Today, the Tommy Gregory Campaign announced the endorsement of former U.S. Senator Connie Mack, who represented Florida for two terms. Gregory continues to consolidate the support of area Republican leaders in his run for the District 73 seat in the Florida House of Representatives, currently held by Joe Gruters, who is running for the Florida Senate.
Citing Longtime Work on Women’s Issues, Bob Doyel Touts Endorsement from the National Organization for Women (NOW)
Today, Democratic candidate for Florida Senate District 22, Bob Doyel, announced an endorsement from the National Organization for Women (NOW) while citicing his long time work to end violence against women.
Bob Doyel has been a vocal activist for the testing of more than 13,400 untested rape kits in Florida. Today, the democratic challenger took to his campaign’s facebook account to share with supporters that he has received the endorsement from the Florida Chapter of the National Organization for Women.
“I am proud and honored to have the support of the National Organization for Women as I work to make women’s equality a priority in the Florida Senate,” Doyel wrote. “I’ve been fighting to shine a light on the issue of violence against women for many years, and have worked hard to give a voice to women in the judicial process. That work will continue in the Florida Senate.”
Doyel’s work was recently highlighted in his local newspaper, “The Ledger,” after 47 year old Stephen Berouty was convicted earlier this month for a rape that happened back in 2003.
“This is a public safety issue,” Doyel told The Ledger. “Testing these kits could identify a serial rapist that we need to get off the streets.”
Bob Doyel is a retired circuit court judge, law professor, and vietnam veteran who has lived in Polk county for more than three decades. Doyel is running in one Florida Democrats’ most competitive State Senate Districts and is hoping to unseat incumbent Kelli Stargel of Lakeland.
Hopping, Green & Sams Welcomes Eileen Stuart as Government Affairs Shareholder
Hopping, Green & Sams (HGS), one of the state’s top environmental, land use and special district law firms, today announced the addition of Eileen Stuart as Government Affairs Shareholder with the firm.
“We are thrilled to welcome Eileen to the firm. Having worked closely with her over the last decade, we appreciate firsthand Eileen’s substantial talents,” said Gary Hunter, shareholder, Hopping, Green & Sams. “Her deep relationships, substantive command and understanding of the key levers in state and federal government will greatly enhance our growing presence in the Florida government affairs arena. Most important, our clients will benefit from her expertise.”
A well-respected name in Tallahassee, Stuart most recently served as Vice President, Government and Regulatory Affairs for The Mosaic Company, directing the Fortune 500’s state and federal government affairs strategy and engagement in Tallahassee and Washington, D.C. She also previously served as Vice President, Public Affairs and led the company’s strategic communications and community engagement.
Prior to joining Mosaic, Stuart’s experience included positions in the Executive Office of the Governor where she served as Deputy Policy Director. She also has served in roles in the Florida Senate, the Florida Public Service Commission and on a gubernatorial campaign. Her expertise in environmental, energy, permitting and tax issues will complement HGS’ deep roster of professionals.
“Hopping, Green & Sams is a powerful combination of the state’s top environmental and land development lawyers along with a robust and loyal client base. The firm’s widely recognized expertise and reputation provide an unparalleled platform, and I am excited to work alongside the exceptional team at HGS to help our clients achieve their objectives,” said Stuart.
Stuart earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and her Juris Doctor from the Florida State University College of Law. She and her husband live in Tallahassee with their two sons.
Breaking News From GOP Insider Brief
President Donald Trump confirmed Tuesday that a top North Korean official is headed to New York for talks on an upcoming summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, as diplomatic efforts also accelerated in Asia, The Associated Press reports. Trump said in a tweet that Kim Yong Chol — a former military intelligence chief and now a vice chairman of the North Korean ruling party’s central committee — was traveling to New York as part of ongoing meetings between the two countries to arrange the on-again, off-again summit on the future of North Korea’s nuclear weapons.
Blasting a Way into Crime or Just Clean Fun?
Many children are drawn to using toy weapons in creative play and will spend the summer chasing siblings, yelling bang or exchanging the foam bullets of a Nerf gun with friends. But, does this behavior indicate a propensity for future violence?
