Capital Soup

Florida News Straight From the Source

You are here: Home / Archives for Featured

Featured

Interlachen man claims first top prize in new FLORIDA 50X THE CASH Scratch-Off game

Posted on

Kenneth Hall, Jr. poses with his oversized check after claiming a
$2 million top prize in the FLORIDA 50X THE CASH Scratch-Off game.

The Florida Lottery announces that Kenneth Hall, Jr., 48, of Interlachen, claimed a $2 million top prize in the new FLORIDA 50X THE 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.
Hall purchased his winning ticket from Circle K, located at 1137 State Road 20 in Interlachen. The retailer will receive a $4,000 bonus commission for selling the winning Scratch-Off ticket.
The $10 game, FLORIDA 50X THE CASH, launched on January 15, and gives players the opportunity to multiply their winnings by up to 50 times! The game also offers over $162 million in cash prizes, plus eight $2 million top prizes! Overall odds of winning are one-in-3.46.
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.

Altamonte Springs man arrested on 10 counts of child pornography

Posted on

Agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Orlando Cyber Crime Task Force today arrested Timothy Young, 38, of 133 Oyster Bay Circle, Apt. 360, Altamonte Springs, on 10 counts of possession of child pornography.
After receiving a tip, FDLE agents launched an investigation and found that Young had downloaded images depicting child pornography. During the execution of a search warrant, agents conducted a forensic preview of digital devices and found at least 10 files of children who appeared to be under the age of 10 in sexual images.
Young was taken to the Seminole County Jail on a $350,000 bond. He will be prosecuted by the State Attorney’s Office, 18th Judicial Circuit.

Senator Stewart Rallies Support for Equal Pay for Equal Work

Posted on

State Senator Linda Stewart (D-Orlando) is a firm believer in equal pay for equal work, and understands first-hand the heavy economic toll it takes predominantly on women when they face discrimination in the paycheck.
Determined to change those numbers, Senator Stewart is sponsoring legislation that would level the playing field in the work place, as well as a resolution that codifies equality for women in the constitution.
On Tuesday, January 23rd, a rally will be held in support of the measures in the state Capitol. The event will begin at 12:00 PM on the Fourth Floor Rotunda in Front of the Senate Chamber. Those in the Orlando area are encouraged to board buses, cars, or carpool to attend the rally.
“There is a shift in culture that needs to be recognized and equality for all endorsed,” said Stewart.
Senate Bill 594 is designed to prohibit an employer from various discrimination practices. This includes “providing less favorable opportunities to employees” and decisions based on their sex, unfair employment practices that relate to employee wages and benefits, and other actions indicative of labor and discrimination that occur in the workplace.
A companion bill, House Bill 393, has been introduced by Representative Lori Berman (D-Lantana).

Miami woman turns $25 into $1 million playing the $10,000,000 WORLD CLASS CASH Scratch-Off game

Posted on

The Florida Lottery announces that Maria Larin, 65, of Miami, claimed a $1 million prize in the $10,000,000 WORLD CLASS CASH Scratch-Off game at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. She chose to receive her winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $748,000.00.
Larin purchased her winning ticket from Winn-Dixie, located at 6770 Southwest 40th Street in Miami. The retailer will receive a $2,000 bonus commission for selling the winning Scratch-Off ticket.
The $25 game, $10,000,000 WORLD CLASS CASH, features more than $549 million in total cash prizes, including two top prizes of $10 million and 46 prizes of $1 million! Overall odds of winning are one-in-2.89.
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.

Mast to POTUS: Prioritize Florida Water Infrastructure in Budget Request

Posted on

U.S. Congressman Brian Mast (FL-18) today sent a letter to President Donald J. Trump asking him to prioritize the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) and the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP), including completion of the reservoir authorized by Florida Senate Bill 10, in his budget request to Congress this year.
The text of the letter is below and attached:

