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Tamarac woman wins top prize playing $2,000,000 GOLD RUSH DOUBLER Scratch-Off game

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The Florida Lottery announces that Hortense McCarthy, 67, of Tamarac, claimed a $2 million top prize in the $2,000,000 GOLD RUSH DOUBLER Scratch-Off game at Florida Lottery Headquarters. She chose to receive her winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $1,600,000.00.

McCarthy usually purchases her tickets from a clerk, but decided to try the vending machine this time. “I bought two just in case. I couldn’t believe it when the second one turned out to be a winner!”

McCarthy purchased her winning ticket from Publix, located at 8140 West Mcnab Road in North Lauderdale. The retailer will receive a $4,000 bonus commission for selling the winning Scratch-Off ticket.

The $10 game, $2,000,000 GOLD RUSH DOUBLER, features more than $206.5 million in prizes and more than 8.2 million winning tickets. The game’s overall odds of winning are one-in-3.41.

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.

Commissioner Adam Putnam Provides Update on Florida Wildfire Activity

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Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam today announced that there are currently 18 active wildfires in Florida burning 27,156 acres.

Significant Wildfires in Florida:

  • DeSoto Highlands Line, DeSoto County: 200 acres and 100 percent contained.
  • Old Blade Line, Polk County: 450 acres and 100 percent contained.

The Florida Forest Service is urging residents to be cautious with fire and heat sources and to remember the following:

  • Develop and implement a family wildfire action plan;
  • Call 911 or a local Florida Forest Service field unit office immediately in the event of a wildfire;
  • Obey Florida’s outdoor burning laws;
  • Never burn on windy days;
  • Always keep a water source and suppression tools on hand when burning yard debris;
  • Never leave an outdoor fire or hot grill unattended; and
  • Avoid parking vehicles on dry grass.

 

The Florida Forest Service, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, manages more than 1 million acres of state forests and provides forest management assistance on more than 17 million acres of private and community forests. The Florida Forest Service is also responsible for protecting homes, forestland and natural resources from the devastating effects of wildfire on more than 26 million acres.

CRC Meeting Schedule Week of April 16-20

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MEDIA ADVISORY

The Constitution Revision Commission (CRC) noticed the following meeting schedule for the week of April 16-20, 2018. CRC meetings will be held in the Capitol Complex and livestreamed by The Florida Channel on TheFloridaChannel.org.

The full Commission will begin meeting on Monday, April 16 at 10:00 AM in the Senate Chamber. The daily calendar for Monday, April 16 can be found on the CRC Calendars Page at flcrc.gov/Meetings/Calendars. Please note that the full Commission may or may not utilize all of the allocated meeting time for the week of April 16-20:

Monday, April 16

  • 10:00 AM-6:00 PM, Florida Senate Chamber

Tuesday, April 17

  • 9:00 AM-6:00 PM, Florida Senate Chamber

Wednesday, April 18

  • 9:00 AM-6:00 PM, Florida Senate Chamber

Thursday, April 19

  • 9:00 AM-6:00 PM, Florida Senate Chamber

Friday, April 20

  • 9:00 AM-6:00 PM, Florida Senate Chamber

RoadWatch Advisory for US 41 from Browning Street to 11th Street in Sarasota County

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SARASOTA COUNTY

US 41 from Browning Street to 11th Street: Construction project: Crews are resurfacing the roadway; installing new drainage; installing highway lighting, curb and gutter; constructing new sidewalk, and installing new signing and pavement markings. Expect nighttime/overnight lane closures on US 41; US 301; Fruitville Road, and Orange Avenue while crews are working. Crews are constructing a new right turn-lane from northbound US 41 to Fruitville Road. Once constructed, the existing right turn-lane will be closed to traffic. Crews will then construct a pedestrian island and improve drainage. Beginning Sunday, April 15, the outside northbound lane of US 41 at Fruitville Road will close to traffic for approximately two weeks. Motorists wishing to turn right onto Fruitville Road will do so from the middle lane, which will also serve as a northbound thru lane. The inside lane will remain a dedicated thru lane.Nighttime/overnight northbound outside lane closures are also expected from 9 p.m. each night to 6 a.m. each morning while crews are working. Preferred Materials, Inc. is the contractor. Expected completion is spring 2018.