In a recently published paper, Blasting A Way into Crime: Aggressive Play with Weapon Symbols and Its Implications for the Law, Christopher Ferguson, Ph. D., and Sven Smith, Ph. D., of Stetson University examined the relationship between weapon play and concurrent aggression, and later violent crime. The pair found toy weapon use to be an unlikely risk marker for criminal behavior.
Ferguson and Smith also examined the role of violent video games in the development of youth psychopathy and as a crime indicator in A Longitudinal Analysis of Shooter Games and Their Relationship with Conduct Disorder and Crime, concluding that the role of violent video games in the development of youth psychopathy is very little, if any.
In both studies, Ferguson and Smith examined survey data collected from the Bristol’s Children of the 90s longitudinal study which recruited pregnant mothers and gathered data from the moms at different stages of their children’s lives until the child reached 15.5 years old.
Blasting a Way into Crime
Many scholars and policy makers are concerned that violent toy play will encourage aggressive behavior in a way that influences the public’s well-being. In the past, researchers agreed stating that children’s mere exposure to the use of weapons encourages deviant displays of aggression. However, there was little research in the past 20 years regarding weapon play as an indicator of violence. The research conducted by Ferguson and Smith was designed to determine if there was a link between play with toy weapons and criminal behavior, while controlling other factors that could encourage crime.
“In recent years, we have heard some people complain that boys playing with guns might contribute to what’s being called ‘toxic masculinity,’” said Ferguson, professor of psychology at Stetson. “Our analysis could not find evidence for this concern. It appears that playing with toy weapons, whether among boys and girls, is a fairly innocuous activity and is not associated with negative outcomes in kids long-term.”
Ferguson and Smith examined data collected from more than 2,000 mothers on the Children of the 90s study when children were age 3 and 15, for correlations between children’s play and criminality. While the initial analysis shows a significant relationship between toy weapon play and later criminality, when other variables were introduced that may account for this correlation — including gender, diagnosis of ADHD and diagnosis of depression — the relationship was noticeable reduced. The study found the relationship between toy gun use and later teen criminality was trivial in size and, therefore, not a risk marker for later criminology.
“Parents can probably feel a lot better letting their kids play with toy weapons if their kids are so inclined. This does not appear to be a risk factor for negative outcomes among kids,” added Ferguson.
Shooter Games and Their Relationship with Conduct Disorder and Crime
As school shootings continue to devastate far too many communities, the media and law makers are often quick to point to violent video game play as a cause of violent behavior. For more than 30 years, there has been a concern among the public and lawmakers that violence depicted in video games may have an impact on violent behavior and delinquency in youth and young adults. Similarly, scholars have disagreed about whether violent video games impact behavior.
In this study, Ferguson and Smith examined Children of the 90s data to determine the impact of the shooter game genre use in childhood on later adolescent conduct disorder and criminal behavior. It compared violent video game use to later violent behavior, along with other variables that could impact behavior.
The research revealed that early childhood mental health symptoms at age 7 related to ADHD, depression and early conduct disorder predicted criminal behavior at age 15. Male gender also increased the likelihood of violent behavior at 15, but exposure to shooter games did not predict adolescent conduct disorder or criminal behavior at any statistically significant level.
“Our analysis adds to a growing body of literature that indicates shooter game play is not associated with violence or severe conduct problems among kids. If policy makers are serious about tackling issues of violence in society, they would be better suited to consider other issues that are more clearly linked to violence and conduct related outcomes,” said Ferguson.
Christopher Ferguson is a professor of psychology at Stetson University and co-author of Moral Combat: Why the War on Violent Video Games is Wrong. He has clinical experience particularly in working with offender and juvenile justice populations as well as conducting evaluations for child protective services. In 2013, he was awarded a Distinguished Early Career Professional Award from Division 46 (media psychology and technology) of the American Psychological Association. In 2014, he was named a fellow of the American Psychological Association through Division 1 (General Psychology, effective January 2015). In addition to his academic work, he has published a historical mystery novel entitled Suicide Kings.