January 17, 2018

President Donald J. Trump
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20500
Mr. President:
Thank you for supporting the needs of all Floridians by advancing an expedited timeline to rehabilitate the Herbert Hoover Dike. This action is a critical step in ensuring the safety of millions of Floridians.
Beyond the rehabilitation of one of the country’s most vulnerable pieces of infrastructure, however, there is a greater mission ahead: the completion of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) and the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP).
While the rehabilitation of the Herbert Hoover Dike is necessary to flood control and human safety, it is just one part of a much larger and comprehensive series of infrastructure projects required to preserve the health, economy and environment of Florida. These Congressionally-authorized projects create a roadmap to ensure the survival of Florida’s ecosystem, which has been continually altered by the federal government over the past century. Without restoration, Floridians from across the state will continue to combat life threatening events through rising waters, devastating storms and ecological destruction.
I ask that as you move forward with expediting the completion of the Herbert Hoover Dike rehabilitation that you also include requests to expedite CERP and CEPP. Expediting CERP and CEPP will do more than just preventing a catastrophic flood. These projects will restore sustainability, livelihoods and resiliency of communities that have been lost at the hands of the federal government. In order for this to succeed, we need:

  1. $1.4 billion for the EAA Reservoir to build necessary storage and treatment features;
  2. $1.98 billion for the Central Everglades Plan to restore freshwater flow to the Everglades and Florida Bay to reduce harmful discharges;
  3. $80 million for C-44, the St. Lucie Estuary Storm Water Treatment Areas, to reduce and clean harmful discharges to the St. Lucie Estuary;
  4. $12 million for C-43 to help restore the natural flow of water to the Caloosahatchee River;
  5. $20 million to complete the Picayune Strand, a 55,000-acre habitat restoration in the Western Everglades;
  6. $210 million for the Tamiami Trail Bridging to remove a logjam, allowing for sheet-flow restoration;
  7. $4 million for C-111 South Dade to improve freshwater flow to the southern Everglades, including the Taylor Slough and Florida Bay;
  8. $71 million for Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands Project Phase I to restore the natural pattern of freshwater inflows to Biscayne Bay;
  9. $190 million for C-11, the Broward Water Preserve Area, to improve water quality and reduce seepage loss from central Everglades, increase water supply and reduce saltwater intrusion in Broward County;
  10. $71 million for the Kissimmee River Restoration to restore critical floodplain habitat and flows to Lake Okeechobee.

Expediting the Herbert Hoover Dike is a great signal that your Administration intends to fulfill the promises of the federal government to correct the water problems imposed on Floridians under previous Administrations. Completion of the dike is an important step, but holding water in Lake Okeechobee does not solve the fundamental issue of safely and responsibly channeling that water to where nature always intended it to flow: the Everglades.
I look forward to working with you on removing bureaucratic inefficiencies and ensuring adequate appropriations to put the entire solution back on track. Including these priorities in your budget request for fiscal year 2019, prioritizing CERP and CEPP along with the Herbert Hoover Dike, would go a long way toward achieving our shared objectives.

Sincerely,

Brian J. Mast
Member of Congress

Florida Prepaid Partners with Florida Department of Education to Honor Outstanding Educators

Posted on

Florida Prepaid Signs on as Presenting Sponsor
of the 2018 Florida Teacher of the Year

From left, 2018 Teacher of the Year Tammy Jerkins, State Board Member Tom Grady, State Board Member Ben Gibson, Commissioner of Education Pam Stewart, Florida Prepaid Executive Director Kevin Thompson, Florida Prepaid Director of Marketing and Communications Martha Bullock, Florida Prepaid Spokesperson Shannon Colavecchio, State Board Chair Marva Johnson, State Board Member Andy Tuck and State Board Member Michael Olenick.

