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Lake Worth man claims $2 million POWERBALL® prize

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The Florida Lottery announces that David Floering, 57, of Lake Worth, claimed a $2 million prize from the POWERBALL® drawing held on April 18, 2018. The winning ticket matched all five of the white ball numbers, but did not match the Powerball.

Floering purchased the winning ticket from Publix, located at 501 Southeast 18th Avenue in Boynton Beach. The retailer will receive a $5,000 bonus commission for selling the winning POWERBALL ticket.

The next POWERBALL drawing will be held on Wednesday, April 25, at 10:59 p.m. ET with an estimated $158 million jackpot. National POWERBALL drawings are broadcast live, in high-definition, from the Florida Lottery’s state of the art draw studio in Tallahassee. Florida Lottery game drawings are broadcast on 17 carrier stations throughout the state. Drawings are also available for viewing on the Florida Lottery website. Winning numbers are available on the Lottery website, at retailers statewide and by phone at (850) 921-PLAY.

Certification of State Senate District 31 Special Election

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MEDIA ADVISORY

The Florida Department of State’s Division of Elections announces the following meeting of the Elections Canvassing Commission.

DATE AND TIME: Tuesday, April 24, 2018, 9:00 a.m.

LOCATION: Cabinet Meeting Room, LL03, The Capitol, Tallahassee, Florida

SUBJECT: Certification of State Senate District 31 Special Election

PARTICIPANTS: Members of the State Elections Canvassing Commission will include Governor Rick Scott, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis. All will be participating via phone.

Matt Caldwell Captures 4th Straw Poll Victory & Unites Floridians Across the State

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Grassroots activists from Southwest Florida gathered in Lee County on Saturday afternoon for a straw poll held by the Lee County Republican Executive Committee. Caldwell trounced his opponents and won the straw poll for Commissioner of Agriculture with 91% of the vote, making it 4 for 4 in major markets across Florida. Denise Grimsley followed with 9%, while Baxter Troutman and Mike McCalister received a total of 0 votes each.

With additional victories in Orlando and Jacksonville, it is clear that across the state, Floridians are united behind the principled conservative in the race.

Matt Caldwell said, “I am honored to win in my hometown, which is a testament to more than a decade of hard work as a principled conservative, both as a grassroots activist and an elected official. With the opportunity to fight for the conservative issues we all care about as Commissioner of Agriculture, we are going to continue to run a true, statewide race, from the Panhandle to the Keys, connecting with voters across the state.”

Earlier in the week, Caldwell won the straw poll held by Southwest Florida Young Republicans with 73% of the vote. He previously won the statewide straw poll held by WBOB in Jacksonville with 60%, followed by Grimsley with 24% and Troutman with 16%. In Orlando, a statewide straw poll was held by the Florida Republican Women’s Network where Caldwell edged out Grimsley, 50% to 46%.

Customer Advisory Committee Meeting May 3, 2018

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The Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission’s Customer Advisory Committee will meet on Thursday, May 3, 2018 at 5 p.m. in the multipurpose room on the second floor at LYNX Central Station, 455 N. Garland Ave., Orlando, FL 32801.

This meeting site is conveniently located near the SunRail LYNX Central Station platforms. Please check SunRail arrival and departure times at sunrail.com.

Public participation is solicited without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability or family status. Persons wishing to express their concerns relative to FDOT compliance with Title VI may do so by contacting Jennifer Smith, FDOT District Five Title VI Coordinator at [email protected].

Persons who require accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act or persons who require translation services (free of charge) should contact Roger Masten, c/o SunRail, 801 SunRail Drive, Sanford, FL 32771; or by phone at (321) 257-7161; or by email [email protected].

Questions? Please contact Steve Olson of the Florida Department of Transportation at [email protected] /386-943-5479.

Please be careful around trains, railroad crossings, and while at station platforms. Be smart. Be safe. For more information about SunRail, including fares, schedule and station locations, please visit sunrail.com.

Georgia man claims first top prize in $2,000,000 24 KARAT CASH Scratch-Off game

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The Florida Lottery announces that Douglas Edwards, 51, of Cartersville, Georgia, claimed the first $2 million top prize in the $2,000,000 24 KARAT CASH Scratch-Off game at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. He chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $1,600,000.00.

Edwards said he still doesn’t know what he wants to do with his winnings, “I just know I have to be at work tomorrow morning!”

Edwards purchased his winning ticket while on vacation from 7-Eleven located at 890 Washington Avenue in Miami Beach. The retailer will receive a $4,000 bonus commission for selling the winning Scratch-Off ticket.

24 KARAT CASH offers four top prizes of $2 million! This $10 game also features more than 152,500 prizes from $100 to $10,000. The game’s overall odds of winning are one-in-3.57.

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.

