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Featured

ICYMI: Diaz Joins Scott for Signing of HB 7069

Posted on June 15, 2017

Diaz calls today a landmark in Florida education reform
and praises Scott for his support of education choice.

State Representative Manny Diaz today joined Governor Rick Scott in Orlando as he signed House Bill 7069 into law. 
“Today is a landmark day for education reform in Florida,” said Diaz. “I commend the Governor for continuing his steadfast support for educational choice and opportunities. Florida once again leads the nation in bold, innovative education policy. I also want to thank Speaker Corcoran for his bold leadership and Chairmen Bileca, Raburn and Latvala for their work on this great legislation for Florida families.” 
House Bill 7069 includes a number of important provisions that will strengthen the state’s education system, including:

  •  Record-high funding, most of which will go directly to the classroom, teachers, and principals
  •  $30 million to ensure students with special needs maintain their scholarship through the Gardner Scholarship Program
  •  Funds to reward teacher excellence with bonuses
  •  Creation of the Schools of Excellence Program to provide administrative flexibility for the highest-performing schools
  •  $140 million to turn around failing schools through the Schools of Hope Program
  • Streamlined testing requirements
  •  Mandatory 20-minute recess for all K-5 traditional public school students

As Chair of the PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee, Diaz took a leading role in crafting and passing the bill. He also serves on the Education Committee and is an education professional.
ON THE WEB:  www.VoteMannyDiazJr.com

Paid by Manny Diaz Jr., Republican, for State Senator

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Governor Rick Scott, HB 7069, ICYMI, State Representative Manny Diaz

Governor Rick Scott Signs One Bill Into Law

Posted on June 15, 2017

Governor Rick Scott today signed the following bill into law:
CS/CS/SB 590 – Child Support and Parenting Time Plans – This bill authorizes the Florida Department of Revenue to establish parenting time plans agreed to by both parents.
To view the transmittal letter, click HERE.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Child Support and Parenting Time Plans, Florida Department of Revenue, Governor Rick Scott

Florida Association of City Clerks Elects New Officers and Board of Directors

Posted on June 15, 2017

During its recent annual conference and academy, the Florida Association of City Clerks (FACC) elected new officers and members of its Board of Directors. The conference was held at the Caribe Royale in Orlando, bringing together members of the professional association for city clerks and deputy clerks.  Created in 1972, FACC is affiliated with the International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC), the Florida League of Cities, and the Florida Institute of Government.
The 2017-2018 FACC Board of Directors includes:
President:  Gwen Keough-Johns, MMC; City Clerk, Mount Dora
President-Elect: Pamela Latimore, CMC; City Clerk, North Miami Beach
Vice President: Bea Meeks, MMC, City Clerk, City of Edgewood
Northeast Director: Donna Hardin, CMC; Town Clerk, Town of Branford
Northwest Director: Leslie Howington, CMC; Town Clerk, Century
Central East Director:  Patricia Burke, MMC; Town Clerk, Palm Shores
Central West Director:  Cheryl Mooney, MMC; City Clerk, Temple Terrace
Southeast Director:  Debra Buff, MMC, City Clerk, Belle Glade
Southwest Director:  Stacey Johnston, MMC; City Clerk, Holmes Beach
Immediate Past President:  Chevelle D. Nubin, MMC; Village Clerk, Village of Wellington
Officers and directors serve one-year terms running from June to June, to coincide with the annual business meeting held at the conference and academy.
The Board of Directors meets monthly (either in person or via conference calls) to conduct the association’s business, and is guided by the FACC Strategic Plan.
The Florida Association of City Clerks (FACC) is a professional association comprised of more than 500 municipal clerks representing Florida’s cities, towns, villages, and special districts. Membership in FACC provides an array of benefits including extensive and superior educational offerings through various outlets including state academies, localized district mini-academies, webinars, and Athenian dialogues.
FACC prides itself on providing high-quality education and networking outlets to ensure our members have the proper knowledge and backgrounds necessary to serve their communities.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Board of Directors, Florida Association of City Clerks, New Officers