Please use caution in this area and watch for crews working close to the roadway.

Nelson, Rubio file bill to help newborns suffering from opioid withdrawal

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U.S. Sens. Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced legislation today aimed at improving the quality of care provided to newborn babies suffering from opioid withdrawal.

Opioid use during pregnancy can cause a newborn baby to experience the painful effects of a drug-withdrawal syndrome known as Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, or NAS. Babies suffering from NAS often experience painful withdrawal symptoms such as high-pitched cries, convulsions, fever and vomiting; and often require extended time in the hospital as they recover from prenatal exposure to opioids.

To better treat and care for the thousands of babies born in America each year with NAS, researchers first need to better understand the cause and effects of this heart-breaking syndrome. To help researchers collect the data they need, Nelson and Rubio’s legislation will provide states additional funding to track, analyze and research babies born with NAS.

“When you see an opioid-dependent baby, your heart just cries out,” Nelson said. “This bill will help us better understand this heart-breaking syndrome and what needs to be done to provide these innocent children with the best care possible.”

“The opioid crisis is wreaking havoc, destroying families and taking lives across our state and nation. Congress must fulfill its commitment to those dealing with opioid addiction, especially innocent babies born with an addiction,” said Rubio. “Our bill will help do that by ensuring we have the necessary tools to care for newborns facing opioid addiction. I’m pleased that the HELP committee has included language from our bill in its larger opioid effort, the Opioid Crisis Response Act, and look forward to getting our bill signed into law.”

Every 25 minutes, a baby is born suffering from opioid withdrawal, according to the National Institutes of Health. In 2016 alone, more than 4,200 babies in Florida were born with an opioid dependency.

A copy of the bill is available here. It now heads to the Senate HELP committee for consideration.

UT Scholar’s Symposia Series Presents Home with Hip Hop Feminism April 20

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On Friday, April 20, The University of Tampa will welcome Aisha Durham, associate professor of communication at the University of South Florida, who will present “Home with Hip Hop Feminism” as part of the Department of English and Writing’s Scholars Symposia series. The event begins at 4 p.m. in the Trustees Board Room on the ninth floor of the Vaughn Center and is free and open to the public.

Durham teaches black popular culture to explore the relationship between media representations and everyday life. She uses auto/ethnography, performance writing and intersectional approaches honed in black feminist cultural criticism to analyze representations of black womanhood in hip-hop media.

Her scholarship contributes to an interdisciplinary field called hip-hop feminism, a cultural, intellectual and political project that extends the artistic, analytical and advocacy-oriented work by girls and women of color from the “post” generations. Mining memory, Durham recalls her southern roots to narrate her hip-hop becoming.

Durham’s performance-informed auto ethnography and embodied cultural criticism in “Home with Hip Hop Feminism” demonstrate how critically engaged, community-centered and culturally relevant research can serve as a catalyst for new areas of inquiry and social movements.

Her work has been featured in The Crunk Feminist Collection (Feminist Press, 2017) and her award-winning book, Home with Hip Hop Feminism: Performances in Communication and Culture (Peter Lang, 2014), which extends earlier discussions about hip-hop culture, media representations and the body in her co-edited volumes Home Girls Make Some!: Hip Hop Feminism Anthology (Parker Publishing, 2007) and Globalizing Cultural Studies: Ethnographic Interventions in Theory, Method and Policy (Peter Lang, 2007).

For more information, contact Sarah Lauro, assistant professor of English, at [email protected].

FWC returns panther family back to the wild

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Photo by Carlton Ward Jr. in partnership with FWC.

A female panther and her two kittens are back in the wild today, after spending months in captivity. On April 10, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) panther team released the panther family on the Picayune Strand State Forest in Collier County. This is the first time the FWC has rescued, rehabilitated and released a family group of panthers.

FWC biologists rescued the adult female panther, known as FP224, in December 2017 after she was struck by a vehicle on Collier Boulevard in Naples. They took her to the Animal Specialty Hospital of Florida in Naples where veterinarians determined she had a broken hind leg. Following a successful surgery to repair the fracture, the FWC panther veterinarian took the panther to White Oak Conservation Foundation for rehabilitation.

