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FWC approves statewide changes to tripletail and sheepshead management

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At its April meeting in Fort Lauderdale, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved several changes to the management of tripletail and sheepshead.

Changes go into effect July 1, 2018, and include:

  • Tripletail:
    • Increasing the minimum size limit from 15 to 18 inches total length.
    • Extending all of the FWC’s recreational and commercial regulations for this species into federal waters (including the new size limit).

Learn more about tripletail regulations at MyFWC.com/Fishing by clicking on “Saltwater Fishing.”

  • Sheepshead:
    • Reducing the recreational bag limit from 15 to 8 fish per person, per day year-round.
    • Creating a recreational vessel limit of 50 fish per vessel, per trip during March and April.
    • Extending all of the FWC’s recreational and commercial regulations for this species into federal waters (including the new bag and vessel limits).

Learn more about sheepshead regulations at MyFWC.com/Fishing by clicking on “Saltwater Fishing.”

These proactive measures will help conserve both fisheries for current and future generations.

To view presentations given at the Commission meeting, visit MyFWC.com/Commission and select “Commission Meetings” then click on the link below “Next Meeting.”

Florida lawmakers call for 500 more Customs officers

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Additional officers would create jobs, cut wait
times for international travelers arriving in state

Florida lawmakers today called on Congress to provide the funding needed to hire an additional 500 Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers next year to help address staffing shortages at many of Florida’s airports and seaports.

The lawmakers’ request came in a letter – led by U.S. Sens. Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) – and sent to the top Democrat and Republican members of the House and Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittees.

“The Joint Economic Committee has found that while the volume of commerce crossing our borders has more than tripled in the past 25 years, CBP staffing has not kept pace with demand,” the lawmakers wrote. “Long wait times and delayed processing of goods discourage travel and create unnecessary barriers to trade, undermining economic activity in the United States. CBP estimates show that hiring an additional 500 CBP officers at ports of entry would increase annual economic activity by $1 billion and result in an additional 16,600 jobs per year.”

CBP officers are charged with enforcing U.S. customs, immigration and agriculture laws at air, land and sea ports across the country. They are separate from CBP Border Patrol agents who patrol the U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada borders to prevent illegal entry into the country.

Officials at many of Florida’s airports and seaports have, for years, raised concerns over the shortage of CBP officers in Florida, which they say often causes frustratingly long wait times for international travelers arriving in the state – discouraging some from ever returning.

CBP, itself, admits it needs to hire an additional 2,516 CBP officers to operate at full capacity. Congress approved $7.6 million for the agency to hire an additional 328 CBP officers earlier this year. Florida lawmakers want the agency to hire another 500 officers next year.

In addition to Nelson and Rubio, the letter was signed by U.S. Reps. Reps. Charlie Christ (D-FL), Carlos Curbelo (R-FL), Val Demings (D-FL), Ted Deutch (D-FL), Lois Frankel (D-FL), Alcee Hastings (D-FL), Al Lawson (D-FL), Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), Tom Rooney (R-FL), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Dennis Ross (R-FL), Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL) and Frederica Wilson (D-FL).

A PDF copy of the letter is available here.

Lee County woman claims share of $2 million LUCKY MONEY™ jackpot

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The Florida Lottery announces that Mirta Rudolph, of Lehigh Acres, claimed her $1 million share of the $2 million LUCKY MONEY™ jackpot from the April 17, 2018, drawing at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. The other jackpot-winning ticket, sold in Wellington, has not yet been claimed.

Rudolph chose to receive her winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $722,816.40. She purchased her winning ticket from Publix, located at 1324 Homestead Road North in Lehigh Acres. The retailer received a bonus commission of $1,000 for selling the jackpot-winning ticket.

The next LUCKY MONEY drawing will be held tomorrow, April 27, at 11:15 p.m. ET, with a $650,000 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.

Florida Polytechnic University to graduate its inaugural class

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MEDIA ADVISORY

Four years after the state’s newest public university opened its doors, Florida Polytechnic University will graduate its inaugural class with more than 200 undergraduate and graduate students receiving degrees.

WHAT: Florida Poly Spring 2018 Commencement

WHEN: Friday, May 4, 2018. Ceremony begins at 3:30 p.m. and Student arrivals begin at 1:30 p.m., and doors open to ticket holders at 2:30 p.m.

WHERE: RP Funding Center (Youkey Theater), located at 701 W Lime St., Lakeland. Parking available in the Blue Parking Lot.

WHO: The commencement speaker will be Dr. Jeffrey Wadsworth, who will be awarded an honorary degree by President Dr. Randy K. Avent.