At a meeting of the State Board of Education, Commissioner Stewart today recognized Florida Prepaid as the presenting sponsor of the Florida Teacher of the Year Program. The annual Florida Teacher of the Year Program celebrates one of the most important professions in the world: teaching.
“We are grateful for Florida Prepaid’s commitment to Florida’s future, and we look forward to working together toward our goal of Florida being the best place in the world to receive a great education,” said Education Commissioner Pam Stewart. “The Teacher of the Year Program is a wonderful opportunity for teachers from every school district to be recognized for their hard work and to access valuable professional development to enhance their leadership skills.”
As the presenting sponsor, Florida Prepaid will support statewide teacher leadership programs and expand the influence of Florida’s most accomplished teachers; elevate teaching as a rewarding and honored career choice and help solve the teacher shortage; and celebrate excellence in one of the most impactful professions.
“We are honored to be a part of this important program for Florida educators, whose professional mission aligns so closely with ours,” said Florida Prepaid Executive Director Kevin Thompson. “Teachers prepare Florida students academically for the rigors of a K-12 and postsecondary education, and at Florida Prepaid we are helping the families of Florida students to prepare financially for college. The result is a stronger Florida.”
Proceeds from the program support professional growth programs for teachers and strategies to enhance the impact of Florida’s best educators. That effort begins with the Teacher Roundtable, a three-day series of teacher leadership training held each year in July. Following this initial orientation to the purposeful activities of being a school-wide leader, this distinguished group has the opportunity to participate in the Florida’s Teacher Lead Network, a growing collaborative of Florida’s best teachers committed to impacting positively our state’s schools and districts.
Florida Prepaid, as well as additional sponsors, also make possible the gala, including the much-anticipated Teacher of the Year announcement. The gala is the backbone of an intentional strategy to infuse every school in Florida with exceptional teachers who are prepared to lead other educators, impacting instructional quality throughout the state. The 2018 gala is scheduled for July 13 in Orlando.
About the Florida Prepaid College Board
The Florida Prepaid College Board manages the Stanley G. Tate Florida Prepaid College Program and the Florida 529 Savings Plan. Both are tax-favored 529 college savings plans authorized by Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code. In 1987 the Florida Prepaid College Program was created by the Florida Legislature and the commitment and dedication of Mr. Stanley G. Tate to provide Florida families with an affordable means to save for their children’s future college education. The first Florida Prepaid College Plans were sold in 1988, and were augmented with the addition of the Florida 529 Savings Plan in 2002. Florida Prepaid is the largest, longest running and most successful prepaid plan in the nation with more than 1.8 million Florida Prepaid College Plans purchased and more than $6.7 billion invested in Prepaid Plans by Florida families. The 529 Savings Plan has more than 60,000 active accounts with a market value of more than $525 million. To learn more about Florida Prepaid, visit myfloridaprepaid.com.
About the Florida Education Foundation
The Florida Education Foundation serves as the direct support organization for the Florida Department of Education. As a valued partner to public education, the Foundation’s mission is to invest in high achievement for every student to contribute to Florida’s globally competitive workforce. More information about the Foundation can be found at Florida Education Foundation.
To find out more information about Florida’s Teacher of the Year Program, click here.
For more information about the Florida Department of Education, visit fldoe.org.

Consumer Alert from Florida Office of Insurance Regulation: Cryptocurrency

Posted on

Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) and cryptocurrency-related investment products have been identified as emerging investor threats for 2018. Cryptocurrencies are a medium of exchange that are created and stored electronically in the blockchain, a distributed public database that keeps a permanent record of digital transactions. Common cryptocurrencies include Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin. Unlike traditional currency, these alternatives have no physical form and typically are not backed by tangible assets. They are not insured or controlled by a central bank or other governmental authority, cannot always be exchanged for other commodities, and are subject to little or no regulation. The Florida Office of Financial Regulation encourages Floridians to be very cautious of investments involving cryptocurrency.
Some common concerns investors should consider before investing in any offering containing cryptocurrency include:
  • Cryptocurrency is subject to minimal regulatory oversight, susceptible to cybersecurity breaches or hacks, and there may be no recourse should the cryptocurrency disappear.
  • Cryptocurrency accounts are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), which insures bank deposits up to $250,000.
  • The high volatility of cryptocurrency investments makes them unsuitable for most investors.
  • Investors in cryptocurrency are highly reliant upon unregulated companies, including some that may lack appropriate internal controls and may be more susceptible to fraud and theft than regulated financial institutions.
  • Investors will have to rely upon the strength of their own computer security systems, as well as security systems provided by third parties, to protect purchased cryptocurrencies from theft.
Check out this video to help you understand the risks associated with ICOs and cryptocurrencies.
If you feel that you may be a victim of investment fraud or to report suspicious activity, please file a complaint with the Florida Office of Financial Regulation online, flofr.com, or call (850) 487-9687. 

