Capital Soup

Florida News Straight From the Source

You are here: Home / Archives for Featured

Featured

RoadWatch Advisory for Ewell Road Closure and Temporary Signal in Polk County

Posted on

POLK COUNTY

Ewell Road from east of Irby Lane to Old Highway 37:

Ewell Road will CLOSE at the Poley Creek bridge, starting Tuesday, May 29, and will remain closed through the end of summer. Motorists should follow the posted detour using Lunn Road, West Pipkin Road and Yates Road to detour around Poley Creek. Trucks will be directed to detour using SR 37 (South Florida Avenue), Shepherd Road and County Line Road.

A temporary signal has been placed at the eastern Lunn Road intersection. The signal will remain on flash mode until the detours are in place, Tuesday, May 29, when it becomes fully operational. Use extreme caution until everyone is used to the new signal and traffic pattern and be prepared to stop.

This project includes replacing the bridge over Poley Creek, adding traffic signals and turn lanes at both Lunn Road intersections, resurfacing and upgrading signal equipment at Old Highway 37, drainage improvements, and milling and resurfacing in various locations. The contractor is SEMA Construction. Expected completion is Early 2019.

For more information about the project, click here.

CFO Jimmy Patronis: One Week Away from Hurricane Season, Prepare for Flooding from Subtropical Storm Alberto This Weekend

Posted on

With the 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season one week away and Subtropical Storm Alberto developing and strengthening in the Gulf of Mexico, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis reminds Floridians to prepare for severe flooding.

“Floridians can’t take this lightly and should protect themselves and their property from damage,” said CFO Jimmy Patronis. “Hurricane Irma last year resulted in 1,778 private flood insurance claims and according to the National Flood Insurance Program, floods in Florida have cost more than $5.1 billion since 1978. Taking steps now can help prevent major losses.”

Ahead of the weekend, here are three financial and insurance preparation steps Floridiansshould complete as soon as possible:

1. Snap a Photo: Take photos or video of high-value belongings, gather receipts and write down purchase dates (if known) and serial numbers.

2. Prepare Your Home: If it is safe to do so, take simple steps to secure your home or property. Prepare sandbags and secure any leaks or areas of your home where tropical rains or sitting water could be problematic. Some communities will offer free sandbags beginning today so check with local government officials for more information.

3. Keep Info Handy: Save your insurance company’s or agent’s phone number along with your financial institution and mortgage company’s contact information for ease of filing future claims. Keep copies of policies in a plastic bag for safe keeping, and be sure to follow your insurance company on social media for important storm-related information.

All homeowner’s insurance policies contain limitations and exclusions. You may need a separate policy for windstorm or flood if these coverages are not included in your homeowner’s policy. It is important to review your policy to understand your coverages and exclusions. While every insurance policy is different, some homeowner’s insurance policies may not cover flood damage.

Floridians with any insurance-related questions or concerns are encouraged to contact CFO Patronis’ Consumer Helpline by calling 1-877-MY-FL-CFO (1-877-693-5236).

U.S. 92 Eastbound Closure, Nighttime Detour Next Week

Posted on

Construction activities will require a temporary nighttime closure and detour of U.S. 92 eastbound (International Speedway Boulevard) near the Interstate 95 (I-95) interchange on Tuesday night.

Detours will be well marked. Travelers are advised to slow down, and follow the detour signs through construction zones. Posted detours are:

  • U.S. 92 eastbound traffic: Take Tomoka Farms Road to Bellevue Avenue to Williamson Boulevard to U.S. 92
  • I-95 southbound to U.S. 92 eastbound traffic: Take State Road 400 (Beville Road) to Williamson Boulevard to U.S. 92

Please note construction schedules may change due to weather or other circumstances, and if this happens, the closures may be rescheduled for Wednesday or Thursday nights. Updates will be available on the Florida Department of Transportation’s Central Florida website, CFLRoads.com.

Media inquiries should be directed to the FDOT Communications Office at 386-943-5479 or [email protected].

FDOT advises drivers to slow down and use extra caution in construction zones.

Gov. Scott to Attend National Salute to America’s Heroes

Posted on

MEDIA ADVISORY

Today, May 25th, Governor Scott will attend the National Salute to America’s Heroes to honor Florida’s military and veterans. At the event, Gov. Scott will give an update on Subtropical Storm Alberto.

WHAT: Press Conference
WHEN: 2:00 PM
WHERE: U.S. Coast Guard Air Station-Miami, FL
14750 NW 44th Ct.
Opa-Locka, FL, 33054

Florida Housing Market: Sales, Median Prices, New Listings Up in April 2018

Posted on

In April, Florida’s housing sector reported more closed sales, higher median prices and more new listings from owners ready to enter the market, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors®.

