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30 Florida Schools Awarded HealthierUS School Challenge Designation in December

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Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam today announced that 30 more Florida schools earned HealthierUS School Challenge designations during December, bringing the current total of Florida’s HUSSC schools to 249. Under Commissioner Putnam’s leadership, the number of certified HUSSC schools has increased from 27 schools in 2012, when the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services assumed responsibility of the state’s school nutrition programs.
The HealthierUS School Challenge, a joint effort with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the United States Department of Agriculture, is a voluntary certification initiative that recognizes schools’ efforts to improve food and beverage options, offer nutrition education and promote physical activity. Schools must meet specific criteria, such as providing smarter snacks and opportunities for physical activity.
“It’s great that these schools are providing their students the nutrition and physical activity needed for academic success,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam. “Our goal is to continue working with schools to increase the amount healthy choices offered to Florida’s students.”
In an effort to expand the program, the department offers many resources to help school districts earn HUSSC certification, including specialists throughout the state to provide personal, hands-on support. The department continually works to certify and recertify schools, as schools must re-apply for their HUSSC status every four years.
Schools can apply for four different levels of designation: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Gold Award of Distinction. The following schools were recently awarded HUSSC designation in December:
Odyssey Charter Inc.

  • Oasis Preparatory Academy (Silver)
  • Odyssey Charter School- Elementary (Gold Award of Distinction)
  • Odyssey Charter School- Jr./Sr. High School (Silver)
  • Odyssey Preparatory Academy (Gold Award of Distinction)

Duval County School District

  • New Berlin Elementary School (Bronze)

Escambia County School District

  • CA Weis Elementary School (Bronze)
  • Ferry Pass Elementary School (Bronze)
  • Holm Elementary School (Bronze)
  • Molino Park Elementary School (Bronze)
  • Myrtle Grove Elementary School (Bronze)
  • O.J. Semmes Elementary School (Bronze)

Flagler County School District

  • Rymfire Elementary School (Bronze)

The School District of Osceola County

  • Boggy Creek Elementary School (Silver)
  • Celebration School (Bronze)
  • Chestnut Elementary School (Silver)
  • Discovery Intermediate School ( Silver)
  • East Lake Elementary School (Silver)
  • Neptune Elementary School (Silver)

Palm Beach County School District

  • S.D. Spady Elementary School (Bronze)
  • Timber Trace Elementary School ( Bronze)

Pinellas County School District

  • Bardmoor Elementary School (Bronze)
  • Belcher Elementary School (Bronze)
  • Brooker Creek Elementary School  (Bronze)
  • Curtis Fundamental Elementary School (Bronze)
  • John M. Sexton Elementary School (Bronze)
  • Marjorie Rawlings Elementary School (Bronze)
  • Plumb Elementary School (Bronze)
  • Skycrest Elementary School (Bronze)
  • Sunset Hills Elementary School (Bronze)
  • Tarpon Springs Elementary School (Bronze)

For more information about the HealthierUS School Challenge Initiative and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit FreshFromFlorida.com.

Sen. Nelson calls for increase in airport security in wake of shooting

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U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee which oversees the FAA, called for an increase in airport security in the wake of Friday’s deadly shooting at the Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
Nelson made the comments during his opening remarks at the Commerce Committee’s confirmation hearing today for Elaine Chao, the president-elect’s nominee to be the next Secretary of Transportation.
“While we’ve made some progress in last year’s FAA bill to double the number of the VIPR teams, the dog teams, and bolster the screening of airport workers, this tragic shooting serves as reminder that our work to improve airport security remains a constant challenge,” Nelson said. “This year’s FAA reauthorization bill, that we will have to take up, could be a good place to start if more needs to be done to prevent similar tragedies from occurring.”
Video of Nelson’s remarks is available here: https://youtu.be/cLrl4tprRG4
And here’s a transcript:
Sen. Bill Nelson
Remarks at Senate Commerce Committee Hearing
January 11, 2017
Sen. Nelson: As we start out, I want to take a minute to express, on behalf of the Committee, condolences to the friends and loved ones of the victims of Friday’s horrific shooting at Fort Lauderdale’s airport.
And I want to thank the heroic work that was undertaken by first responders and law enforcement personnel in responding.
And although the investigation remains ongoing, I expect all of us in the Congress to continue exploring ways to protect the traveling public in light of this tragic incident.  And while we’ve made some progress in last year’s FAA bill to double the number of the VIPR teams, the dog teams, and bolster the screening of airport workers, this tragic shooting serves as reminder that our work to improve airport security remains a constant challenge.
This year’s FAA reauthorization bill that we will have to take up could be a good place to start if more needs to be done to prevent similar tragedies from occurring.
[…]