Senator Aaron Bean Unveils Unsolved Cases in Florida Website

Posted on

Senator Aaron Bean (R-Fernandina Beach) unveiled Florida’s new unsolved cases website featuring more than 400 unsolved homicides. The Unsolved Cases in Florida website features unsolved homicides that have been submitted by local law enforcement agencies for placement on the website. The website was developed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). In his prior role as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice, Senator Bean had the idea for a statewide website featuring unsolved cases. Senator Bean worked with FDLE to create the website.
“In Florida the bad guys are never off the hook,” said Senator Aaron Bean. “Our goal is to arrest the criminals who committed these crimes. By empowering our citizens, they can help local law enforcement agencies by providing tips on these cases.”
“Florida’s local law enforcement agencies work tirelessly on these unsolved cases,” said FDLE Commissioner Rick Swearingen.  “This website allows local agencies to display their unsolved homicide cases to be seen by millions of eyes.”
“Unsolved homicide cases cause indescribable pain for the those closest to the victim, which is why the Florida Sheriffs Association created the Cold Case Advisory Commission in 2015 to provide assistance to local law enforcement agencies,” said Alachua County Sheriff Sadie Darnell, chair of the FSA Cold Case Advisory Commission. “The Sheriffs of Florida today are very grateful to Senator Aaron Bean for his passion and energy, and to the FDLE for creating a website that will provide the public with access to unsolved cases.”
“No matter how much time passes, law enforcement will continue to search for answers to bring justice for victims and their families,” said Chief Kevin Lystad, Miami Shores Police Department and President of the Florida Police Chiefs Association (FPCA). “The FPCA and its members commend Senator Aaron Bean for his idea to create this type of website, another tool for investigators to help find answers in these unsolved cases.”
The Unsolved Cases in Florida website can be found on FDLE’s website.
Senator Bean represents Senate District 4, which includes parts of Nassau and Duval Counties. He can be contacted in Tallahassee at (850) 487-5004 or in his District Office at (904) 757-5039.
Senator Bean will be holding a press conference at 10:00 a.m. this morning in front of the Senate Chambers at the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee.

UCF Launches National Center to Find Big-Picture Solutions to Coastal Threats

Posted on

UCF has launched a national research center focused on finding big-picture solutions to threats facing coastal communities.
In 2017, federal and local governments in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico spent more than $284 billion to deal with the impact of hurricanes and flooding, according to NOAA.
“There’s a perfect storm coming,” said Graham Worthy, UCF biologist and director of the National Center for Integrated Coastal Research. “We’ve already seen some of it. With economic constraints, environmental threats and extreme weather events becoming more and more common, now is the time to look at how we develop resilient communities that aren’t constantly in expensive recovery mode.”
While many institutions are studying ways to help coastal communities, UCF’s center is unique by bringing together dozens of experts including biologists, economics, medical care professionals, social scientists, engineers and emergency management personnel to come up with long-term solutions that incorporate multiple disciplines.
“As a biologist, I may find a solution to a water quality issue,” Worthy said. “But I don’t know the economic impact, or whether my solution may create another issue for emergency management or maybe there’s a social impact I haven’t even thought of. By having experts in all these areas together we will begin speaking the same language and come up with solutions that are big picture, and that’s the kind of solutions we need as a society.”
And while some may argue that people who live on the coast know the risks, the threats impact residents living hundreds and even thousands of miles away.
In Florida, much of the economy relies on tourism with people going to the beaches and theme parks. But sea-level rise would harm beaches and it may no longer be a draw to tourists resulting in fewer dollars coming to the state. The coast is connected to rivers and streams. Sea-level rise could also impact water quality, resulting in negative impacts to agricultural production, cattle production and even ecotourism businesses that rely on rivers.
The center, housed on the main UCF campus, includes more than 40 faculty members. The center’s researchers are pursuing multiple partnerships with national and international groups to expand its work. Claire Knox, a UCF public administration associate professor, will focus on environmental and emergency management plans and policies. She provides the connection between coastal science and policy making.
“Specifically, my research in Louisiana and Florida concludes that many land use plans lack a hazard mitigation element and are not being fully implemented,” Knox said. “Our environmental policies say one thing, yet do another. Both practices have led to a disjoined effort to restore Louisiana’s coastal wetlands and Florida Everglades ecosystem.”
The problems facing Florida are similar to those found in other states and countries that have coastlines, so the faculty expect that the solutions they develop may become national models. Knox is just one of many faculty who conduct research outside the state of Florida.
“As a Cajun from coastal Louisiana, coastal is personal. It means home,” Knox said, “A home comprised of coastal wetlands that we are losing at a rate of a football field every 45 minutes. This increases the vulnerability of coastal communities, displaces multiple unique cultures, and includes the relocation of the U.S. first climate change refugees at Isle de Jean Charles.”

