“Gov. Scott Recognizes USTA for Job Creation”
WSH-ORD (NBC) – Orlando, FL
February 3, 2017
To view the clip, click HERE.
Featured
State Senator Dennis Baxley files religious expression in schools bill
Florida Senator Dennis Baxley (R-Ocala) today announced that he has filed Senate Bill 436, relating to Religious Expression in Public Schools. This bill prohibits a school district from discriminating against students, parents, or school personnel based on religious viewpoints or expression. It prohibits penalty or reward for a student’s religious expression in coursework, artwork, or other specified assignments and requires a school district to comply with the federal requirements in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, etc.
“Freedom works” said Senator Baxley. “The First Amendment clearly protects our right to free speech, which includes religious expression, and we must work to ensure that right is maintained.” He continued, “I look forward to working with my partner in the Florida House, Representative Kimberly Daniels, to ensure our school administrators, faculty, and students have the support they need to enact good common sense policy.”
“I am honored to be the sponsor of this legislation.” said Representative Daniels. “We are following precedent set in the states of Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina and Georgia. We are encouraged by the response my office has received. It is clear that freedom of religious expression is of great importance to the people of Florida.”
ICYMI: Daytona Beach News-Journal: Gov. Scott champions an affordable education
Another Viewpoint: Gov. Scott champions an affordable education
Daytona Beach News-Journal
Editorial
February 3, 2017
Compared to other states, Florida already offers a bargain in higher education. Gov. Rick Scott wants to make college even more affordable.
Scott last month unveiled proposals to freeze tuition at state colleges (it’s already frozen at state universities), cap fees at colleges and universities, expand Bright Futures scholarships to cover summer classes and eliminate sales taxes on required textbooks.
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Average in-state tuition at Florida universities runs about $6,000 a year, below the national average of $9,650. When you add the costs of attendance, which include room and board, technology and books, Florida’s total swells to $21,000 annually.
That’s over $80,000 to earn a four-year degree – and only 44 percent of undergraduate students at the state’s universities graduate within four years. Of course, additional years cost additional money. The sooner a student graduates, the cheaper his college bill will be.
Thus would Scott’s proposal to have Bright Futures cover the cost of summer school help students graduate either on time or earlier.
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Scott’s latest plans reflect his ongoing commitment to make college affordability a priority. Last year he signed into law legislation that requires the Board of Governors to come up with ways to promote college affordability, such as making the costs of textbooks and other course materials publicly available to students before they register for a class, so they can factor that information in when they’re selecting courses. It also requires colleges and universities to adopt policies that will make textbooks more affordable. Previously, he has challenged schools to offer $10,000 degrees, and one year vetoed appropriations at colleges that had raised tuition.
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Regardless of the details, what’s most important and encouraging is that Tallahassee is trying to control costs by holding the line on prices and by ensuring that students don’t buy more than they absolutely have to.
Office of Insurance Regulation Consumer Alert
Florida NFIP Policyholders Have 60 More Days to File A
Proof of Loss Associated with Hurricane Matthew Claims;
Proof of Loss Extension Associated with Hurricane Hermine Claims Has Expired
At the request of Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has granted another extension giving National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policyholders in Florida an additional 60 days to file a complete, signed, and sworn proof of loss in support of their insurance claim for flooding damages associated with Hurricane Matthew. Typically, NFIP policyholders have 60 days to file a proof of loss with their insurance company following the initial date of loss. With this latest extension, Florida NFIP policyholders will have received a total of 180 days to file a proof of loss for damage caused by Hurricane Matthew.
On Tuesday, January 31, 2017, the proof of loss extension for claims associated with Hurricane Hermine officially expired. However, policyholders who experienced flood damage from this storm should continue working with their flood insurance company. As soon as possible, these policyholders should also take action to complete the proof of loss with all supporting documentation related to their flood claim and submit it to their flood insurance company.
For more information and resources about filing a flood insurance claim with the NFIP, visit www.floodsmart.gov or the Office’s “Hurricane Season Resources” webpage. A copy of the FEMA bulletin for this extension can be accessed here.
About the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation
The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation has primary responsibility for regulation, compliance and enforcement of statutes related to the business of insurance and the monitoring of industry markets. For more information about the Office, please visit www.floir.com or follow us on Twitter @FLOIR_comm and Facebook.
PSC to hear proposed settlement agreement for Peoples Gas
Florida’s Public Service Commission (PSC) will hold a hearing on Tuesday, February 7, 2017 to consider a settlement agreement between Peoples Gas System (Peoples Gas) and the Office of Public Counsel, which represents consumers. The settlement agreement concerns Peoples Gas’ 2016 depreciation study, environmental reserve account, plastic pipe replacement, and authorized return on equity.
The hearing is set for the following time and location:
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
11:00 a.m.
Betty Easley Conference Center
Joseph P. Cresse Hearing Room (Room 148)
4075 Esplanade Way
Tallahassee, Florida
For additional information, visit www.floridapsc.com.
Follow the PSC on Twitter, @floridapsc.
Tampa man arrested for stealing fuel with counterfeit credit cards
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam today announced that investigators with his Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement arrested Yohandys Pompa Corrales, 36, of Tampa for filling an unlawful bladder truck with fuel purchased with stolen financial information. A “bladder truck” is a vehicle that has been retrofitted with hidden tanks that hold high volumes of fuel, which is typically resold on the black market. Since the beginning of 2016, the department has arrested 43 individuals involved in this scheme.
Investigators also recovered 14 counterfeit credit cards from Corrales’ possession. Corrales was charged with: unlawful conveyance of fuel, which is a third degree felony; fraudulently obtaining fuel, a second degree felony; possession of 14 counterfeit credit cards, a second degree felony; forgery of a credit card, a third degree felony; and introduction of contraband into a detention facility, a third degree felony.
Corrales was booked in the Hillsborough County Jail.
The Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement protects Florida’s agriculture and consumers through law enforcement in support of all the regulatory aspects of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. For more information, visit FreshFromFlorida.com.
Daytona State’s “mini-mester” makes for accelerated program completion
2nd chance at spring classes – Get there faster!
Daytona State College’s seven-week mid-semester courses are designed for students who want to earn their degrees as quickly as possible, or who want a second chance at getting spring classes under their belts.
In addition, a new certificate program, Phlebotomy, starts March 20 with concurrent 4-week classes, Phlebotomy Technician, Theory and Clinical and Internship Phlebotomy.
These courses are the same full-credit courses offered during the college’s traditional 15-week semesters, only they’re condensed into seven weeks. The next “mini-mester” starts March 20, with a number of online options. Online is a huge success at DSC – Daytona State boasts five-years running among the top-tier Best Online Bachelor’s Programs in the nation, and in 2015 and 2016 the college also ranked in the Top 10 for Best Online Bachelor’s for Veterans in the country.
Many seven-week courses apply to the general education core that satisfy the requirements of the associate of arts degree, including:
- State and Local Government – an introduction to the principles and institutions of state and local government with emphasis on Florida. Explores the structures and functions of state governments, including federal-state and state-local relations.
- World Geography – a study of the Earth in spatial terms, place names of major countries and world regions, maps, globes and physical-human phenomena of environments and places.
- General Psychology – a scientific study of human behavior in relation to development, motivation, emotion, perception learning and thinking.
- Managing Your Success – designed to help students become engaged learners while transitioning to Daytona State College. Emphasis is on orienting students to college resources, academic expectations and career planning, time/money management, technology, student services/organizations and academic integrity.
- Mathematics I (Pre-Algebra) – a review of the basic arithmetic operations of whole numbers, mixed numbers, fractions, decimals and percents, ratio and proportion, basic operations of real numbers, simplifying algebra expressions and solving basic linear equations.
- Human Biology – an introduction to scientific inquiry in relationship to the human body, its systems and basic functions with emphasis on homeostasis mechanisms. Not intended for science majors.
- Survey of Biological Sciences – includes topics in molecular, cellular, organismal and population biology. Not intended for science majors.
- Music Appreciation – designed to establish a broad understanding of Western and Non-western musical styles. An emphasis is placed on critical listening skills, the recognition of fundamental musical elements and the roles of music in society from ancient to modern times.
Daytona State AA students have a special path to transfer upon graduation to the University of Central Florida through the nationally recognized DirectConnect to UCF program. Through DirectConnect, DSC and UCF guide students from their freshman year at DSC through senior year at UCF to ensure success.
Students pursuing certificate and/or business programs can also take advantage of some expedited courses, such as:
- Advertising – an in-depth review of advertising, including consumer behavior, relationship marketing, advertising planning, media selection, public relations and integrating marketing communications.
- Excel for the Office – students learn the fundamentals of a spreadsheet application and gain in-depth understanding of a spreadsheet program to organize data, complete calculations, make decisions, graph data and develop professional looking spreadsheets.
The college’s Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision and Management is designed for individuals with busy lifestyles wanting to take their career to the next level; mid-semester courses include:
- Selected Topics in Management – current topics, issues and trends pertinent to supervisors and managers are discussed. Topical selections rotate each term; view course search information for details on topics offered each term.
- Leadership Challenges and Supervision – discussion and application of leadership theories include skill formation to develop leadership abilities, emphasizing team-building skills to enhance leadership effectiveness. Students learn the importance of visioning in their organizations.
The college’s Bachelor of Science in Education prepares students to design, develop and implement effective classroom management techniques and instructional strategies; mid-semester courses include:
- Introduction to the Teaching Profession – introduces pre-service teachers to the education profession. Pre-service teachers will understand the historical, sociological and philosophical foundations of the profession as well as the challenges educators face in the 21st century. This course requires 15 hours of field experience in the public schools.
- Children’s Literature – presents new and outstanding titles in literature for elementary children. Topics include authors and illustrators, surveys the genres of children’s literature, principles of selection, evaluation and integration of literature, fiction and nonfiction in a variety of formats to enrich classroom activities and recreational and lifelong reading.
To search for these and other seven-week courses, visit DaytonaState.edu, click on Course Search, select the Spring B 7-week session.
For additional information, call (386) 506-3059.
Florida Supreme Court: New Posting, 2/3/2017, 8:45 a.m. ET
New material has been posted to the Supreme Court website in:
RoadWatch Advisory: University Parkway CLOSED Friday Night, February 3 at I-75/University Parkway
SARASOTA/MANATEE
I-75 (SR 93) / University Parkway Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) Sarasota/Bradenton: Construction Project:
Detour – University Parkway CLOSED under I-75 at the I-75/University Parkway Interchange:
Friday, February 3. Details below:
The contractor anticipates implementing a temporary detour route at the I-75/University Parkway interchange at night/overnight Friday, February 3 between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. while crews continue construction of the northbound bridge over University Parkway. All ramps will remain open.
Motorists traveling west on University Parkway (east of I-75) wishing to travel west through the interchange are directed to travel north on I-75, exit at westbound SR 70/Exit 217B, enter southbound I-75, and exit at University Parkway/Exit 213.
Motorists traveling east on University Parkway (west of I-75) wishing to travel east through the interchange are directed to travel south on I-75, exit at Fruitville Road/Exit 210, enter northbound I-75, and exit at University Parkway/Exit 213.
Motorists traveling south on I-75 wishing to travel east on University Parkway are directed to exit at Fruitville Road/Exit 210 (south of the closure), enter northbound I-75, and exit at University Parkway/Exit 213.
Motorists traveling north on I-75 wishing to travel west on University Parkway are directed to exit at westbound SR 70/Exit 217B (north of the closure), enter southbound I-75, and exit at University Parkway/Exit 213.
Improvements being made as part of this project consist of constructing a diverging diamond interchange, adding an auxiliary lane on northbound and southbound I-75, constructing new bridges on I-75 over University Parkway, widening of University Parkway, widening of I-75 bridges over Errie Creek and Foley Creek, realignment of on-ramps and off-ramps at I-75/University Parkway, addition of ponds, drainage improvements, new lighting and signalization, construction of a noise wall on the west side of I-75, sidewalks, bike lanes, and pedestrian walkways. Expected completion is fall 2017. The contractor is Prince Contracting, LLC. For additional information, please visit the project website at http://www.swflroads.com/i75/university/.
Florida PSC Commission Conference on Tuesday
The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) will hold a Commission Conference on Tuesday, February 7, 2017, following a scheduled Peoples Gas System hearing that begins at 11 a.m. Commission Conference items scheduled for consideration can be found here. Public comment may be taken on any item noticed for public participation.
The Commission Conference is scheduled for the following time and location:
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Following the Peoples Gas System Hearing that begins at 11 a.m.
Betty Easley Conference Center
Joseph P. Cresse Hearing Room (Room 148)
4075 Esplanade Way
Tallahassee, Florida
The Commission Conference will be broadcast on the Florida Channel (check your local listings) and is available online at www.floridapsc.com (look for the “Watch Live Broadcast” icon on the left side of the webpage).
For additional information, visit www.floridapsc.com.
Follow the PSC on Twitter, @floridapsc.