Sven Smith is a legal and an organizational sociologist and an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Stetson University. His life’s work incorporates thought from a variety of disciplines. He has worked at the think tank for the American Bar Association, the American Bar Foundation in Chicago, Illinois, where he worked as a lead researcher/supervisor on The American Jury Project, interpreting data from a set of videotaped, actual jury trial deliberations using social-psychology, sociology and legal theory. He is also an attorney and has extensive trial and appellate experience, trying cases and arguing appeals in the criminal, civil and administrative arenas.
UF Taps Proven Leader As its First Chief Diversity Officer
The University of Florida has named Antonio Farias, currently vice president for equity and inclusion/Title IX officer at Wesleyan University, as its first chief diversity officer and senior advisor to the president.
Farias will assume the new post effective July 9. His annual salary will be $280,000.
In his new position, Farias, 52, will hold a cabinet-level spot while overseeing universitywide efforts to advance equity, diversity and inclusion, and establish a new standard of inclusive excellence.
“I am thrilled that Antonio will be joining the University of Florida,” UF President Kent Fuchs said. “He has a strong track record and enjoys tremendous respect at a national level. We created this position because UF, like many other Southern universities, has a legacy that includes not always welcoming people of diverse backgrounds. This is a significant step in addressing the cultural changes that must continue to take place at the University of Florida. Antonio is well-equipped to tackle these challenges.”
At Wesleyan, where he has worked since 2013, Farias has worked closely with the offices of Academic Affairs, Admissions, Student Affairs, and University Relations on issues of inclusion and equity as they relate to race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, age, veteran status, political affiliation, and national origin in the areas of recruitment, admission, retention, hires, promotion, and fundraising. He has been responsible for maintaining proper university reporting procedures and policies as they pertain to federal and state laws.
From 2005 to 2013, Farias was chief diversity officer for the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, where as the inaugural CDO, he helped develop a metrics-driven, leadership and values centered inclusion and diversity strategy for the academy that eventually shaped strategy for the 47,000-member organization. He also developed retention programs for faculty as well as students of color, first-generation students, women, LGBTQ, and students of various faith/non-faith backgrounds; implemented pre-orientation programs for first-generation and students of color; and conducted inclusion and diversity workshops throughout the Coast Guard leadership framework. Prior to that, he held positions at Mercy College, Hunter College and Colgate University, all in New York.
“As a product of public education, and an educator who has been graced with seeing real lives impacted by educational opportunities, I’m deeply honored to have been selected as the inaugural CDO at a time when UF is poised to make the next great leap in excellence. My wife and I very much look forward to fully immersing ourselves in the Gainesville community and contributing to the Gator Good.”
Farias said he looks forward to meeting with UF student, faculty and staff and members of the Gainesville community soon after his arrival.
Farias holds a bachelor’s degree in comparative literature and a master’s degree in comparative ethnic studies, both from the University of California, Berkeley. He later earned a master of fine arts degree in creative writing from the University of California, Riverside.
Contact: Steve Orlando, 352-846-3903, [email protected]
University of Florida News Center http://www.news.ufl.edu| [email protected]| 352-846-3903
Florida Poly students making Winter Haven a ‘smart city’
A group of Florida Polytechnic University students have taken on the mission of making the City of Winter Haven a “smart community” to better prepare it for the challenges of the future.
The Winter Haven Economic Development Council (WHEDC) partnered with the city of Winter Haven and Florida Polytechnic University to take the first steps into making that objective a reality.
“Our goal is to build on Winter Haven’s rich fiber optic network and the rapidly expanding business and residential markets with high-value, innovative, smart communities ideas that have been proven elsewhere and can be customized to meet our local needs,” said Bruce Lyon, president of the WHEDC.
Throughout this semester, six Florida Poly students have taken part in an internship with the WHEDC to conduct a comprehensive assessment aimed at developing high-tech ideas and recommendations from projects that have been implemented and proven valuable in other communities worldwide. The effort includes interviews with residents, businesses and government leaders.
The information collected will be used to determine how various sectors – government, environment, health, infrastructure, public safety, transportation, business and innovation, and housing and commercial development – can benefit from smart community initiatives.