In June, FP224 produced a litter of one female and two male kittens, and biologists suspected these kittens were near where their mother was injured. They set up cameras to locate the young panthers, and two of the kittens were photographed and captured immediately thereafter. Unfortunately, biologists were not able to capture the third kitten.

Biologists brought the two male kittens to White Oak Conservation Foundation. They were not immediately returned to their mother so that her leg had time to heal. Last month, the family was reunited in a 1-acre pen to maintain the family bond.

On Monday, veterinarians determined that all three felines were healthy and ready for release.

“Typically, orphaned kittens still dependent on their mothers need to be kept in captivity until they can survive on their own,” said Darrell Land, FWC panther team leader. “However in this case, the mother can continue to raise her kittens, teaching them the required survival and social skills they would not receive in captivity.”

FP224 is not new to the rescue and rehabilitation efforts of the FWC and partners. In 2013, she was struck by a vehicle and had to be rescued. In the years between the two accidents she has produced three litters of kittens, successfully contributing to the Florida panther population.

Florida residents can support conservation efforts like the rescue and rehabilitation of injured or orphaned panthers by purchasing a “Protect the Panther” license plate. Fees from license plate sales are the primary funding source for the FWC’s research and management of Florida panthers.

People can also help with panther research by reporting panther sightings and uploading photos and videos to the FWC at MyFWC.com/PantherSightings.

To report dead or injured panthers, call the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922) or #FWC or *FWC on a cellphone.

For more information on Florida panthers, go to MyFWC.com/Panther.

Florida Smart Justice Alliance Endorses Marsy’s Law for Florida

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The Florida Smart Justice Alliance today endorsed Constitution Revision Commission (CRC) Proposal 96, commonly known as Marsy’s Law, which would establish a Crime Victims’ Bill of Rights in the Florida Constitution.

“Marsy’s Law provides common sense protections for crime victims, ensuring they have the right to be heard, the right to be present, and the right to be informed,” said Barney Bishop, CEO of the Florida Smart Justice Alliance. “Many times, victims fall through the cracks of the criminal justice system and, with Marsy’s Law, we have an easy way to remedy that. All that victims are asking is to be treated with the same dignity and respect afforded to those accused of the crimes that have harmed them. By placing Marsy’s Law on the 2018 ballot, voters will have the opportunity to decide if victims should be granted those rights.”

Six other states have enacted Marsy’s Law, including California, Illinois, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Montana. Polling conducted in October showed there is strong interest among Florida voters to enact Marsy’s Law in the Sunshine State. Eighty-seven percent of likely Florida voters believe victims should have, at the very least, the same protections in the state constitution as those given to those accused of committing crimes. When read specific ballot language and informed of the background behind Marsy’s Law, 85 percent of those surveyed said they would vote for a constitutional amendment that guarantees victims’ rights in the Florida Constitution.

Proposal 96 recently passed the full body of the CRC by a vote of 30-3. Pending one final vote, Marsy’s Law for Florida will be placed on the 2018 General Election ballot as a constitutional amendment. The proposal must be approved by 60 percent of voters to be placed in the Florida Constitution.

About Marsy’s Law
Marsy’s Law is named after Marsalee “Marsy” Nicholas of California who was stalked and killed by her ex-boyfriend in 1983. Only one week after her death, Marsy’s mother and brother, Henry T. Nicholas, walked into a grocery store where they were confronted by the accused murderer. The family, who had just come from a visit to Marsy’s grave, was unaware that the accused had been released on bail. In an effort to honor his sister, Dr. Nicholas, co-founder of Broadcom Corporation, has made it his mission to give victims and their families constitutional protections and equal rights. He formed Marsy’s Law for All in 2009, providing expertise and resources to victims’ rights organizations nationwide.

Enterprise Florida to lead first-ever Service Export Trade Mission to Brazil

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Enterprise Florida will lead its first-ever Service Export Trade Mission to Sao Paulo, Brazil, from June 23 – 27, 2018. The mission will allow Florida small and mid-sized professional, transportation and financial service providers to meet with pre-qualified Brazilian companies and market their services. Brazil is Florida’s largest trade partner with bilateral trade of $19.8 billion in 2017, an increase of 9.4 percent over 2016.

