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Boynton Beach Health Care Enrollment Event – January 21, 2017

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Free, Unbiased, In-Person Enrollment Assistance

The Affordable Care Act is still available to consumers and the deadline for the end of open enrollment is coming soon! In partnership with the Palm Beach County Library System, the Enroll Palm Beach Coalition is hosting an enrollment event to ensure that the local community has access to free, in-person, and unbiased enrollment assistance during the fourth open enrollment period. Open enrollment began on November 1 and ends on January 31, 2017. At the event, there will be enrollment assistance available in English, Spanish, Creole, and Portuguese. Participants can learn about the 2017 health insurance Marketplace plans, prices, changes, as well as financial assistance that may be available.
WHO: Palm Beach County Library in Partnership with: Health Council of Southeast Florida, Epilepsy Foundation of Florida, Enroll America, UDocs Mitchell Wolfson Sr. University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Florida Community Health Centers, Inc., Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County, C.L. Brumback Primary Care Clinics, Foundcare, Genesis Community Health, and Consumer Health Information Service.
Note: For advance interviews, please call Leah Barber-Heinz at 850-294-6087.
WHAT: Health Care Open Enrollment Event including free, unbiased enrollment assistance
WHEN: Saturday, January 21, 2017 from 10:00 a.m.. until 2:00 p.m.
WHERE: Boynton Beach City Library
208 South Seacrest Blvd.
Boynton Beach, FL 33435
(561) 742-6390
For more information on this event, please visit our website for details www.enrollpbandtc.org and to book an appointment with an enrollment assister, please call Call (888) 880-8242. To preview 2017 plans and prices, go to www.healthcare.gov.
People who would like to sign up for health coverage should bring the following: health insurance Marketplace account information (including password) or an email address, social security number, income information, identification, naturalization, or immigration documentation.
About Get Covered America and Enroll America
Enroll America is the nation’s leading health care enrollment coalition. An independent nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, Enroll America works with more than 6,700 partners in all 50 states to create cutting-edge tools, analyze data, inform policy, and share best practices in service of its mission: maximizing the number of Americans who enroll in and retain health coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
The Get Covered America campaign was created in 2013 to inform millions of eligible consumers about their new health insurance options, and has been tested, refined, and proven successful through three enrollment cycles. Get Covered America programs and tools are now being utilized by partners in enrollment efforts nationwide, supported by Enroll America staff working both nationally and on-the-ground in targeted communities across the country.
 

DSC STEMinar series resumes Feb. 6

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Raising awareness of STEM in daily life; all welcome

The School of Biological and Physical Sciences at Daytona State College announces its STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) seminar series for spring 2017, free and open to the public.climate change STEMinar 1.20.2017
The one-hour seminars are held on Mondays, starting promptly at 5 p.m. in the Madorsky Theater, located in the Hosseini Center (Bldg. 1200), on DSC’s Daytona Beach Campus at 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd. The first talk, on Monday, Feb. 6, features Unraveling Atmospheric Chemistry Mechanisms: From Mega-city Air Pollution to Global-scale Environmental Change presented by Song Gao, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Dept. Chemistry and Biochemistry, Stetson University.
STEMinar presentations continue throughout the spring, as follows:
Feb. 20, 5 p.m.
Florida’s Springs in Danger: The Impacts of Invasive Species and Reduced Water Flow
Melissa Ann Gibbs, Ph.D., Professor & Director of the Aquatic & Marine Biology Program, Dept. Biology, Stetson University
March 6, 5 p.m.
How Cells Move: The Physics Behind Cell Migration
Holley E. Lynch, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Physics, Stetson University
March 27, 5 p.m.
Sexual Selection & Conflict, Ecological Immunity, Animal Behavior and Life Histories
Ken Fedorka, PhD., Associate Professor, Dept. Biology, University of Central Florida
April 10, 5 p.m.
Amazing Migratory Stem Cells and Other Tales from Hydractinia, a Colonial Marine Invertebrate
Christy Schnitzler, Assistant Professor, Biology, Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida
The STEMinar series is coordinated by Dr. Jeffrey Squires, DSC assistant professor. For more information, contact Dr. Squires, [email protected].