Drill holes in fossil shells point to bigger predators picking on small prey

Posted on June 15, 2017

Michal Kowalewski, a researcher with the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida, holds an American bittersweet shell. The hole in the shell testifies to the mollusk’s grisly end as a meal for a drilling predator. This fossil is about 2 million years old. (Photo by Kristen Grace, Florida Museum of Natural History)

The drill holes left in fossil shells by hunters such as snails and slugs show marine predators have grown steadily bigger and more powerful over time but stuck to picking off small prey, rather than using their added heft to pursue larger quarry, new research shows.
The study, published today in Science, found the percent of shell area drilled by predators increased 67-fold over the past 500 million years, suggesting that the ratio of predatory driller size and tough-shelled prey increased substantially. The study’s authors say the widening gap could be caused by greater numbers and better nutritional value of prey species and perhaps to minimize predators’ vulnerability to their own enemies.
“These drill holes track the rise of bullies: bigger, stronger predators hunting the same size prey their much smaller predecessors did,” said Michal Kowalewski, the Jon L. and Beverly A. Thompson Chair of Invertebrate Paleontology at the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida and a study co-author. “What’s exciting about this project is that we found a drilled fossil shell can tell us both the size of the prey and the size of the predator that ate it. This gives us the first glimpse into how the size of predators and prey are related to each other and how this size relation changed through the history of life.”
Predation is a major ecological process in modern ecosystems, but its role in shaping animal evolution has been contentious, Kowalewski said. This study sheds light on predation’s ability to drive evolutionary changes by supporting a critical tenet of the escalation hypothesis: the idea that top-down pressure from increasingly larger and stronger predators helped trigger key evolutionary developments in prey species such as defensive armor, better mobility and stealth tactics like burrowing into the sea floor.
Other than a few rare finds of predator and prey preserved mid-battle, a lack of direct fossil evidence has hindered a clearer understanding of how predators have influenced other species’ evolutionary paths.
Adiel Klompmaker, then a postdoctoral researcher at the Florida Museum, was working on a database of drill holes—the marks left in a shell by a predator such as a snail or slug—when he saw their untapped potential as “smoking gun” evidence of deadly saltwater dramas.
Drilling predators such as snails, slugs, octopuses and beetles penetrate their prey’s protective skeleton and eat the soft flesh inside, leaving behind a telltale hole in the shell. Trillions of these drill holes exist in the fossil record, providing valuable information about predation over millions of years. But while drill holes have been used extensively to explore questions about the intensity of predation, Klompmaker realized they could also shed light on predator-prey size ratios.
Just as a bullet hole indicates the caliber of gun fired, a drill hole points to the size of the predator that created it—regardless of what kind of animal it was. By compiling these hole sizes, researchers can gain insights into 500 million years of predator-prey interactions.
“Finding direct evidence of behavior in the fossil record can be difficult, certainly in comparison to all animal behavior we can simply observe today,” said Klompmaker, the study’s lead author and now a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, where he conducted most of the research. “Drill holes in shells are an exception to this rule.”
To determine whether drill hole size is a good predictor of the size of the animal that made it, the researchers compiled 556 measurements of predator sizes and the diameter of the holes they produced. The measurements spanned 14 families and five phyla of drillers, both terrestrial and marine: mollusks, arthropods, nematodes, Cercozoa (parasitic protists) and Foraminifera (amoeboid protists). The team found a strong correlation between predator size and the diameter of drill holes.
“It’s similar to how the size of your arm is related to your height and overall body mass,” Kowalewski said. “It’s not a perfect correlation, but there is a very strong relation between the two.”
The team then used data compiled from 6,943 drilled animals representing many fossil species to examine trends in the size of drill holes, prey size and predator-prey size ratios, starting in the Cambrian Period—when most marine organisms appeared—and running to the present.
Despite growing bigger, predators may not have needed to switch to larger targets because prey became more nutritious through time, the researchers said. In the Paleozoic Era, about 541 million to 252 million years ago, clam-like organisms known as brachiopods were the most common prey available. But predators gained few nutrients from brachiopods and gradually transitioned to mollusks, similarly-sized but meatier prey that became abundant in oceans after the Paleozoic.
“In modern oceans, a predator can gain quite a bit of food from eating a small animal,” Kowalewski said. “This was not the case 500 million years ago when much less fleshy prey items were on the menu. Ancient small prey could only satisfy the needs of small predators.”
Another factor circles back to the escalation hypothesis: As predation ramped up, predators themselves were increasingly vulnerable to their own predators. Chasing, hunting and drilling into prey creates a window of time when predators are exposed to their own enemies, such as crabs and fish, Klompmaker said. Pursuing small, easy prey could lessen the risk to predators themselves.
Seth Finnegan of the University of California, Berkeley and John Huntley of the University of Missouri also co-authored the study.
Funding for the research came from the National Science Foundation, the Packard Foundation and the Jon L. and Beverly A. Thompson Endowment Fund.
Sources:
Michal Kowalewski, [email protected]
Adiel Klompmaker, [email protected]
Writer:
Natalie van Hoose, 352-273-1922, [email protected]

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: drill holes, fossil shells, predators, research, small prey, University of Florida

The Florida Bar's 62nd Media Awards Deadline Extended to Friday, June 30

Posted on June 15, 2017

The deadline for entering The Florida Bar’s 62nd Media Awards competition is extended to Friday, June 30, 2017. The prestigious awards and cash prizes are presented annually to recognize outstanding journalism that highlights the system of law and justice as it affects the people of Florida.
News media that have made a significant effort to inform the public about the delivery or quality of justice are invited to enter. Download the 2017 Media Awards Entry Form. Work submitted for consideration may include news stories, series, features, editorials, blogs, documentaries, columns, special sections — anything that is produced by a news organization and deals with law and lawyers, courts, law enforcement, the delivery of legal services, the effectiveness of the justice system, the work of the organized Bar or related matters. Any newspaper, radio station, blog, television station, wire service or online-only publication located in Florida is eligible to enter. THERE IS NO ENTRY FEE.
Entries must have been published or produced between Jan. 1, 2016, and Dec. 31, 2016. Content of entries may be current or historical, objective or analytical in nature. Special consideration may be given to entries that demonstrate courage or tenacity on the part of the news medium or the journalists who produced the entry.
Media organizations large and small are encouraged to enter. Judging criteria are not based on the greatest amount of resources used, but whether those resources available are used well and to the fullest in the tradition of outstanding journalism.
The awards will be presented by the president of The Florida Bar at the annual Reporters’ Workshop dinner on Oct. 16 in Tallahassee. Reporters receiving first-place awards will take home $500, and those receiving second place will get $250. If multiple reporters are bylined on a winning entry, the cash award will be divided evenly among them. Reporters who choose not to accept the monetary prizes may opt to make a donation to the First Amendment Foundation. All winning reporters and their media outlets will receive plaques.
Questions? Contact The Florida Bar’s Public Information Department at (850) 561-5666.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: 62nd Media Awards, Deadline Extended, The Florida Bar

FWC reminds scallopers to stay safe, recognize and use divers-down flags and buoys