“This is a new and innovative type of mission for us as it allows eligible Florida businesses to showcase their services,” said Manny Mencia, senior vice president of international trade and development for Enterprise Florida. “The Brazilian services sector accounts for two-thirds of their GDP and employs more than 65 percent of the country’s workforce. As the biggest sector in the country, services represent an excellent opportunity for Florida companies.”

Brazil is the largest economy in Latin America and the eighth largest economy in the world. It is ranked as the United States’ tenth-largest export market. With their strong preference for doing business with Florida, service providers are ideally positioned for growth.

The industries listed below provide the best opportunities for Florida’s service sector companies to do business with Brazil. Other opportunities available may not be listed. If your industry is not mentioned below, please contact us for a no-obligation assessment:

  • Accelerators, Incubators, Innovation Companies
  • Agribusiness Services
  • Architecture & Engineering Services
  • Aviation & Aerospace Services
  • Commercial Real Estate
  • Education & Training
  • Environmental
  • Financial Services
  • Information & Communication Technology & Software
  • Insurance
  • Legal Services
  • Logistics/Transport/Warehousing
  • Marketing/Advertising
  • Medical Services
  • Safety & Security Services
  • Tax & Auditing
  • Telecommunications Services
  • Travel & Tourism

Participation Option:

As part of EFI’s Gold Key Package, participants will have the opportunity to take advantage of the unparalleled trade facilitation services provided by the U.S. Commercial Service (USCS) in Sao Paulo. The USCS offers a variety of products and services designed to facilitate U.S. exports and foreign direct investment opportunities and will coordinate all one-on-one Gold Key Service appointments for this mission.

The U.S. Commercial Service will schedule one-on-one appointments with pre-screened Brazilian companies that have expressed an interest in the services of Florida companies in attendance. Gold Key participation will be limited to Florida service companies that best meet the participation criteria.

Selection of these firms will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Final selection will be determined by the U.S. Commercial Service Officer after the application is reviewed to ensure market suitability. The price of this service is $1,300 for the first company representative. Additional company representatives will be charged a $500 fee. This option is limited to 25 companies.

Florida service companies that best meet the participation criteria may qualify for a Gold Key Grant, which will offset 100 percent of the Matchmaking Registration fee for the first company representative. A separate application process will be required for this grant.

The Gold Key registration deadline is April 27, 2018. To register, please contact: Carlos Guerra | [email protected] | (305) 808-3590 or Joseph Bell |[email protected] | (813) 276-9430.

EFI maintains an extensive schedule of overseas trade missions and exhibitions worldwide. In Fiscal Year 2016-17, more than 500 small and mid-sized Florida businesses reported $738 million in total export sales following EFI international events.

Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Trafficking More Than 100 Grams of Heroin

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Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Office of Statewide Prosecution Office today secured the conviction and sentencing of Jorge Rivera, of Hillsborough County, for conspiracy and trafficking in heroin.
“Today my Office of Statewide Prosecution secured another vital conviction of a monster tainting our streets with deadly heroin,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “I want to thank the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office for their great investigative work and my statewide prosecutors Joseph Ravelo and Joe Spataro for the minimum mandatory sentence they secured in this case.”

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office led the investigation that uncovered Rivera had obtained multiple ounces of heroin from two main suppliers. Throughout the investigation, authorities used electronic surveillance in the form of wiretaps to determine when Rivera would meet with sources. In October 2015, HCSO saw Rivera meet with suppliers and apprehended the defendant with more than 100 grams of heroin in possession. Attorney General Bondi’s Office of Statewide Prosecution previously tried and convicted both suppliers of conspiracy to traffic heroin, 28 grams or more, in July 2017.

The Hillsborough County jury found Rivera guilty of conspiracy to traffic heroin, 28 grams or more, and trafficking in heroin, 28 grams or more. The Honorable Samantha Ward, Circuit Judge for the 13th Judicial Circuit, sentenced Rivera to 25 years as a minimum mandatory sentence in the Department of Corrections.

Assistant Statewide Prosecutors Joseph Ravelo and Joe Spataro prosecuted the case.

For more information on the suppliers’ previous conviction, click here.