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Gov. Rick Scott to Announce 2017 Visitation Numbers During Multi-City Tourism Tour This Week

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MEDIA ADVISORY

This Thursday, February 15th, Governor Rick Scott will announce Florida’s 2017 visitation numbers during a multi-city tourism tour in Juno Beach, Tampa and Naples. Florida welcomed an all-time record 112 million visitors in 2016. VISIT FLORIDA works each day to market Florida as the world’s premier tourism destination, and the state’s six-straight record-breaking years of visitation have directly coincided with the marketing resources and funding championed by Governor Scott.

This year, VISIT FLORIDA was funded at $76 million, and the governor has recommended $100 million for VISIT FLORIDA as part of his 2018-2019 Securing Florida’s Future budget. Currently, the Florida Senate has proposed $50 million and the Florida House has proposed $76 million for VISIT FLORIDA during the ongoing legislative session.

WHAT: Tourism Numbers Announcement

WHERE: Juno Beach, Tampa, Naples
Additional details will be announced in the coming days.

Harris Corporation to Showcase Florida-based Technology, Economic Impact in State Capitol

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MEDIA ADVISORY

Melbourne-based company sponsoring inaugural
Florida Technology Council Tech Day at the Capitol

Technology experts from Harris Corporation, one of Florida’s largest companies, will be available to discuss the latest trends in innovation and its role as an economic growth engine at the Florida Capitol this week.

Harris is the title sponsor of the first-ever Florida Technology Council Tech Day at the Capitol Thursday, Feb. 15, which showcases Florida technology companies, their homegrown innovation and the role they play in the state’s economy.

Harris is highlighting educational partnerships and technology during STEM Day at the Capitol Tuesday, Feb. 13, and on the same day Florida-based vendors will visit lawmakers during Harris Supplier Day. The company is showcasing space capabilities during Florida Space Day Wednesday, Feb. 14.

Harris experts are available for technology demonstrations and interviews on:

  • MyFloridaNet-2 (MFN-2) – New state data management network that connects agencies and local governments, school districts, colleges and universities and non-profit organizations. MFN-2 is replacing the MyFloridaNet system.
  • Public Safety Communications – First responder communications equipment and networks used throughout Florida. Harris played a significant role ensuring law enforcement, firefighters and emergency medical personnel were connected during Hurricane Irma last year.
  • Space–based weather technology – World’s most advanced digital camera monitors weather conditions aboard NOAA’s GOES-East satellite, while the Harris-built ground system controls the satellite and processes data for weather forecasters.
  • STEM education – Harris has donated millions of dollars to Florida schools and employees have volunteered thousands of hours to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education.
  • Space – Harris’ Florida-based Space and Intelligence Systems business provides satellite technology, space-based weather monitoring capabilities, geospatial data gathering and space ground systems that receive and analyze satellite data. More than 90 Harris space antennas are on-orbit today.
  • Geiger-mode LiDAR – Advanced geospatial technology that provides high resolution topographical mapping quickly and efficiently. One application, advanced flood plain mapping to prepare for hurricanes, is recommended by the House Select Committee on Hurricane Response and Preparedness report.

Who: Harris Corporation subject matter experts

What: STEM Education Day at the Capitol – Feb. 13
Harris Supplier Day – Feb. 13
Florida Space Day – Feb. 14
Florida Technology Council Tech Day at the Capitol – Feb. 15

When: 10 a.m.- 3 p.m.

Where: Florida State Capitol Rotunda
400 S. Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32301

CFO and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis on Passage of PTSD Benefits for First Responders Out of Second House Committee

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Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis issued the following statement regarding the unanimous approval of House Bill 227 today by the Florida House of Representatives Government Operations and Technology Appropriations Subcommittee.

“To those opposing this good measure, I ask ‘what is a first responder’s life worth?’ First responders show up for us and our families without hesitation. It’s unacceptable that mental health is not a benefit for our first responders. With more than 15 percent of firefighters reported having made at least one suicide attempt during their time in fire service, it’s our responsibility to make mental health benefits more accessible and affordable for our first responders. I urge the House and Senate to continue to move QUICKLY on this bill so our first responders can get the help they need.”

The next stop for HB 227, sponsored by Rep. Matt Willhite, is the House Government Accountability Committee.

CRC Announces Central Florida Public Hearing in Melbourne

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MEDIA ADVISORY

The Constitution Revision Commission (CRC) invites all interested Floridians to participate in a public hearing at Eastern Florida State College’s Maxwell C. King Center on Tuesday, February 19 from 1:00-7:00 PM. This will be the second public hearing held on the CRC’s 2018 “Road to the Ballot” public hearing tour.

Public hearings are free events open to all Floridians who would like to attend. No tickets or RSVPs are required. Free public parking will be provided. Floridians planning to attend the public hearing are respectfully requested to observe the CRC Public Hearing Participation Guidelines.