UT to Host 24-hour Event to Show the Spartan Community is All In for UT

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MEDIA ADVISORY

For 24 hours on Tuesday, April 24, The University of Tampa will host a fair-style fundraiser to raise awareness and appreciation for its generous donors.

The day’s main events, sponsored by the Office of Development and University Relations, will be held in the courtyard behind the Vaughn Center from noon to 2 p.m.

Activities include pie throwing at faculty and staff volunteers, chance drawing tickets, carnival games, photo contests, presidential golf cart chauffer and other activities to encourage campus-wide donations, education and involvement.

UT student organizations will simultaneously host activities to encourage students to get involved.

Throughout the day, donors will match UT’s fundraising efforts in hourly segmentations, such as for the nursing program, ROTC scholarships and Annual Fund.

“As a private University, UT depends on the philanthropic support of the community it serves,” said Jennifer Tyler, director of annual giving at UT, who is spearheading the event. “All gifts, regardless of size, add up to have an enormous impact and show how the Spartan family is all in for UT no matter where in the world they call home.”

For more information on the events, visit ut.edu/allinforut or contact Tyler at (813) 258-7401 or [email protected].

Florida Housing Market: Median Prices Continue to Rise in March 2018

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Not enough homes for sale continues to influence Florida’s housing market, as March’s tight inventory constrained sales and put upward pressure on median prices, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors®. The statewide median sales price for single-family existing homes last month was $250,800, up 8.2 percent from the previous year, while the statewide median price for townhouse-condo properties was $183,000, up 7 percent over the year-ago figure.

“As the ongoing supply of for-sale homes continues to tighten, it can create a cycle of frustration for homebuyers, especially those trying to become a first-time homeowner,” said 2018 Florida Realtors President Christine Hansen, broker-owner with Century 21 Hansen Realty in Fort Lauderdale. “If move-up buyers can’t find a home in their desired price range, then they aren’t likely to leave their current home, which in turn makes entry-level properties even more scarce. Buyer demand is high, but the shortfall of inventory – particularly around $250,000 and under – is impacting affordability in many areas.

“Having a Realtor on your side, who knows your local area, can make all the difference when it comes to dealing with today’s complex market conditions.”

March was the 75th consecutive month 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 February 2018 was $243,400, up 5.9 percent from the previous year; the national median existing condo price was $227,300. In California, the statewide median sales price for single-family existing homes in February was $522,440; in Massachusetts, it was $350,000; in Maryland, it was $268,197; and in New York, it was $260,000.

Sales of single-family homes statewide totaled 25,020 last month, down 3.5 percent compared to March 2017, while statewide closed sales in Florida’s townhouse-condo market totaled 10,997 last month, down 1.8 percent compared to a year ago. Closed sales data reflected fewer short sales and foreclosures last month: Short sales for single-family homes dropped 49.3 percent and foreclosures fell 53 percent year-to-year; short sales for townhouse-condo properties declined 51.7 percent and foreclosures fell 41.4 percent year-to-year. Closed sales may occur from 30- to 90-plus days after sales contracts are written.

“Single-family home sales were down 3.5 percent year-over-year in March, the largest such drop in over a year – excluding, of course, last September when Irma briefly shut down the housing market,” said Florida Realtors® Chief Economist Dr. Brad O’Connor. “We shouldn’t ignore, however, that March of 2017 was an unusually strong month for closed sales, so from the start, the odds were already stacked against any substantial year-over-year sales growth taking place this March.

“Still, year-to-date, single-family home sales are down a little under 1 percent, so it will be important to watch the April numbers very closely when they come out next month. At that point, we’ll have a better idea if March was just a blip, or perhaps whether it was the beginning of a very gradual slowdown in sales growth that appears to become more inevitable the longer our statewide housing shortage persists.”

March’s for-sale inventory tightened even more with a 3.8-months’ supply for single-family homes and a 5.9-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 4.44 percent in March 2018, up from the 4.20 percent averaged during the same month a year earlier.

To see the full statewide housing activity reports, go to Florida Realtors Media Center and look under Latest Releases, or download the March 2018 data report PDFs under Market Data by clicking here.

Wekiva Parkway Section 7A Construction Ramps Up

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Construction activities will increase on State Road (S.R.) 46, west of Sanford during the week of April 22, and motorists should be alert for large construction equipment and vehicles entering and exiting multiple areas of the work zone. The work is for the expansion of the Wekiva Parkway project.

Activities include installing drainage pipe under the Florida Gas Transmission line along the north side of S.R. 46 west of Longwood-Markham Road. Other significant utility work will include Florida Power & Light installing lines underground on both sides of S.R. 46. Work also includes driving sheet pile for retaining walls along the north side of S.R. 46 across from Lake Markham Road.

The contractor has safely relocated gopher tortoises – a protected, keystone species – to a state licensed recipient site. Work is continuing and, so far, 98 of the reptiles have been excavated from 148 burrows. Once the tortoises are safely excavated, crews are clearing and grubbing these areas.