Senator Galvano Files Florida Excellence in Higher Education Act

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Senator Bill Galvano (R-Bradenton), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education, today filed two key components of the Senate’s Excellence in Higher Education Agenda for the 2017 Legislative Session. Senate Bill 2, the “Florida Excellence in Higher Education Act,” promotes on-time graduation by expanding student financial assistance and support, establishing tuition and fee incentives, streamlining 2+2 articulation, and strengthening mechanisms that keep colleges and universities accountable to Florida taxpayers. Senate Bill 4 expands policy and funding tools universities can leverage to recruit and retain the very best faculty, enhance professional and graduate schools, and improve aging infrastructure and research laboratories.
“These bills are key components of a comprehensive higher education agenda that will boost the strength and competitiveness of our state’s higher education system as our primary economic engine to drive vibrant, sustainable economic development and growth in high-paying jobs,” said Senate President Joe Negron (R-Stuart). “Florida taxpayers see a return worthy of their investment in our entire PreK-20 system when our top Florida students attend our own universities, complete degree programs on time, and then graduate with job opportunities in high-demand fields needed in our growing communities.”
“This package of policy enhancements and funding investments will elevate the prominence of our state universities and increase their ability to compete as national destination institutions, while preserving access and increasing affordability for Floridians,” said Senator Bill Galvano.
SENATE BILL 2 – THE FLORIDA EXCELLENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION ACT
Expands Student Financial Assistance and Support

  • Reinstates highest Bright Futures Scholarship Program Award (Florida Academic Scholar) to cover 100 percent of tuition and certain tuition-indexed fees, including the summer term, plus $300 for textbooks and college-related expenses during the fall and spring terms.
  • Expands the Benacquisto Scholar Program to provide awards for qualified out-of-state students, as funded in the General Appropriations Act (GAA), equal to the highest cost of resident student attendance at a state university. The student must physically reside in the community of the university he or she is attending.
  • Revises the 1st Generation Matching Grant Program to provide two to one (state to local match versus one to one), as funded in the GAA.

Establishes Tuition and Fee Incentives
The Legislature has authorized state universities to implement flexible tuition policies to assist students in accessing higher education in our state. To date, no state university has implemented a block tuition policy.

  • Requires universities to implement a block tuition policy which must specify an in-state block tuition rate and an out-of-state block tuition rate for full-time undergraduate students. The block tuition policy must be publicly-approved by the university board of trustees and the Board of Governors in time for implementation by no later than the Fall 2018 semester.

Streamlines 2+2 Articulation

  • Establishes the 2+2 targeted pathway program to strengthen Florida’s 2+2 system of articulation and improve student retention and on-time graduation in four years with a baccalaureate degree.
  • Requires each community college to execute at least one 2+2 targeted pathway articulation agreement by the 2018-19 academic year. The articulation agreement must provide students who meet specified requirements guaranteed access to the state university and baccalaureate degree program in accordance with the terms of the agreement.
  • Requires district school boards to notify students and parents with accurate and timely information about how college credits generated in high school will apply towards a college degree.

Strengthens Mechanisms That Keep Colleges and Universities Accountable To Florida Taxpayers
Incentivizes full-time student graduation in four years by focusing institutional efforts on initiatives that reduce student time to, and costs of, on-time degree completion.

  • Upgrades State University System (SUS) Performance Metrics in Preeminence and Performance Funding programs: 
    • Tightens graduation rate expectations to four-year (from six-year) for a baccalaureate degree.
    • Repeals preeminent university authority for a six-credit set of “unique courses” that consume time and money for non-transferable credit.
  • Upgrades Florida College System (FCS) Performance Metrics in Distinguished College and Performance Funding programs:
    • Tightens degree (associate and bachelor) graduation rate metrics to 100 percent (versus 150 percent) of normal-time completion.
    • Adds a college affordability metric, which must be adopted by the State Board of Education.
    • Specifies that the job placement metric must be based on wage thresholds that reflect the added value of the applicable certificate or degree.

