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Motorists can check Florida 511 for traffic information during Speedweeks in Daytona

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fdot-511

Free traffic system provides up-to-date information about driving conditions and travel times

With more than 100,000 spectators expected to pack the grandstand and infield at the Daytona International Speedway during the Speedweeks at Daytona 2017, the Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) Florida 511 Traveler Information System can help stock car racing fans find the easiest route to the iconic racetrack.
Before hitting the road, visitors and residents can check Florida 511 for up-to-date traffic information about congestion, crashes, closures and construction on all of Florida’s interstates, toll roads and major metropolitan roadways.
And because the traffic information is free, Florida 511 may prove to be a motorsport fan’s best friend during the nine-day event that begins on Saturday, February 18 and culminates with the 59th running of the Daytona 500 race on Sunday, February 26.
The free Florida 511 mobile app, available on Google Play or the Apple App Store, features an interactive map showing traffic speeds and incidents on roadways around the user’s location. Users can also register for a My Florida 511 personalized services account and create custom door-to-door routes to favorite destinations. Each route includes travel time estimates, traffic incident information and the ability to schedule email or text alerts.
In addition to using the mobile app, motorists can:

  • Visit FL511.com for interactive roadway maps showing traffic congestion and crashes, travel times and traffic camera views.
  • Call 511 toll-free for updates.

FDOT encourages all drivers to check Florida 511 to travel safely and experience fewer delays. Check Florida 511 before leaving or have a passenger check during a commute to avoid using a phone while driving.

Catch a Florida Memory with 11-year-old Tristan

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2.13.2017 Tristan-Hill-LL-YlwTailSnap

11-year-old Tristan Hill with his catch of a yellowtail snapper.

Bucket list: That’s what 11-year-old Tristan Hill calls the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Saltwater Fish Life List. His goal is to catch all 71 species and he is already off to a great start.
Last fall, Tristan submitted photos of himself with 10 of the species on the list, allowing him to join the first tier of the Saltwater Fish Life List Club rewards program. He received a T-shirt and certificate for his efforts.
For Tristan though, participating is about more than earning prizes and recognition. Participation is about conservation and encouraging ethical angling by challenging fishers to target a diverse array of fish species.
“I hate seeing fish wasted. When I saw my first fish, it was gorgeous and my mind was blown,” said Tristan. “I don’t think I can give up on that. I think it would be amazing to catch all of them with my family.”
Tristan caught his first fish when he was 2 ½ years old in Fairbanks, Alaska. Living in Colorado at the time, his father, Josh, noticed that when Tristan wasn’t fishing, he just wasn’t happy. So Josh took matters into his own hands and began looking for a job near the water. The family of four, including Tristan’s little sister, moved to the Florida Keys in June 2016, purchased a boat and Josh began working at Lower Keys Tackle in an effort to learn more about the sport his son had taken such an interest in. Shortly afterward, they found out about the FWC’s Saltwater Angler Recognition Programs via Facebook.
“Tristan has a love and respect for fish, and is very passionate about them,” said his father, Josh. “He is the real deal. He is a master of fishing.”
Today, they fish every chance they get, and Tristan continues to mark fish off his list.
“It is way more fun than video games, and it is free food right off the water,” Tristan said.
So far, he has caught a bonnethead shark; blue runner; black grouper; white grunt; cero; great barracuda; and a gray, lane, yellowtail and mutton snapper. Since his first 10-fish submission to the Life List, he has also caught a tarpon and a reef shark.
Tristan hopes you will join him in participating in not only the Life List, but also the FWC’s two other Saltwater Angler Recognition Programs: Saltwater Reel Big Fish, which celebrates memorable-sized catches, and Saltwater Grand Slams, which award anglers for catching three different specified fish species within a 24-hour period.
You can keep track of Tristan’s pursuits on his Facebook page or at the Catch a Florida Memory Facebook page, Facebook.com/CatchaFLMemory.
For More Information
Participate today by visiting CatchaFloridaMemory.com. Anglers do not have to harvest their fish to be eligible for prizes and are encouraged to use proper fish handling techniques when practicing catch-and-release. For more information or if you are interested in becoming a partner, email [email protected] or call 850-487-0554.
 