Drivers should exercise extra caution within the construction zone. FDOT asks that you pay attention to speed limit signs and all construction signs and safety devices.

Construction is scheduled to finish in 2022. Please note schedules may change due to weather or other circumstances. Updates are available on wekivaparkway.com, cflroads.com and by following the project on Facebook and Twitter (@WekivaPKWYinfo).

Media inquiries should contact Steve Olson, FDOT Communications Manager, at [email protected], or by telephone at 386-943-5479.

Snook to close in Gulf state and federal waters

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Snook will close to all harvest in Gulf state, federal and inland waters, including all of Monroe County and Everglades National Park, starting May 1. Seasonal harvest closures conserve Florida’s valuable snook populations and help sustain and improve the fishery for the future.

Snook is open to harvest in Atlantic state, federal and inland waters, including Lake Okeechobee and the Kissimmee River, through May 31, closing June 1.

Both the Atlantic and Gulf will reopen for recreational snook harvest Sept. 1.

Snook are one of the many reasons Florida is the Fishing Capital of the World. While snook may be caught and released during the closed season, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) encourages anglers to handle their catch carefully to help the fish survive upon release. Proper handling methods can help ensure the species’ abundance for anglers today and generations to come. To learn more about fish handling, visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on “Saltwater Fishing,” “Recreational Regulations” and “Fish Handling.”

Learn more about recreational fishing at MyFWC.com/Fishing by clicking on “Saltwater Fishing” and “Recreational Regulations.”

UNF School of Engineering Professor Invents One-of-a-Kind Surf Rover Machine

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Device Will Change Way Scientists Collect Vital Coastal Data

For his first job during college, William Dally worked in what he calls the surf zone—the area from the shoreline up to an ocean depth of 25 feet—placing rods to gather scientific data. Battered by the waves, the then 20-year-old civil engineering major thought there must be a better way.

Now an associate professor of civil engineering at the University of North Florida, with a master’s degree in coastal engineering and a Ph.D. in engineering mechanics, Dally, a Southside resident, is hard at work creating what he imagined years ago: a vehicle he calls the Surf Rover.

Dally’s project is being funded by a prestigious Major Research Instrumentation grant that he was awarded from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Though the Surf Rover is a work-in-progress, a complete model scaled to one-quarter the actual size shows a creation that looks part dune buggy and part amphibious crawler, with tank tracks that will allow it to move underwater along the ocean floor.

“When it’s complete, it will be the only one of its kind. Others have tried and failed,” said Dally, who noted the biggest obstacle is the power requirement. He’ll be using a diesel engine that will breathe through a tall snorkel. He stated other engineers have tried electric cords, which are limiting, or batteries, which are heavy and have to be replaced often because they quickly lose power.

Dally and the students working with him—more than 80 students have worked on the project at some point—have designed the Surf Rover to handle the many challenges of the beach environment: soft sand, steep slopes, high waves and strong currents. They’re now wrestling with minimizing drag on the tall snorkel and keeping the engine cool until it submerges in the water.

“It’s been challenging and rewarding to apply mechanical, electrical and coastal engineering principles into one project,” said Riverside resident Patrick Cooper, a UNF engineering graduate student and Navy veteran. “Knowing how significant the Surf Rover will be in broadening the understanding of the surf zone, it’s exciting to know I played a small part in that.”

Made from aluminum and stainless steel, the vehicle will weigh more than 3,000 pounds and will measure 16 feet wide and 22 feet long, yet its folding design allows for it to be transported on a modified boat trailer.

The uniqueness of the project ensures it will stand out in the coastal engineering community, according to UNF engineering graduate student Will Fletcher, also a lieutenant in the Navy and Orange Park resident, which sent him to the University to work on the project.

“The ability to work on a NSF project like this one has been rewarding because we’re helping to create a new piece of scientific equipment that will help us better understand our coasts, oceans and environment,” he said.

Dally, who has expertise in civil, coastal/ocean and engineering mechanics, expects to have the Surf Rover ready to be tested in the water and completed next year. He foresees many uses for the metal workhorse.

“Its primary job will be near-shore surveying, determining how the beach changes during storms and what happens to the sand eroded from the beach,” he said. “But there may also be a demand in the hydrographic surveying industry, which no longer uses swimmers to go out in the water or boats to come close to shore due to recent accidents.”

For the same safety reasons, Dally said the Navy might be interested in using the Surf Rover, rather than divers, to gather information on what’s beneath the waves when it needs to build a causeway for a landing or a rescue operation.

“I’ve been dreaming of this for a long time,” he said. “It’s amazing to me that we have vehicles roving surfaces out in space, but we have nothing to help us routinely collect data and make observations in the surf zone on Earth.”