LAKELAND, Fla. – Today, Governor Rick Scott issued a statement following the heartbreaking news of the passing Senator Greg Evers.
Governor Scott said, “My wife Ann and I are heartbroken after learning of the passing of Senator Greg Evers. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Lori, and their entire family during this terribly difficult time. A dedicated public servant, Senator Evers truly loved Florida and devoted his life to serving his community – not only on his family farm, but during 15 years representing the people of North Florida in the state House and Senate. He will be remembered and missed by all who knew him as the kind, hardworking farmer from Milton who tirelessly fought for Florida families.”
CONTACT: GOVERNOR’S PRESS OFFICE
(850) 717-9282
[email protected]
Gov. Scott Highlights Job Growth at NuJak Companies in Lakeland
LAKELAND, Fla. – Today, Governor Rick Scott highlighted job growth at NuJak Companies, a full-service construction and project management company in Lakeland. The company currently employs more than 20 Floridians throughout seven locations and plans to add more than 15 new jobs over the next two years.
Governor Scott said, “It was great to visit NuJak Companies today to highlight their continued success and job growth. Florida’s small businesses like NuJak Companies are an integral part of our thriving economy, and we have fought to support them by cutting taxes and reducing burdensome regulations. Last week, I announced that we doubled our promise to create 700,000 jobs in seven years by creating 1.4 million jobs since December 2010, and we will keep fighting to continue this incredible economic growth. With the new $85 million Florida Job Growth Grant Fund to invest in infrastructure and workforce training, our state will continue to add opportunities for families across Florida.”
NuJak Companies President and CEO Frank Kendrick said, “We are very excited to have Governor Rick Scott visiting our office today to recognize NuJak for its contributions to job creation and economic development. Governor Scott is a major advocate behind the power small businesses have in stimulating jobs and economic growth, and we are one of the companies that has benefited from his pro-business approach. Since Governor Scott took office in 2011, NuJak Companies has experienced approximately 700% growth.”
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam said, “Florida continues to lead the nation in job growth thanks to innovative businesses, such as NuJak, and Governor Scott’s unwavering leadership to support economic growth in the Sunshine State. I applaud Frank Kendrick not only for creating jobs for Floridians, but also for being a great corporate citizen who gives back to our communities.”
Founded in Lakeland in 1992, NuJak Companies is one of the leading full-service construction companies in the state of Florida, specializing in providing pre-construction, construction management, and design-build services to a variety of clients. Recently, NuJak Companies ranked in the top ten on the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s 2017 Fast 50 List of the 50 fastest growing companies in the Tampa Bay area for the second year in a row.
CFO Patronis Invites Floridians to Second Unclaimed Property Auction in Orlando
ORLANDO, Fla.– Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis invites Floridians to participate in the state’s second and final 2017 unclaimed property auction this weekend in Orlando. The auction, featuring the sale of nearly 60,000 individual items valued at more than $625,000, is open to the public and will take place on Saturday, August 26, at the Florida Hotel and Conference Center in Orlando. A public preview will be held Friday, August 25, at the same location. During the preview, Floridians can view and inspect items they may wish to bid on during the auction.
Featured items include a pair of 17.6-carat diamond and platinum earrings, a baseball autographed by members of the 2004 Boston Red Sox World Series winning team, vintage Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra baseball cards, and high-end watches made by Breitling, Cartier and Rolex.
2017 Unclaimed Property Auction Preview
Date: Friday, August 25
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Location: Florida Hotel and Conference Center
Address: 1500 Sand Lake Road
Orlando, Fla. 32809
2017 Unclaimed Property Auction
Date: Saturday, August 26
Time: 10:00 a.m. (Registrations opens at 8:00)
Location: Florida Hotel and Conference Center
Address: 1500 Sand Lake Road
Orlando, Fla. 32809
The unclaimed property auction features items from safe deposit boxes that have gone unclaimed for years despite exhaustive efforts to return them to their owners. Proceeds from the auction are deposited into the state’s education fund where they work to support Florida’s public school system. Should a property owner discover that he or she owned an item that was auctioned; however, the proceeds from the sale can be claimed any time at no cost.
For full details about this weekend’s auction, or to search for or claim unclaimed property, visit www.FLTreasureHunt.gov, or call 1-88-VALUABLE or 850-413-5555. A free catalog, which lists each item up for sale, is also available on the website.
Contact: Ashley Carr
(850) 413-2842
[email protected]
POWERBALL® JACKPOT ON THE RISE AGAIN – NOW ESTIMATED AT $700 MILLION
TALLAHASSEE – The POWERBALL® jackpot for Wednesday’s drawing has been increased to an estimated $700 million. The POWERBALL jackpot has rolled 20 times, since the June 14, drawing. This is the largest jackpot in the nation and second largest in the game’s history.