Wadsworth recently retired as president and CEO of Battelle Memorial Institute, the world’s largest nonprofit research and development organization, executing about $6 billion of work annually and employing about 22,500 people. He has previously overseen the management or co-management of seven national laboratories of the U.S. Departments of Energy and Homeland Security.

The ceremony will also feature an address by the State University System Chancellor Marshall Criser and student speaker Chris Dowdy, a mechanical engineering major from Lakeland.

EDITORS/PRODUCERS: To ensure access and space, please RSVP by 10 a.m. Thursday, May 3, to Lydia Guzmán, assistant director of communications, at [email protected] or 863.874.8557.

Second Chances Campaign: Let Voters Decide on Amendment 4

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Desmond Meade, Chair of Floridians for a Fair Democracy and spokesperson for the Second Chances Campaign issued the following statement on Judge Walker’s orders for Florida’s Cabinet to create a new voting restoration system:

“Through a grassroots movement, Floridians put Amendment 4 on the ballot to fix the current, broken system and take these decisions out of the hands of politicians – which is why we believe a stay should be issued to let voters decide on Amendment 4 in November.

“Current law outlines a difficult process to restore an individual’s eligibility to vote, and Judge Walker recently determined that the restoration process is arbitrary and unconstitutional. The problem is that without Amendment 4, any fix still leaves this decision in the hands of politicians and a person’s eligibility to vote should not be left up to politicians and election cycles.

“Through the hard work of Florida voters and unwavering dedication of a truly grassroots movement, over 1 million petitions were collected statewide to place Amendment 4 on the ballot and recent public polls indicate over two-thirds of Florida voters overwhelmingly support the amendment. Let’s take matters into our own hands and VOTE YES on Amendment 4 to give Floridians who have made past mistakes the eligibility to vote only after they have completed their full debt to society – including parole, probation, and restitution. These are our family members, friends, and neighbors that have paid their full debt to society and earned the opportunity to participate in and give back to their communities.”

Pensacola man claims top prize in $1,000 A WEEK FOR LIFE Scratch-Off game

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The Florida Lottery announces that Jason Spero, 47, of Pensacola, claimed a top prize in the $1,000 A WEEK FOR LIFE Scratch-Off game at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. He chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $815,000.00.

Spero purchased his winning ticket from Circle T Food Store, located at 522 Northeast 3rd Avenue in Fort Lauderdale. The retailer will receive a $2,000 bonus commission for selling the winning Scratch-Off ticket.

The $2 Scratch-Off game, $1,000 A WEEK FOR LIFE, launched in July 2017, and features more than 10 million winning tickets, including eight top prizes of $1,000 a week for life. The game’s overall odds of winning are one-in-4.43.

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.

FWC Commission shark update

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After listening to public comments on and discussing the current and future management of sharks in Florida at the April meeting in Fort Lauderdale, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) directed staff to continue to stay engaged on all shark-related issues and to pursue development of draft regulations for shore-based shark fishing. The FWC understands this is an issue that is important to the public, especially those who have had negative interactions, and we want to work toward finding solutions. Staff will workshop and bring draft regulations to a future Commission meeting. 

Background
Shore-based shark fishing is a sport that has drawn increased public attention in recent years. Due to this, the FWC has made it a priority to increase outreach on best practices when shark fishing from shore. This outreach has included working more closely with shark fishing tournament directors and other user groups, and creating a series of Shark-Smart Fishing guidelines.

 

Nelson, Rubio file bill to help homeless veterans

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U.S. Sens. Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced legislation today to improve and protect a joint U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) program designed to help homeless veterans find permanent housing.

The so-called HUD-VASH program provides homeless veterans with a voucher to help them offset the cost of renting a home or apartment in the private market. To help protect the program from any potential future budget cuts, Nelson and Rubio’s bill would, among other things, prevent the administration from using any funds specifically-designated for the program on anything other than helping to provide housing to homeless veterans.

“The brave men and women who have served in our armed forces have made incredible sacrifices to protect our freedoms,” Nelson said. “We have a responsibility to provide them with the very best care that we can.”

“We must continue to provide our nation’s veterans the quality care they were promised and deserve,” said Rubio. “This legislation would make much needed improvements to the HUD-VASH program so that it can more effectively assist homeless veterans and their families.”

Veterans who receive a HUD-VASH voucher are able to rent a privately owned home or apartment while contributing no more than 30 percent of their income toward rent. The homelessness program made headlines last year when the VA announced plans to shift more than $460 million that had been specifically designated for such programs into the agency’s general purpose account – essentially, defunding the program altogether.

