Senator Dennis Baxley filed a bill to improve the efficiency of local governing boards. Similar to the practices in the Florida Legislature, under this bill, two members of a Board (of five or more) would be permitted to gather information and discuss topics without such an action constituting an official public meeting, all the while ensuring that no public policy is being made. The goal of this bill is to improve efficiencies in local government while still maintaining strict safeguards to ensure the public’s business is conducted in the sunshine. Representative Byron Donalds filed the House companion bill.
“It’s time to clarify what Sunshine law means with local officials and to add a level of common sense and reason,” Senator Dennis Baxley said.
“This bill provides the opportunity for public servants to be more effective while maintaining the intent of Florida’s government in the sunshine principle,” Representative Byron Donalds said. “We should allow local officials to have the same flexibility we have in the Legislature to educate themselves on matters they are addressing.”
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UCF Engineers Secure $2 Million Federal Grant to Advance Energy Grid
A team of UCF engineers and their private partners have been awarded $2 million by the U.S. Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative to develop the next generation of grid planning and operational tools to integrate solar power into the power grid.
The team, five faculty members in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering led by Professor Zhihua Qu, will work on algorithms that improve the digital distribution of energy from the source, such as solar, to the end users.
This can be thorny problem on an energy grid, with multiple energy sources – electricity, solar, and wind, for example – feeding in. The grid then has to distribute the power across a wide area while managing consistent coverage during peak usage times and power surges.
SunShot Initiative’s Enabling Extreme Real-Time Grid Integration of Solar Energy (ENERGISE) program granted $30 million to 13 teams to explore several facets of the grid expansion. Several of the projects will demonstrate commercially ready solutions that will be available by 2020 while others are developing long-term technologies that can be easily scaled to reach across the grid and offer real-time control, meaning the customer can have constant control of power despite intermittent renewable-power integration.
UCF’s “Scalable/secure cooperative algorithms and framework for Extremely-high penetration solar integration (SolarExpert),” is one of the long-term research and development projects, and it focuses upon designing the scalable architecture and algorithms for optimizing distributed control systems. Those systems utilize autonomous controllers throughout an area, such as the power boxes located on individual homes, as opposed to completely centralized systems.
ENERGISE is one of four ongoing projects funded for $1 million or more and undertaken by the faculty members at UCF’s Resilient Intelligent and Sustainable Energy Systems (RISES) cluster. The group is committed to transformative and collaborative research to enable deployment and integration of renewable energy resources.
The UCF team includes the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Duke Energy, General Electric, Siemens, OPAL-RT Technologies and the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute. Most of these partners also belong to the FEEDER (Foundations for Engineering Education for Distributed Energy Resources) consortium, one of the three national centers on distributed technologies.
The FEEDER center, also led by UCF’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, is funded by the Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative under the GEARED (Grid Engineering for Accelerated Renewable Energy Deployment) program. More than 50 partners including two national labs, 22 utilities and co-ops, 12 universities and 15 industry partners are participating in the program.
More details about the ENERGISE program and its awardees can be found at
https://energy.gov/eere/sunshot/enabling-extreme-real-time-grid-integration-solar-energy-energise
About the SunShot Initiative
The U.S. Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative is a national effort to drive down the cost of solar electricity and support solar adoption. SunShot aims to make solar energy a low-cost electricity source for all Americans through research and development efforts in collaboration with public and private partners. Learn more at energy.gov/sunshot.
RoadWatch Advisory for I-75 in Charlotte/Sarasota Counties
CHARLOTTE COUNTY
I-75 from south of Harborview Road (mile marker 167) to Sumter Boulevard (mile marker 182): Construction project: This project widens the road from four to six lanes and adds a 12-foot travel lane and 10-foot shoulder to the inside of existing northbound and southbound I-75.
- Motorists should expect lane closures on I-75 during nighttime/overnight hours from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. through the duration of the construction.
- Motorists should also expect periodic travel lane shifts through the duration of construction.
- Motorists should expect the inside northbound lane on the bridge over the Peace River closed through the duration of the project.
- Toledo Blade Boulevard will be reduced to one lane during nighttime/overnight hours from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Monday, February 20 and will continue for three weeks.
- I-75 northbound off ramp to Toledo Blade Boulevard will be closed during nighttime/overnight from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Tuesday, February 21 and Wednesday, February 22.
Variable message signs will be in place to alert drivers that work is underway. Drivers should use caution while traveling in this area. Estimated completion is end of 2017. The contractor is Astaldi Construction Corporation.
Daytona State hosts 4th annual Flagler County Job Fair, March 3
Daytona State College’s Flagler/Palm Coast Campus will host the fourth annual Flagler County Job Fair on Friday, March 3, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Sponsored by the Flagler County Department of Economic Opportunity, CareerSource Flagler/Volusia, Daytona State and the Flagler County Chamber of Commerce, more than 40 businesses are expected to participate in this year’s event, offering nearly 400 available jobs and counting.
“We’re delighted to collaborate on this important event,” said Dean Howe, head of Daytona State’s Career Services office. “It is an excellent opportunity for our students and graduates to connect with area employers.”
A limited number of spaces are still open for businesses interested in reserving a free table at the event, which last year was attended by over 400 job seekers. Employers who want to take part can register at FlaglerCountyJobFair.com. Job seekers also can sign up on the website for CareerSource Flagler/Volusia’s employment preparation workshops being held prior to the event, so they can be fully prepared when meeting recruiters.
Daytona State’s Flagler/Palm Coast Campus is located at 3000 Palm Coast Pkwy SE. For additional fair information, contact Katrina Austin, (386) 313-4070 or [email protected].
Florida Lottery launches new CASH4LIFE draw game
CASH4LIFE® is the newest addition to the Florida Lottery’s portfolio of games, and is on sale now. Florida is the ninth state to join the regional multi-state lottery game, and sales are expected to raise millions of additional dollars for education in Florida and increase commissions to the Lottery’s more than 13,000 retailers.
“By adding CASH4LIFE to the Lottery’s line up, we are strengthening our product offerings with an exciting new game we hope will appeal to Florida’s diverse and growing population. It is my hope CASH4LIFE sales will help us generate additional funding for the enhancement of education in our state,” said Florida Lottery Secretary Tom Delacenserie.
Each CASH4LIFE game costs $2 to play; players choose six numbers, five white ball numbers from 1 through 60 and a Cash Ball number from 1 through 4. There are nine exciting ways to win in the game. Offering two life changing top prizes including a $1,000 a Day for Life top prize and a $1,000 a Week for Life second prize, plus seven other prize levels with prizes ranging from $2 to $2,500, there’s something for every level of player to enjoy! For more information, please visit www.flalottery.com.
CASH4LIFE launched in New Jersey and New York in June 2014. CASH4LIFE drawings are held Monday and Thursday nights at 9:00 p.m., ET in New Jersey Lottery Headquarters studio. Live drawings may be viewed on www.livestream.com/CASH4LIFE, and on flalottery.com. CASH4LIFE winning numbers will also be available at www.flalottery.com, at Florida Lottery retailers statewide, and by phone at (850) 921-PLAY. Also, you may register here to receive CASH4LIFE winning numbers and other Lottery information by email or text message.
FDLE Agents arrest corrections officer on introduction of contraband charge
Agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrested James Yearby of 3822 SW Coquina Cove Way, Palm City, on a charge of introduction of contraband into a state correctional facility. Yearby is a corrections officer at Martin Correctional Institution in Indiantown, Martin County.
An investigation was launched in August 2016 after reports that Yearby was overheard discussing the possibility of providing cell phones for cash. Yearby offered two cell phones for $1,500.00. He confirmed the deal and received $1,500.00 for both phones. Subsequently, Yearby offered to make a transaction for $5,000.00 involving cellular minute cards.
He was booked into the Martin County Jail and bond was set at $15,000. The Office of the State Attorney, 19tth Circuit, will prosecute.
President Trump to hold rally in Florida
On Saturday, February 18th, President Donald J Trump will hold a rally in Melbourne, FL.
Saturday, February 18th, 2017, at 5:00 PM (EST): Melbourne, FL
President Trump will hold an event at the Orlando-Melbourne International Airport
Orlando-Melbourne International Airport
AeroMod International Hanger
100 Aerospace Drive Unit 6
Melbourne, FL 32901
ALL REQUESTS FOR MEDIA CREDENTIALS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY FEB. 17, 2017 12:00 PM (EST)
Governor Rick Scott to Highlight 2016 Tourism Numbers
Tomorrow, February 17th, Governor Rick Scott will highlight Florida’s 2016 tourism numbers at Sun Harvest Citrus in Fort Myers.
WHAT: Tourism Numbers Highlight
WHEN: 8:30 AM
WHERE: Sun Harvest Citrus
14601 6 Mile Cypress Pkwy
Fort Myers, FL 33912
Florida Health Care Association to Detail Legislative Priorities at Media Roundtable
The Florida Health Care Association (FHCA) will hold a media roundtable on Monday, February 20, at 10:30am. Officials from FHCA, the largest advocacy organization in the state for nursing centers and the residents under their care, will discuss its priorities for the upcoming legislative session, including Certificate of Need, Managed Care, and Prospective Payment System legislation.
What: Media roundtable on legislative priorities
When: Monday, February 20
10:30am
Where: Florida Health Care Association
307 W. Park Avenue
Tallahassee
12 arrested in Operation Cupid’s Arrow
Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents along with law enforcement partners with the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) arrested 12 child predators from Tallahassee to Lake City as part of a weeklong investigation known as Operation Cupid’s Arrow.
Investigators found child sex predators in chat rooms, dating sites and social media networks using instant messaging, texting, and even online classified ads. Suspects came from all backgrounds from a college student to an attorney. Investigators went online posing as children. All suspects believed they were speaking with underage children.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement was joined by agencies who are part of the North Florida ICAC Task Force including the Sheriff’s Offices of Columbia, Leon, Volusia, Marion, Jacksonville, Okaloosa, Putnam, Walton, Seminole, and St. Johns counties, and the Police Departments of Tallahassee, Gainesville, Cocoa, Orange Park, and Panama City, along with the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshal’s Service, State Attorneys, 2nd and 3rd Judicial Circuits and U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Northern and Middle District.
For information on how you can keep your family safe, visit www.secureflorida.org.