While there was no jackpot winner in Saturday night’s drawing, Florida POWERBALL players still won big, with more than 388,000 winning tickets totaling more than $5.1 million in prizes, including two $1 million winners in Ocoee and Orlando. During this jackpot series, more than 1.8 million Florida players have won more than $18.4 million in prizes.
Jackpot prizes are paid in 30 annual installments or as a one-time, lump-sum payment. Winners have 180 days from the applicable drawing to claim their prize. To receive the cash option of an estimated $443.3 million, jackpot prizes must be claimed within 60 days of the drawing.
The integrity of all games is of utmost importance to the Florida Lottery. Players are encouraged to sign the back of their ticket at the time of purchase and keep them in a safe place. Players are reminded to check their tickets carefully; even if they don’t win the jackpot, players have the opportunity to win a variety of lower-tier prizes ranging from $4.00 to $2 million by matching any of the non-jackpot-winning combinations.
Players who want the chance to become Florida’s 13th POWERBALL jackpot winner can purchase tickets at any of the more than 13,000 authorized Florida Lottery retailers across the state. The Florida Lottery would like to remind all players to play responsibly; it only takes one ticket to win. Like all Florida Lottery products, players must be 18 or older to play.
Wednesday night’s POWERBALL drawing will be held at 10:59 p.m. ET. Tickets must be purchased by 10:00 p.m. ET to be eligible for this drawing. National POWERBALL drawings are broadcast live, in high-definition, from the Florida Lottery’s state of the art draw studio in Tallahassee. Florida Lottery game drawings are broadcast on 17 carrier stations throughout the state.
ABOUT POWERBALL IN FLORIDA
Since joining POWERBALL in 2009, the game has generated $1.68 billion in contributions to education statewide. Florida is among the top-selling POWERBALL states in the country, with more than 76.3 million winning tickets totaling more than $2.2 billion in prizes, including 12 jackpot winners. Florida was also one of the three states nationally to have a winner share in the world record-setting $1.586 billion POWERBALL jackpot in January 2016.
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 visit www.flalottery.com.
How to Submit a Proposed Constitutional Amendment Through FLCRC.GOV
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, the Constitution Revision Commission (CRC) released a new infographic showing the simple steps Floridians can take to submit a proposed constitutional amendment through flcrc.gov.
CRC Chairman Carlos Beruff, said, “The recommended September 22nd deadline to submit a proposed constitutional amendment to the CRC is a month away and we encourage all interested Floridians to submit their proposals as soon as possible. The submission tool on flcrc.gov offers a simple, streamlined process to create and share proposed constitutional amendments with the CRC. Just follow the steps in our new infographic and make sure your voice is heard during this historic process!”
The CRC is considering Friday, September 22 as the filing deadline for public proposals. The recommended deadline is subject to approval by a vote of the full commission. The next full commission meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 19. For more information on upcoming CRC meetings, visit flcrc.gov/Meetings.
Download CRC Guides and Handouts:
- How to Submit a Proposal Through FLCRC.GOV (INFOGRAPHIC)
- Get Involved with the CRC (INFOGRAPHIC)
- How to Submit a Proposal
- ¿Cómo Presentar Una Propuesta?
ABOUT THE FLORIDA CONSTITUTION REVISION COMMISSION (CRC)
Once every twenty years, Florida’s Constitution provides for the creation of a thirty-seven 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, visit flcrc.gov. Follow the CRC on Twitter (@FloridaCRC) and Instagram (@FloridaCRC). Like the CRC on Facebook (@FloridaCRC).
Help hatchlings home by leaving them alone
Help hatchlings home by leaving them alone. That’s what beachgoers should remember if they encounter sea turtle hatchlings emerging from nests and clambering toward the water.
From now through the end of October, sea turtle hatchlings are breaking out of their eggs, digging out of nests and making their way across beaches to begin their lives in the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico. They usually emerge from their nests at night.
“Sea turtle hatchlings are small and appear helpless, so people may make the mistake of thinking they need assistance getting to the water. But you can help hatchlings home by leaving them alone,” said Robbin Trindell, who heads the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) sea turtle management program.
“Sea turtle hatchlings are biologically programmed to look for the brightest horizon and walk toward the water,” said Trindell. “Any interference or disturbance by people, such as getting too close or taking flash photos, increases the chances the hatchlings will get confused, go in the wrong direction and not reach the ocean quickly. That makes them vulnerable to dehydration, exhaustion and predators. Remember, you need a special permit from the FWC to interact with sea turtle hatchlings. Beachgoers should never handle or interact with hatchlings on their own.”