Senate Committee Moves Predatory Payday Lending Product Forward

Posted on

Consumer, Faith and Civil Rights Groups Strongly
Oppose The Bill Legalizing a New 200% Interest Loan

Despite strong and vocal opposition to predatory payday lending from consumer, faith, seniors, civil rights and community organizations, a Florida senate committee approved a new predatory product today, just days into the new session.
The Banking and Insurance Committee heard testimony on the bill backed by payday lenders AMSCOT and Advance America, voting in favor of advancing the bill.
Senators voting for 200% APR payday loans were: Senators Flores, Steube, Bracy, Bradley, Braynon, Broxson, Gainer, Grimsely, and Thurston.
We are thankful to Senators Garcia and Taddeo for their votes opposing the payday lenders’ dangerous bill.
Payday lenders are lobbying aggressively, attempting to drown out the voices of individuals and groups who understand the harmful impact of a business model based on trapping people in repeat, triple-digit interest rate loans.
The Florida Alliance of Consumer Protection spoke for many groups today in asking the senators to reject the proposal. The coalition calls on the House Insurance and Banking subcommittee to reject matching bill HB 857 when that bill comes before them on Wednesday.
SB 920/HB 857 would authorize up to 208% annual interest rates for loans that are larger and have longer terms than the payday loans Florida law currently allows. The senate committee that heard testimony is chaired by Senator Anitere Flores, and the bill is co-sponsored by Senator Oscar Braynon II and Senator Rob Bradley. HB 857 will be heard in the house subcommittee chaired by Rep. Danny Burgess and sponsored by Rep. J.W. Grant and Rep. Janet Cruz.
“I am extremely disappointed in those Senators who supported a bill today that negatively impacts Black and Brown people in this state. They voted against the interest of Black and Brown people. There are too few people who have too much power to impact the lives of too many people with no power, when you define power as having the money needed to control the outcome. But, I have great faith, that before the end of this legislative session that enough people without money will demonstrate the power of faith.” says Rev. James T. Golden, social action director of the AME Church in Florida, who spent time talking with the Senators about his concerns.
The FL NAACP, the FL AARP, Florida Veterans for Common Sense, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Florida, the League of Southeastern Credit Unions are among the many groups who oppose legalizing a product that would snare borrowers in a debt trap even deeper and more damaging than traditional payday loans.
“Florida is already flooded with harmful, debt trap loans. The payday lenders believe they can sneak this one in, but we’re not having it,” said Alice Vickers, director of the Florida Alliance of Consumer Protection. “Loans that are designed to trap people in long-term debt at triple-digit interest rates are counter to what any person or group wants if they have the best interests of Floridians at heart. Payday lenders, unfortunately, are not among those groups.”
SB 920/HB 857 would allow payday lenders to make loans up to $1,000 with terms of 60 to 90 days. Research documents that these longer-term loans create the same cycle of repeat loans that traditional payday loans create, making borrowers worse off than when they took the first loan. Payday borrowers often experience multiple overdraft fees that end in closed bank accounts and even bankruptcy. They are often unable to keep up with other bills once caught in the costly cycle of debt.
The coalition supports a bill that would stop the cycle of harmful debt through a rate cap of 30%. Reform passed in 2001 failed to stop the cycle of debt that payday lending intentionally creates. Payday lenders obtain 75% of their revenue from customers caught in 10 loans per year. Over 83% of loans go to people with seven or more loans per year, and the payday lenders suck $311 million annually out of our state’s economy – from those who need those dollars the most.
Faith groups marched for an end to payday lending abuse last October in a prayer walk in St. Petersburg.
Legal aid offices and credit unions also oppose predatory payday lending in Florida.
For more information about payday loans in Florida visit stopthedebttrapflorida.org