Secretary Detzner Designates Ormond Beach Main Street as Florida Main Street Program of the Month

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Florida Department of State
Secretary of State Ken Detzner announced today that Ormond Beach Main Street has been designated the February 2017 Florida Main Street Program of the Month. Communities are selected based on their developmental achievements and participation in the Florida Main Street Program. This program has achieved a total of $144 million in public/private reinvestment since it’s designation in 1995. With the completion of 312 projects, Ormond Beach Main Street has helped create over 1,387 net new jobs to its Main Street area.
“Ormond Beach is a successful coastal Main Street program that has been thriving for over 20 years,” said Secretary Detzner. “With supportive downtown partnerships, Ormond Beach’s Main Street program has invigorated public participation and entrepreneurship within the historic commercial district.”
2.13.2017 ormond beach main street

A mini version of the Ormond Garage was built in 2013 to pay homage to the original building.
(Photo courtesy of historicshed.com)

Ormond Beach was originally populated by Native Americans who lived along the Halifax and Tomoka Rivers. Timucan villages were present at the time when French explorer Jacquez LeMoyne and Spanish Captain DePrado were there in the late 1500s. The area was eventually developed by sugar cane planters, ship builders, hoteliers, and railroad magnates. In the late 19th century and early 20thcentury Ormond Beach became known as a popular winter vacation destination. John Anderson and J.D. Price were investors who bought land and built the first wing of the Ormond Hotel which opened on New Year’s Day, January 1, 1888. They expanded their investment ventures and hired W.J Morgan to help promote auto racing on the beach. In 1903, Ormond Beach was the site of the first timed beach car race and since then has been known as the “birthplace of speed”. Henry Flagler built the Ormond Garage, “America’s Original Gasoline Alley” in 1905 to house the cars from France, Germany, England, as well as the U.S., that came to participate in the annual races. The garage burned down in 1976, but today a state historical marker commemorates the building site at 113 East Granada Boulevard. One of the area’s most famous resident was John D. Rockefeller, who purchased a winter cottage known as “the Casements” in 1918 and made Ormond Beach his home for over 19 years.
For more information about Ormond Beach Main Street or the Florida Main Street program visit OrmondBeachMainStreet.com or floridamainstreet.com or facebook.com/FloridaMainStreet.
About Florida Main Street
Florida Main Street is a program administered by the Division of Historical Resources under the Florida Department of State, which currently oversees 47 communities throughout the state. By implementing the National Main Street Center’s Four-Point Approach®, Florida Main Street encourages economic development within the context of historic preservation through the revitalization of Florida’s downtowns – the community’s heart and soul. Since the program’s inception in 1985, the Florida Main Street programs have cumulatively created 25,304 jobs, 8,180 new businesses and produced $2.5 billion in reinvestment.

Florida Highway Patrol to hold "Arrive Alive" press conference

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The Florida Highway Patrol, in partnership with the Florida Sheriffs Association and Florida Police Chiefs Association, will be hosting a press conference to discuss the statewide “Arrive Alive” initiative, which seeks to reduce fatalities on Florida’s roadways.
What: “Arrive Alive” press conference
Who: FHP Director, Colonel Gene Spaulding
Florida Sheriffs Association
Florida Police Chiefs Association
When: February 13, 2017
2:00 p.m. EDT
Where: Florida Sheriffs Association Headquarters
2617 Mahan Drive
Tallahassee, Florida 32308
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles provides highway safety and security through excellence in service, education and enforcement. The Department is leading the way to a safer Florida through the efficient and professional execution of its core mission: the issuance of driver licenses, vehicle tags and titles and operation of the Florida Highway Patrol. To learn more about DHSMV and the services offered, visit www.flhsmv.gov, follow us on Twitter @FLHSMV or find us on Facebook. For safe driving tips and techniques, download the official Florida Driver License Handbook.

FLASCO to Host Educational Lunch Program on Living with Metastatic Breast Cancer

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The Florida Society of Clinical Oncology will host a Living with Metastatic Breast Cancer Luncheon, an event to educate the public about metastatic cancer, this Wednesday, February 15, at 11:00 a.m. on the 22nd floor of the Capitol Building. The event will include treatment and care-focused presentations from various cancer specialists from the Mayo Clinic Florida, Florida Cancer Specialists, and Tallahassee Memorial Cancer Center, as well as a Q&A session. Governor Rick Scott’s proclamation of February 2017 as Metastatic Breast Cancer Month will also be presented. In addition to these presentations, there will be a discussion on legislative priorities, such as the Mary Brogan Breast and Cervical Care Early Detection Program, and legislation regarding step therapy and patient access.