Important things that people can do to help sea turtle hatchlings survive:
- Do not try to help hatchlings crawling toward the water. Young sea turtles need to continue their migration to the sea without assistance.
- Leave hatchlings undisturbed and watch them from a distance. Remember, it is illegal to pick up a hatchling, enter a posted nesting area or dig into a nest.
- Remove chairs, canopies and boats and other obstacles from the beach at night, and fill up holes in the sand so hatchlings can make their way unobstructed to the water.
- Refrain from taking flash photos of hatchlings, whether with a cellphone or camera. Do not shine flashlights on hatchlings or their nests.
- Minimize artificial lighting on the beach at night, or at least keep lights shielded. Bright lights on buildings or parking lots along the beach are harmful to hatchlings. The hatchlings head for the bright lights, thinking they are the sparkling sea, and end up walking landward where they may become prey for raccoons, coyotes and other animals or get run over on roads.
- Report any hatchlings that are stranded, wandering in a road or parking lot, heading away from the water or dead to the FWC’s 24-hour Wildlife Alert Hotline, 888-404-FWCC (3922) or *FWC or #FWC on a cellphone.
You can help support conservation of sea turtles and their hatchlings by purchasing a “Helping Sea Turtles Survive” Florida license tag from local tax collectors’ offices, where you also can get the new sea turtle decal with a $5 donation.
For more on sea turtle nesting and hatchlings, go to MyFWC.com/SeaTurtle, and click on “Educational Information,” where you will find the “Share the beach: Helpful information for beach visitors during nesting season” brochure.
Media contact: Diane Hirth, 850-410-5291
GOVERNOR RICK SCOTT’S SCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2017
GOVERNOR RICK SCOTT’S SCHEDULE FOR
TUESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2017
9:15am STAFF AND CALL TIME
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
9:30am ENTERPRISE FLORIDA BOARD MEETING
Location: The Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort
Address: 321 N Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
2:50pm NUJAK COMPANIES JOB GROWTH HIGHLIGHT
Location: NuJak Companies, Inc.
Address: 714 North Massachusetts Avenue
Lakeland, FL 33801
4:00-4:50pm STAFF AND CALL TIME
Location: Lakeland, FL
GOVERNOR LOPEZ-CANTERA’S SCHEDULE FOR
TUESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2017
9:00am ENTERPRISE FLORIDA BOARD MEETING
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
2:00pm MEETING WITH MIAMI-DADE COUNTY MAYOR CARLOS GIMENEZ
Location: Miami, FL
POWERBALL® JACKPOT REACHES $650 MILLION, SECOND LARGEST IN THE GAME’S HISTORY
TALLAHASSEE – The POWERBALL® jackpot for Wednesday’s drawing is an estimated $650 million; the largest in the nation and second largest in the game’s history. In addition to the jackpot, players have the opportunity to win a variety of lower-tier prizes ranging from $4.00 to $2 million by matching any of the non-jackpot-winning combinations.
“Last week the Florida Lottery reached another epic milestone of $32 billion in total contributions to education,” said Florida Lottery Secretary Jim Poppell. “POWERBALL jackpots like this one are an exciting way for Floridians to have a chance to win a life-changing prize while also helping to benefit Florida’s students and schools.”
While there was no jackpot winner in Saturday night’s drawing, Florida POWERBALL players still won big, with more than 388,000 winning tickets totaling more than $5.1 million in prizes, including two $1 million winners in Ocoee and Orlando. During this jackpot series, more than 1.8 million Florida players have won more than $18.4 million in prizes.
Jackpot prizes are paid in 30 annual installments or as a one-time, lump-sum payment. Winners have 180 days from the applicable drawing to claim their prize. To receive the cash option of an estimated $411.7 million, jackpot prizes must be claimed within 60 days of the drawing.
The integrity of all games is of utmost importance to the Florida Lottery. Players are encouraged to sign the back of their ticket at the time of purchase and keep them in a safe place. Players are reminded to check their tickets carefully; even if they don’t win the jackpot, they can still win cash prizes of up to $2 million.
Players who want the chance to become Florida’s 13th POWERBALL jackpot winner can purchase tickets at any of the more than 13,000 authorized Florida Lottery retailers across the state. The Florida Lottery would like to remind all players to play responsibly; it only takes one ticket to win. Like all Florida Lottery products, players must be 18 or older to play.
