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PSC to Hear Proposed Settlement Agreement for Tampa Electric Company

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The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) will hold a hearing  November 6, 2017, on Tampa Electric Company’s proposed Settlement Agreement.  The hearing will give parties an opportunity to present testimony and conduct cross-examination on the terms of the Settlement Agreement.
The hearing is set for the following time and location:

Monday, November 6, 2017
1:00 p.m.
Betty Easley Conference Center
Joseph P. Cresse Hearing Room (Room 148)
4075 Esplanade Way
Tallahassee, Florida

The hearing will be broadcast on the Florida Channel (check your local listing) and is available online HERE (look for the Watch Live Broadcast” icon on the left side of the webpage).

Newly-Appointed Jefferson County Clerk and Comptroller Sworn In

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The Honorable Tim Sanders was officially sworn in as Jefferson County Clerk and Comptroller, Ad Interim, yesterday in Monticello at the county courthouse. Clerk Sanders was named to the position last week in an administrative order released by the Honorable Jonathan Sjostrom, Chief Judge, Second Judicial Circuit.

Tim Sanders

“I am honored to have been appointed to serve as the interim Jefferson County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller and look forward to serving its citizens, members of the judiciary and the board of county commissioners,” Clerk Sanders said. “The wide range of duties and responsibilities carried out by the Clerk’s office touches people’s lives every day, and as the interim Clerk, I have the opportunity to utilize the 24 years of knowledge I gained as the Madison County Clerk to help others.”

Sanders previously served as Madison County Clerk and Comptroller from 1993 until his retirement last year. He also served as president of Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers in 2004-2005.

Florida College System Chancellor Recognizes Four Colleges for Innovation and Excellence

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At the Association of Florida Colleges’ 68th Annual Meeting and Conference today, Florida College System Chancellor Madeline Pumariega recognized four colleges with the Chancellor’s Best Practice Award for pioneering inventive practices or enhancing existing programs.
“The Chancellor’s Best Practice Awards is an opportunity for our colleges to showcase innovative program strategies that have proven successful at their colleges and in their communities,” said Chancellor Pumariega. “The Best Practice Awards recognize colleges for creating successful programs and then shares the best practices with all institutions in the Florida College System.”
Chancellor Pumariega recognized the following four colleges with the Chancellor’s Best Practice Award:
Valencia College: Got College? Increasing the College-Going Rate in Osceola County as an innovative initiative designed to help students overcome the barriers that historically prevented students from pursuing postsecondary education.
“I am so proud of our community’s ‘Got College?’ efforts to increase educational attainment levels in Osceola County,” said Kathleen Plinske, president of Valencia’s Osceola, Poinciana and Lake Nona campuses. “Since 2010, Osceola County’s college-going rate has increased by more than 20%, demonstrating the success of our collective efforts to reduce the barriers that historically have prevented many students from going to college.”
Eastern Florida State College was recognized for creating exciting careers in aviation by developing and sustaining a competitive aviation and aerospace workforce curriculum.Eastern Florida President Dr. Jim Richey said the program reflects the college’s commitment to working closely with industry and business partners on a central goal of providing students with new educational opportunities that can lead to good jobs after graduation, with companies reaping the benefits of gaining skilled employees.
“The aviation program stands out for what can happen when vision is combined with workforce needs to give people great careers and help our local economy,” said Eastern Florida President Dr. Jim Richey. “That’s even more exciting when you consider the program is ramping up to instruct more students to meet the demand at area aviation companies.”
Santa Fe College continues to keep college affordable by creating a unique approach to reducing student loan debt through a financial aid campaign that ensures students’ progress in their academic programs without gaps in financial support.
“So much of what Santa Fe College aspires to be is practiced in the Florida College System,” said Santa Fe College President Jackson Sasser. “We thank you and share this honor with you.”
Tallahassee Community College is committed to students having streamlined access to college with its AskStudent Central: Enrollment Call Center 2.0, which improves the college enrollment process through increased communication efforts.
“Tallahassee Community College is proud to be selected for a Chancellor’s Best Practice Award,” said Tallahassee Community College President Jim Murdaugh. “The call center is a tremendous asset for our college and creates real benefits for students and families. The call center staff not only help students navigate the enrollment process, but also become a familiar and reliable source of information and assistance throughout students’ time here.”
“I applaud our colleges for their commitment to excellence and innovation in our system,” continued Chancellor Pumariega. “It is this commitment that keeps the Florida College System in the forefront as a national leader in higher education.”
For more information visit Chancellor’s Best Practice Awards.
For more information about the Florida Department of Education, visit www.fldoe.org.

