Recreational and commercial blue crab traps in state waters from the Palm Beach-Broward county line to the Pasco-Hernando county line must be removed from the water before July 10, the first day of a 10-day trap closure. This closure will give groups authorized by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) the opportunity to identify and retrieve lost and abandoned blue crab traps from the water.
Traps may be placed back in the water in this area starting on July 20. Until then, blue crabs may be harvested with other gear, such as dip nets and fold-up traps. Blue crab harvesters may also use standard blue crab traps during the closure if the traps are attached to a dock or other private property.
Lost and abandoned blue crab traps are a problem in the blue crab fishery because they can continue to trap crabs and fish when left in the water. They can also be unsightly in the marine environment, damage sensitive habitats and pose navigational hazards to boaters on the water.
The closure is one of three regional, 10-day blue crab trap closures that will occur in 2017 on the Gulf coast of Florida. While state waters extend to 9 nautical miles offshore in the Gulf, the blue crab trap closures include only state waters extending to 3 nautical miles offshore. Coastal waters from Hernando through Wakulla counties, including all waters of the Ochlockonee River and Bay, will close to traps July 20-29 (see map). There are six regional closures total: three in even-numbered years on the east coast and three in odd-numbered years on the west coast.
More information regarding the FWC’s trap-retrieval program, blue crab trap closure dates, regulations and cleanup events is available online at MyFWC.com/Fishing (click on “Saltwater Fishing” then “Trap Retrieval/Debris Removal”). For additional information, contact the FWC’s trap retrieval coordinator, Pamela Gruver, at 850-487-0554.
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Thousands of Floridians oppose seismic airgun testing and drilling off Florida’s coast
Progress Florida and Environmental Action delivered more than 7,000 petitions from Floridians urging the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to deny permits for seismic airgun surveys – the first step toward offshore drilling – in protected areas of the Atlantic Ocean, including along the Florida coastline.
The petitions were submitted to NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service public comment record that was to close today but has been extended until July 21. Additionally, the petitions call upon U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to oppose President Trump’s reckless plan to open up the South Atlantic Planning Area, including large swaths off the Florida coast, to seismic testing and potentially oil and gas drilling. More than 120 east coast municipalities formally oppose offshore drilling and seismic air gun blasting activity off their coasts.
“Oil drilling poses a tremendous risk to Florida’s fragile coastal environment and our tourism-based economy,” said Progress Florida Executive Director Mark Ferrulo. “Floridians are unified against dirty, dangerous oil drilling and in favor of clean, renewable energy like solar power which will save consumers and businesses money today and protect our coastal waters, beaches, and economies for tomorrow.”
Seismic blasts have a devastating effect on turtles, dolphins and whales, which depend on sound to find food, mate, navigate, avoid predators, take care of their young and survive. “The noise from seismic air gun blasts is so loud that it can be heard up to 2,500 miles from the source, devastating marine life, harming fisheries and coastal economies,” added Ferrulo. Five applications for Atlantic seismic air gun surveys are currently pending after Trump reversed the Obama Administration’s rejection of seismic airgun surveying off the Atlantic Coast.
Offshore drilling is the slowest, dirtiest and most expensive way to generate energy. According to the federal Mineral Management Service, hurricanes Katrina and Rita destroyed 113 oil platforms, damaged 457 pipelines, caused 124 spills totaling 741,000 gallons of oil including six spills of 1,000 barrels or greater. And that was all before BP’s Deepwater Horizon disaster wreaked havoc on the waters, wildlife, and local communities throughout Florida’s Gulf region.
“Opening our coasts to destructive drilling would do little to make us energy independent, but it would threaten our beaches with pollution and oil spills and could destroy our multi-billion dollar tourism and fishing industries,” added Ferrulo.
Those wishing to comment on the seismic testing applications can find instructions on how to do so here.
Undersea Life Holds Promise for Killing Tuberculosis
A team of researchers at the University of Central Florida has discovered a potential new weapon in the fight against tuberculosis, and it lives in the Little Mermaid’s realm.
UCF graduate student Carolina Rodrigues Felix led the study in UCF Assistant Professor Kyle Rohde’s lab. Through a partnership with graduate student Amy Wright of the Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, the team screened 4,400 chemical extracts derived from extracts of sponges and other marine organisms to see if they could kill the dormant tuberculosis bacteria. Tuberculosis is a highly contagious disease that is one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide.
“To our knowledge this is the largest marine natural product screening on TB and the only one that focused on dormant bacteria,” Rohde said.
The team identified 26 compounds that were active against replicating tuberculosis bacteria, 19 killed dormant bacteria including seven that were active against both.
“There were some that actually killed the dormant bacteria better than the replicating bacteria, which is a novelty,” he said, “as existing drugs are better at killing replicating bacteria.”
Findings of the study published in June in the journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, which is published by the American Society of Microbiology. The National Institutes of Health funded the study.
Tuberculosis, an infectious bacterial disease that mainly affects the lungs, is spread from person to person through the air. Globally, there are about 10.5 million new cases and about 1.5 million deaths reported each year.
“One of the biggest problems is the lack of effective treatments,” Rohde said. “Tuberculosis is very difficult to treat and in most cases, takes six to nine months of taking at least four drugs daily. And most patients don’t stick to their drug regimens for six to nine months because they have undesirable side effects, or they stop taking it when they feel better.”
Tuberculosis bacteria have thick cell walls that drugs have difficulty penetrating. The bacteria also express proteins that make it resistant to treatment. And the bacteria can hide within the immune system and become dormant, only to reappear after treatment ends. “Most of the drugs we have only kill bacteria that are trying to replicate,” he said, “so we need drugs that can kill those dormant ones.”
Scientists have been isolating marine natural compounds from sea sponges and other marine organisms to find treatments for diseases such as cancer and tuberculosis. Rohde said many of these compounds are not in the sponges themselves, but are made from microorganisms such as fungi or bacteria that live on the sponges.
Rohde and his team plan to purify and further isolate the individual compounds in these extracts to identify which ones have antibacterial properties. So far, they have identified five pure compounds with verified antibiotic potential against tuberculosis.
“Once we’ve identified these compounds, we want to study them to understand how they work,” Rohde said. “That way if the compound turns out not to be a great drug for use in humans as is, at least we would have identified a new target for antibiotics. Alternatively, we could work with chemists to modify the drug to improve its clinical usefulness.”
Governor Scott to Kick Off “Honoring Florida Veterans” Tour
MEDIA ADVISORY
This week, to honor our nation’s veterans, Governor Rick Scott will kick off the four city “Honoring Florida Veterans” tour. Tomorrow, July 6 he will visit Panama City and The Villages to honor veterans with the Governor’s Veterans Service Medal.
This tour will also highlight the Fighting for Florida’s Future budget that includes more than $60 million in total funding to support active military, veterans and their families.
WHEN: 9:00 AM CDT
WHERE: Florida National Guard Armory
3121 North Lisenby Ave.
Panama City, FL 32406
WHEN: 3:00 PM EDT
WHERE: Eisenhower Recreational Center
3560 Buena Vista Blvd
The Villages, FL 32163
*The Governor will also make stops Friday in Cocoa and Wauchula. Details on times and locations will be announced tomorrow. *
Yulee man wins top prize playing MONOPOLY $2,000,000 FLORIDA EDITION Scratch-Off game
Sydney Smith poses with his wife and oversized check after claiming a top
prize in the MONOPOLY™ 2,000,000 FLORIDA EDITION Scratch-Off Game.
The Florida Lottery announces that Sydney Smith, of Yulee, claimed a top prize in the MONOPOLYTM $2,000,000 FLORIDA EDITION Scratch-Off game at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. He chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $1,540,000.00.
Smith purchased his winning ticket from Circle K Gas Station, located at 850378 U.S. Highway 17 in Yulee. The retailer will receive a $4,000 bonus commission for selling the winning Scratch-Off ticket.
The $10 Scratch-Off game, MONOPOLY $2,000,000 FLORIDA EDITION, launched in July 2016, and features more than $151 million in prizes, including eight top prizes of $2,000,000! The game’s overall odds of winning are one-in-3.45.
Scratch-Off games are an important part of the Lottery’s portfolio of games, comprising approximately 65 percent of ticket sales and generating more than $734 million for the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF) in fiscal year 2015-16.
DBPR Unveils Business Information Portal
The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) unveiled the state’s new Business Information Portal, designed to help Floridians set up and run a business in the Sunshine State. Using the new site, prospective business owners are taken step-by-step through everything from licensing a new food truck to opening the doors at a new salon or barbershop. The new site, which launched on Friday, June 30, also helps with state tax registration, licensure applications and other documentation.
Governor Rick Scott said, “Florida is the best place in the world to start a business, and DBPR’s new Business Information Portal makes it easier than ever for businesses to start and grow. The Business Information Portal gives every Floridian the guidance they need to start their company at the click of a button, empowering every entrepreneur to become a successful job creator. Over the past six years, we have worked every day to make Florida the most business-friendly state in the nation. I am proud that, working with our agencies and DBPR, we’ve been able to eliminate more than 4,800 burdensome regulations and help Florida’s business owners succeed.”
DBPR Secretary Jonathan Zachem said, “This new Business Information Portal will give prospective entrepreneurs an easy checklist for crafting their business, meeting licensing requirements and then opening the doors to their new venture. The information and assistance needed to get a business up and running in Florida is now a click away. There’s never been a better time to start your business in the Sunshine State.”
By entering a search term, the portal generates a step-by-step checklist to help prospective business owners understand local, state and federal requirements for the selected business category. The portal also features an eGuide that provides a basic overview to all the tools, tips and resources needed to open a business in Florida. The first section of the eGuide includes best practices and general information regarding different aspects of starting and operating a business in Florida. A quick reference guide is also included to walk you through the state requirements that fit most businesses. The final section contains information about state regulatory agencies and provides additional resources for entrepreneurs.
Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Director Cissy Proctor said, “Florida is making it easier for businesses to succeed and grow in our state by cutting taxes, reducing regulations and enhancing our business-friendly climate. The Business Information Portal is another great resource that proves our commitment to Florida businesses and the hardworking people who are investing in our communities.”
DBPR worked closely with the following state agencies and stakeholders to develop the Florida Business Information Portal: Agency for Health Care Administration, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Department of Children and Family Services, Department of Citrus, Department of Economic Opportunity, Department of Elder Affairs, Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Financial Services, Department of Health, Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Department of Management Services, Department of Revenue, Department of State, Division of Emergency Management, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Lottery, Office of Financial Regulation, Office of Insurance Regulation, and Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network.
The new portal can be reached at www.OpenMyFloridaBusiness.gov.
Gov. Scott: We Must Not Do Any Business with the Maduro Regime
Governor Scott today announced he will introduce an agenda item to bring before the Trustees of the State Board of Administration in August that would prohibit the State of Florida from doing business with any organization that supports the Maduro regime. More details of the Governor’s proposal will be made available prior to the August 16, 2017 Cabinet Meeting.
Governor Rick Scott said, “During the next meeting of the Florida Cabinet in August, I will bring forward a proposal that will prohibit the State of Florida from doing business with any organization that supports the oppressive Maduro dictatorship. Floridians stand with the people of Venezuela as they fight for their freedom, and as a state, we must not provide any support for Maduro and his thugs.
“On Venezuela Independence Day, we stand in solidarity with the opposition to the brutal Maduro regime, whose crimes against his own people continue daily. In fact, just today, Maduro’s henchmen violently disrupted a meeting of the opposition controlled National Assembly. This is unacceptable behavior that Florida will not tolerate.”
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Recovers More Than $250,000 for Floridians in June
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services recovered more than $250,000 for Florida consumers during the month of June. Last year, the department recovered nearly $3 million for Florida consumers from moving companies, vehicle repair shops, pawn shops, health studios, telemarketers, sellers of travel and more.
During June 2017, the department:
- Recovered $250,256 on behalf of Florida consumers;
- Received 3,629 complaints;
- Initiated 230 investigations;
- Arrested 10 individuals;
- Provided assistance to 21,545 consumers through the 1-800-HELP-FLA hotline, online chats and emails; and
- Added 17,354 telephone numbers to Florida’s Do Not Call List.
As the state’s clearinghouse for consumer complaints, the department educates the public, investigates complaints and provides mediation on behalf of consumers. The department’s call center is staffed with trained analysts who can respond to questions about programs and regulations under the department’s purview, provide information on a wide variety of topics or direct callers to the appropriate government agency.
Consumers who believe fraud has taken place can contact the department’s consumer protection and information hotline at 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352) or, for Spanish speakers, 1-800-FL-AYUDA (352-9832). For consumer protection information and resources, visit FloridaConsumerHelp.com.
Prudential Productivity Awards Recognize Five Teams from AHCA
The Agency for Health Care Administration (Agency) today announced that five teams of Agency staff members have been selected as winners in the annual Prudential Productivity Awards.
Agency Secretary Justin M. Senior, “I am honored to congratulate this year’s Prudential Productivity Award winners on their contributions to the Agency and the state. These employees found innovative solutions to complex issues in an effort to help Florida government operate more efficiently and reduce costs to taxpayers. Thank you for all that you continue to do for our state.”
Since the program’s inception in 1989, the Prudential Productivity Awards committee has received more than 16,000 nominations. The committee has given awards to state employees who have cumulatively saved or maximized more than $9.2 billion in taxpayer dollars.
The following Agency employees were selected as winners:
Business Analytics Team
Winners: Kimberly Noble, Emily Kinman, Bryan Cook, Barbara Fincher
The Agency saved thousands of dollars by organizing an Agency and Inter-Agency Tableau User Group. These groups train users on the fundamentals of Tableau, Tableau best practices, and serve as ongoing resources for help and trouble-shooting.
The Tableau User Groups fill the need of training new and experienced Tableau users. Training by Tableau is approximately $700/day per participant if the trainee travels to the training site (not including travel costs). Bringing a certified trainer to Tallahassee costs $1000/day per participant with a 12-15/person minimum.
Multiple agencies participate in the Tableau User Group and benefit from the cost savings. The Inter-agency group averages 25 attendees monthly (1.5 hours) from at least 10 different State agencies. The Agency group averages 15 attendees twice a month.
Estimated Yearly Savings: $101,250.00
Medicaid Provider Enrollment Streamlined Credentialing Team
Winners: Shawn McCauley, David Powers, Tamara Strayer, Nicholas Constantino, Ross Hart, Terry Schmidt, Pamela Hall
The team designed, developed, and implemented a streamlined Medicaid provider enrollment application, called Limited Enrollment, for providers seeking to participate in Medicaid health plan networks that eliminated an administrative burden on the plans, as well as providers who participate in multiple health plan networks.
The implementation of Statewide Medicaid Managed Care (SMMC) presented the Agency with two concerns raised by the health plans that this project addressed. Providers who did not want to fully enroll in Medicaid and were contracted with more than one health plan had to be fully credentialed individually by each health plan, providing the same documentation or variations for each. For providers who wished to fully enroll with the Medicaid program, the health plans had to wait until the enrollment process was completed before a Medicaid provider ID could be assigned.
The new process provides relief to the Medicaid health plans and providers from the administrative burden through a simplified process. The Limited Enrollment application serves as a single point of submission for provider data and eliminates duplicative submissions of data by providers to multiple sources.
Estimated Yearly Savings: $300,000.00
FLAIR Automation Team
Winners: Katrina Derico Harris, Sharon Dixon, Patricia Williams, Verionica Bishop, Cassandra Gainer
The automation of the Medicaid Accounts Receivables (MAR) to FLAIR upload has been implemented to eliminate the MAR revenue holding account and reduce the length of time to update the MAR and FLAIR accounts, to make recouped funds available sooner.
The automation eliminated the MAR holding account and reduced the time it takes to update the MAR revenue accounts in FLAIR. In the past, the money was deposited into the MAR holding account until it was determined where to allocate the funds.
The implementation of the automated process reduced the upload period from one week to a day, eliminated the manual process of preparing the spreadsheet, reduced the chance for manual entry errors, and made the fiscal year-end accounting process more efficient and accurate.
The implementation of the MAR FLAIR upload automation eliminated steps in the original process by eliminating the need for a revenue holding account. It also significantly improved year-end performance by allowing staff to work on other critical efforts related to closing out the Agency financials before June 30, 2017. This improvement has reduced processing time by 80% for all related transactions and reduce the amount of manual keystroke errors.
Estimated Yearly Savings: $7,341.55
Medicaid Exceptional Claims Processing Re-Design and Consolidation Team
Winners: Deborah Warfel, David Powers, Gayle Ninis, Catherine Eichenlaub, Catherine Nowotny, Don Fuller, Aaron Lounsberry, Sheila Gonzalez, Ondria Bacon, Teresita Fitzgerald
The Medicaid Exception Claims Processing Re-Design Team developed and implemented a process that allows Medicaid providers to submit exceptional Medicaid claims directly to the Medicaid Fiscal Agent, bypassing the manual screening and tracking process previously performed by the Medicaid Field Offices, and allowing the Field Office staff to work the claims on-line.
An exceptional claim is a claim that would deny system edits of submitted directly to the Medicaid Fiscal Agent for processing, but the provider thinks that there should be an exception given due to special circumstances. In the past, providers submitted these claims in paper form, and each office scanned and entered them into the Claims Tracking System (CTS).
The original plan was for all field offices to work exceptional claims using the new process. The new system allowed the Agency to reorganize this process into a single Claims Hub office. Now all claims processors are working out of one centralized location, which has led to less quicker processing times.
Estimated Yearly Savings: $1.675 million
Florida Encounter Exchange and Expanded Benefits Project(s)
Winners: David Powers, Ross Hart, Michael Boston, Debbie Warfel, Teri Arnoldy, Mary McCullough, Erica Floyd-Thomas, Arlene Elliott, Kelly Rubin
To improve the Agency’s business need for receiving timely and accurate health plan encounter data that supports both capitation rate setting and monitoring of the health plan recipient services, the Encounter Exchange and Expanded Benefit Project Tteam developed and implemented new Florida Medicaid Management Information System (FLMMIS) encounter processing technical architecture.
The Agency needed a robust and informative encounter processing system to provide enhanced tracking and reporting of encounter receipts, processing, and operational functions, as a result of the implementation of the SMMC program and the new contractual health plan requirements. The encounter system redesign addressed the Agency’s business requirements to support the SMMC program, which serves over 3 million individuals enrolled in Medicaid at a cost of approximately $14 billion annually.
Estimated Yearly Savings: $0-24,999
Gov. Scott Announces Florida Defense Support Task Force Grant Awards
Governor Rick Scott today announced that $400,000 has been awarded through the Florida Defense Support Task Force Grant Program to three projects to protect military installations across the state. This year, awards were given to the Gulf Coast State College, InDyne, Inc., and the Tampa Bay Defense Alliance. Florida’s military installations contribute more than $79.8 billion in economic impact, and the defense industry supports more than 774,000 jobs in Florida.
Governor Scott said, “I am proud to announce $400,000 in Florida Defense Support Task Force Grants to help protect, preserve and enhance Florida’s military installations. Florida is the most military-friendly state in the nation and this funding supports our military and thousands of families that have jobs across the state thanks to Florida defense communities. We will continue to do all we can to recognize and support the many brave military men and women, and their families, whose service and sacrifice keeps our country safe.”
Grant funding will support community projects at Florida military installations that will diversify the local economy, provide support for local infrastructure projects and strengthen Florida’s bases ahead of any potential Department of Defense realignment or closure actions. For more information on the individual grant award for projects throughout the state, see below:
Bay County: $30,000 in Defense Grants
$30,000 was awarded to Gulf Coast State College to identify Air Force community partnership initiatives that will benefit Tyndall Air Force Base (AFB), Bay County, and the State of Florida. Gulf Coast State College has been involved in community growth opportunities over the past 60 years and will work to support the continued enhancement, growth, and success of our military installations and community.
Florida Defense Support Task Force member and project sponsor Tom Neubauer said, “Tyndall Air Force Base, Bay County, and the State of Florida greatly benefit from the input and best practices provided by community partnerships like the one with Gulf Coast State College. The work of the Task Force and the continued support from Governor Scott and leaders in Tallahassee are crucial in continuing to protect these missions.”
Okaloosa and Franklin Counties: $235,000 in Defense Grants
$235,000 was awarded to Indyne, Inc. to develop a Systems Engineering Management Plan to support military operations in the Carrabelle, Florida area. InDyne’s current project will enhance the 96th Test Wing’s competitiveness within the U.S. Air Force. This will help accelerate projects meant to protect Eglin’s core missions associated with research and development to support next generation air operations.
Maj Gen Jeff Reimer (USAF Retired), former Air Armament Center Commander and Chief Operating Officer of InDyne, said, “By funding this project, the Florida Defense Support Task Force is directly supporting preservation and enhancement of the research and development mission of Air Armament Enterprise at Eglin AFB and is helping to position the U.S. Air Force for continued air dominance. Florida will be helping to arm and protect those who protect the United States. This is just one more example of a Community Partnership between the State of Florida and the Department of the Air Force which benefits both parties.”
Hillsborough County: $135,000 in Defense Grants
$135,000 was awarded to the Tampa Bay Defense Alliance (TBDA) to address challenges impacting the military value of the installation, such as potential encroachment, education, and transportation, and build community support. The TBDA has developed outreach programs to increase awareness of the mission of MacDill Air Force Base to effectively support operations.
Lisa Monnet, President of the Tampa Bay Defense Alliance, said, “Through the award of this tremendous grant, Tampa Bay will continue its mission to promote a collaborative and engaged environment that vigorously supports a robust and growing defense community. The Task Force and Governor Scott have been instrumental in supporting the MacDill community and Tampa Bay is proud to be part of the most military-friendly state in the nation.”
The Florida Defense Support Task Force was created in 2011 with the mission to make recommendations to preserve and protect military installations, support the state’s position in research and development related to military missions and contracting, and improve the state’s military-friendly environment for service members, military families, veterans and businesses that bring military and defense-related jobs to the state. The Florida Defense Support Task Force Grant Program is administered by Enterprise Florida, and grants are awarded annually, on a project priority basis. For more information on the Florida Defense Support Task Force, visit www.eflorida.com/floridadefense.