What: Living with Metastatic Breast Cancer Luncheon
When: Wednesday, February 15, 2017, at 11:00 a.m.
Who: Florida Society of Clinical Oncology
Saranya Chumsri, MD – Mayo Clinic Florida
Scott Tetreault, MD – Florida Cancer Specialists
Ovidiu Marina, MD – Tallahassee Memorial Cancer Center
Michael Diaz, MD – Florida Cancer Specialists
Dreama Taylor, RN, OCN – Tallahassee Memorial Cancer Center
Ashley Koroshec, MSW, LCSW – Tallahassee Memorial Cancer Center
Jeri Francoeur – Florida Breast Cancer Foundation
Where: Florida Capitol
22nd Floor
Tallahassee

Flagler College community members volunteer across county for day of service

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For a February day, Flagler College faculty, staff and students couldn’t ask for better weather to volunteer with local community organizations for the college’s biannual day of service on Saturday. Approximately 150 individuals assisted a dozen organizations across the county.Day of Service1
“It’s great to help out the community you live in,” student Natalia Azcue said as she helped paint interior walls at United Way. “And when you do, you can really see the difference it makes. For some of us who have scholarships, this is a nice way to give back (to our college and community).”
Azcue, a student athlete on Flagler’s Golf team, joined Saturday’s effort as part of the college’s “Reach Out Raise Up” day of service. Volunteers completed a range of tasks, from painting and organizing the interior of buildings to sprucing up outdoor spaces, clearing debris and gardening.
Day of Service2Organizations taking part in the day included: Alpha Omega Miracle Home, Betty Griffin Center, Council on Aging, Haven Horse Ranch, Home Again St. Johns, SAFE Pet Rescue St. Augustine, Rhino’s Youth Services, St. Augustine Center for Living, St. Augustine Lighthouse, St. Johns Parks and Recreation, United Way and Wildlife Reserve.
Jenny Harvey, director of Administration for United Way, expressed her gratitude for the college’s help. Eight students, clad in their “Reach Out Raise Up” T-shirts, showed up Saturday morning ready to take on whatever the organization needed.
“We started painting the inside of the building back in 2014, but have not been able to do a second coat until now,” Harvey said. “For Flagler to come do this, it’s a great morale booster for the office. It gives us a facelift, which helps us better serve the community. We simply could not do this kind of work without volunteers.”
Volunteer Coordinator Amy Leach, of St. Augustine’s Council on Aging, couldn’t agree more.
“Non-profits rely heavily on volunteers,” she said. “By students coming here and helping us out, it helps our participants better enjoy the outdoors and garden space. And this also gives students the opportunity to learn new skills and better understand the issues facing seniors.”
Day of Service3
COA offers adult day care services, meals and activities for senior citizens across five community centers in St. Johns County.
Flagler student Marwan Shatila helped on Saturday by refurbishing wood for COA’s outdoor picnic tables.
“I’ve always been about helping people out,” the Business Administration and Economics major said. “You can never do too much good in the community. I’m really happy Flagler encourages this. I’m stoked to be here.”
Saturday’s event was the college’s third day of service. The inaugural “Reach Out Raise Up” was held a year ago. Paige Armstrong, president of Flagler College Volunteers, helped launch it.
“This kind of event is important for personal development and service learning,” Armstrong said. “And also because organizations we serve rely on volunteer labor to function.”

Governor Rick Scott Appoints Barbara Miedema to District Board of Trustees, Palm Beach State College

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Governor Rick Scott announced today the appointment of Barbara Miedema to the District Board of Trustees, Palm Beach State College.
Miedema, 58, of Wellington, is the vice president of public affairs and communications at the Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida and received her bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University. She succeeds William Berger and is appointed for a term beginning February 10, 2017, and ending May 31, 2019.
The appointment is subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.

Commission Applauds Central Florida AV Partnership on Earning USDOT's AV Proving Ground Designation

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Pilot seeks to encourage testing and information
sharing around automated vehicle technologies

The U.S. Department of Transportation recently selected the Central Florida Automated Vehicle Partnership as one of 10 proving ground designations throughout the country that will foster innovations that can safely transform personal and commercial mobility, expand capacity, and open new doors to disadvantaged people and communities.  According to a press release, these designations are a logical next step in the Department’s effort to advance the safe deployment of automated vehicle (AV) technology.

“Central Florida has many unique attributes for an AV proving ground that set it apart as the premier location for this designation,” said Jay Trumbull, chairman of the Commission. “The Partnership includes state-of-the-art high-tech facilities and committed local and state governments, working together to further the safety and use of AV technology on our streets to create a more sustainable community.”

The Central Florida region has developed a committed team of quality educational institutions and laboratories – including Florida Polytechnic University, the University of Central Florida, and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University-Florida State University – where AV technology will continue to be developed, refined and simulated. This proving ground offers controlled testing environments and laboratories at NASA and the new state-of-the art SunTrax facility – a purpose-built facility for the controlled testing of tolling and AV technology.