The move infuriated veterans and veterans organizations across the country who spoke out against the administration’s plan. Facing a growing backlash, the VA eventually reversed its decision and announced on Dec. 7 that it will keep the program funded through Oct. 2018. If approved, Nelson and Rubio’s bill would require the agency to keep the HUD-VASH program funded permanently.

The VA’s sudden about-face over funding created more than just a firestorm from veterans groups, it also created confusion within the agency itself – and led, at least, one local VA facility in South Florida to begin rejecting applications for assistance. The sudden spike in rejections caught the attention of Florida lawmakers, including Nelson, who, in turn, immediately demanded answers from the VA about its overall management of the program.

The VA’s responses to lawmakers’ inquiries exposed a need for drastic reforms to the program, including the hiring of additional case managers to improve the program’s overall responsiveness to veterans and ensure that all available vouchers are being made available to the those who need them.

To improve and protect the program, Nelson and Rubio’s legislation would, among other things:

  • Prohibit the VA from moving HUD-VASH funds to a general purpose account. The administration announced last year its plans to shift more than $460 million that had been specifically designated for veterans homelessness programs to the agency’s general purpose account. The move would, in essence, defund the program altogether. Facing a growing backlash from veterans groups, the VA reversed course and later announced it would keep the program funded through Fiscal Year 2018. Nelson and Rubio’s legislation would require the agency to keep the HUD-VASH program funded permanently.
  • Require the VA to hire one case manager for every 35 veterans. In some regions, case managers are assigned up to 70-100 veterans at once, making it nearly impossible to effectively manage them all.
  • Require the VA to expedite the hiring of new case managers. If a case manager position is vacant for 180 days or more, the VA will be required to contract out to a local service provider.
  • Require case managers to be located within a reasonable distance from the veterans they are assigned to help. Some case managers are located as far as two hours away from their assigned veterans.

The legislation now heads to the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee for consideration.

A copy of the bill is available here.

Sen. Gibson and Rep. Davis push for College Promise Program at EWC Gets Funded

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State Senator Audrey Gibson (D-Jacksonville) and State Representative Tracie Davis (D-Jacksonville) presented a $356,000 mock check to Edward Waters College for the start of the second national College Promise Program. During the 2018 Legislative Session, Senator Gibson and Representative Davis worked hand-in-hand advocating for state funding for the program which creates a pathway for low-income, first time in college students to attend four-year institution to earn their degree.  The funds will be used to bridge gaps in resources from other forms of financial assistance to cover tuition for the entire four years for roughly 100 incoming students. This allows the students to graduate debt free.

“Every individual who wants to start and finish their four year education to a higher level should be able to do so and not carry a load of debt through their own retirement. Working with Representative Davis in the House yet again was great!” said Senator Gibson.

“So excited as the State Rep. for the area and an alumni of Edward Waters College to have been part of the team with Senator Gibson to secure this funding for such a great program. College Promise is the second program in the nation providing a debt free pathway to higher education for first time students. This is the future of higher education and funding is critical to its success,” said Representative Davis.

$29,000 FANTASY 5® ticket set to expire

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The Florida Lottery today announced that a FANTASY 5® top prize-winning ticket worth $29,935.59 remains unclaimed. The 180-day deadline to claim the top prize is Wednesday, May 2, 2018, at midnight ET.

The winning FANTASY 5® numbers for the November 3, 2017, drawing were:

04 – 09 – 15 – 21 – 27           

The winning ticket was sold at Gate, located at 686 Blanding Boulevard in Orange Park. Players who may have purchased a FANTASY 5® ticket at this retail location are encouraged to check their tickets from the November 3, 2017 drawing. 

While any Florida Lottery retailer can validate the winning ticket, the FANTASY 5® top prize must be claimed at a Florida Lottery District Office or at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. Players can obtain additional information by calling the Lottery’s Customer Service Department at (850) 487-7787 or visiting the Florida Lottery’s website at flalottery.com.

FANTASY 5® is a pari-mutuel game in which players win the top prize by matching 5-of-5 winning numbers drawn in any order. Additionally, players win cash prizes or a free Quick Pick ticket by matching two, three or four of the numbers drawn in the official drawing for the date played. If there is no top prize winner, the money in the top prize pool rolls down and is shared among players who match 4-of-5 or 3-of-5 winning numbers.

Since the game’s inception, more than 798 million FANTASY 5® winners have won more than $4.3 billion in prizes. Of these, more than 51,000 players have won top prizes totaling more than $2.4 billion.