“This assessment will enable decision-making on strategic and tactical guideposts towards community improvements that will make our lives healthier, easier, and more productive while expanding our economic base through innovative deployment of new technologies,” said Lyon.
Kyle Cook is one of the Florida Poly students taking part in the assessment. The senior from Lake Mary, Florida, is majoring in computer engineering with a focus in embedded system design. He says the concept of making a community “smart” is much more than throwing a bunch of technology at cities and using sensors.
“In addition to cutting-edge technology, it’s a matter of using existing technologies in ways that aren’t implemented in the general Winter Haven community yet,” said Cook.
The internship, he says, has provided him and his peers an invaluable out-of-class experience.
“It’s almost vital if you’re looking to go toward industry because having this practical experience puts you ahead of your competition and also confirms whether you’re in the right field or not,” he said. “If you like what you’re doing, then you know you’re in the right place.”
The students will present their research to the WHEDC board of directors later this spring. Lyon expects the organization to continue working with Florida Poly students as the smart community initiatives move closer to implementation.
Polk County lakes researched as source of biofuel
Students at Florida Polytechnic University are looking into ways of creating a source of biofuel by using algae known as diatoms, which are found in Polk County lakes.
The search for viable alternatives to fossil fuels is a hot topic worldwide with biofuel being one possible solution. This study, headed by professor of biology Dr. Melba Horton, seeks to determine the viability of using endemic diatoms from local lakes for various technological applications, including as a source of renewable energy.
Polk County Parks and Recreation provided students with water samples from more than 50 lakes around the county. The diatoms they found were grown and harvested in both indoor and outdoor photobioreactors. After periods of 15 and 30 days, results of a preliminary extraction showed a yield of more than 30 percent, which is on par with other biofuel sources, but with the promise of better cost efficiency.
“Algae is already used for biofuel, but it is still very expensive,” said Horton. “This option with endemic diatoms would make producing biofuel less costly considering the local supply and availability of the resource.”
The research, funded by Florida Industrial and Phosphate Research Institute (FIPR), utilizes space saving photobioreactors for mass production of the diatoms, which can also be used for agricultural applications. Diatoms are known for their porous silica shells. Once mass produced, they can be added to improve dewatering of clay settling areas from phosphate mining operations in Florida.
“The main goal we want to accomplish with this research is to grow the diatoms and utilize them for the dual purpose of producing biofuel, and also to mix them with the clays that have limited land use potential, so that these lands can be more productive,” said Gary Albarelli, FIPR representative.
This Florida Poly research explores other technological applications of diatoms, including the use of its silica wall to capture and store methane gas, as well as biomedical and electrical purposes.
Big & Rich to Headline Star-Studded Lineup at 2018 Sugar Festival
Top country music talent, great food and plenty of sweet treats will attract thousands to “America’s Sweetest Town” on St. Patrick’s Day for the 2018 Sugar Festival in Clewiston.
The festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. Saturday, March 17, at Civic Park on U.S. Hwy 27 in Clewiston. Admission is free. All media are invited to attend.
Now in its 32nd year, the Clewiston Sugar Festival celebrates the region’s annual sugarcane harvest and the important economic impact sugar has on Glades communities and Florida’s agricultural industry. This year’s presenting sponsor is U.S. Sugar, a Florida pioneer in the sustainable farming and processing of sugarcane, citrus, sweet corn, broccoli and green beans.
“The Clewiston Sugar Festival is a special time for our entire community to get together and recognize another successful season,” said Judy Sanchez, senior director of corporate communication and public affairs for U.S. Sugar. “We look forward to hosting guests from near and far and showing why Clewiston truly is ‘America’s Sweetest Town.’”
This year, the Clewiston Sugar Festival will include the Sugar Fest 5K Run, the Sweet Taste of Sugar baking contest, food vendors, arts and craft booths, tractor displays and a car show. On the main stage will be country performers Big & Rich (5:30 p.m.), Easton Corbin (3:45 p.m.), Brooke Eden (2:15 p.m.), Doug Stone (12:45 p.m.) and Cody Williams Band (11:30 a.m.).