FDLE arrests former child protective investigator

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The Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrested former Department of Children and Families child protective investigator Matthew James Wilcox, 38, for falsifying records. The DCF Office of Inspector General referred the case to FDLE and assisted in the investigation.
Wilcox’s case notes indicated that he started a child endangerment investigation that was assigned to him on January 16, 2015 at the West Palm Hospital (WPH). However, the investigation revealed that he never went to the hospital.
On January 17, 2015, Wilcox’s supervisor visited the WPH and determined that Wilcox only spoke to hospital staff by telephone, and did not physically visit the hospital. However, Wilcox wrote in case notes that he visited the hospital and interviewed the child.
Wilcox turned himself into the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office earlier today and was booked into the Western Detention Center. The Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office will prosecute the case.

Gov. Scott: More Than 237,000 New Jobs Created in 2016

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Governor Rick Scott announced today that Florida businesses created 237,300 new private-sector jobs in 2016, bringing the total number of jobs created since December 2010 to 1,262,100. For the 57th consecutive month, Florida’s annual job growth rate of 3.3 percent is exceeding the nation’s rate of 1.6 percent.
Governor Scott said, “I am proud to announce that Florida businesses continued to grow throughout the past year, adding more than 237,000 new jobs in 2016. Over the last six years, we’ve worked each day to make it easier for job creators to invest and create new opportunities in our state, and we will continue to do everything we can to help Florida outcompete other locations as the best place for jobs. Today, as we proudly welcome a new president who will make job creation a top priority across our nation, we stand ready to fight for another great year of economic growth in Florida.”
Florida’s labor force has grown by 223,000 over the year, increasing by 66,000 over the month in December alone and exceeding the national labor force growth rate. This shows that more Floridians are confident in their ability to find a new opportunity in the job market. The state’s unemployment rate remained low at 4.9 percent in December 2016.
Cissy Proctor, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, said, “With more than 250,000 job openings across the state and more than 1.25 million new private-sector jobs created in the last six years, it’s clear Florida is a great place to find a good job. Our low unemployment rate and strong record of job creation prove Florida is a great state to do business.”
Other positive economic indicators include:

  • Private-sector industries with the highest job growth over the year in December were:
    • Leisure and hospitality with 53,100 new jobs,
    • Education and health services with 46,800 new jobs,
    • Professional and business services with 46,200 new jobs, and
    • Trade, transportation and utilities with 35,600 new jobs.
  • Florida job postings showed 254,587 openings in December 2016, a 4.2 percent increase over the previous month.
  • In December, Florida’s 24 regional workforce boards reported more than 30,084 Floridians, including 1,444 veterans, were placed in jobs.

To view the December 2016 employment data visit www.floridajobs.org/labor-market-information/labor-market-information-press-releases/monthly-press-releases.

Light of the World Ministries Named a PSC Helping Hand

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The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) is recognizing Light of the World Ministries in Duval County as its first Helping Hand of the new year.  The organization assisted the PSC in raising public awareness about the Lifeline Assistance communications discount program, energy and water conservation, and scams affecting low-income consumers during a community event in Jacksonville.
“We reach out to the homeless, poor, and needy in the Jacksonville area,” said Shelly Divido. “Our involvement with the PSC and the Feeding Northeast Florida helps us to reach consumers needing food and to be able to connect with their loved ones.”
Each month, the PSC highlights a partner agency or organization whose clients are eligible for the Federal Lifeline Program and/or need help reducing energy and water bills. Through these PSC Helping Hand partnerships, the Commission shares vital information to help consumers better manage their resources to meet their monthly bills and avoid falling for utility-related scams.
Look for all the PSC Helping Hand outreach partner recognitions on the PSC’s homepage, www.floridapsc.com, under Hot Topics.
About Light of the World Ministries
Light of the World distributes donations of clothes, food, household items, hygiene items, and Bibles on a weekly basis to those in need who live in the Jacksonville Beaches and Arlington areas.  For more information, visit www.lightoftheworldjax.org, or call 904-524-6670.
For additional information, visit www.floridapsc.com.
Follow the PSC on Twitter, @floridapsc.

UT Honors Program Announces Spring 2017 Symposia Series

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The University of Tampa’s Spring 2017 Honors Program symposia series kicks off on Wednesday, Jan. 25, with a presentation by Heather Masonjones, professor of biology, and Emily Rose, visiting assistant professor of biology. Their talk, titled “Secrets of the Sweetings-Pond Seahorse,” begins at 4 p.m. in the Trustees Board Room on the ninth floor of the Vaughn Center.

Throughout the series, resident scholars and researchers at the University as well as guest speakers will present in their areas of specialization. Guest speakers in the series include Dan Walden, associate professor of English at Baylor University; Steph Ching and Ellen Martinez, directors of the documentary film After Spring; and Terri Muuss, a writer and performer whose one-woman show, Anatomy of a Doll, was named Best Theatre: Critics’ Pick of the Week by New York Daily News.

All lectures are free, open to the public (unless otherwise noted) and held on the UT campus, 401 W. Kennedy Blvd. For a full schedule, see below:

  • Wednesday, Jan. 25: “Secrets of the Sweetings-Pond Seahorse,” Heather Masonjones, UT professor of biology, and Emily Rose, UT visiting assistant professor of biology, Vaughn Center, ninth floor, Trustees Board Room, 4 p.m.
  • Friday, Jan. 27: “Pirates! — Sailors and Coastal Identities in Early America,” Dan Walden, associate professor of English at Baylor University, Vaughn Center, ninth floor, Trustees Board Room, 4 p.m.
  • Monday, Feb. 6: “Science, Science Literacy in our Society and Sustainability,” Steve Kucera, UT associate professor of biology, Vaughn Center, second floor, Reeves Theater, 10 a.m.
  • Tuesday, Feb. 21: After Spring showing and Q-and-A with filmmakers Steph Ching and Ellen Martinez, Vaughn Center, second floor, Reeves Theater, 2 p.m. screening, 4 p.m. Q-and-A
  • Thursday, March 16: “An Evening with The Infiltrator,” Robert Mazur, Vaughn Center, ninth floor, 5:30 p.m. *This event is exclusively for the campus community and is not open to the public.
  • Thursday, March 23: “Social Justice Communication in Morocco,” Christopher Boulton, assistant professor of communication, and Andrew DeMil, assistant professor of Spanish, languages and linguistics, Vaughn Center, second floor, Reeves Theater, 4 p.m.
  • Wednesday, April 12: “Oxford Abroad Lunch and Learn,” Oxford Semester Abroad scholarship recipients Nicole Lampe ’16, Maggie Poling ’17 and Erin Brosnan ’17, location TBA, noon.
  • Thursday, April 27: Anatomy of a Doll, a one-woman show written and performed by Terri Muuss, Vaughn Center, second floor, Reeves Theater, 3:30 p.m.
  • Friday, April 28: “Inspiration through Exploration,” Faith Taylor ’18, a marine science-biology major from Maryland, location TBA, 2 p.m.

Please note that dates and locations are subject to change. For more information, contact the Honors Program at (813) 257-3545 or [email protected].
The University of Tampa is a private, residential university located on 110 acres on the riverfront in downtown Tampa. Known for academic excellence, personal attention and real-world experience in its undergraduate and graduate programs, the University serves 8,310 students from 50 states and 140 countries. Approximately 65 percent of full-time students live on campus, and more than half of UT students are from Florida.

Stetson University Selects Noel Painter as EVP and Provost

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Long-time faculty member now leads Stetson’s Academic Affairs strategy

Stetson University announced today that Noel Painter, Ph.D., has been selected to be the university’s new executive vice president and provost.

Noel Painter
Noel Painter

“Dr. Painter has done a remarkable job in the interim executive vice president and provost role and has demonstrated his well recognized integrity, intelligence energy and passion for excellence,” said Stetson President Wendy B. Libby, Ph.D., in making the announcement. Painter has been serving in the interim position since June 2016 when former provost Elizabeth Paul, Ph.D., left the university after seven years to become the president of Capital University in Columbus, Ohio.
Libby said that launching another national search, “would be unlikely to bring us someone more competent or visionary than Dr. Painter,” and that his appointment “puts us firmly on a forward course of excellence.”
“I am exceptionally honored to have the opportunity to represent Stetson University as provost,” said Painter. “Having been part of this great institution for over 17 years, I am confident that we are positioned to be leaders in 21st century education, and that our passionate faculty, staff, student and administrative community will continue to make great strides forward.”
Painter joined the faculty of Stetson University School of Music in 1999, and served as associate dean in the School of Music from 2007-16 when he was asked to step into the interim provost position. He also served as interim dean in the School of Music during much of the 2012-13 academic year. In those roles, he was integrally involved in many university initiatives, committees, and task forces, including work on faculty salary, governance, enrollment and financial aid, student success, accreditation, policy, and curriculum revision.
At the 2015 Sharing Excellence Colloquium, Painter presented his research on Accommodations as an Opportunity for Creativity and Deeper Inclusion for All Students (with Stacy Collins), and at the 2016 Academic Chairpersons Conference he presented Making Decisions That Faculty Support: Healthy Systems for Administrative Collaboration (with Thomas Gilmore Masse, D.M.A.).
In 2009, Painter was awarded the William Hugh McEniry Award for Excellence in Teaching. It is the most prestigious honor given to a Stetson University faculty member at the DeLand campus and represents excellence in classroom teaching, professional growth and competency, intellectual stimulation given to the academic community outside the classroom, and service to students and the university as a whole.
Prior to his arrival at Stetson, Painter taught graduate and undergraduate courses at the Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester. As a result of his commitment to teaching and scholarship, Painter was awarded the Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award, the Sloan Scholarship Award and the Edward Peck Curtis Teaching Award, the highest graduate award available to graduate assistants at any of the University of Rochester’s six campus branches.
Painter received his Ph.D., M.M. in percussion performance, and M.A. in music theory from the Eastman School of Music (University of Rochester), and a B.M. from Furman University.

Senator Bradley Files Amendment Two Implementation Bill

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Senator Rob Bradley (R-Fleming Island) filed legislation today implementing Amendment Two, the constitutional amendment which expands the medical marijuana system in Florida.
“In 2014, the Florida Legislature legalized low-THC medical marijuana, and in 2016 expanded the medical marijuana system to provide legal access to marijuana for terminally ill Floridians,” said Bradley. “Floridians want even more options, speaking loud and clear at the polls in November by passing Amendment Two. This bill significantly expands the current medical marijuana system to give Floridians the relief they have demanded, and it does so safely and quickly.”
Senator Bradley worked closely with Senator Dana Young (R-Tampa) in crafting the bill. Senator Young chairs the Senate’s Health Policy Committee and is co-introducer of Senate Bill 406. “This bill faithfully honors our solemn obligation to the people of Florida to implement Amendment Two,” Young said. “Suffering Floridians will have now real options with no unreasonable delays.” The Health Policy Committee heard testimony from numerous Floridians at a recent committee meeting in Tallahassee.
As more Floridians utilize medical marijuana, the bill provides for the expansion of the numbers of licenses available to those entities that will grow and sell medical marijuana. This provision insures that Floridians have several price and quality options in the medical marijuana marketplace.
Senate Bill 406 will be considered during the Regular Session of the Florida Legislature which will convene on March 7, 2017.

FDLE arrests Dixie County man for child pornography

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Agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement today arrested John Harold Grant, 51, of 24 SE 151st Avenue, Old Town, Florida on three counts of possession of child pornography and one count of transmission of child pornography.

 FDLE special agents, with assistance from the Dixie County Sheriff’s Office, executed a search warrant at Grant’s home on January 19, 2017, and seized several cell phones. FDLE agents conducted a search warrant on his email account and recovered images of child pornography, some involving children as young as two years old.

Grant was booked into the Dixie County Jail. The case will be prosecuted by the Office of the State Attorney, Third Judicial Circuit.

Please visit the Secure Florida website to review tips for keeping your children safe online at: http://secureflorida.org/staying_safe/best_practices_for_parents/.

Sting Operation Leads to Charges Against Owner of Monroe County Moving Company

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Law enforcement officers with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services today completed an undercover sting operation on JP’S Local Moving of Monroe County and charged one individual, John Gibson Parker, 62, with operating an unlicensed moving company. Parker was previously arrested for the same offense in 2013.

Department investigators conducted the undercover operation by staging an intrastate household move with JP’s Local Moving at a pre-determined location in Monroe County. Parker, the owner of JP’s Local Moving, brokered the move with undercover investigators and was found to be in violation of Chapter 507.11(2) of Florida State Statute, conducting household moving services without a license. Parker was transported without incident to the Monroe County Jail by investigators. 

The violation of operating a moving company without holding a valid license from the department carries a maximum penalty of up to one year in jail and up to a $1,000 fine. 

To check the registration status or complaint history of moving companies or to register a complaint against a moving company in Florida, consumers can call the department’s toll-free hotline, 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352).

For more information about the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit FreshFromFlorida.com.