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The Florida Lottery Invites You to Win Big With the CASH4LIFE® Bonus Bucks Promotion

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TALLAHASSEE – The Lottery is celebrating the one year anniversary of Florida’s CASH4LIFE® launch during the month of February with a promotion giving away cash prizes and Scratch-Off tickets.

Starting today, through February 28, each CASH4LIFE ticket, excluding those purchased as part of a GROUPER play, will print with a voucher that includes a unique number that can be entered on the Lottery’s website to earn one entry into the Bonus Bucks promotion. One drawing will be held on March 2, 2018, from all entries received during the month of February. Twenty-eight winners will be selected to receive $1,000, and 72 winners will be selected to receive $100 worth of $1,000 A WEEK FOR LIFE Scratch-Off tickets.

The next CASH4LIFE drawing will be held tonight, February 1, at 9:00 p.m. ET. Tickets must be purchased by 8:30 p.m. ET to be eligible for this drawing. CASH4LIFE drawings are broadcast on 17 carrier stations throughout the state. Winning numbers are available on the Lottery website, at retailers statewide and by phone at (850) 921-PLAY.

 

ABOUT THE FLORIDA LOTTERY

The Florida Lottery is responsible for contributing more than $32 billion to education and sending more than 775,000 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 $56.3 billion in prizes and made more than 2,000 people millionaires. For more information, please visitwww.flalottery.com.

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Just Imagine®

Maternal Mental Health Advocacy Day Jan. 29

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2018 is a landmark year for Maternal Mental Health in Florida as the legislature considers Senate Bill 138, the “Florida Families First Act,” filed by Senator Lauren Book. The Florida Maternal Mental Health Collaborative is hosting a Maternal Mental Health Advocacy Day in Tallahassee on Monday, January 29, 2018.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, postpartum depression is the most common, yet also most under-diagnosed, obstetrical complication in our county impacting women, infants and their families. Approximately 40,000 Florida families will be affected by a maternal mental health disorder. Most medical care providers don’t screen for these disorders and if they do, they are unsure of local specialized resources to help care for their patients’ needs. Maternal mental health disorders can occur during pregnancy and up to one year after delivery. This can include mild to severe depression and anxiety; and the less common but very serious postpartum psychosis that presents a need for emergency medical attention.
Since its founding in 2016, the Florida Maternal Mental Health Collaborative has brought together increasing numbers of various professional disciplines, advocates and survivors across the state to partner for positive change in awareness, education and services for maternal mental illnesses.
Partners from across the state will convene in Tallahassee on Monday, January 29 to educate and advocate for attention to these needs addressing postpartum depression and related illnesses. The Florida Families First Act has passed favorably through its first committee appearance, the Senate Health Policy Committee and will now be sent before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services.

Most FDOT Work Suspended Dec. 23-Jan. 2 for the Holidays

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Brevard, Lake, Orange, Volusia County — The Florida Department of Transportation will suspend most construction work during the holidays from Dec. 23-Jan. 2. No additional lane closures will occur on Central Florida interstates. Motorists may see activity outside of the travel lanes. 

Work activity is expected in the following areas during this time (links to project websites are included):

Brevard County

Lake County

Orange County

Volusia County

For more information about projects and closures in your area, visit www.cflroads.com.

FDOT advises drivers to slow down in construction zones; the life you save may be your own.

For more information, please contact the public information office, Sara Shepherd, 386-943-5497, [email protected], or Jessica Ottaviano, [email protected].

UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA RECEIVES SILVER LEED CERTIFICATION FOR NEW FITNESS AND RECREATION CENTER

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TAMPA — The University of Tampa recently received LEED® Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for its new Fitness and Recreation Center, which was opened in September 2016.

The Fitness and Recreation Center is the fifth building on UT’s campus built in accordance with the rigorous standards set by USGBC’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building certification program. The other four buildings are the Science Annex and Jenkins Hall, which both achieved LEED Gold designation, and the Dickey Health and Wellness Center and the Maureen A. Daly Innovation and Collaboration Building, which both achieved LEED Silver designation.

The LEED rating system, developed by the USGBC, is the foremost program for buildings, homes and communities that are designed, constructed, maintained and operated for improved environmental and human health performance.

The 40,000 square-foot, two-story Fitness and Recreation Center is centrally located on campus. It is a one-stop shop for all exercise programs, personal training and evaluation, wellness and nutrition programs, intramurals, recreation activities, club sports and some exercise related laboratory and research activities.

Since its opening, the center has experienced a total of 168,628 student visits, and students have logged more than 4,800 hours on the Precor cardio equipment: treadmills; adaptive motion trainer; elliptical motion trainers; recumbent and upright bikes. An average of 48 group fitness classes are held each week, with an average weekly participation rate of 629 individuals.

“The University is committed to providing healthy, safe and efficient buildings for all students, faculty and staff,” said UT President Ronald Vaughn. “The Fitness and Recreation Center is a well-utilized facility in the heart of campus. It is satisfying to have achieved LEED certification while also meeting our facility goals.”

“The University of Tampa’s LEED certification demonstrates tremendous green building leadership,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO of USGBC. “LEED was created to make the world a better place and revolutionize the built environment by providing everyone with healthy, green and high performing buildings. UT’s Fitness and Recreation Center serves as a prime example of how the work of innovative building projects can use local solutions to make a global impact on the environment.”

For more about the UT Fitness and Recreation Center, see www.ut.edu/fitnesscenter.

LEED is the foremost program for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. More than 78,000 commercial and institutional projects are currently participating in LEED, comprising more than 15 billion square feet of construction space in all 50 states and more than 160 countries and territories.

The U.S. Green Building Council is a nonprofit membership organization whose vision is a sustainable built environment within a generation. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.      

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 approximately 9,000 students from 50 states and 140 countries. Approximately 62 percent of full-time students live on campus, and more than half of UT students are from Florida.

Gov. Scott: Miami Area Ranks Third in State Job Creation

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MIAMI, Fla. — Today, Governor Rick Scott announced that the Miami area added 24,900 new private-sector jobs in the last year, the third-highest number of jobs among all Florida metro areas. The unemployment rate in Miami remained at 4.6 percent in November, down 0.4 percentage point from a year ago. Statewide, Florida businesses created 13,900 new jobs in November and the unemployment rate remained at 3.6 percent, the lowest rate in more than a decade. Since December 2010, Florida businesses have created 1,465,800 new private-sector jobs.

Governor Scott said, “Miami added nearly 25,000 new jobs over the year, further proof that our economy is continuing to thrive across the state. During the upcoming legislative session, we will keep working to cut taxes and create an environment where the private sector can grow.”

The industries with the highest growth over the year in Miami were trade, transportation and utilities with 10,900 new jobs and education and health services with 4,000 new jobs. The area continued to rank third among the state’s metro areas with 29,951 openings, and once again offered the third-highest number of high-skill, high-wage STEM jobs with 7,016 openings.

 In the last year, 199,000 people entered Florida’s labor force, a growth of 2.0 percent. This rate is nearly three times the national labor force growth rate of only 0.7 percent. In November, 16,990 Floridians were placed in jobs by CareerSource South Florida and the state’s other 23 local workforce boards. 

 To view the November 2017 employment data visit www.floridajobs.org/labor-market-information/labor-market-information-press-releases/monthly-press-releases.

Gov. Scott: Tampa Area Ranks Second in State Job Creation

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TAMPA, Fla. — Today, Governor Rick Scott announced that the Tampa area added 28,400 new private-sector jobs in the last year, continuing to create the second-highest number of jobs among all Florida metro areas. The Tampa area also continues to rank first in the state in demand for high-skill, high-wage STEM occupations with 14,839 openings in November. Tampa’s unemployment rate dropped to 3.6 percent, down 1.0 percentage point from one year ago. Statewide, Florida businesses created 13,900 new jobs in November and the unemployment rate remained at 3.6 percent, the lowest rate in more than a decade. Since December 2010, Florida businesses have created 1,465,800 new private-sector jobs.

 Governor Scott said, “It is great news that the Tampa Bay area, like the rest of the state, continues to have strong economic growth with more than 28,000 new jobs created over the year. It is clear that Tampa Bay continues to be a great place for businesses to grow and create jobs.”

The industries with the highest growth over the year in Tampa were:

  • Professional and business services with 5,900 new jobs;
  • Construction with 5,300 new jobs; and
  • Other services with 5,200 new jobs.

The Tampa area remained first among the state metro areas in job demand in November with 44,792 openings.

In the last year, 199,000 people entered Florida’s labor force, a growth of 2.0 percent. This rate is nearly three times the national labor force growth rate of only 0.7 percent. In November, 16,990 Floridians were placed in jobs by CareerSource Tampa Bay and the state’s other 23 local workforce boards. 

To view the November 2017 employment data visit www.floridajobs.org/labor-market-information/labor-market-information-press-releases/monthly-press-releases.

Gov. Scott: Orlando Area Continues to Lead State with Most Jobs Created in the Last Year

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ORLANDO, Fla. — Today, Governor Rick Scott announced that the Orlando area had the highest job creation in the state, adding 39,500 new private-sector jobs in the last year for the fourth month in a row. The unemployment rate in Orlando was 3.5 percent, down 0.9 percentage point from one year ago. Statewide, Florida businesses created 13,900 new jobs in November and the unemployment rate remained at 3.6 percent, the lowest rate in more than a decade. Since December 2010, Florida businesses have created 1,465,800 new private-sector jobs. 

Governor Scott said, “I am proud to announce that Orlando led the state with the most jobs created this past year, adding more than 39,000 new jobs for families. We are proud to see job creators continue to grow in Central Florida and look forward to another great year of more opportunities being created so families can succeed in Florida.”

Orlando led the state in job growth over the year in the following industries:

  • Professional and business services with 10,200 new jobs;
  • Financial activities with 5,600 new jobs; and
  • Manufacturing with 5,100 new jobs.

In November, the Orlando area remained second among state metro areas in job demand with 37,783 job openings. Orlando also remained the second-highest metro area in demand for high-skill, high-wage STEM occupations with 11,033 openings.

In the last year, 199,000 people entered Florida’s labor force, a growth of 2.0 percent. This rate is nearly three times the national labor force growth rate of only 0.7 percent. In November, 16,990 Floridians were placed in jobs by CareerSource Central Florida and the state’s other 23 local workforce boards. 

To view the November 2017 employment data visit www.floridajobs.org/labor-market-information/labor-market-information-press-releases/monthly-press-releases.

Gov. Scott: Florida Businesses Created Nearly 14,000 Private-Sector Jobs in November

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Gov. Scott: Florida Businesses Created Nearly 14,000 Private-Sector Jobs in November

Unemployment Rate Remains at 10-Year Low of 3.6 Percent

NAPLES, Fla. — Today, Governor Rick Scott announced that Florida businesses created nearly 14,000 private-sector jobs across the state in November. The state’s unemployment rate also remained at a 10-year low of 3.6 percent. Since December 2010, Florida businesses have created 1,465,800 jobs. Florida’s annual job growth rate of 2.5 percent continues to exceed the nation’s rate of 1.6 percent.

 Governor Scott said, “I am proud to announce that Florida’s unemployment rate is at a 10-year low and that nearly 14,000 jobs were created for families across the state last month. As we near the end of the year, it is important to reflect on how far our state has come and how we must continue to fight every day to build on this success. Over the past seven years, we have turned around Florida’s economy which has allowed us to make record investments in education, transportation and environmental protection. I look forward to kicking off 2018 by working to continue cutting taxes, supporting job creation and education opportunities, and doing all we can to help secure Florida’s future for every family. Florida is a national leader in job creation and the rest of the nation should follow our lead.”

As of November, Florida’s unemployment rate had dropped 7.1 percentage points since December 2010, faster than the national decline of 5.2 percentage points. In the last year, 199,000 people entered Florida’s labor force, a growth of 2.0 percent, which is nearly three times the national labor force growth rate of only 0.7 percent.

Cissy Proctor, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, said, “Florida is ending the year on a good economic note as the unemployment rate remains at a 10-year low of 3.6 percent and businesses continue to recover from Hurricane Irma. More people are entering the labor force and jobs are being created in diverse industries. The Sunshine State remains the best place for families to live the American Dream.”

Other positive economic indicators include:

  • Private-sector industries gaining the most jobs over-the-year were:
    • Construction with 41,800 new jobs;
    • Professional and business services with 41,000 new jobs;
    • Trade, transportation and utilities with 33,500 new jobs;
    • Financial activities with 15,500 new jobs; and
    • Education and health services with 15,200 new jobs.
  • Florida job postings showed 254,611 openings in November 2017.
  • In November, Florida’s 24 regional workforce boards reported 16,990 Floridians, including 944 veterans, were placed in jobs.