Posted on June 15, 2017

With the opening of scallop seasons fast approaching, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) wants to remind everyone engaged in this fun outdoor activity to use a divers-down warning device whenever they are snorkeling or scuba diving while searching for these tasty treats.
The divers-down symbol is rectangular or square and red in color with a white diagonal stripe. A divers-down flag displayed on a boat must be at least 20 inches by 24 inches and displayed at a high point where it can be observed from 360 degrees around the vessel. A buoy may not be used or displayed from a vessel. A divers-down flag or buoy, displayed from the water, must be at least 12 inches by 12 inches. A flag must have a wire or other stiffener to hold it open and a buoy can be three- or four-sided.
All divers must prominently display a divers-down device in the area in which the diving occurs.
“Proper use and understanding of what a divers-down symbol means are critical,” said Capt. Tom Shipp of FWC’s Boating and Waterways Section. “It is meant to alert boaters to the presence of people under the water’s surface and to give them plenty of room.”
All vessels must make reasonable effort to stay at least 100 feet away from a divers-down device within a river, inlet or channel. In open waters, vessels must make reasonable effort to stay 300 feet away. For safety, divers should stay within those same distances of their displayed device. A vessel that approaches closer must be fully off plane and at idle speed.
“Divers share the responsibility of boating safety with the boat operators,” Shipp said. “Diving without the divers-down symbol displayed or using it for reasons other than to inform others of the presence of divers is unlawful.”
The divers-down device should only be displayed when divers are ready to enter the water or are in the water. When divers or snorkelers exit the water, it must be taken down.
More information on divers-down requirements is available online at MyFWC.com/Boating by clicking on “Boating Regulations.”
For more information on the scallop season date changes for 2017, visit MyFWC.com/Commission and select “Commission Meetings,” then click on “2016” and “Agenda” under the November meeting.
For information on bay scallop regulations, visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on “Saltwater Fishing,” “Recreational Regulations” and “Bay Scallops.”

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: MyFWC, scallopers

Governor Scott to Sign Major Education Bill

Posted on June 15, 2017

MEDIA ADVISORY

Governor Rick Scott will sign a major education bill today at Morning Star Catholic School in Orlando, which serves many children who receive the Gardiner Scholarship.
WHAT: Bill Signing
WHEN: 3:45pm
WHERE: Morning Star Catholic School
930 Leigh Avenue
Orlando, FL 32804

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Governor Rick Scott, Major Education Bill

FWC’s Apalachicola River wildlife habitat manager honored by Governor, Cabinet

Posted on June 15, 2017

Matthew Hortman, a biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) who works on the Apalachicola River Wildlife and Environmental Area, received the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s 2016 Resource Manager of the Year award at the June 14 meeting of the Governor and Cabinet in Tallahassee. The award recognizes the outstanding dedication and achievements of people managing state lands to conserve their ecological value and biological diversity.
Hortman has fostered innovative programs to help restore natural communities within the Apalachicola River WEA, which encompasses the river and its floodplains from Liberty County south to Apalachicola Bay in Franklin County. The Apalachicola River basin is recognized as one of the nation’s “biodiversity hot spots,” and the WEA supports many wildlife species, including the bald eagle, osprey, pileated woodpecker, red-cockaded woodpecker, Apalachicola kingsnake, Barbour’s map turtle, alligator snapping turtle and Brazilian free-tailed bat.
On the job, Hortman has reintroduced prescribed burning into previously fire-suppressed areas to improve habitat for wildlife, including the frosted flatwoods salamander, a threatened species. He has worked to enhance recreational opportunities for visitors, who can paddle 100 miles on the Apalachicola River WEA Paddling Trail or go fishing, wildlife viewing, hunting, hiking and camping.
“Matt Hortman’s role as an FWC biologist managing and restoring wildlife habitat in the Apalachicola River Wildlife and Environmental Area is critical to maintaining the diversity of native species there,” said David Johnson, who leads the FWC’s Wildlife and Habitat Management section. “People come to this north Florida river to experience its beauty and the wildlife they can observe while having a great time outdoors.”
This year, the FWC is celebrating the 75th anniversary of Florida’s wildlife management area system. Its nearly 6 million acres are managed for the benefit of fish and wildlife, but also for people who enjoy recreating in some of the wilder and most beautiful places in Florida.
Resident and visitors are encouraged to discover wildlife management areas, such as the Apalachicola River WEA, which are scattered throughout the state. Special WMA anniversary activities and events are scheduled throughout 2017.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Apalachicola River, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, MyFWC, wildlife habitat manager

Sachs Media Group Selected by Sonny’s BBQ as New Agency of Record for Public Relations

Posted on June 15, 2017

Sachs Media Group today announced that it has been named as the national agency of record for Sonny’s BBQ®, which was recently named “Nation’s Best BBQ Chain” by The Daily Meal for the third consecutive year. The BBQ restaurant chain currently has 112 locations spanning eight states including Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Kentucky. As the company enlarges its footprint throughout the South and other regions of the United States, Sachs Media Group will lead public relations activities to support growth in the Sonny’s franchise and nonprofit divisions.