The final team members include Florida Department of Transportation and the City of Orlando’s local and regional transportation networks that provide a continuous network of roadways that allow for live AV deployment. The Central Florida proving ground offers testing environments include all modes of transportation including pedestrian, bicycle, transit, passenger vehicle and freight.

The Partnership joins together to draw from the strengths of each committed partner to provide a versatile network for the AV proving ground that includes all phases in the testing process from simulations, controlled testing and deployment.

The designated proving grounds will collectively form a Community of Practice around safe testing and deployment.  This group will openly share best practices for the safe conduct of testing and operations as they are developed, enabling the participants and the general public to learn at a faster rate and accelerating the pace of safe deployment.”

The proving grounds will also provide critical insights into optimal big data usage through automated vehicle testing and will serve as a foundation for building a community of practice around automated vehicle research.

The Florida Transportation Commission is an appointed body that provides performance and fiscal oversight of the FDOT, and makes transportation policy recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature.

Deceptive Travel Club Sales Tactics Thwarted

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Attorney General Pam Bondi today announced an agreement that permanently shuts down a travel company operation and stops its alleged deceptive sales tactics. Map Destinations, LLC and its owners, operators and managers, 1st Choice Sales and Marketing, Inc., Peggy Bronaugh-Lehman, Kevin V. Lehman and Charles B. McIntyre III reached an agreement with the Attorney General’s Office resolving allegations that the defendants misled consumers who purchased the company’s travel club memberships. Additionally, Attorney General Bondi reached a separate agreement with Thomas Bradley Middleton, who solicited consumers to listen to Map Destinations’ sales pitch. Map Destinations is a travel company operating out of St. Augustine.
After Attorney General Bondi’s Office obtained a temporary injunction and asset freeze last year, the court-appointed receiver for Map Destinations determined that the company could not be operated legally and shut the business down.
“Tourism is vital to Florida’s economy and we will not tolerate anyone using deceptive or unfair trade practices to take advantage of people trying to take a vacation,” said Attorney General Bondi. “This settlement will help better protect travelers no matter their vacation destination.”
The defendants sold travel club memberships to consumers for thousands of dollars. Map Destinations promised consumers that these memberships would provide access to discounted travel available on a members-only website and a toll-free customer service line staffed by travel experts. Consumers complained that Map Destinations and its owners overstated the savings and nature of the travel benefits available through its travel club memberships and engaged in deceptive sales tactics at sales presentations.
As part of the settlement, the travel company and owners are banned from selling travel club memberships in Florida for five years and agreed to relinquish previously frozen assets. From the dissolution of these assets, $300,000 will be made available for consumer redress. Map Destinations agreed to cease all operations and dissolve the company. The defendants are also barred from disclosing the personal and financial information of Map Destinations’ customers.
Additionally, the settlement imposes a $500,000 penalty if Lehman or McIntyre violate the five-year prohibition and a $25,000 penalty if Middleton violates the five-year prohibition.
To view the consent order against Map Destinations, click here.
To view the settlement agreement reached with Map Destinations, click here.
To view the order approving the settlement reached with Middleton, click here.
To view the settlement agreement reached with Middleton, click here.

Commission Begins Search for FDOT Secretary

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Deadline to submit resumes is March 20

The Florida Transportation Commission is conducting a search for an outstanding forward-thinking individual to lead and manage Florida’s Department of Transportation, an agency with over 6,000 employees and an annual budget of $10.8 billion. This individual must be personally committed to improving the mobility and economic strength of one of the nation’s fastest growing states through effective planning strategies that support the utilization of innovative technology, finance and industry best practices.

The Secretary of Transportation must have a proven track record as an effective administrator who, by a combination of education and experience, possesses a broad knowledge of the administrative, financial and technical aspects of the development, operation and regulation of multimodal transportation systems and facilities.

The Florida Transportation Commission will conduct interviews and nominate three candidates for submission to the Governor. The Secretary will then be appointed by and will serve at the pleasure of the Governor of Florida.  Note that the “Government in the Sunshine” laws of Florida require that all documents related to the search process, including applications, will be available for public inspection. All interviews will be open to the public.

Please direct detailed resumes to: Jay Trumbull, Chairman, Florida Transportation Commission, 605 Suwannee Street, M.S. 9; Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0450, or submit by facsimile to 850-414-4234 or e-mail to [email protected]. Resumes will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, March 20, 2017. If submitting by facsimile or e-mail, applicant must confirm receipt by calling the Commission to obtain a receipt confirmation code. Inquiries may be made by contacting the Florida Transportation Commission at (850) 414-4105.

The Florida Transportation Commission is an appointed body that provides performance and fiscal oversight of the FDOT, and makes transportation policy recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature.