Florida News Straight From the Source
Today, June 2, President of the Florida Senate Joe Negron and Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives Richard Corcoran will join Governor Rick Scott to make a major announcement in Miami.
WHAT: Press Conference
WHEN: 10:00 AM
WHERE: Miami International Airport
Terminal F, Diplomatic Lounge
6500 NW 22nd St.
Miami, FL 33122
Following is a statement from U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) on the president’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement:
“This is a huge mistake. Sea-level rise caused by the Earth heating up is a real threat to Florida. If the U.S. isn’t going to do its part to combat climate change, then the rest of the world won’t do theirs and millions of Floridians living along the coast will be at risk.”
The POWERBALL® jackpot for Saturday’s drawing is an estimated $337 million; the largest in the nation. In addition to the large POWERBALL jackpot prize, players have the opportunity to win lower-tier prizes from $4 to $2 million by matching any of the non-jackpot-winning combinations. The POWERBALL jackpot has rolled 17 times since the April 5, 2017, drawing and has generated more than $25 million in contributions to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF).
Jackpot prizes are paid in 30 annual installments or as a one-time, lump-sum payment. Jackpot prizes must be claimed within 60 days after the draw to receive the cash option of an estimated $209.1 million. Winners have 180 days from the applicable drawing to claim their prize.
As a reminder, players are encouraged to sign the back of their tickets at the time of purchase and keep them in a safe place. Players should also check their tickets carefully because even if they don’t win the jackpot, they can still win cash prizes of up $2 million.
Purchase your tickets at any of the more than 13,000 authorized Lottery retailers for your chance to become Florida’s newest multi-millionaire. The Florida Lottery would like to remind all players to please play responsibly, as it only takes one ticket to win. As with all Lottery products, players must be 18 years of age or older to purchase POWERBALL tickets.
The next POWERBALL drawing will be held Saturday, June 3, 2017, at 10:59 p.m. ET, tickets must be purchased by 10:00 p.m. ET to be eligible for this drawing. National POWERBALL drawings are broadcast live, in high-definition, from the Florida Lottery’s state of the art draw studio in Tallahassee. Florida Lottery game drawings are broadcast on 17 carrier stations throughout the state.
President Trump today abandoned the United States’ commitment to reducing pollution under the Paris Climate Agreement. This action increases the risks that the world will face from global warming – including dirtier air, water and food shortages, spreading disease, increasingly extreme weather, and loss of land mass to flooding.
Under the previous president, the country began making progress in reducing pollution. Now President Trump’s actions threaten to take the country in the wrong direction.
Jennifer Rubiello, state director of Environment Florida, made the following statement in response:
“When the nations of the world joined in the Paris accord, we all finally stood as one to begin to address the climate crisis. This embarrassing decision says to the world that the United States – the nation most responsible for global warming – feels no responsibility for cutting pollution, and pretends to prioritize the economy over the wellbeing of the world.
President Trump has got it exactly backwards: there’s no sound economy in our future without a healthy planet. If both our national and state leadership choose to ignore that reality, then mayors must step in to fill the leadership void to show the world that Americans will do our part to address the climate crisis.
Averting disaster would be easier with strong state and federal leadership, but it’s not too late to defend clean air and a livable climate. If President Trump won’t stick by the U.S. commitment to reduce pollution and if Governor Scott continues to bury his head in the sand, then it’s up to our cities and industries to take the lead in moving us towards a clean energy future.
Hundreds of cities in the United States and around the world have pledged to accelerate carbon reductions to meet the goals of the Paris accord. Orlando, Florida is just the most recent of dozens of cities announcing a plan to shift to 100% clean renewable energy. To accelerate progress, every city in Florida and in the country must step up and take similar action. And clear-eyed players in the business community must lead on this issue as well.
In Washington, D.C., our U.S. Senators must act to protect vital pollution-cutting programs — including clean car standards and clean air standards — from any attack.
Ultimately, we all must work together to reduce and eliminate the pollution that is causing the world to warm. The health of Florida families and the world ecosystem are at stake.”
Flagler College’s Town and Gown Advisory Committee recently released its first progress report, outlining accomplishments and highlights of the 2016-2017 academic year and future priorities.
The committee — an extension of the Town and Gown Task Force, which disbanded in June of 2015 after presenting its final report and recommendations — serves as a channel for representatives from the college and community to discuss mutually relevant issues that impact the campus and city.
According to the report, highlights of the committee’s work this past year included the establishment of a student-only online rental blog, in which students can inform one another about available apartments and interactions with landlords; the implementation of a reporting system to handle behavior complaints made to the St. Augustine Police Department or Flagler College; and the participation of the committee in the college’s new president selection process.
