Florida News Straight From the Source
FDLE unveiled Florida’s updated Sex Offender Registry, improving ease of use for citizens and making the webpage mobile friendly.
The new look makes it easier for citizens to search for offenders by name, living in neighborhoods, and on college campuses. Reporters and citizens can also access Florida sex offender laws, safety tips and other state registries. To access the newly designed registry, click here.
Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam today announced that there are currently 41 active wildfires in Florida burning 34,539 acres.
Significant Wildfires in Florida:
The Florida Forest Service is urging residents to be cautious with fire and heat sources and to remember the following:
The Florida Forest Service, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, manages more than 1 million acres of state forests and provides forest management assistance on more than 17 million acres of private and community forests. The Florida Forest Service is also responsible for protecting homes, forestland and natural resources from the devastating effects of wildfire on more than 26 million acres.
The Florida Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) today recognizes April as Financial Literacy Month, and encourages Floridians to establish smart financial habits.
Commissioner Drew J. Breakspear said, “The more Floridians understand about money, savings and credit, the better equipped they are to make informed decisions about banking, loans and investments. Financial literacy is the gateway to financial stability and economic success.”
The OFR offers Floridians a robust online Consumer Knowledge Center, where consumers can find valuable financial literacy resources, including OFR consumer alerts and state and federal partner websites. This month and year-round, the OFR offers financial literacy tips and helpful information via Twitter. Follow us @FlFinancialReg to learn more.
Wright Flood, the largest provider of federal flood insurance policies in the U.S., recently announced a $1 million contribution to the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program. The donation will fund 153 K-12 scholarships for the 2017-18 school year, so lower-income children can attend the school that best meets their learning needs.
Since first partnering with Step Up For Students in 2008, Wright Flood has contributed $3,850,000, providing 670 scholarships.
“We are proud of the impact we’ve had on students in our home state of Florida through our contributions to the Step Up For Students Scholarship Program,” said Patty Templeton-Jones, president of Wright Flood. “It’s a privilege to have formed this partnership to help Florida youth reach for their dreams.”
Step Up For Students helps administer the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program, which allows recipients to choose between a scholarship that helps with private school tuition and fees, or one that assists with transportation costs to out-of-county public schools. The program is funded by corporations through dollar-for-dollar tax credited donations.
“Thanks to Wright Flood, more schoolchildren will have the opportunity to attend the school that fits the way they learn, regardless of where they live or their parents’ income,” said Doug Tuthill, president of Step Up For Students. “On behalf of Step Up and the families we serve, we thank Wright Flood for their generosity and their commitment to support our mission.”
For the 2017-18 school year, Step Up For Students is serving more than 101,000 students throughout Florida with tuition scholarships valued at up to $6,343 per student for K through fifth grade, $6,631 for sixth through eighth grade and $6,920 for ninth through 12th grade. More than 1,800 private schools participate in the scholarship program statewide.
About Wright Flood
Wright Flood provides federal flood insurance, excess flood coverage, private flood coverage and leading industry expertise, earning an A- (Excellent) rating from A.M. Best. As the largest provider of federal flood insurance in the U.S., Wright Flood takes pride in user-friendly technology, exceptional claims reputation and providing the service clients deserve. Agents and policyholders may visit us at wrightflood.com.
About Step Up For Students
Step Up For Students is a nonprofit organization that helps administer the income-based Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program. Students who qualify for the national free or reduced-price lunch, or those who are homeless or in foster or out-of-home care, may qualify. The scholarship program provides tuition assistance to the private school of their parents’ choice or financial assistance to offset the transportation cost to an out-of-district public school. Since 2001, Step Up has awarded more than 680,000 scholarships.
A first-of-its-kind study on the long-term effects of the scholarship program by The Urban Institute found that students who use the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship four or more years are up to 43 percent more likely to go to college and up to 29 percent more likely to earn an associate’s degree than their peers.
Step Up also helps administer the state-funded Gardiner Scholarship for Florida students with certain special needs. With the Gardiner Scholarship, recipients may use the funds for a variety of approved services including private tutoring, occupational therapy, instructional materials and other services.
For more information, visit StepUpForStudents.org.
CFO Jimmy Patronis today was joined by Senator Lizbeth Benacquisto, Senator Kathleen Passidomo, Representative Heather Fitzenhagen, Representative Dane Eagle, Lee County Commissioner Cecil Pendergrass, Ft. Myers Fire Department Chief John Caufield and members of Ft. Myers’ fire service and law enforcement communities to highlight the signing of Senate Bill (SB) 376, expanding mental health benefits for first responders. Gov. Rick Scott signed the bill last week in Tampa surrounded by hundreds of first responders from across the state. SB 376 was sponsored by Sen. Lauren Book and Rep. Matt Willhite.
Governor Rick Scott today visited USAA in Tampa to highlight $180 million in total funding in his Securing Florida’s Future Budget to support active military, veterans, and their families. He also signed HB 29, which will increase opportunities and reduce fees for Florida military, veterans and their families. HB 29, known as the “Don Hahnfeldt Veteran and Family Opportunity Act,” expands legislation signed into law by Governor Scott in 2014 (more HERE) by reducing professional licensing fees and requirements for certain military members, veterans, and their spouses.
This bill also designates March 25th of every year as “Medal of Honor Day” to honor the individuals recognized with the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force in the Armed Services of the United States. The “Don Hahnfeldt Veteran and Family Opportunity Act” was named after State Representative Don Hahnfeldt, a veteran and a member of the Florida House of Representatives who passed away last year.
Senator Jeff Brandes announced today former Florida State Representative Ray Pilon, has endorsed his campaign for State Senate.
“Senator Brandes and I served in the Florida House and were both elected in 2010, said Pilon. “We worked closely on many issues and that continued when he was elected to the Senate. He is a person of high moral values, of integrity,
honesty and fairness.”
“I’m honored to have the support of Representative Pilon,” said Brandes. “He’s a principled leader that does what is right, not what he’s told – which isn’t all that common in Tallahassee. I appreciate his support and I’m glad to have
him on our team.”
Pilon, a Republican from Sarasota, spent his career in law enforcement and in the private sector as an Executive VP for a major cable company. In 2010, he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives, where he served until
2016.
Pilon is active in the community and has been involved with many service and non-profit organizations. He also holds memberships in several fraternal and professional organizations. Ray is married to Casey, has two grown sons,
Sean and Chad, and two grandchildren.
Brandes is a lifelong resident of St. Petersburg, Veteran and local businessman. He joined the Army shortly after graduating high school and received his bachelor’s degree in 1999. He served in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom
from 2003-2004 and upon leaving the Army he joined his grandfather, Litton Tibbetts, in the family lumber business in 2006.
Frustrated by the Status quo’s lack of leadership, Jeff ran for the Florida House of Representatives in 2010 and defeated a two-term incumbent in one of the state’s most competitive districts. He quickly earned a distinguished reputation
for finding innovative solutions to deal with issues in Education, Job Creation and Transportation. He was elected to the Florida Senate in 2012 and reelected subsequently in 2014 and 2016. In the Senate, Brandes has made
a name for himself as a pragmatic leader that embraces solutions – putting people before politics.
Brandes and his wife Natalie have four children, Charlotte “Lottie”, Colin, Conor and Lizzie.
With spring comes the start of home improvement projects for many Floridians. Whether that includes building a backyard fire pit or installing a garden fountain, before grabbing that shovel, the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) urges you to “call 811 before you dig!”
“April is National Safe Digging Month. Safety is a top priority at the PSC, and we support this campaign and urge safe digging year-round,” said PSC Chairman Art Graham. “Calling 811 before any construction or outdoor project can save lives and prevent damage. If underground utilities or infrastructure are hit by digging, service outages can result and time and money are wasted.”
An 811 call, which is the federally designated call-before-you-dig number, notifies affected utility companies to dispatch crews to mark the location of underground utility lines. Utility markings show those who dig the approximate location of underground lines to help prevent damage to utility lines.
In Florida, 811 accepts calls from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday and is managed by the Sunshine State One Call Center, a nonprofit corporation. It’s recommended that residents call 811 two full business days before beginning their digging project.
For more information on the “call 811 before you dig” campaign, visit call811.com or access the PSC’s Consumer Tip, 8-1-1 Know What’s Below. The annual campaign, which runs each April, is supported by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
For additional information, visit floridapsc.com.
With Florida poised to help shape the course of national policy for years to come, Leadership Florida and the Florida Press Association will unveil exciting plans for face-to-face televised debates between the two parties’ nominees in the general election races for Governor and for U.S. Senate. Debate organizers will hold a media conference call tomorrow, Tuesday, April 3, at 10 a.m.
The debates will be broadcast statewide by local television stations in each of Florida’s 10 major media markets. Details will be unveiled on this April 3 call.
What: Media conference call re: general election debates for U.S. Senate & Governor
Call-In: Number: 1-888-392-4560
Code: 9979718
When: Tuesday, April 3
10:00 am
Who: Wendy Spencer, President & CEO, Leadership Florida
Beth Kigel, Board Chair, Leadership Florida
Dean Ridings, President & CEO, Florida Press Association
J. David Armstrong, President, Broward College
Caroline Taplett, President & General Manager, WPBF TV
The MEGA MILLIONS® jackpot has continued to roll since January 5, resulting in an estimated $521 million jackpot for the Friday, March 30, drawing. Florida players have a chance to become the state’s third MEGA MILLIONS jackpot winner by purchasing a $2 ticket at any of the more than 13,000 Lottery retailers statewide.
In addition to the jackpot prize, players can win lower-tier prizes ranging from $2 to $5 million by matching any of the non-jackpot-winning combinations. There have been more than one million Florida MEGA MILLIONS winners in this series of rollovers, winning more than $8.6 million in prizes.
Since joining the multi-state MEGA MILLIONS game in 2013, Florida has had more than 39.9 million winning tickets totaling more than $587.3 million in prizes.Additionally, the game has generated more than $363 million for Florida students and schools.
Jackpot prize winners have the option to receive their winnings in 30 annual installments or as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $317.2 million. Jackpot prizes must be claimed within 60 days of the winning jackpot draw to receive the cash option. Winners have 180 days from the applicable drawing to claim their prize.
Tickets must be purchased by 10:00 p.m. ET on Friday to be eligible for the 11:00 p.m. ET drawing. MEGA MILLIONS drawings are broadcast on 17 Lottery carrier stations throughout the state. Drawings are also available for viewing on the Florida Lottery website, flalottery.com. Winning numbers can be found at retailers statewide, on the Lottery’s website and by phone at (850) 921-PLAY.