“Not enough for-sale inventory, especially in the range for first-time homebuyers, is an ongoing challenge for many local housing markets,” said 2018 Florida Realtors President Christine Hansen, broker-owner with Century 21 Hansen Realty in Fort Lauderdale. “Pent-up demand continues to put upward pressure on prices. In April, sellers continued to get more of their original asking price at the closing table. Sellers of existing single-family homes last month received 96.6 percent (median percentage) of their original listing price, while those selling townhouse-condo properties received 95 percent (median percentage).

“But there is some positive news for buyers: New listings for single-family homes in April rose 9.8 percent year-over-year, while new townhouse-condo listings increased 8.3 percent. This trend will hopefully continue, which would help ease the too-tight inventory in many areas.”

Sales of single-family homes statewide totaled 24,804 last month, up 4.1 percent compared to April 2017. Meanwhile, the statewide median sales price for single-family existing homes was $253,895, up 8.1 percent from the previous year, according to data from Florida Realtors Research Department in partnership with local Realtor boards/associations. The statewide median price for townhouse-condo properties in April was $190,000, up 10.5 percent over the year-ago figure.

April was the 76th month in a row that the statewide median sales prices for both single-family homes and townhouse-condo properties rose year-over-year, according to data from Florida Realtors Research Department in partnership with local Realtor boards/associations. The median is the midpoint; half the homes sold for more, half for less.

According to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR), the national median sales price for existing single-family homes in March 2018 was $252,100, up 5.9 percent from the previous year; the national median existing condo price was $236,100. In California, the statewide median sales price for single-family existing homes in March was $564,830; in Massachusetts, it was $369,000; in Maryland, it was $283,405; and in New York, it was $260,000.

Looking at Florida’s townhouse-condo market, statewide closed sales totaled 11,236 last month, up 9.2 percent compared to a year ago. Closed sales data reflected dwindling short sales and foreclosures in April: Short sales for townhouse-condo properties dropped 27.5 percent and foreclosures fell 41.8 percent year-to-year; while short sales for single-family homes declined 48.8 percent and foreclosures fell 50.7 percent year-to-year. Closed sales may occur from 30- to 90-plus days after sales contracts are written.

“More often than not, the pace for Florida’s busy spring and summer home-buying season seems to be set in March and April,” said Florida Realtors Chief Economist Dr. Brad O’Connor. “On the heels of a somewhat slow month of March this year, it’s good to see that state existing home sales rebounded quite nicely in April. With last month’s sales factored in, we’re ahead of last year’s pace of single-family home sales by about a half of a percent.

“Demand for single family homes remains strong across the state and this abundance of buyers continues to deplete active inventories and drive up prices.”

For-sale inventory in April remained tight, at a 3.8-months’ supply for single-family homes and 5.8-months’ supply for townhouse-condo properties, according to Florida Realtors.

According to Freddie Mac, the interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.47 percent in March 2018, significantly up from the 4.05 percent averaged during the same month a year earlier.

To see the full statewide housing activity reports, go to Florida Realtors Media Center at media.floridarealtors.org and look under Latest Releases, or download the April 2018 data report PDFs under Market Data at media.floridarealtors.org/market-data

Florida Realtors® serves as the voice for real estate in Florida. It provides programs, services, continuing education, research and legislative representation to its 180,000 members in 54 boards/associations. Florida Realtors® Media Center website is available at media.floridarealtors.org.

Regular opinion release from the Florida Supreme Court

Posted on

Filings for the Florida Supreme Court
May 24, 2018

SC17-583 – In Re: Standard Criminal Jury Instructions in Capital Cases

SC17-1514 – The Florida Bar v. Anthony Wayne Blackburn

SC17-1863 – Paul Glen Everett v. State of Florida

SC17-1870 – In Re: Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases – Report 2017-08

SC17-1987 – William Earl Sweet v. State of Florida

SC17-2281 – Preston Leonard Schofield v. State of Florida

ICYMI: District 73 Candidate Says He Is Trained To Be a Leader

Posted on

In case you missed it, the East County Observer ran an article this week that highlights Tommy Gregory’s leadership experience and conservative campaign platform. You may read the article by clicking here or on the photo below. The text of the article is below as well.

By: Jay Heater, Managing Editor
East County Observer 

Knocking on more than 1,000 doors in the Lakewood Ranch area, Tommy Gregory said he was met with one overwhelming concern from residents. 

