWF wildlife enforcement and capacity building specialist, president of the Ranger Federation of Asia, and coauthor of the study led by Moreto, in a WWF interview.

“National governments have to take the initiative. We need to provide them with good, concrete, scientific data, and advocate for the policy changes that can improve ranger conditions,” Singh said. “The future of wildlife and forests depends on rangers.”

UT HONORS SYMPOSIUM TO EXPLORE “TRANSGENDER DYNAMICS IN TRUMP’S AMERICA”

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TAMPA — On Wednesday, Sept. 27, Gina Duncan, Equality Florida’s director of transgender equality, will discuss “Transgender Dynamics in Trump’s America” as part of The University of Tampa’s Honors Program symposia series. Duncan’s talk will begin at 4 p.m. in the Plant Hall Grand Salon.

Recognized as a national and international spokesperson and educator on transgender rights, public policy and civic engagement, Duncan has trained major corporations across the United States on transgender inclusion. She was a guest speaker at the Global Summit on Human Rights in Milan, Italy, sponsored by the Harvey Milk Foundation.

Duncan chairs the advisory council for TransAction Florida, Equality Florida’s transgender inclusion initiative. TransAction advocates for transgender rights and protections through public policy, advocacy and education efforts statewide and nationally.

For more information, contact the Honors Program at (813) 257-3545 or [email protected].

The University of Tampa is a private, residential university located on 110 acres on the riverfront in downtown Tampa. Known for academic excellence, personal attention and real-world experience in its undergraduate and graduate programs, the University serves 8,700 students from 50 states and 140 countries. Approximately 65 percent of full-time students live on campus, and more than half of UT students are from Florida.

Modern Tech Commercials Still Fall Short in Diversity, Study Finds

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ORLANDO ‑ Recent commercials from major technology firms fail to represent diversity of genders and races, according to a University of Central Florida study.

Researchers found white and male faces were dominant in 54 commercials from 2012-13 from Apple, AT&T, Hewlett-Packard, Verizon, Microsoft, Comcast, Dell, Intel and Google.

Race was identifiable in 316 of the people featured in the ads. Of these, 68.4 percent were white, 17.4 percent were black, 11.7 percent were Asian/Pacific Islander and 2.5 percent were Hispanic/Latino.

Of the 401 people in the commercials whose gender was identifiable, 58 percent were male. Men also dominated voiceovers in commercials, with just 13 percent featuring a female voice.

“Given these findings, it is possible that video advertisements may not be helping to question stereotypes that contribute to the gap that exists in the field of computer science,” according to the study recently published in Gender Issues.

Just 18 percent of computer science degrees awarded in 2014-15 went to females, and just over 10 percent went to non-white females in that same year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

“We’re not saying that these ads cause women and girls to avoid computer technology and other STEM fields, but they also do little to change these patterns,” said UCF professor and co-author Elizabeth Grauerholz.

Subriena Persaud, a graduate of UCF’s applied sociology master’s degree program who is now a development research analyst at George Mason University, was the lead author of the study. UCF associate professor Amanda Koontz Anthony was also a co-author.

When gender and race were combined, the study found white males were the most represented group at 37.6 percent. The second-most represented group was white females at 31.2 percent, followed by black males at 11.1 percent. Hispanic females were the least represented group at below 1 percent, with Hispanic males represented just slightly more at 2.2 percent.

All of the commercials examined advertised a product or service for these companies.

Men have dominated advertisements for decades, according to literature as far back as 1979 that’s cited in the study. Women often were portrayed as subordinate to men, and would have a feminine touch or would be highly emotional and withdrawn from social interactions, for example.

While progress has been made in equal representation – Microsoft’s “Make What’s Next” campaign that highlights women and girls of various races is a great example, said Grauerholz – there is still room for improvement.

“In many white-and male-dominated fields, there is the assumption that race and gender don’t matter – just talent,” said Grauerholz. “But we know that gender and race shape all interactions, no matter how subtle.”

The researchers hope these findings will spur companies to include more diversity in their advertisements, and that individuals will become more educated consumers.

“Media matters, and as a society, it’s important to open doors to equality, not close them,” said Grauerholz.

CRC Meeting Schedule Week of September 25-29

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Constitution Revision Commission (CRC) noticed the following meeting schedule for the week of September 25-29, 2017. CRC meetings are open to the public and will be livestreamed by The Florida Channel on www.TheFloridaChannel.org. Members of the public wishing to address CRC committees will be provided an opportunity to speak at the direction of the respective committee chair. Visit flcrc.gov/Committees for additional information on CRC committees. 

The Interim Calendar is available on the CRC Calendars Page at flcrc.gov/Meetings/Calendars/2017.

Monday, September 25

Rules and Administration Committee

·         Time: 2:00-5:00 PM

·         Location: 401 Senate Office Building, Tallahassee, Florida

·         Meeting Notice: http://bit.ly/2yq4cPT 

Tuesday, September 26

Executive Committee

·         Time: 8:00-11:00 AM

·         Location: 401 Senate Office Building, Tallahassee, Florida

·         Meeting Notice: http://bit.ly/2xwJfVI

Bonding and Investments Committee

·         Time: 1:00-3:00 PM

·         Location: 37 Senate Office Building, Tallahassee, Florida

·         Meeting Notice: http://bit.ly/2wHynzW

 Wednesday, September 27

Declaration of Rights Committee

·         Time: 1:00-5:00 PM

·         Location: Room 110 Senate Office Building, Tallahassee, Florida

·         Meeting Notice: http://bit.ly/2wHpB5l 

Finance and Taxation Committee

·         Time: 2:00-5:00 PM

·         Location: 301 Senate Office Building, Tallahassee, Florida

·         Meeting Notice: http://bit.ly/2xxe3ph

Thursday, September 28 

General Provisions Committee

·         Time: 8:30 AM- Noon

·         Location: 401 Senate Office Building, Tallahassee, Florida

·         Meeting Notice: http://bit.ly/2fBvTgZ

Friday, September 29

No meetings scheduled.

ABOUT THE FLORIDA CONSTITUTION REVISION COMMISSION (CRC)

Once every 20 years, Florida’s Constitution provides for the creation of a 37-member revision commission for the purpose of reviewing Florida’s Constitution and proposing changes for voter consideration. The Constitution Revision Commission (CRC) meets for approximately one year, traveling the State of Florida, identifying issues, performing research and possibly recommending changes to the Constitution. Any amendments proposed by the CRC would be placed on the 2018 General Election ballot. For additional information, visitflcrc.gov. Follow the CRC on social media @FloridaCRC (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube).