U.S. Congressmen Brian Mast (R-FL) and Bill Posey (R-FL) have worked with their House colleagues to found a new bipartisan Congressional caucus to give the Indian River Lagoon a stronger voice and presence in the U.S. Congress. A total of twenty-three House Members have joined with Reps. Mast and Posey in forming the new Congressional Estuary Caucus, including Representatives Rick Larsen (D-WA), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) and Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ).
“Our waterways are central to the quality of life and the economy on the Treasure Coast. Keeping our water clean is an issue that transcends party lines—it affects all of our families,” Rep. Mast said. “I’ve committed to work with members of both parties to keep our water clean, and this caucus will provide an essential bipartisan forum to protect the Indian River Lagoon.”
“Our Lagoon is important to our quality of life, our local economies, tourism, our natural beauty, and provides a critical habitat to many indigenous species of wildlife and plant life,” Rep. Posey said. “This new caucus will help promote and protect our nation’s estuaries like the Indian River Lagoon by giving our communities a platform in Washington to educate our leaders on the important role that our estuaries play.”
The Indian River Lagoon stretches 156 miles along Florida’s east coast through five counties. More than 2,000 species of plants, 600 species of fish, 300 species of birds, and 53 threatened or endangered species inhabit the Indian River Lagoon for at least some portion of their lives, and scientists have shown our Lagoon to be one of the most biologically diverse estuaries in North America, with approximately 4,000 species documented to occur.
Rep. Mast serves as Vice Chairman of the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. As Vice Chairman, he has stated that his top priority will be protecting Treasure Coast waterways. He is also a member of the Everglades Caucus and the Bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus.
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Win your ticket to freedom when you play Florida Lottery's newest $25 Scratch-Off game
$10,000,000 WORLD CLASS CASH and three others on sale today!
The Florida Lottery is introducing four new Scratch-Off games that offer more than $670 million in total cash prizes. The games, $10,000,000 WORLD CLASS CASH, CASH RESERVE, MONEY BAG MULTIPLIER, and HIT $5,000, go on sale today. All Lottery retailers are expected to have these new tickets in stock and available for purchase within 72 hours.
The $25 game, $10,000,000 WORLD CLASS CASH, features two top prizes of $10 million, 46 prizes of $1 million, and more than $539 million in total cash prizes! This $25 game offers more than nine million winning tickets, and overall odds of winning are one-in-2.89.
Beginning March 6, players will have the opportunity to win four free $10,000,000 WORLD CLASS CASH Scratch-Off tickets by uploading a photo of themselves to Instagram during the WORLD CLASS CASH Ticket to Freedom Instagram Contest. Four winners will be chosen each week during the three-week contest period, for a total of 12 winners. Visit www.flalottery.com for official guidelines.
The $5 game, CASH RESERVE, offers more than $73 million in prizes, including 16 top prizes of $250,000! The game’s overall odds of winning are one-in-4.03.
For just $2, players can win up to $30,000 with MONEY BAG MULTIPLIER. There are more than 5 million winning tickets totaling over $33 million in cash prizes! The game’s overall odds of winning are one-in-4.66.
HIT $5,000, the newest $1 game, features more than 4 million winning tickets! The game’s overall odds of winning are one-in-4.88.
Scratch-Off games are an important part of the Florida 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.
Gov. Rick Scott to Host Fighting for Florida Jobs Roundtable in Orange Park
MEDIA ADVISORY
Tomorrow, March 1st, Governor Rick Scott will host a Fighting for Florida Jobs Roundtable with business owners, economic development leaders, tourism leaders, and community members to discuss the local economic impact of VISIT FLORIDA and Enterprise Florida.
WHAT: Fighting for Florida Jobs Roundtable
WHEN: 3:15 PM
WHERE: Link Staffing Services
1496 Park Ave
Orange Park, FL 32073
Florida consumer sentiment in February drops from record high
After three months of positive gains, consumer sentiment among Floridians fell 3.3 points in February to 94.0, according to the latest University of Florida consumer survey.
The pattern in Florida is similar to consumer sentiment at the national level, which also dropped 2.2 points in February to 96.3 from January’s record 98.5 according to the University of Michigan’s survey of consumers.
“While readings about current economic conditions increased slightly, expectations for the future decreased sharply among Floridians in February,” said Hector H. Sandoval, director of the Economic Analysis Program at UF’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research.
Floridians’ perceptions of their personal financial situation now compared with a year ago ticked up six-tenths of a point this month, from 87.7 to 88.3. Opinions as to whether now is a good time to buy a big-ticket household item such as an appliance inched up seven-tenths of a point, from 100.7 to 101.4.
“The increase in these two components reflects that current economic conditions have improved in general among Floridians. These perceptions are particularly strong among men, those 60 and older and those with income levels over $50,000,” Sandoval said.
However, all three components that ask about future economic conditions showed a marked decrease. Expectations of personal finances a year from now showed the greatest decline in this month’s reading, dropping 6.6 points from 106.0 to 99.4.
Opinions about the national economy were also negative: Expectations of U.S. economic conditions over the next year decreased 5.2 points, from 96.8 to 91.6. Anticipated U.S. economic conditions over the next five years fell from 95.1 to 89.3, a 5.8-point drop.
“Expectations about future economic conditions increased between November and December of last year, but have declined since then. Floridians are pessimistic about their future personal finances independent of their socioeconomic and demographic status. The greatest declines in perceptions about the national economy were among women, those under age 60 and those with annual income above $50,000,” Sandoval said.
Until September 2016, the current economic conditions components and the future expectations components moved together in tandem. But from September 2016 until February 2017, the future expectations components went up faster and stayed above the components reflecting current conditions.
“Expectations about the U.S. economy improved greatly before and right after the presidential election, perhaps because the population was optimistic about the incoming administration,” Sandoval said. “However, these expectations are turning pessimistic in February and the gap between the present perceptions and future expectations has disappeared.”
Overall, economic activity has expanded and the labor market continued to strengthen in the U.S. As a result, earlier this month the Federal Open Market Committee decided to keep the benchmark overnight lending rate target at a range of 0.5 percent to 0.75 percent.
In recent months, Florida job gains have remained strong and the unemployment rate has remained low, reflecting the state’s positive economic environment.
Economists look to consumer sentiment as an early signal of future conditions, because confidence among consumers leads to spending and consumption. “High levels of confidence are important to keep the economy growing,” Sandoval said. “The next few months will be key to assessing the potential economic outlook for the following years.”
Conducted Feb. 1-23, the UF study reflects the responses of 489 individuals who were reached on cellphones, representing a demographic cross section of Florida.
The index used by UF researchers is benchmarked to 1966, which means a value of 100 represents the same level of confidence for that year. The lowest index possible is a 2, the highest is 150.
Details of this month’s survey can be found at http://www.bebr.ufl.edu/csi-data.
Writer: Colleen Porter, [email protected]
Rep. Jared Moskowitz & Sen. Dana Young File Legislation to Help Pet Owners Seek Justice
Representative Jared Moskowitz (D-Coral Springs) and Senator Dana Young (R-Tampa) have filed HB 1067 & SB 1270 providing pet owners a path of recourse in the event of the wrongful injury or death of their pet. Additionally, the bill holds defendants accountable for pain and suffering endured from emotional trauma to pet owners and for the value of the pet.
“People who kill or injure someone’s pet should be held accountable for their actions,” declared Representative Jared Moskowitz. “We form emotional bonds with our pets and those who endure the terrible tragedy of losing them deserve a chance at justice. This bill will act as a deterrent to those who work with animals to think about the legal consequences before engaging in negligent behavior.”
In current law, pets are treated as personal property. Because of this, pet owners are usually entitled to compensation only equal to the fair market value of their pet. Noneconomic damages are not typically awarded in cases involving wrongful injury or death of a pet.
Senator Dana Young said, “Under current Florida law, our pets are treated as property, like a piece of furniture that can be easily replaced. As a dog owner, I know that pets mean so much more — they become a part of the family and form deep bonds with their owners. Through this bill, we recognize this special relationship and provide pet owners with a means of recourse in instances where their pet is hurt or killed through gross negligence.”
19 year old Alachua resident claims top prize in $500,000 GOLD RUSH DOUBLER Scratch-Off game
The Florida Lottery announces that Carlos Carranza Casas, 19, of Alachua, claimed a top prize in the $500,000 GOLD RUSH DOUBLER Scratch-Off game at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. He purchased his winning ticket from Deerhaven Marathon, located at 9600 Northwest 13th Street in Gainesville.
The new $5 Scratch-Off game, $500,000 GOLD RUSH DOUBLER, launched in January and features more than $182.8 million in prizes, including 44 top prizes of $500,000. The game’s overall odds of winning are one-in-3.98.
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.
UNF Environmental Center Presents ‘Exploring Northeast Florida’s Special Places’ Film Screening
The University of North Florida Environmental Center and the Public Trust Environmental Legal Institute of Florida will present the official debut of “Exploring Northeast Florida’s Special Places.” This free film screening event will take place 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, March 2, at Intuition Ale Works, 929 East Bay St., downtown Jacksonville, with parking available in Lot K on Bay Street.
This documentary series highlights the amenities, history and natural beauty found in the city, state and national parks of Duval County and was produced by Sean Lahav, a project leader in the UNF Environmental Leadership Program.
The event will feature episode screenings accompanied by live music from American folk band the Whetherman, a silent auction, community forum and networking. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in advance online or at the door. For further information, contact Maria Mark, coordinator of the UNF Environmental Center, at (904) 620-5806.
The Public Trust Environmental Legal Institute of Florida pursues legal means to protect and preserve public lands and waters, as well as supporting the education of political leaders, government officials and citizens. For more information about the Public Trust, contact John November, executive director, at (904) 247-1972.
The UNF Environmental Center fosters programs for students, faculty and staff to pursue environmental activities through academics, research and extracurricular activities. Grooming the next generation of environmental leaders, the Environmental Leadership Program is open to UNF undergraduate students who have a passion for the environment and a desire to lead community projects that address environmental needs/issues.
UNF, a nationally ranked university located on an environmentally beautiful campus, offers students who are dedicated to enriching the lives of others the opportunity to build their own futures through a well-rounded education.
Cocoa man claims $550,000 LUCKY MONEY jackpot
The Florida Lottery announces that Haldane Allen, 45, of Cocoa, claimed the $550,000 LUCKY MONEY™ jackpot from the February 14, 2017, drawing at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee.
“I always play the same numbers, and for some reason this time I decided to switch it up,” said Allen. “That turned out to be the luckiest decision I’ve ever made!”
Allen chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $402,910.31. He purchased his winning LUCKY MONEY ticket from Sunshine Foodmart, located at 6570 North Harbor City Boulevard in Melbourne.
Total ticket sales for this LUCKY MONEY jackpot generated more than $534,000 for the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund.
The next LUCKY MONEY drawing will be Tuesday, February 28, 2017, at 11:15 p.m. ET, with a $700,000 jackpot. The LUCKY MONEY drawings are broadcast on 17 carrier stations throughout the state. Winning numbers are available on the Lottery website, at retailers statewide and by phone at (850) 921-PLAY.
Seminole State College nursing program ranked first in the nation
The Seminole State College of Florida nursing program has been ranked as the best in the nation by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
The ranking is based on the passage rate for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) exam for the April – September 2016 time period.
Out of the 1,946 nursing programs nationwide, Seminole State ranked first. The rankings are based on the percentage of the graduates passing the NCLEX-RN examination compared to other programs with at least ten graduates who took the NCLEX-RN examination during the same time period. The college’s pass rate for this time period was an impressive 100 percent.
“We are incredibly proud of our nursing program students and their continuing successes,” says Dr. Cheryl Cicotti, associate dean for nursing. “Our students’ scores reflect on their hard work and dedication along with an excellent faculty, challenging curriculum and cutting edge technology.”
Recently, graduates of Seminole State College of Florida’s Nursing Program ranked first in Central Florida with a 99.4 percent pass rate on their licensure exams.
NCLEX is the state-required exam that determines whether graduates are prepared for entry-level nursing practice. Seminole State College’s 99.4 percent pass rates were remarkably higher than the 2016 state average of 72.68 percent, and the national average of 84.56 percent.
“These are incredible testaments to the excellence of our faculty, staff and students in the Nursing program and a point of pride for Seminole State,” says Seminole State President Dr. E. Ann McGee.
Seminole State College’s Nursing Program, part of the Ann Wiggins Moore Center for Nursing and Healthcare Professionals, is based at the Altamonte Springs Campus and features state-of-the-art healthcare labs and high-tech patient simulators. To learn more, go to seminolestate.edu/nursing.
To Stay Healthy, Keep It S.I.M.P.L.E.
Dr. Amy R. Neal, Family Medicine Physician with Capital Health Plan
Millions of Americans make New Year’s resolutions every year. While many people are motivated to start good habits in January, the momentum can wear off in just a few weeks. So what’s the trick to maintaining a healthy routine all year long? Keep it S.I.M.P.L.E.:
Sleep Enough
The National Institutes of Health recommend adults get at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night. A good night’s rest will help prevent infection, weight gain, heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes. If you’re having trouble sleeping, make sure you’re getting regular exercise and plenty of sunlight, and go to sleep at the same time.
Increase Your Water Intake
Water keeps every part of your body working properly by flushing wastes and preventing dehydration, kidney stones and constipation. Most adults should drink at least 64 ounces of water every day, but this amount can change depending on your activity level. If you’re tired of drinking plain water, try adding a slice of lemon, lime or cucumber for more flavor.
Move Every Day
Physical activity decreases the chances of high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. Even small adjustments during your normal day can help you move more – for example, walking during lunch or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Start with a goal of 5,000 steps a day and work your way up to 10,000. Most smartphones have a step-counter, or you can download an app.
Practice Positivity
Even if you feel like you’re not making as much progress as you’d like toward your health goals, try to remain positive. It’s natural to feel discouraged sometimes, but focus instead on the progress you’ve made and encourage yourself to stay on track. Try a new hobby that lifts your spirits or socialize with friends who make you laugh. Just taking a few deep breaths can relax your muscles, give you more energy and relieve stress. Focus on things you feel grateful for.
Listen to Your Body
Are you hungry? Thirsty? Tired? Maybe you need some social time with friends … or a nap! Our bodies are not our enemies. We just have to learn how to listen to them to know what they need to thrive. One great way to be a better listener is by learning how to eat intuitively. Or, if you’re feeling stiff or distracted, try doing some stretches at your desk.
Eat Well
While we might not like to admit it, adults can be just as bad as kids when it comes to eating vegetables. When you’re at the grocery store, pay attention to which aisles you visit. While the center aisles of most supermarkets feature processed foods that don’t need refrigeration, the outside aisles of the store have healthier options like fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy.
Enjoy your healthiest year yet – and remember, keep it S.I.M.P.L.E.!
For health tips, videos and other resources, visit our Healthwise® Knowledgebase at www.capitalhealth.com.
Dr. Neal is a board-certified Family Medicine physician at Capital Health Plan.