SENATE BILL 4 – RECRUIT AND RETAIN ELITE FACULTY

  • Establishes a World Class Faculty Scholar Program to fund university efforts to recruit, recognize, and retain star faculty and teams, as funded in the GAA.
  • Establishes a University Professional and Graduate Degree Excellence Program to promote quality and excellence in university professional school and graduate study outcomes in high-impact fields of medicine, law, and business, as funded in the GAA.
  • Links education to job opportunities by expanding university responsibility to identify internship opportunities for students to benefit from industry experts and mentors, earn industry certifications, and become employed in high-demand fields of unmet need.

Port St. Lucie woman claims $1 million prize playing $5,000,000 MONOPOLY FLORIDA EDITION scratch-off game

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The Florida Lottery announces that Sharon Porto, 59, of Port St. Lucie, claimed a $1 million prize in the $5,000,000 MONOPOLY™ FLORIDA EDITION Scratch-Off game at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. She chose to receive her winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $770,000.
Porto purchased her winning ticket from Murphy USA 7001, located at 160 Northwest California Boulevard in Port St. Lucie. The retailer will receive a $2,000 bonus commission for selling the winning Scratch-Off ticket.
The $20 Scratch-Off game, $5,000,000 MONOPOLY FLORIDA EDITION, launched in July 2016, and features more than $346 million in prizes, including six top prizes of $5,000,000 and 20 prizes of $1 million! The game’s overall odds of winning are one-in-2.97.
Scratch-Off games are an important part of the Lottery’s portfolio of games, comprising approximately 65 percent of ticket sales and generating more than $734 million for the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF) in fiscal year 2015-16.
 

Officials to Release Sterile Flies in Homestead in Precautionary Move

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Following the announcement that a stray dog found in Homestead, Fla. was positive for New World screwworm, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced today that it will begin releasing sterile flies on Friday, Jan. 13, 2017 in the Homestead area as a precautionary measure. Since the 1950s, the Sterile Insect Technique has been used to effectively eradicate screwworm, and it is considered safe for people, animals and the environment.
“While the dog has been treated and is doing well, there are still a lot of unknowns about the dog’s history and recent locations. Given that Florida’s livestock industry is at stake, this sterile fly release is a precautionary move to ensure we’re doing everything we can to aggressively eradicate the screwworm from Florida,” stated Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam.
“The Sterile Insect Technique is the most effective resource we have to eliminate New World screwworm. We urge residents and visitors to observe their pets and other animals in the area for any suspicious wounds. These observations are critical to our eradication program,” said Dr. Jack Shere, USDA Chief Veterinarian.
New World screwworm was first confirmed on Sept. 30, 2016 in Key deer from the National Key Deer Refuge on Big Pine Key, Florida. This initial presence of screwworm was the first local detection in the United States in more than 30 years, and Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam declared an agricultural state of emergency in Monroe County, Fla.
Animal health and wildlife officials at the state and federal levels have been working aggressively to eradicate this pest. Extensive response efforts have included: fly assessments to determine the extent of the infestation, release of sterile flies to prevent reproduction and disease surveillance to look for additional cases in animals. To date, fly assessments have been conducted on 40 Keys. USDA has released over 80 million sterile flies from 25 ground release sites in the Keys.
The agencies immediately expanded surveillance in Homestead following the screwworm confirmation in the stray dog. While no additional animals have been found with screwworm and none of the surveillance measures has yielded positive finds, this sterile insect release is being conducted as a preemptive measure.
New World screwworms are fly larvae (maggots) that can infest livestock and other warm-blooded animals, including people in rare cases. They most often enter an animal through an open wound and feed on the animal’s living flesh.
In the 1950s, USDA developed a new method to help eradicate screwworm using a form of biological control, called the sterile insect technique, which releases infertile male flies in infested areas. When they mate with local females, no offspring result. With fewer fertile mates available in each succeeding generation, the fly, in essence, breeds itself out of existence.  USDA used this technique to eradicate screwworm from the U.S. and worked with other countries in Central America and the Caribbean to eradicate it there as well.  Today, USDA and its partners maintain a permanent sterile fly barrier at the Darien Gap between Panama and Colombia to prevent the establishment of any screwworm flies that enter from South America.
Residents who have warm-blooded animals (pets, livestock, etc.) should watch their animals carefully and report any potential cases to 1-800-HELP-FLA (1-800-435-7352) or non-Florida residents should call (850) 410-3800.  Visitors to the area should ensure any pets that are with them are also checked, in order to prevent the spread of this infestation.
While human cases of New World screwworm are rare, they have occurred, and public health officials are involved in the response.  For more information about this disease in humans, please contact your local public health department.
More information, including information on positive detections, can be found at FreshFromFlorida.com/screwworm. On this web page, people can find general information on screwworm, upload photos of suspected cases that they would like to have reviewed, and sign up for the screwworm email update.