“The Town and Gown Advisory Committee has made tremendous progress as we try to bridge important issues that affect the city of St. Augustine and the Flagler College campus,” the committee stated in the report. “This year we are building on that momentum as we continue collaborating on several issues and priorities that will bring benefits throughout downtown’s historic district.”
Some of the committee’s continuing and future priorities include generating greater awareness of the college’s improvement plans, identifying new ways of engaging the community in college-sponsored events and facilitating discussions between the college and City and St. Augustine on the regulation of rental properties and future rental inventory.
Advisory committee members include residents Becky Greenburg, Susan Rathbone, Judith Seraphin, Clyde Taylor, Irene Arriola and chairman John Versaggi and Flagler College representatives Paige Armstrong, Dan Stewart and Laura Stevenson.
A detailed annual report on the Town and Gown Advisory Committee can be found here.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services recovered more than $236,000 for Florida consumers during the month of May. 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 May 2017, the department:
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.
Leading Florida-based government affairs firm, Ballard Partners, proudly announces the addition of Rebecca Benn as a partner at the firm’s office in Washington, D.C. Benn brings two decades of experience advising Congressional and corporate decision makers on various aspects of public policy.
“We are pleased to welcome Rebecca to our growing team in the nation’s Capital,” said Brian Ballard, president of Ballard Partners. “From negotiating billion-dollar budget bills in the Senate to advancing Congressional legislative priorities for the largest Eastern freight railroad, Rebecca’s extensive expertise in both the public and private sector ensure our diverse client portfolio will continue to receive the best guidance and advocacy for their issues.”
Ballard Partners welcomes Benn from her position as director of federal affairs for CSX Transportation. During her five-year tenure, she directed all government relations initiatives impacting automation, safety, environmental regulation and security while overseeing federal constituent relations for seven states.
Previously, the seasoned policy strategist guided the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations as a professional staff member for the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies as well as the Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies. In both positions, Benn served as the lead Republican negotiator for bicameral and bipartisan billion-dollar federal appropriations bills, in addition to drafting legislative materials and analyzing budget requests.
Benn launched her career in the office of U.S. Senator Thad Cochran as a legislative assistant. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Dartmouth College.
Friederike Mittner, AICP, was tapped as the new Florida Trust for Historic Preservation Board of Trustees President during the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation Annual Meeting on May 18 in St. Petersburg.
Mittner is a proven and dedicated preservationist. She serves as the City Historic Preservation Planner and CLG coordinator for the City of West Palm Beach, where she oversees more than 5,000 cultural resources, sits on the Palm Beach County Historic Resources Review Board and is a certified trainer with the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions. She has served on the Florida Trust Board for nine years, most recently as Vice President. Her term follows past President Clay Henderson, DeLand, who served as Florida Trust Board President for two years.
Mittner’s leadership will continue the organization’s growth, broaden its impact and strengthen its commitment to sharing diverse stories that represent the full breadth of Florida’s history and heritage.
“During my term as Florida Trust Board President I will work to cultivate our preservation programs and outreach so they are relevant and meaningful to all of the people of our state,” Mittner said. “I look forward to the work ahead, preserving and protecting Florida’s extraordinary history and heritage.”
A new roster of Florida Trust officers were voted in by the membership at the meeting including Vice President Ryan Malloy, St. Petersburg; Treasurer Mark Tarmey, Tallahassee and Secretary Jenny Wolfe, St. Augustine. The Executive Committee is rounded out by at large members Adrienne Burke, Jacksonville, and Becky Matkov, Miami, as well as Henderson as past president.
Florida Trust membership approved a recommendation from the Board to appoint Dr. Leslee Keys as a Trustee Emeritus. Emeritus status was granted in recognition of Keys invaluable support of the Florida Trust over her 15 years serving on the Board representing St. Augustine, and for her commitment to historic preservation in Florida. Keys, who is a past president of the Florida Trust, is the Director of Historic Preservation and Special Initiatives and professor of history at Flagler College. She is the first Trustee to receive this honor in five years.
During the meeting Florida Trust membership voted in three new board members: Amanda Skier, Palm Beach; Ennis Davis, Jacksonville and Christine Dalton, Sanford.
“We are privileged to work with a group of professionals truly committed to historic preservation in Florida,”Mittner said. “I thank all of our Board members and our new Trustee Emeritus for their service, their thoughtful leadership and the sharing of their time and talents. Working together, we will protect Florida’s historic places for generations to come.”