To view the November 2017 employment data visit www.floridajobs.org/labor-market-information/labor-market-information-press-releases/monthly-press-releases.

Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Names UNF 2018 ‘Best College Value’

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The University of North Florida has been named to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance “300 Best College Values of 2018” list. The rankings highlight public schools, private universities and private liberal arts colleges that combine remarkable academic quality with exemplifying affordability.

UNF earned spots on the magazine’s list of 100 best values in public colleges for in-state and out-of-state students. This is the seventh consecutive year the University has been recognized by Kiplinger for its public college value.

            “We take great pride in being recognized by some very elite organizations for our efforts,” said UNF President John Delaney. “With top-notch academic programs and amazing out-of-classroom experiences, all at an affordable cost, UNF provides an exceptional value that’s hard to beat.”

            This latest recognition comes on the heels of UNF receiving several other national designations, including 2018 “Best in the Southeast” by Princeton Review, 2018 “Best Regional” University by U.S. News & World Report, 2018 “Best Colleges” by College Factual and the 2017 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award from Insight into Diversity magazine, to name a few.

“Our rankings, which weigh affordability alongside academic quality, are a great resource for students and their parents when sorting through college choices,” said Mark Solheim, editor of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. “We start with a universe of nearly 1,200 schools and trim the list using measures of academic quality. We then rank the schools based on cost and financial aid data. All 300 schools on our list are worth a look.”

The editors at Kiplinger’s Personal Finance start with data from nearly 1,200 public and private four-year schools, provided by Peterson’s. The list is then narrowed to the top schools based on measures of academic quality, including SAT or ACT scores, admission and retention rates, student-faculty ratios and four-year graduation rates. The editors then rank the schools using cost and financial aid measures. Academic quality carries more weight than costs.

The complete rankings are now available online at kiplinger.com/links/colleges and will appear in print in the February 2018 issue of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance on newsstands in early January.

For nine decades, the Kiplinger organization has led the way in personal finance and business forecasting. Founded in 1920 by W.M. Kiplinger, the company developed one of the nation’s first successful newsletters in modern times. The Kiplinger Letter, launched in 1923, remains the longest continuously published newsletter in the United States.

UNF, a nationally ranked university located on an environmentally beautiful campus, offers students who are dedicated to enriching the lives of others the opportunity to build their own futures through a well-rounded education.

Moody's: FAMU’s Outlook Upgraded to Stable

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NEW YORK, NY – Moody’s Investors Service announced that it has revised the outlook of Florida A&M University (FAMU) to stable from negative. The outlook revision incorporates anticipated improvement in operating performance and revenue growth with reduced enrollment volatility combined with gains in base state funding. FAMU is closing out 2017 with an increase in fundraising and its highest enrollment increase since 2014 at 9,913 students.

“Through the collective efforts of the Board of Trustees, FAMU Foundation, University administrators, staff, faculty, student leaders, and, of course, our committed alumni and friends, we are working tirelessly to ensure the financial well-being and continued growth of this great institution,” said President Larry Robinson, Ph.D. “We are grateful that Moody’s recognizes our efforts and grateful to everyone who has played a role in this positive outcome for FAMU.”

According to Moody’s, the stable outlook incorporates expectations of stabilizing enrollment, management’s commitment to maintaining operating equilibrium, and stable to growing state support. The stable outlook also reflects the absence of future borrowing plans or plans to reduce flexible reserves and is also predicated on a strong demand for the University’s “dormitory system.” Moody’s also indicates that the University has a reasonable cushion of flexible reserves relative to expenses, as well as relatively low debt. 

“The elevation in the Moody’s Outlook Rating illustrates the University’s commitment to sustaining enrollment growth as well as improving our operational and financial performance,” said Wanda Ford, DM, CFO and interim vice president for Finance and Administration. “We are excited about the University’s improvement in its rating of creditworthiness as it allows for greater opportunities to support our students in academic achievement and success.” 

Moody’s Investors Service is a leading provider of credit ratings, research, and risk analysis.   

According to Moody’s factors that lead to an outlook upgrade, include: 

 ·      Sustained revenue growth combined with more effective enrollment management and enhanced student demand 

·      Improved operating performance with reduced volatility and operating cash flow margins 

·      Marked increase in flexible reserves with spendable cash and investments to operating expenses sustainably  

 

For more information, visit www.moodys.com.