Senator Bradley to Hold More Legislative Delegation Meetings

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State Senator Rob Bradley (R-Fleming Island) will be attending legislative delegation hearings next week in several counties in Senate District 5.  The hearings are held annually to afford local citizens and elected officials an opportunity to make legislative and budget requests to their elected state representatives.
The delegation hearings being held this week include:
Wednesday, January 18th
Levy County – 10:00am-Noon – Dogan Cobb Municipal Building, Bronson
Union County – 2:00-3:30pm – Commission Chamber, Union County Courthouse, Lake Butler
Bradford County – 4:00-5:30pm – Commission Chamber, Bradford County Courthouse, Starke
Thursday, January 19th
Marion County – 1:00pm – Klein Conference Center, Ewers Bldg, College of Central FL, Ocala
All meetings are open to the public.  For additional information, please contact the Senator’s office at (904)278-2085 or email [email protected].

Community members invited to nominate history-making women and girls

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Nomination Deadline: January 15, 2017

2016-trailblazer

2016 Trailblazer, Girls Can Do Anything! and Unsung Shero award honorees. March, 2016.

Members of the Tallahassee community are invited to nominate history-making women and girls for recognition as part of The Oasis Center for Women & Girls upcoming community-wide celebration of Women’s History Month. The deadline to nominate a woman or girl is Sunday, January 15 at 11:59 pm.
Each year during Women’s History Month (in March), The Oasis Center for Women & Girls recognizes local women and girls who have changed the course of history by blazing a trail where few women have been before.
“We rely on community members to help us identify local history-making women and girls. It is our privilege to recognize and highlight the incredible contributions that women and girls are making to our community and the glass ceilings they are shattering right here at home,” said Haley Cutler-Seeber, Executive Director.
Honorees will be publicly recognized at the Women’s History Month Community Luncheon on Thursday, March 2, 2017 from 11:30-1:00 at the Lively Cafe at St. John’s Episcopal Church, an event that sells out annually with over 200 people in attendance. Each honoree is also featured in an article profiling them in the Tallahassee Democrat throughout the month of March.
 
Award categories:
Trailblazer Award – Trailblazer honorees are selected in recognition of their accomplishments that changed history by paving the way for women. Often trailblazers were one of the first or few women in their field locally at the time of their trailblazing contribution.
Girls Can Do Anything! Award – Girls Can Do Anything! honorees are local trailblazing girls (under the age of 18). Like adult Trailblazers, these girls have made a difference in their schools and community by doing something to pave the way for other young girls to follow.
Unsung Shero Award – This award honors the behind the scenes contributions women make that help create a better world for us all. This can be what a woman contributes to her family, work, school or community that is unlikely to be recognized by traditional leadership awards.
“We hope that many community members will take the time between now and Sunday to shine a spotlight on a deserving woman or girl,” said Cutler-Seeber.
More information and nomination forms: www.TheOasisCenter.net.
For a complete list of former honorees: http://www.theoasiscenter.net/28.html.

