The University of North Florida will honor a student with an outstanding record of volunteerism, when it hands out over 1,000 degrees Friday, Dec. 8, during fall commencement at the UNF Arena, Building 34, on campus.
UNF senior Nikki Adams, who is graduating this week with a bachelor’s degree in biology, will be recognized as the recipient of the Senior Service Award, which is presented to a graduating senior for outstanding volunteer service to the University or community by the UNF Alumni Association. She will be honored during the 10 a.m. ceremony.
Adams, a Jacksonville native who grew up in Riverside, realized she could spark change and awareness through volunteerism and found she could accomplish this through the University’s Environmental Center, where she became deeply involved with the Center’s student-led organization, the Environmental Center Student Coalition. Adams served as club president last fall and facilitated open discussions with students about environmental problems and ways in which they could enact change.
Through the UNF Environmental Center, Adams began to participate in activities that also helped improve the Northeast Florida community by volunteering at clean-up events organized by the St. Johns Riverkeeper, North Florida Land Trust and Groundwork Jax. By “getting down in the dirt” with a team of impassioned individuals, she was able to work as part of a team committed to making a positive, visual change.
Additionally, Adams has interned with the Timucuan Ecological and Historical Preserve as well as the National Park Service and volunteered with the North Florida Land Trust’s Team Terrapin, where she contributed to a database that served to quantify the amount of diamondback terrapins present in the marshes on Big Talbot Island. She’s also volunteered with The Girls Gone Green, the U.S. Green Building Council, Dreams Come True and Rising Tides Young Professionals group.
The ceremony for the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Computing, Engineering and Construction will take place at 10 a.m., while the ceremony for the Brooks College of Health, Coggin College of Business and the
College of Education and Human Services will start at 2 p.m.
The University expects to award a total of 1,022 bachelor’s degrees, 165 master’s degrees and 38 doctorates this term. Including the fall 2017 graduates, UNF has issued a total of 73,956 bachelor’s degrees, 18,591 master’s degrees and 531 doctorates since first opening its doors in 1972.
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Senate Republicans defeat Nelson’s effort to make middle-class tax cuts permanent
‘Proof that this GOP tax bill was never about helping the middle class’
On a strictly party-line vote, Senate Republicans today voted down an amendment by U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) that would have made the modest middle-class tax cuts in the GOP’s tax bill permanent, instead of ceasing after just a few years.
“The modest middle-class tax breaks are not permanent, in seven or eight years they cease to exist, they sunset,” Nelson said on the Senate floor prior to the vote on his amendment. “Now, that’s simply not fair. This little amendment simply says, go back to the Finance Committee and correct this inequity. Go back to the Finance Committee, make the middle-class tax cuts permanent.”
If approved, the amendment Nelson filed late Thursday would have required that the Senate suspend its consideration of the current GOP tax bill and send it back to the Senate Finance Committee to work out a bipartisan compromise that provides permanent tax relief for the middle class.
Shortly after Nelson made his remarks, Senate Republicans voted to defeat the amendment by a vote of 52 to 48 – with all 48 Democrats voting for it, and all 52 Republicans voting against.
After the vote, Nelson tweeted, “Senate Republicans just voted down my amendment to make the modest middle-class tax cuts permanent, instead of a tax increase in a few years. Proof that this GOP tax bill was never about helping the middle class.”
Attorney General Bondi’s Statement Regarding Sexual Harassment Legislation
Attorney General Pam Bondi today issued the following statement regarding potential sexual harassment legislation for the 2018 Legislative Session:
“Weeks ago, I reached out to Speaker Corcoran and Senator Benacquisto to preserve a spot for potential legislation that could provide protections to victims of sexual harassment claims. Without hesitation, both were extremely supportive and eager to work together to protect women in state government.
“I encourage any woman who has been sexually harassed to come forward and allow their voice to be heard.
“Yesterday, I was astonished to learn that one of the victims of the recent allegations in Tallahassee is a woman who I’ve known and respected for years. My heart breaks for her. We must respect the investigation by the Florida Senate and the privacy of all parties involved.
“I look forward to working with the legislature this session to formulate laws that protect all women working in state government. It has been remarkable what women can do when we all stand together. FLORIDA MUST BE A LEADER IN THIS MOVEMENT.”
FDLE arrests Washington County man for child molestation
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has arrested Darren Keith Collins, 47, of 1631 Duncan Community Rd., Chipley, Florida, for one count each of lewd and lascivious molestation, victim under 12 years of age and contributing to the delinquency of a child.
An investigation determined that Collins intentionally touched a child under the age of 12 in a lewd or lascivious manner and also forced the child to touch him.
On November 30, 2017, Collins was booked into the Washington County Jail. The case will be prosecuted by the Office of the State Attorney, 14th Judicial Circuit.
Please visit the Secure Florida website to review tips for keeping your children safe online.
Senate Tax Bill Threatens America’s Environmental Future
The U.S. Senate is voting on a tax bill today that would open America’s unspoiled Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas drilling and maintains billion in tax breaks for fossil fuel producers while stifling the growing renewable energy sector. Environment Florida issued the following statement in response:
“With all the back and forth on who this tax bill benefits, the environment is the clear loser, with calamitous consequences for all Americans. The Senate is voting on handing over the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil drilling. And they’re simultaneously voting on killing the new solar and wind energy production we desperately need to combat the growing effects of global warming — while keeping subsidies for fossil fuel production. After months of global warming-fueled extreme weather and wildfires, and decades of air and water pollution from burning coal, oil and gas, it has never been more important to shift our country — wholesale and quickly — toward renewable energy. The Senate bill takes us in exactly the wrong direction.
The bill opens up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, one of the last truly wild places on earth, to irreversible damage from oil and gas drilling. The Refuge supports caribou, polar bears, black and grizzly bears, arctic foxes, moose, muskoxen and more than 200 species of migratory birds. Opening this rugged wilderness to oil and gas drilling would not only blight a pristine landscape, it would threaten these creatures and the ecosystem with spills and pollution.
The bill also continues massive incentives for fossil fuel production amounting to tens of billions of dollars over the next decade. Most insidiously, an obscure provision recently added to the Senate Tax bill would stifle development of solar and wind energy by hurting the financial viability of new projects. With no public debate or time for Americans to respond, the Senate is threatening one of the keys to a livable future for our children and grandchildren.
The House tax bill isn’t any better. It also continues subsidies for fossil fuels, eliminates incentives for electric vehicles and slashes wind energy credits by at least one-third.
It’s time for Senator Rubio to join Senator Nelson in rejecting this bill to help ensure a cleaner, healthier energy future for our state, and to protect the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, one of the places that makes all of the United States great.”
Learn about duck and dove hunting with new guide and webpage
December “Outta’ the Woods”
By Tony Young
We have a new Guide to Waterfowl Hunting in Florida publication that can be found at MyFWC.com/Duck. It’s a valuable tool for beginning waterfowl hunters, but experienced waterfowlers will appreciate it, too. It lists public duck hunting areas, illustrates several decoy placement setups, gives scouting and hunting tips, and provides outstanding duck identification photos of most every duck you’re likely to see in Florida.
Also, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) dove hunting webpage received a facelift, making the information you need easier to find. The updated page, MyFWC.com/Dove, offers dove hunting tips and lists all FWC-managed dove fields.
The new waterfowl guide and revamped dove hunting webpage are available for the second phase of waterfowl and coot season and the third phase of mourning and white-winged dove, which both open in December. Below is a recap of what you need to know to take part in these opportunities.
License and permit requirements
The first thing you’ll need to participate in these hunting opportunities is a Florida hunting license. Residents pay just $17 for the year. Nonresidents have the choice of paying $46.50 for a 10-day license or $151.50 for 12 months. You also need a no-cost migratory bird permit. And if you plan to hunt one of Florida’s many wildlife management areas, you must purchase a management area permit for $26.50.
Or, you may opt to get a Lifetime Sportsman’s License. This license allows you to hunt and fish in Florida for the rest of your life, even if you move away. It’s also a great holiday gift idea for family members who appreciate the outdoors.
All licenses and permits you need are available online at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com, at county tax collectors’ offices or license agents, or by calling 888-HUNT-FLORIDA.
Waterfowl and coot season
The second phase of the waterfowl and coot season comes in statewide Dec. 9 and runs through Jan. 28. In addition to previously mentioned license and permit requirements, duck hunters also must get a Florida waterfowl permit ($5) and a federal duck stamp.
The daily bag limit on ducks is six, but you need to know your ducks before heading afield because there are different daily limits for each species. For instance, within the six-bird limit there can be only one pintail, one mottled duck and one fulvous whistling-duck.
Only two of your six-bird limit can be canvasbacks, black ducks, scaup or redheads; and three may be wood ducks. And you may have no more than four scoters, four eiders, four long-tailed ducks and four mallards (of which only two can be female) in your bag. All other species of ducks can be taken up to the six-bird limit, except harlequin ducks. It is prohibited to take harlequin ducks.
The daily limit on coots is 15, and there’s a five-bird limit on mergansers, only two of which may be hooded.
You also may take light geese statewide during the waterfowl and coot season (Dec. 9 – Jan. 28), which includes the taking of snow, blue and Ross’s geese. There’s a 15-bird daily bag limit on any combination of these geese.
When hunting ducks, geese or coots, hunters may use only nontoxic shotgun shells. No lead shot can be used or even be in your possession – only iron (steel), bismuth-tin and various tungsten alloys are permissible.
And in the Tallahassee area, I need to point out some outboard motor restrictions and a prohibition against hunting in permanent duck blinds:
- On Lake Iamonia and Carr Lake (both in Leon County), the use of airboats and gasoline-run outboard motors are prohibited during the regular waterfowl and coot seasons.
- The maximum-allowed horsepower rating on outboard motors during the regular waterfowl and coot seasons on Lake Miccosukee in Leon and Jefferson counties is 10 hp.
- You may not hunt from or within 30 yards of a permanent duck blind structure on the four Tallahassee-area lakes of Jackson, Iamonia, Miccosukee and Carr. You’re allowed to pack in a portable blind and hunt from it, but make sure to break it down and take it with you when you’re done. (However, there’s no problem hunting within the concealment of any natural, rooted vegetation.)
Dove season
The third phase of the mourning and white-winged dove season always runs Dec. 12 through Jan. 15. The daily bag limit is 15.
The FWC even provides an online Dove Hunters’ Hotline that gives up-to-date information on Florida’s public dove fields. The web address is MyFWC.com/Dove, and it’s updated every Thursday throughout the dove season. Information includes dove densities, previous weeks’ harvests and field conditions.
Migratory bird hunting regulations
Shooting hours for waterfowl and coot season, and during the last phase of dove season, are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.
The only firearm you are allowed to hunt migratory game birds with is a shotgun, although you’re not permitted to use one larger than 10-gauge. Shotguns also must be plugged to a three-shell capacity (magazine and chamber combined).
Retrievers and bird dogs may be used to take migratory game birds and, if you’re up for the challenge, you may even use a bow or crossbow. Artificial decoys, as well as manual or mouth-operated bird calls, also are legal gear for duck hunters. Birds of prey can even be used to take migratory birds by properly-permitted falconers.
You may hunt doves over an agricultural field as long as the grain has been distributed or scattered solely as a result of a normal agricultural operation. However, you’re not allowed to introduce grain or other feed over an area for the purpose of luring birds.
Baiting rules are even more restrictive regarding ducks, geese and coots. You cannot legally hunt waterfowl over manipulated agricultural crops except after the field has been subject to a normal harvest and removal of grain. However, you can hunt waterfowl in fields or flooded fields of unharvested standing crops. On lakes and rivers, feed – such as corn or wheat – cannot be used to attract birds, even if the bait is quite a distance from where you’re hunting. And it doesn’t matter if you aren’t the one who scattered the bait. If you knew or should have known bait was present, you’re breaking the law.
Some other things you can’t do while hunting migratory game birds include using rifles, pistols, traps, snares, nets, sinkboxes, swivel guns, punt guns, battery guns, machine guns, fish hooks, poisons, drugs, explosive substances, live decoys, recorded bird calls or sounds, or electrically amplified bird-call imitations. Shooting from a moving automobile or boat, and herding or driving birds with vehicles or vessels also are against the law.
Happy holidays!
Whether dove hunting with friends and family or shooting ducks on the pond with your favorite lab – December has you covered.
Here’s wishing you happy holidays and a successful hunting season. If you can, remember to introduce someone new to hunting. As always, have fun, hunt safely and ethically, and we’ll talk at you next year.
Nelson files amendment to make middle-class tax cuts permanent
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) filed an amendment to the GOP’s tax bill today that would make any middle-class tax cuts in the bill permanent, rather than temporary, as they are under the current version of the bill.
The measure, if approved, would require that the Senate to suspend consideration of the current bill and send it back to the Senate Finance Committee to work out a bipartisan compromise on how to provide permanent tax relief for the middle class.
Under the current plan, some in the middle-class would get a tax cut for the first eight years. After that, however, those tax cuts end and families making less than $75,000 per year will actually see their tax bills increases – and forced to pay more than they do now under current law.
“The tax bill before us is not for the middle class,” Nelson said on the Senate floor this evening. “As a matter of fact, this is a big cut for corporations. This is not a cut for you, it’s not a cut for hardworking families.”
“The truth is that the bill treats the corporations much better than regular people,” Nelson continued. “If you make $75,000 or less, you will be hurt by this bill. If you are a small business owner and your taxes are a pass-through, at the individual rate, your taxes are going to be much higher than large multinational corporations. If you buy your insurance in the individual market, that’s health insurance, there’s a good chance that you’re going to lose access to affordable health insurance. And these are the facts. It’s just plain and simple.”
Text of Nelson’s amendment is available here.
Governor Scott Highlights Record K-12 Education Investments in Securing Florida’s Future Budget
Governor Rick Scott today visited Coconut Grove Elementary School in Miami to highlight record K-12 education investments in his Securing Florida’s Future budget. Since Governor Scott took office, state funding for Florida’s K-12 public schools has increased by $3.2 billion or 36.7 percent, from a total amount of $8.7 billion in Fiscal Year 2011-12 to nearly $12 billion in the 2018-19 Securing Florida’s Future budget.
The Securing Florida’s Future budget includes:
- More than $21.4 billion in state and local funding for Florida’s K-12 public schools. This historic funding equates to $7,497 per student – an increase of $200 per Florida student – the highest total funding, state funding and per-student funding for K-12 in Florida’s history;
- $15 million in funding for a brand-new program to expand opportunities for middle and high school students to learn coding and computer science;
- $10 million, for a total of $74.5 million, in funding for school safety initiatives that promote a safe learning environment;
- $12 million in funding to establish the English Language Learners Summer Academics program. This program will be focused on reading improvements and making sure students in grades 4 – 8 displaced by Hurricane Maria have access to summer academies; and
- Nearly $18 million, for a total of more than $63 million, in funding for the Teacher Classroom Supply Assistance Program. This proposal will increase funding by $100 per teacher from $250 to $350 annually.
Attorney General Bondi’s Statement on Appointment of Mac McNeill as Interim Jefferson County Sheriff
Attorney General Pam Bondi today issued the following statement on Governor Rick Scott’s appointment of Mac McNeill to Interim Sheriff of Jefferson County:
“There is not a better person in this state to fill the very large void left by Sheriff Hobbs. I have known Mac McNeill for many years, and not only does he exemplify the highest ethics—but also will be a tremendous leader for the citizens of Jefferson County.”
Senator Stewart files bill repealing plastic ban prohibition
State Senator Linda Stewart (D-Orlando) today unveiled legislation that repeals the sweeping prohibition on state agencies and local governments from enacting regulations on plastic bags and other single-use plastic objects.
“As long as these prohibitions remain on the books, improperly discarded plastic materials will continue to impact Florida’s wildlife, marine life, landfill operation, and flood control systems because proactive regulations cannot be implemented,” said Senator Stewart. “We need each city and county to act as they see fit and allow home rule to be reestablished.”
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection produced a report in 2010 at the direction of the Legislature on the “efficacy and necessity” of regulating auxiliary containers, wrappings, or disposable plastic bags and highlighted various sets of policy options. In 2008, the Legislature found that it is crucial to the welfare of Florida’s ecology and economy to regulate these recyclable materials, but placed a prohibition on any regulations until such recommended policies were adopted.
Senate Bill 1014 has been filed for the upcoming 2018 legislative session. Representative David Richardson (D-Miami Beach) has sponsored a companion bill in the Florida House of Representatives.