“People feel the Constitution is under attack,” said Gregory, a retired Air Force veteran who now is a Sarasota attorney. 

Gregory, a Republican, announced in March he was running for the state House District 73 seat held by Joe Gruters, who is running for the state Senate. In a short period, he has tried to meet as many voters as possible. 

“They are upset,” said Gregory, who works with the Williams Parker Harrison Dietz and Getzen law firm of Sarasota. “They have Republican values, and they are being shouted down by the left. They feel there is no civil discourse. 

“I have spent my entire life defending the Constitution.” 

His said his military background — he graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy and retired on 2014 after 20 years as a lieutenant colonel — will be a key in his race against Republican Melissa Howard and Democrat Liv Coleman. 

Although none of the three candidates has experience as an elected official, Gregory said voters would be sending a seasoned veteran to the Legislature when it comes to leadership if he is their pick. 

He said that is key because it won’t be easy for the District 73 representative to compete for leadership positions to enact change. 

“I’m already a leader,” he said. “I’ve trained my whole life to be one.” 

His military background includes 14 years as a judge advocate general prosecutor and time as a contracts manager. He holds an undergraduate degree in economics. 

“My military background has prepared me to handle things at the highest level,” he said from his home, just north of Fruitville Road and east of Lorraine Road in eastern Sarasota County. “I have worked interagency issues. I have worked with other branches of the government. I have worked with other governments.” 

He said his experience includes working with legislators from around the state, a fact he said will give him credibility if he is elected. 

“I have the experience to debate public policy issues,” he said. “In the military, I was tasked with giving people news they didn’t want to hear. My skin already is thick. Professionalism already is ingrained in me. I can take the attacks, and the way I am going to respond is professionally. Do we want to send somebody who isn’t ready to have public scrutiny of their behavior? We can’t send someone in unprepared.” 

Gregory, 46, has been married for 22 years to Erica, who also retired from the Air Force as a lieutenant colonel. They have three boys, 16-year-old Grant, 15-year-old Eric and 13-year-old Noah. 

He was asked why he is still “Tommy” and not “Tom.” 

“Tommy is my legal name on my birth certificate,” he said with a laugh. “My dad, Thomas Gregory, and my mom, Linda, didn’t want to call me ‘Junior.’ And in the military, my first name wasn’t used for 20 years.” 

He categorizes himself as an outdoorsman who grew up hunting deer and wild pigs with his dad. He said he is a fierce competitor who lived the code “Respect everyone, fear no one” in the military. He says he is a serious man who almost always is smiling. He also describes himself as a “servant-leader.” 

He said three major reasons signal the time is right for him to go to the Legislature. 

The first is to protect individual rights. The second is to further strengthen the economy (he supports President Donald Trump’s economic policies). The third is to increase respect for law enforcement. 

“We need to return society to one that respects the law,” he said. 

Overall, he said he can “step into the job and do it from Day 1.” 

And why do it at all? Doesn’t the public tend to be negative when it comes to politicians? 

“Nothing is as rewarding as helping people,” he said.

Paid by Tommy Gregory, Republican, for State Representative

Nelson files bill to make it easier for ATF to trace guns used in crimes

Posted on

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) introduced legislation today to make it easier for law enforcement officers to solve crimes involving guns.

The legislation would allow the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) to create an electronic, searchable database of gun sale records and require all firearm dealers to provide the ATF electronic access to their gun sale records within two years.

Current law prohibits ATF agents from electronically searching gun sales records to determine who purchased a particular firearm used in the commission of a crime. Instead, ATF agents are required by law to physically search through thousands of boxes containing millions of paper files, or manually click through documents stored in non-searchable formats to trace a particular firearm.

“We should be helping law enforcement solve these crimes, not making it harder for them,” Nelson said. “The fact that there is a law on the books that forces agents to comb through millions of files by hand is absolutely ridiculous. This bill will fix that and help bring the agency into the 21st century.”

Local, state and federal law enforcement depend on ATF to trace guns found at crime scenes across the country. But the painstaking process of searching through thousands of physical boxes or having to physically visit individual firearm dealers often creates extensive delays for investigators.

In addition to delays, the fact that these gun sale records are physically stored at thousands of separate locations around the country by federal firearms licensees – instead of in an electronic database – makes them extremely susceptible to being lost or destroyed during a natural disaster – such as a hurricane or flood.

In fact, it was those concerns that led ATF to advise all federally licensed gun dealers in Florida to relocate their records to a secure facility before Hurricane Irma hit last fall. After Hurricane Katrina, gun dealers sent water-logged, mildewing records to ATF’s headquarters, where agents were forced to dry them out in the parking lot.