FDLE arrests Lehigh Acres man for child pornography

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The Florida Department of Law Enforcement today arrested William Michael Lenahan, 40, of 860 Bumby Street, Lehigh Acres, Florida for 20 counts of possession of child pornography.
FDLE special agents, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the FDLE Cyber Crimes Task Force, and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Lenahan’s home on November 1, 2017. Agents seized a computer and numerous computer related media devices. FDLE agents conducted a forensic examination on the computer owned by Lenahan. During the exam, agents recovered more than 1,600 videos and more than 200 images containing suspected child pornography that included very young children engaged in various sex acts.
Lenahan was arrested by agents and transported to the Lee County Jail. The case will be prosecuted by the Office of the State Attorney, 20th Judicial Circuit.
Please visit the FDLE website to review tips for keeping your children safe online.

Attorney General Bondi’s Statement on Passage of Final Report by President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and Opioid Crisis

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Attorney General Pam Bondi, a member of the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, today issued the following statement on the unanimous passage of the Commission’s final report:
“This report outlines a comprehensive approach to the nation’s most lethal public health epidemic in our country’s history—175 deaths a day. Addiction is a disease, and the report acknowledges this reality. We must dramatically expand drug treatment, change pain management practices to include non-opioid pain management treatments, do a better job of interdicting the supply of heroin and fentanyl into our country and implement a comprehensive national prevention campaign, among other things. This report lays the groundwork for such a comprehensive response by our nation to the opioid and drug abuse epidemic.”  
To view the final report click here.

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Recovers Nearly $287,000 for Consumers in October

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The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services recovered nearly $287,000 for Florida consumers during the month of October. Last year, the department recovered nearly $3 million for Florida consumers from moving companies, vehicle repair shops, pawn shops, health studios, telemarketers, sellers of travel and more.
During October 2017, the department:

  • Recovered $286,368 on behalf of Florida consumers;
  • Received 3,391 complaints;
  • Initiated 293 investigations;
  • Arrested 15 individuals;
  • Provided assistance to 22,204 consumers through the 1-800-HELP-FLA hotline, online chats and emails; and
  • Added 28,218 telephone numbers to Florida’s Do Not Call List.

As the state’s clearinghouse for consumer complaints, the department educates the public, investigates complaints and provides mediation on behalf of consumers. The department’s call center is staffed with trained analysts who can respond to questions about programs and regulations under the department’s purview, provide information on a wide variety of topics or direct callers to the appropriate government agency.
Consumers who believe fraud has taken place can contact the department’s consumer protection and information hotline at 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352) or, for Spanish speakers, 1-800-FL-AYUDA (352-9832). For consumer protection information and resources, visit FloridaConsumerHelp.com.

FDLE Agents arrest St. Petersburg man for computer crime

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FDLE Agents today arrested Ivan Ross Marik, 36, of 3924 N. 45th Ave., St. Petersburg, on one charge of offense against computer users. The offense resulted in combined revenue loss and recovery costs estimated at $277,000.
In March, agents launched an investigation after the St. Petersburg Police Department received a complaint alleging that Marik destroyed work product files at a graphics company where he worked. Marik had been terminated just hours before the files were destroyed. The investigation showed the IP address where the activity originated was associated with the specific street address where Marik resides.
FDLE Agents obtained and executed a search warrant at Marik’s address today and arrested him.
Marik was taken to the Pinellas County Jail on a $10,000 bond. The case will be prosecuted by the State Attorney’s Office, 6th Judicial Circuit.