WHAT: Central Florida Public Hearing of the Constitution Revision Commission

WHEN: Monday, February 19, 1:00 – 7:00 PM (Doors open at Noon)

WHERE: Eastern Florida State College
Maxwell C. King Center
3865 North Wickham Road
Melbourne, FL 32935

PARKING: Free parking is available to the public in the main King Center Parking Lot.
PARKING MAP LINK (PDF)
GOOGLE MAP LINK

SIGN-UP TO SPEAK: To speak at a CRC public hearing, Floridians must fill out an appearance form and hand it in to CRC staff at the Citizen Services Desk. The appearance form is available online at flcrc.gov and printed copies are available at public hearings. Appearance forms will not be accepted in advance of the public hearing.

Public speakers will be called in the order in which appearance forms are received by CRC staff at the Citizen Services Desk at the public hearing. The Citizen Services Desk will be open to accept appearance forms starting at 12:00 PM (Noon). Appearance forms received by 7:00 PM will be accepted.

Additional information for the February 19 public hearing is available online at flcrc.gov/Meetings/PublicHearings, including the following handouts:

Gov. Scott: Allegiant to Establish New Aircraft Base at Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport

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Will Bring Additional Airline Routes and Tourism
Revenue to Destin-Fort Walton Beach Community

Governor Rick Scott today announced that Allegiant Travel Company (Allegiant) has chosen to establish a new, two-aircraft base with year-round routes at Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS). The aircraft base will create 65 new jobs and bring an anticipated $418 million in tourism revenue to the area over the next five years. Allegiant is investing more than $49 million to establish the year-round base, which will house two Airbus aircraft. The new Destin base will also allow Allegiant to offer new routes to five cities. Allegiant currently supports more than 25,000 Florida jobs and generates nearly $3 billion in annual economic impact in the state.

Governor Scott said, “I am proud to announce Allegiant has chosen to establish a new aircraft base at Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport, which will create 65 new jobs. Today’s announcement is a great reminder of how our tourism industry supports Florida business and communities and creates new opportunities for our families. Tourism partners like Allegiant work hand-in-hand with VISIT FLORIDA to bring more visitors to our state and we must make sure this success continues by fully funding VISIT FLORIDA at $100 million. I look forward to seeing Allegiant’s success in Destin and across the state as we continue to welcome families from all across the world to Florida.”

Allegiant, which employs more than 4,000 team members across the country, launched its first Florida destination in 2005, and today serves seven destinations in the state with more than 200 routes. Allegiant’s service in Destin-Fort Walton Beach began with six routes in 2016 and expanded to 16 cities in 2017. The new Destin base will become the airline’s 14th year-round aircraft base. Allegiant plans to immediately begin hiring pilots, flight attendants, maintenance technicians and ground personnel to support operations. Positions are expected to offer average salaries more than double the area’s average wage.

Maurice J. Gallagher, Jr., Allegiant’s chairman and CEO, said, “We are excited to continue our growth in Florida’s Emerald Coast by establishing a full-time base at Destin-Fort Walton Beach. The base will not only afford many more options when it comes to adding routes and expanding service, but will also give us the opportunity to contribute even more to the community and the state’s economy. We have a terrific partnership across many state and local agencies, without which today would not be possible. We can’t thank them enough for their support.”

The five new routes will operate twice weekly and expand on the service Allegiant currently operates to Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS), bringing the total number of Allegiant routes to VPS to 21. The new flights will bring nearly 25,000 additional visitors to the area. New seasonal service to Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS) includes Bentonville, Arkansas via Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA), Concord, North Carolina via Concord Regional Airport (USA), Lexington, Kentucky via Blue Grass Airport (LEX), Evansville, Indiana via Evansville Regional Airport (EVV), and Raleigh / Durham, North Carolina via Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU). Flight days, times and the lowest fares can be found at Allegiant.com.

VISIT FLORIDA President & CEO Ken Lawson said, “Allegiant’s decision to make Destin a base of their operations and create new routes to the Emerald Coast is great news for Florida’s tourism industry. By opening new airline routes to our state, we’re able to share sunshine with more people around the world. VISIT FLORIDA is proud to play a small part in Allegiant’s decision, and we look forward to working with them to welcome more visitors and continue to set visitation records to our state.”

Peter Antonacci, CEO of Enterprise Florida, said, “The establishment of Allegiant’s new base at Destin-Fort Walton Beach is great news for our Emerald Coast families. Governor Scott has worked hard to make Florida the most business-friendly state in the nation.”

Cissy Proctor, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, said, “The exciting decision by Allegiant Travel Company to expand their routes to the Emerald Coast is another sign that Florida’s business friendly policies are having significant impacts on our economy.”

Commissioner Graham Fountain, Chairman of the Okaloosa County Commission, said, “Allegiant Air’s new announcement is such great news for the people of Okaloosa County. The creation of a new hub for a national airline that comes with over 65 new jobs at the Destin/Ft. Walton Beach Airport helps fulfill our mission of creating additional high-paying jobs in the county.”

Nathan Sparks, Executive Director of the Economic Development Council of Okaloosa County, said, “Allegiant’s decision to name Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport a year round base is a win for the countless travelers who will benefit from the expanded service, and also a win for the 65 customer service personnel, aircraft maintainers and flight crew members who will now be hired to support the service expansion.”

Tracy Stage, Okaloosa County Airports Director, said, “We are thrilled! Allegiant Air’s model fits like a glove at VPS and a year-round base will bring monumental wide spread economic impacts to our region. We look forward to Allegiant’s continued success at the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport.”

FWC’s Scott Sanders Receives Humphrey Award for Career Achievement

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Parks and nature preserves have often been called America’s great gift to the world. They are, but by themselves, they’re not enough to ensure a lasting future for American’s wildlife. How privately-owned lands are managed has a huge impact on wildlife populations. 

Fortunately, America has an equally remarkable legacy of wise land management by private landowners. In Florida, in fact, more than 3.3 million privately owned acres are enrolled in Florida’s Wildlife Best Management Practices for Agriculture and Silviculture. One of the leaders in this effort, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Scott Sanders, was honored this week for a career devoted to working with private landowners to improve wildlife habitat. 

Sanders was presented the 2017-2018 Louise Ireland Humphrey Achievement Award by the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida at the FWC’s public meeting Feb. 7. Named for the late conservationist, Red Hills landowner and former FWC Commissioner Louise Ireland Humphrey, the award was created to recognize outstanding service and achievement by FWC staff over the course of their careers.

“We are honoring Scott Sanders today for his career-long dedication to wildlife management on private lands,” said Foundation CEO Andrew Walker. “He has been one of Florida’s most consistent advocates within government for acknowledging the needs and perspectives of private landowners on conserving fish and wildlife. He led the team that created the Wildlife Best Management Practices now in place for 3.3 million acres of private Florida lands.” 

Sanders was also an early advocate for “adaptive management,” helping develop and promote a quantifiable approach to land stewardship that adapts the latest scientific information and on-the-ground practices to specific landscapes, adjusting management strategies as needed to maximize habitat quality while meeting the landowner’s other needs. Entire landscapes have benefitted from this landowner-by-landowner approach: Florida’s once-threatened longleaf pine ecosystem, for example, has increased from 2 to 4 million acres during Sanders’ career.  

“It’s a great honor to receive the Louise Ireland Humphrey award,” Sanders said. “Working with private landowners for so many years has been very rewarding and has benefitted fish and wildlife everywhere in Florida.”

The nonprofit Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida supports the work of the FWC and other public and private conservation organizations, with offices in Tallahassee and St. Petersburg. The Foundation has raised and given away more than $26 million for conservation and outdoor programs for youth since its founding in 1994. For more information about the Foundation, visit wildlifeflorida.org and our social media sites.

Boynton Beach woman wins top prize playing $2,000,000 FLAMINGO MULTIPLIER Scratch-Off game

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The Florida Lottery announces that Hilaria Granados, 40, of Boynton Beach, claimed a $2 million top prize in the FLAMINGO MULTIPLIER Scratch-Off game at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. She chose to receive her winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $1,510,000.00.

Granados purchased her winning ticket from Los Primos Grocery, located at 400 South Dixie Highway in Lake Worth. The retailer will receive a $4,000 bonus commission for selling the winning Scratch-Off ticket.

The $10 game, $2,000,000 FLAMINGO MULTIPLIER, offers more than $164 million in prizes and more than 6.3 million winning tickets. The game’s overall odds of winning are one-in-3.46.

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

Sen. Bill Nelson on funding for Lake O dike

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Following is a statement from U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) on President Trump’s newly-released budget proposal that would require Florida taxpayers to pay $200 million to speed up work on the Herbert Hoover Dike surrounding Lake Okeechobee:

“The Trump administration wants Floridians to pay $200 million to speed up work on the Lake O dike. That’s absurd. Floridians shouldn’t have to pay a dime to finish the dike, Congress just gave the Army Corps all the money it needs to fully fund this project and get it done by 2022.”

The president’s proposal that would force Floridians to contribute $200 million towards the federal project comes just days after Congress approved a massive disaster funding bill that gave the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers $10.4 billion to use on projects such as the dike – more than enough to cover the $776.4 million the Corps says it needs to finish the project by 2022.

Unanimous Vote Clears Daycare Vehicle Child Safety Alarms in Senate Committee

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Today by unanimous approval, State Senator Linda Stewart (D-Orlando) presented and passed the Child Safety Alarm Act through its first committee. The legislation comes after the tragic death of an Orlando three-year-old child last summer, Myles Hill, who was left unattended in a hot daycare van that reached temperatures of 144 degrees.

“This is a bipartisan effort to keep our children safe,” said Stewart. “We need to be doing everything we can to try to prevent our most precious cargo from being left in hot vans and I look forward to the same vote outcome at the Transportation Committee.”

Senate Bill 486 is designed to curtail the frequency of incidents in which children are left in hot daycare vehicles. The bill requires daycare centers that transport children to equip their vehicles with reliable safety alarm systems by 2019. These systems will alert drivers to inspect their vehicles for any children who may have been left behind.

The bill is expected to be taken up next for a vote in the Senate Transportation Committee, followed by the Rules Committee and a full floor vote.

A companion bill, House Bill 305, has been filed by Representative Bruce Antone (D-Orlando).