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PSC Assists Marion County Seniors During Older Americans Month

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During May’s Older Americans Month, the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) is partnering with the Marion County Senior Services Center for an event on Wednesday, May 17, 2017.
PSC representatives will distribute and discuss water and energy conservation information, assist eligible seniors in applying for the Lifeline Assistance discounted telephone service program, and educate against falling for utility-related scams.
The Marion County event is scheduled for the following time and location:

Wednesday, May 17, 2017
10:00 a.m.
Marion County Senior Services Center
Marion Café
1101 SW 20th Court
Ocala, Florida

About Older Americans Month
Since 1963, communities and agencies across the state and nation have joined in the annual Older Americans Month commemoration. The tradition shows the state’s commitment to celebrating the contributions and achievements of older Florida residents. For more information visit, https://oam.acl.gov/.
For additional information, visit www.floridapsc.com.
Follow the PSC on Twitter, @floridapsc.

Gov. Scott announces Chewy to create 600 jobs at new e-commerce fulfillment center in Ocala

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Governor Rick Scott announced today that Chewy, an online retailer of pet food and products in the United States, will locate a new fulfillment center in Marion County. The new facility will create 600 jobs and a $49 million capital investment in the region.
Governor Scott said, “I am proud to announce that Chewy will be building a new facility in Ocala and creating 600 new jobs for Florida families. While Chewy is a Florida-based company, they could have chosen to invest in any of their locations across the country. Instead, they decided to create hundreds of new jobs in Florida because of the hard work of Enterprise Florida and local economic development organizations, and our unrelenting focus on making Florida the best place for business. I am proud to celebrate Chewy’s expansion today and look forward to continuing to bring more jobs wins to our state.”
Chewy was founded in 2011 by CEO Ryan Cohen and CTO Michael Day. The company offers around 20,000 items for dog, cats, and other pets. Chewy is headquartered in Dania Beach and donates a portion of each purchase to select animal shelters. The new facility will be located on at the Ocala/Marion County Commerce Park.
Ryan Cohen, CEO of Chewy said, “We are pleased to expand our workforce and bring fulfillment operations to our home state. As a Florida-based company, we recognize the importance of driving economic opportunities in the region and we appreciate the partnership of Enterprise Florida and the CEP as we work to invest in the Ocala community through the creation of 600 new jobs. In addition to job creation, we look forward to the opening of this fulfillment center helping to better serve Chewy customers with even more efficient and faster delivery times.”
Chris Hart IV, president and CEO of Enterprise Florida, Inc. said “Not only is a great Florida company continuing to grow, but Chewy has chosen to grow in their home state. Florida continues to shine as a national leader for job creation, and companies like Chewy are a big part of our success as a state. I commend them on their success and look forward to seeing their continued growth.
Cissy Proctor, executive director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, said, “Chewy’s expansion in Marion County is great news for Central Florida’s economy and I am proud that the company is continuing to invest in Florida. The 600 new jobs Chewy’s is bringing to the area will provide new opportunities to local job seekers and a chance for more Florida families to live their American Dream.”
Carl Zalak, Chair of the Marion County Board of County Commissioners, said, “We are excited about bringing another great company to our community. Bringing Chewy to Marion County is great news for our county. This project means more jobs, investment and momentum to our community and we couldn’t be more excited about the future.”
Brent Malever, Ocala City Council President, said, “On behalf of the Ocala City Council, we are incredibly excited to welcome Chewy to Ocala/Marion County. In addition to creating nearly 600 jobs, this is another great investment to keep Ocala moving in the right direction.”
Ken Ausley, Chairman of the CEP Board of Trustees, said, “This announcement represents a partnership between Chewy, the City of Ocala, Marion County, Duke Energy, CareerSource CLM, Ocala 489 LLC, Enterprise Florida, and the Ocala/Marion County Chamber & Economic Partnership.”
About Chewy
Headquartered in Dania Beach, Florida, Chewy’s dedicated staff – furry and non-furry alike – are committed to providing the kind of service that makes you go “wow.” Our warehouses all over the country can ship the freshest, highest quality products–and fast. And our amazing gals and guys in customer service are here day and night to help. Bottom line is, we’re here to make pet happiness happen.
Enterprise Florida, Inc. (EFI) is a partnership between Florida’s businesses and government leaders and is the principal economic development organization for Florida. EFI facilitates job growth through recruitment and retention, international trade and exporting, promotion of sporting events, and capital funding programs to assist small and minority businesses. EFI launched “Florida – The Future is Here” to promote the state as the nation’s premier business destination.
About The Ocala/Marion County Chamber & Economic Partnership
The Ocala/Marion County Chamber & Economic Partnership (CEP) was formed to create a one-stop approach to business retention, attraction and creation efforts. Moving Forward is our charge and it reflects our desire to be a unified voice and catalyst for the business community. By working together with our partners and community investors, we will continue to improve our quality of life and build a strong base for economic development in Marion County.

FDOT hosts meeting to discuss turn lanes at I-75 interchange

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The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) will have a public meeting to talk about adding turn lanes along State Road 200 (SW College Road) in the Interstate 75 (I-75) interchange area, from SW 38th Court to SW 36th Avenue in Marion County,  5-7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 31, at the Hilton Ocala, located at 3600 SW 36th Avenue, Ocala, Florida 34474
These improvements will take place within existing right-of-way, so no additional right-of-way is needed. Construction is funded for this project for Fiscal Year 2018.
The meeting will be an open house format. Project information will be available for review and a project presentation will run on a continuous loop. FDOT representatives will be available to discuss the project, answer questions, and receive comments.
Public participation is solicited without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability or family status. Persons with disabilities who require special accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act or persons who require translation services (free of charge) should contact Laura Turner, AICP, Project Public Involvement Coordinator, by phone at 407-620-5095 or by email at [email protected] at least seven days prior to the meeting. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact FDOT by using the Florida Relay Service, 1-800-955-8771 (TDD) or 1-800-955-8770 (Voice).
Media questions should be directed to the public information office, Jennifer Horton, 386-943-5497, [email protected].