The festival will feature appearances by Miss Sugar 2018 Keelyn Sanchez and Junior Miss Sugar Brianna Madrigal. Also on the schedule is pickle ball, horseshoe and cornhole tournaments. The Seminole Tribe of Florida is sponsoring a free Kids Park with bounce houses, inflatable slides and other activities. Additionally, the festival will feature an alligator wrestling show provided by Billie Swamp Safari.
Pre-festival activities start with a performance by the Alter Eagles, an Eagles tribute band, on the main stage at 7 p.m. Friday, March 16.
“This community event will have plenty of music, sweet food, arts and crafts and activities to offer people of all ages,” said Hillary Hyslope, executive director of the Clewiston Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Clewiston Sugar Festival committee. “Sugar Festival is Clewiston at its best: good music, food and people.”
In addition to U.S. Sugar and the Seminole Tribe of Florida, other sponsors include FPL and the Hendry County Tourist Development Council.
For more information about the Clewiston Sugar Festival, including a complete schedule of events, go to clewistonsugarfestival.net. Also visit our Sugar Festival page on Facebook @SugarFestival and follow us at #SugarFestival2018, #AmericasSweetestTown and #USSugar.
Legendary Florida Consumer Advocate Walter Dartland Dies at 83
Legendary Florida consumer advocate Walter Dartland, who spent more than four decades fearlessly challenging powerful interests on behalf of the little guy, passed away tabindex=”0″ data-term=”goog_918118315″>Thursday after a battle with lymphoma. His passing silences a voice that routinely championed the interests of Floridians above those of all others. He was 83.
Dartland’s illustrious career ranged from service as Dade County Consumer Advocate to a top aide to then-Florida Attorney General Bob Butterworth. As Consumer Advocate – an official government position – in the late 1970s and 1980s, Dartland was routinely sought out by reporters, not just in his home county but across the state. Even after leaving government, Dartland continued to serve the public by founding the Consumer Federation of the Southeast.
“Walt accomplished more to make Florida a better place than many government agencies and career elected officials combined,” said Tallahassee public relations executive Ron Sachs, who got to know Dartland as a Miami reporter in the ’70s. “He was a naturally gifted communicator – always eloquently assailing the arrogance and abuse of any powerful interests whose products or services hurt or undermined the public interest.”
Dartland worked tirelessly on behalf of consumers, regardless of whether their causes attracted media attention or remained largely in the shadows. He was the singular driving force behind creation of Florida’s landmark Lemon Law, which helps consumers whose new cars turn out to be duds. He fought just as vigorously on behalf of a neighborhood of poor African-American residents in the small coastal Panhandle community of Port. St. Joe, whose homes were actively deteriorating because of major flaws in the homesites and construction. Dartland took on this long-shot cause for free and ultimately led a protest to the front door and headquarters of the major corporation responsible – ultimately winning a settlement that compensated the homeowners and corrected the deficiencies.
Butterworth befriended Dartland while the two ran against each other for Attorney General in the 1986 Democratic primary. “He was an icon, a fantastic guy,” Butterworth told the Tallahassee Democrat newspaper.
Dartland’s tenacity turned countless hopeless causes into rousing successes, but he could not avoid the inevitable when he ran as a Democrat in a congressional district that had been redrawn to heavily favor Republicans. He was determined that his fellow Democrats should have a choice in the 2016 election in the district that includes Tallahassee, so he ran – and was summarily trounced by Republican Neal Dunn. Dartland was nonetheless proud of his unconventional campaign, explaining to the local newspaper: “I just couldn’t let there be an election and no Democratic candidate talking to people.”
Walter Dartland was a former Marine major – although his bearing and courtly demeanor throughout life proved the adage that there are no “former” Marines – and earned an engineering degree at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a law degree at the University of Michigan, and was a Fulbright scholar. Later in life, he often taught at law schools.
He is survived by his wife of 36 years, Diana Dartland, and children Mark, Chris, and Dottie; grandchildren Victoria, Evan, and Flynn; and sister Christina. A memorial service is being planned.