“Sonny’s BBQ is a beloved and landmark brand across the Southeast, and we are honored to have been selected for the important work of promoting its outstanding reputation across the United States,” said CEO Ron Sachs. “People get fired up about their barbecue, and we look forward to stoking their passion for Sonny’s – the finest barbecue around.”

Now in its 22nd year, Sachs Media Group is a full-service, award-winning agency headquartered in Tallahassee with offices in Orlando, Boca Raton, and Washington D.C. The company recorded its best year ever in 2016, as the nationally rated and regarded firm’s work expanded in multiple areas including public affairs, research, crisis communication services, and digital/web development. The company plans to continue to grow its lifestyle, travel, and hospitality division in 2017.

With 112 locations throughout the Southeast, Sonny’s BBQ is one of the largest and most popular barbecue restaurant companies in the country. Headquartered in Maitland, Fla., the restaurant chain employs more than 6,000 people. Sonny’s was founded by Floyd “Sonny” Tillman in 1968 in Gainesville, Fla., and is gearing up to celebrate its 50th anniversary next year. Robert Yarmuth, a longtime Sonny’s franchisee from Kentucky, purchased the Sonny’s chain in 1991 and today serves as Sonny’s BBQ Chairman and CEO. Award-winning Pitmaster Bryan Mroczka leads the brand’s culinary division, and is responsible for spearheading the culinary direction and R&D to support the many pitmasters located at Sonny’s locations across the United States.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Agency of Record, Public Relations, Sachs Media Group, Sonny's BBQ

Commissioner Stewart Honors 44 Florida Businesses for their Commitment to Florida’s Students

Posted on June 14, 2017

Commissioner of Education Pam Stewart honored 44 Florida businesses with the Commissioner’s Business Recognition Award. The award recognizes businesses for their extraordinary contributions to public education in Florida.
“I am pleased to present these businesses with the Commissioner’s Business Recognition Award as a token of our appreciation for their ongoing support,” said Commissioner of Education Pam Stewart. “Strong partnerships between the education and business communities are essential to student success, and I hope more businesses will take advantage of this mutually beneficial opportunity.”
During the awards ceremony, Commissioner Stewart highlighted a few of the initiatives that businesses are embarking on to help Florida’s students:

  • In Alachua County, Pappas and Tapley Orthodontics hosts hundreds of first grade students over six days. During their visits, the students learn about careers in dental health and how to take care of their own teeth.
  • In Hillsborough County, the Tampa Bay Lightning has invested $6 million into its 5-year Build the Thunder Program. Through the program, the Lightning donates hockey gear to underprivileged children and seeks to teach them critical life skills.
  • In Osceola County, Lowe’s actively supports The Green Bag Project, which helps ensure students in need have food during non-school hours, such as weekends and holiday breaks.
  • In Pinellas County, Ajax Building Corporation dedicated more than $1 million in time, labor and resources to transform a vacant school building into The Starting Right Now facility, which serves homeless and unaccompanied youth.
  • Wells Fargo has been a longstanding partner of the Foundation for Lee Public Schools and the School District of Lee County, contributing nearly $110,000 to education in 2016.

To view a list of awarded businesses and organizations, visit Commissioner’s Business Recognition Awards.
The Commissioner’s Business Recognition Awards, presented by Wells Fargo, are administered by the Florida Department of Education and the Florida Education Foundation to encourage successful alliances within the business community and among local school districts for the benefit of Florida’s students. Other sponsors of the 30th annual awards program are MGT Consulting Group, Florida Power and Light, Kyra Solutions, and Gray-Robinson Attorneys at Law.
About the Florida Education Foundation
As a valued partner to public education, the Florida Education Foundation’s mission is to invest in high achievement for every student to contribute to Florida’s globally competitive workforce. The Foundation is the direct support organization for the Florida Department of Education.  For more information, visit Florida Education Foundation.
For more information about the Florida Department of Education, visit www.fldoe.org.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Commissioner’s Business Recognition Awards, florida department of education

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