Wednesday night’s POWERBALL drawing will be held at 10:59 p.m. ET. Tickets must be purchased by 10:00 p.m. ET to be eligible for this drawing. National POWERBALL drawings are broadcast live, in high-definition, from the Florida Lottery’s state of the art draw studio in Tallahassee. Florida Lottery game drawings are broadcast on 17 carrier stations throughout the state.
ABOUT POWERBALL IN FLORIDA
Since joining POWERBALL in 2009, the game has generated $1.68 billion in contributions to education statewide. Florida is among the top-selling POWERBALL states in the country, with more than 76.3 million winning tickets totaling more than $2.2 billion in prizes, including 12 jackpot winners. Florida was also one of the three states nationally to have a winner share in the world record-setting $1.586 billion POWERBALL jackpot in January 2016.
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 visit www.flalottery.com.
CONTACT:
FLORIDA LOTTERY COMMUNICATIONS
(850) 487-7727
www.flalottery.com
Mast Unveils Bill to Support Local Marine Manufacturing Jobs
West Palm Beach, Fla. – U.S. Congressman Brian Mast (FL-18) today announced the introduction of the Maritime Industries Relief Act. As Congress begins to consider comprehensive tax reform, this tax relief bill will help support 18th District jobs and the local maritime economy.
“This is a jobs bill, plain and simple,” Rep. Mast said. “We have a thriving maritime industry, and it’s absolutely critical that, as Congress considers comprehensive tax reform, we do everything we can to help American businesses compete. This is a perfect example of a win-win for consumers and local businesses.”
The bill repeals the duty payment imposed on pre-owned dutiable foreign-flagged boats offered for sale to U.S. residents while in U.S. waters, including motorboats, sail boats, canoes and rowboats. The repeal of this duty payment will make it more affordable to bring used boats into the United States, which will then rely on service and support in U.S. ports by U.S.-based companies and workers.
“Representative Mast has proven to be a huge supporter of the South Florida marine industry and the jobs this legislation will bring to not only South Florida, but to the industry nationwide,” IYBA Public Affairs Committee Chairman Staley Weidman said. “Ultimately, passage of this bill means those vessels will rely on service and support in U.S. ports by U.S.-based companies and workers. It’s a win-win for everyone.”
The current tax structure disadvantages U.S.-based marine businesses by making it more likely that used boats will go to foreign-based ports to be repaired. The marine manufacturing industry in the 18th District supports more than 3,000 jobs and more than 400 local businesses. The local economic impact of the industry is more than $600 million.
The bill also makes it more affordable for U.S.-based consumers to purchase used boats. There are more than 41,000 recreational boats owned by 18th District residents, more than 70% of whom have an annual household income below $100,000.
CONTACT: Brad Stewart, 202-306-3149
[email protected]
MORE FLORIDA HOUSE MEMBERS ENDORSE SPRITZ
Boca Raton, Fla. — Today, the Matt Spritz Campaign announced the endorsements of Republican State Representatives Bobby Payne and Tom Leek. Payne represents District 19 and Leek District 25, both in Northeast Florida. They join Representatives Byron Donalds, Alex Miller, and Bob Rommel, who endorsed Spritz last month. Spritz is seeking the District 89 seat in the Florida House.
“Matt Spritz embodies all that makes a great public servant,” said Payne. “His background, leadership skills, and conservative convictions will serve the people of District 89 very well, and I look forward to having him as a colleague.”
“I have no doubt that Matt Spritz will be an outstanding member of the Florida House,” said Leek. “His strong work ethic, values, and concern for others make him exactly the kind of person we need more of in Tallahassee.”
Both Payne and Leek are serving their first term in the Legislature. Payne has had a decades-long career at Seminole Electric Cooperative in Palatka and serves as Vice Chair of the Energy and Utilities Subcommittee as well as on the Commerce Committee and the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee. An Ormond Beach resident, Leek is an attorney who is Vice Chair of the Public Integrity and Ethics Committee. He also serves on the Ways and Means Committee, Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee, and the Local, Federal, and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee.
“I’m honored to have the support of Representatives Payne and Leek,” said Spritz. “Both of them set a great example for how to serve the people of Florida with vision and excellence, and I look forward to working with them to preserve our freedoms and create more opportunity in our great state.”
Born and raised in South Florida, Spritz graduated Phi Beta Kappa with high honors from Emory University and from New York University School of Law in New York City. He practiced corporate and business law in New York City and later in South Florida before committing himself to public service in the Florida House.
House District 89 covers coastal portions of Palm Beach County spanning from Singer Island to Boca Raton, which has the largest concentration of voters. Thirty-six percent of registered voters in the district are Republicans, while Democrats make up 33 percent, and voters with minor or no party affiliation, 31 percent.