Florida Senator Dana Young Files Children's Initiative Bill to Establish Community Improvement Areas for Children in Tampa & Miami

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Florida Senator Dana Young (R-Tampa) today announced she has filed Senate Bill 720, relating to children’s programs in economically challenged areas. SB720 will amend Florida statute to create the Tampa Sulphur Springs Neighborhood of Promise (SSNOP) Success Zone in Hillsborough County and the Overtown Children and Youth Coalition in Miami-Dade County as part of the statewide Florida’s Children’s Initiatives, which was established in 2008.
“I am proud to sponsor legislation that will designate two new areas as Florida Children’s Initiatives – in Tampa and Miami – to focus on sustainable solutions relating to safety, health and education for our children,” said Senator Young. “The expansion of these community improvement areas to include SSNOP in Tampa and Overtown in Miami will immensely benefit those children that are socioeconomically disadvantaged in these areas.”
In detail, this legislation will add SSNOP and the Overtown Children and Youth Coalition to the current program initiatives to address the academic needs of lower economic community by providing after-school and summer programs and scholarships for early learning, transitioning youth from high school to post-secondary education, and structuring student-family support systems.
“This initiative has shown positive impacts statewide where community improvement areas have already been established, such as declining juvenile arrests and decreases in crime, coupled with increases in GPA and test scores, among others,” said Senator Young. “I look forward to working with my fellow lawmakers this upcoming Legislative Session to ensure this important bill is passed.”
To read the bills Senator Young has filed in full, please visit FLSenate.gov/Senators/S18.

California woman claims $750,000 LUCKY MONEY jackpot while visiting family in Miami

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The Florida Lottery announces that Litzy Ruiz, 45, of Pasadena, California, claimed the $750,000 LUCKY MONEY™ jackpot from the October 27, 2017, drawing at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee.
“I usually don’t play the Lottery at home in California, but I decided to purchase a LUCKY MONEY ticket while visiting family in Miami,” Ruiz explained. “Winning this incredible jackpot is definitely a good excuse to extend my time in Florida!”
Ruiz chose to receive her winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $552,594.30. She purchased her winning LUCKY MONEY ticket from Publix, located at 8680 Southwest 24th Street in Miami. The retailer received a bonus commission of $1,000 for selling the jackpot-winning ticket.
The next LUCKY MONEY drawing will be held Friday, November 3, 2017, at 11:15 p.m. ET, with a $550,000 jackpot. The LUCKY MONEY 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.

HDG Hotels Receives PSC’s Triple E Award

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Energy efficiency is a sound business practice for HDG Hotels by lowering operating costs to benefit their bottom line and their guests’ wallets, too.  HDG’s commitment and outstanding results earned them the Florida Public Service Commission’s (PSC) October Triple E Award for energy efficiency efforts.
“We commend HDG Hotels for lowering both their energy consumption and their environmental impact,” said PSC Chairman Julie Brown.  “They have balanced the need to cut energy costs with ever-increasing guests’ expectations, and we applaud them for their results.”
Over the past few years, HDG worked with Duke Energy Florida’s Commercial Assessment Team to implement energy efficiency measures that are projected to save over 275,000 kWh annually. Implemented at HDG’s multiple locations, efficiency upgrades include: replacing all lighting with LED fixtures, installing about 66,000 square feet of Cool Roof material, and cleaning the coils of over 350 Packaged Terminal Air Conditioners, as well as others.
“Like many in the hospitality industry, we are investing in energy efficiency to cut utility costs, enhance the guest experience, and help our properties compete,” said Navroz Saju, President and CEO of HDG Hotels.  “Competition is more than amenities and services. Guests are now more aware of energy usage, eco-friendliness, and competitive rates. Duke Energy’s better business efficiency program helped us qualify for more than $30,000 in incentives.”
“Energy costs for hotels typically run about 6 percent of their budgets, so we know how important it is for this industry to focus on energy efficient practices, to better serve their guests through reduced costs,” said Harry Sideris, Duke Energy Florida president. “Duke Energy efficiency experts worked with HDG Hotels on their plans resulting in less energy usage and lower operating costs.”
Covering the state’s five major geographic areas, each month the PSC presents its Triple E Award to a local business that has accomplished superior energy efficiency.  Look for past Triple E Award recipients under Hot Topics on the PSC’s homepage. The PSC encourages cost-effective conservation and renewable energy to reduce the use of fossil fuels and defer the need for new generating capacity through the Florida Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act.