Previous attempts to modernize the way ATF searches its records have been unsuccessful due, in part, to opposition from gun rights groups, such as the NRA. To tamp down the privacy-related concerns often raised by these groups, Nelson’s legislation would strictly limit how and when ATF agents could use the electronic database.

For example, under Nelson’s bill, ATF agents would only be allowed to use the database to trace guns in connection with a criminal or national security investigation. It would also only allow agents to electronically search the records they already have, and would not give them access to any additional records that aren’t already available to them.

Lastly, agents using the database would only be allowed to enter a firearm’s identifying information to determine who purchased the weapon. It would not, for example, allow ATF agents to enter a person’s information to determine if they purchased a gun.

The legislation is supported the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys and the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association. It has also been one of the top legislative priorities for Marjory Stoneman Douglas student leaders and the March for Our Lives organization.

The legislation – known as the Crime Gun Tracing Modernization Act – now heads to the Senate Judiciary Committee for consideration.

Here is a link to the legislation.

Avoid Gas Pump Card Skimmers This Memorial Day Weekend

Posted on

Ahead of this Memorial Day weekend, Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam is providing Floridians and visitors simple tips to avoid identity-stealing card skimmers placed on gas pumps.

“Floridians and visitors shouldn’t have to worry about losing their hard-earned money to scammers who prey on victims at gas pumps. A few simple steps can help prevent identity theft,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam.

Travelers can take the following steps to avoid skimmers at gas stations:

  • Pay in cash inside the store to ensure credit card information stays safe.
  • Check to make sure the gas pump dispenser cabinet is closed and has not been tampered with.
  • Use a gas pump closer to the front of the store. Thieves often place skimmer at the gas pumps farther away from the store so they are not noticed as quickly.
  • Use a credit card instead of a debit card. Credit cards have better fraud protection, and the money is not deducted immediately from an account.
  • If using a debit card at the pump, choose to run it as a credit card instead of putting a PIN number in. That way, the PIN number is safe.
  • Monitor bank accounts regularly to spot any unauthorized charges.
  • Consumers who suspect their credit card number has been compromised should report it immediately to authorities and their credit card company.

Consumers who suspect that a gas pump has been tampered with should contact the gas station manager, local law enforcement or 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).

The department regularly inspects gas stations and analyzes samples of petroleum products to ensure consumers are being offered quality products at a fair measure. For more information, visit FreshFromFlorida.com.

Rutherford Statement on House Passage of National Defense Authorization Act

Posted on

Bipartisan FY2019 NDAA makes critical investments
in our national security, Northeast Florida

Congressman John Rutherford (FL-04) issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) by a vote of 351-66. The bill now heads to the Senate for debate and passage. Upon passage, Congressman Rutherford stated:

“The House has delivered on our promise to reinvest in our military, which has suffered from insufficient resources and budget uncertainty,” said Rutherford. “This bill responds directly to the deficient readiness levels of our armed forces, while also increasing capability and investments. The bill includes the largest pay increase for our troops in nine years, grows the size of our forces to suit our military needs, counters global threats like Iran, and reforms the Pentagon bureaucracy

“I am especially proud to see the bill included many major wins for Northeast Florida. This includes $111 million for military construction at Naval Station Mayport, three Littoral Combat Ships, as well as strong support for the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, P-8A Poseidon, A-29, and MQ-4C Triton.  It also reflects Congress’s commitment to the ship building and repair industry, which is critical to the First Coast economy. I was proud to fight for these programs, and I will continue to do so as we consider the Fiscal Year 2019 appropriations bills.  At a time when America is beginning to lead again, few things are more important than ensuring that our men and women in uniform are well taken care of and ready for any challenge they may face during training at home and deployment abroad.”

Highlights of the FY 2019 NDAA are as follows:

  • Pay Raise of 2.6% for our troops – largest in nine years
  • Increases the size of Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Naval and Air Reserve, as well as Air Guard
  • Makes major reforms in Pentagon bureaucracy & streamlines buying practices
  • Increases funding to rebuild our military & support readiness recovery
  • Makes critical investments in missile defense and our nuclear deterrent, which is the cornerstone of our national security
  • Makes key investments in other critical military capabilities to confront aggression & address threats around the world, including threats from Russia, China, North Korea, & Iran
  • Authorizes funding for co-development and co-production of missile defense and weapons systems with our key ally Israel
  • Advances innovative technologies that will reform the way we will fight and win wars

Source: House Armed Services Committee