Sen. Nelson calls for increased funding to fight screwworm

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U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson is calling on the federal government to step up its response to the infestation of New World screwworm in Florida.
Federal officials confirmed earlier this week that the flesh-eating parasite had been found in a stray dog near Homestead, Florida. It’s the first time in more than 30 years that the screwworm has been found on Florida’s mainland. And Nelson says that if state and federal wildlife officials don’t act quickly, Florida’s nearly $1 billion cattle industry could soon be at risk.
“If we don’t move aggressively to halt the spread of this dangerous pest, the result could be catastrophic for Florida’s wildlife and livestock industry,” Nelson wrote in a letter sent today to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Interior Secretary Sally Jewell. “More than 130 endangered Key deer have already fallen victim to the screwworm. We cannot allow the white-tailed deer population, or the endangered Florida panther, or Florida’s nearly $1 billion beef industry to collapse too.”
Nelson says he wants the federal government to provide additional funding to better monitor and contain the screwworms’ spread.
Below is the full text of Nelson’s letter to Vilsack and Jewell:

January 11, 2017

The Honorable Tom Vilsack
Secretary
U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Avenue SW
Washington, DC 20240

The Honorable Sally Jewell
Secretary
U.S. Department of the Interior
1849 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20250
Dear Secretary Vilsack and Secretary Jewell,
I’m writing to request your immediate assistance regarding the ongoing New World screwworm infestation in Florida, the first local infestation in the United States in more than 30 years.
This week, the presence of screwworm was detected on a stray dog in Homestead, Florida, marking the first confirmed case on the mainland. If we don’t move aggressively to halt the spread of this dangerous pest, the result could be catastrophic for Florida’s wildlife and livestock industry.
More than 130 endangered Key deer have already fallen victim to the screwworm. We cannot allow the white-tailed deer population, or the endangered Florida panther, or Florida’s nearly $1 billion beef industry to collapse too.
I understand the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service are coordinating with the state on monitoring activities and treatment efforts, including the release of at least 80 million sterile flies in the Keys since the outbreak began. These response actions should be immediately implemented on the mainland and expanded to reflect the additional threats posed by the location of the first detection.
Homestead, Florida, is bordered by agricultural and environmentally sensitive landscapes like Everglades National Park that make detection and eradication even more difficult. That’s why I strongly encourage you to provide the necessary funding to increase monitoring of wildlife in these areas and begin contingency planning for containing this threat.
Further, I urge you to provide agency resources to increase sterile fly releases in appropriate areas, since this remains the most effective method of controlling the spread of screwworm. In your response to this letter, please explain any additional unmet funding needs that are necessary to quickly and thoroughly contain and eliminate the screwworm infestation in Florida.
Thank you for your attention to this serious and urgent matter.

Sincerely,

bill nelson signature

A .pdf copy of Nelson’s letter is available here.

Rideshare legislation filed in house and senate

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Bill will establish uniform standards statewide for ridesharing services

Senator Jeff Brandes (R-St. Petersburg) and Representative Chris Sprowls (R-Clearwater) today announced they filed Senate Bill 340 and House Bill 221, proposing a statewide set of standards governing and authorizing ridesharing services and transportation network companies. If successful, Florida would join 36 other states that have adopted rideshare laws.
“Ridesharing is a part of our transportation future, and it is time Florida embrace these services,” stated Senator Brandes. “This is something that Florida businesses demand, tourists expect, and our residents deserve. It is time to end the patchwork of regulations across the state that stand in the way of transportation innovation and adopt a uniform, common sense law focused on safety and access to the new technology.”
“Floridians deserve a thriving and innovative transportation marketplace,” stated Representative Sprowls. “This bill provides certainty to a growing transportation market, by putting consumers in the driver’s seat of their transportation options, not special interest regulators. Not only is this bill good for consumers, but also it provides jobs for many Floridians still looking for work, or supplemental income to families struggling to make ends meet.”
The bill establishes the regulatory framework for the operation of Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) in Florida. SB 340 and HB 221 establish minimum insurance requirements for TNCs, require thorough background screening standards for TNC drivers, and include consumer protection provisions that strengthen the community of riders and drivers in Florida. In addition, the bill provides regulatory certainty for TNC services in Florida by replacing a patchwork of conflicting local regulations with a unified statewide framework.
For more information on the legislation visit http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2017/0340.