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Positivity remains under 10% for almost 3 weeks
The new consensus that lockdowns may have been a mistake
The United States had an 8.4% unemployment rate in August,down from 10.2% in July. The nation’s economy added 1.4 million jobs in the month of August.
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Governor Ron DeSantis Announces Saltwater License-Free Fishing Saturday, September 5th
Tallahassee, Fla. - Try saltwater fishing Saturday, Sept. 5, without needing a saltwater fishing license. License-free fishing days are a great way for Florida residents and visitors to get out on the water and find out why Florida is the Fishing Capital of the World.
“License-free fishing days offer a special opportunity to enjoy Florida’s beautiful outdoors,” said Governor DeSantis. “I encourage all Floridians and visitors to take advantage!”
“License-free fishing weekend is a great opportunity to introduce someone to fishing for the first time,” said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Executive Director Eric Sutton. "Spend this Labor Day weekend with family enjoying the Fishing Capital of the World as you fish from boat or shore.”
This day is one of eight total license-free fishing days the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission offers each year. All bag limits, closed areas and size restrictions apply on these dates. To learn more, visit MyFWC.com/License. For fishing regulations and tips, visit MyFWC.com/Fishing. To renew or purchase a fishing license, visit GoOutdoorsFlorida.com.
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Governor Ron DeSantis Receives 26 Bills from the Florida Legislature
Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis received the following bills from the Florida Legislature.
The Governor has until September 19, 2020 to act on these bills:
HB 7009 – Penalties for Violations of the Constitutional Prohibition Against Abuse of Public Position
CS/CS/CS/SB 810 – The Use of Tobacco Products and Nicotine Products
CS/CS/HB 915 – Commercial Service Airports
SB 830 – A review under the Open Government Sunset Review Act
CS/CS/HB 133 – Towing and Immobilizing Vehicles and Vessels
SB 294 – Crimes Against Veterans
HB 7015 – A review under the Open Government Sunset Review Act
HB 7019 – A review under the Open Government Sunset Review Act
HB 1135 – License Plates
CS/HB 387 – License Plate Fees
CS/CS/HB 787 – Driver Licenses and Identification Cards
CS/CS/HB 789 – Driver Licenses Fees
CS/HB 101 – Public Construction
CS/HB 1047 – Construction Materials Mining Activities
HB 7003 – A review under the Open Government Sunset Review Act
SB 7004 – A review under the Open Government Sunset Review Act
HB 7075 – A review under the Open Government Sunset Review Act
CS/CS/CS/SB 680 – Shark Fins
HB 371 – Limitations on Homestead Assessments
HB 879 – A Surviving Spouse Ad Valorem Tax Reduction
SB 374 – Housing Discrimination
CS/HB 927 Lake County
CS/HB 1303 – Brevard and Volusia Counties
CS/CS/HB 747 – Coverage for Air Ambulance Services
HB 6027 – Citrus/Hernando Waterways Restoration Council
HB 7095 – Adoption of the Internal Revenue Code for Purposes of the Corporate Income Tax
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Governor Ron DeSantis Highlights PPE Deliveries to Long-Term Care Facilities Preparing to Welcome Visitors
Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that this week, the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) initiated a new push of personal protective equipment (PPE) totaling five million masks, four million gloves and two million gowns to all long-term care facilities in Florida to assist with new procedures outlined in Emergency Order 20-009.
“Since the beginning of the pandemic, my administration’s top priority has been to protect individuals most vulnerable to COVID-19,” said Governor DeSantis. “We hope this direct shipment of PPE to long-term care facilities throughout the state helps them safely transition to allowing limited visitation.”
“From the beginning, Florida has led on long term care facility PPE and testing, and we are continuing to lead the way today,” said FDEM Director Jared Moskowitz. “For the last 90 days, we have been running the largest long-term care testing mission in the nation. I have no doubt that the actions we have taken to protect nursing home residents have saved lives, and we will continue to do everything we can to keep our most vulnerable populations safe.”
The Emergency Order requires all visitors to wear PPE pursuant to most recent CDC guidelines, and those not making physical contact still must wear a mask. Per the Emergency Order, to accept general visitors, the facility must meet the following:
- No new facility-onset of resident COVID-19 cases within 14 days other than in a dedicated wing or unit that accepts COVID-19 cases from the community;
- If a staff member tests positive for COVID-19, the facility must immediately cease all indoor and outdoor visitation in the event that staff person was in the facility in the 10 days prior to the positive test;
- Sufficient staff to support management of visitors;
- Adequate PPE for facility staff;
- Adequate cleaning and disinfecting supplies; and
- Adequate capacity at referral hospitals for the facility
With this push of PPE, for long-term care facilities alone, the Division has sent:
- More than 15 million masks
- 5 million gloves
- Nearly 3 million gowns
- More than 500,000 face shields
Including this push of PPE, to date, the Division has sent the following PPE to support health care workers, first responders and long-term care facilities:
- Nearly 69 million masks
- More than 22 million gloves
- More than 7 million gowns
- More than 2 million face shields
- More than 1.2 million shoe covers
- More than 110,000 goggles
- More than 76,500 coveralls
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Governor Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis Announce MyFloridaMyFamily
The online hub is designed to connect Florida families in need to local faith institutions and community organizations eager to help
Tallahassee, Fla. – On Monday, August 31, during the Department of Children and Families’ (DCF) virtual 2020 Child Protection Summit, Governor Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis announced MyFloridaMyFamily, an online hub of resources established in partnership with the Governor’s Faith and Community Based Initiative and the Department of Children and Families. Using technology from Aunt Bertha and CarePortal, the website will serve as a gateway to connect Florida families in need to local faith institutions and community organizations eager to help.
“It’s only natural that Florida’s faith-based community would step up to fill in the gaps in our child welfare system – MyFloridaMyFamily just makes it easier for them,” said Governor DeSantis. “I look forward to seeing how they will use this new, innovative technology to support families all over the state.”
“As a mother of three young children, I want Florida families to be able to get the help they need quickly, and most importantly, without facing seemingly endless obstacles,” said First Lady Casey DeSantis. “MyFloridaMyFamily allows for just that, and eventually, through Florida’s Foster Information Center, it will enable prospective foster parents to hear firsthand testimony about the rewards and challenges of taking on this life-changing responsibility.”
Beginning later this month, the MyFloridaMyFamily website will also direct interested visitors to the newly-established Florida’s Foster Information Center, a hotline staffed with current or former foster parents who can answer callers’ questions based on their own experiences and provide information about fostering one of the 23,000 children throughout the state who are currently in out-of-home care.
“In Florida, we’re blessed to have more than 20,000 faith institutions that serve their communities every day,” said Erik Dellenback, the Governor’s Faith and Community Based Liaison. “My team and I could not be more excited about MyFloridaMyFamily and Florida’s Foster Information Center, as they will both allow faith leaders to mobilize their congregations and deploy resources to help meet the needs their neighbors and local families who may be struggling.”
“MyFloridaMyFamily is the product of a lot of thoughtful collaboration, and it’s the long-overdue fulfillment of a pretty obvious need,” said DCF Secretary Chad Poppell. “I’m grateful to the Governor and his team, as well as the First Lady, for getting this project off the ground so we can better serve Florida families and help more children find stable, loving homes.”
"MyFloridaMyFamily harnesses the helping power of local faith and community-based organizations who stand at the ready to support children and families across Florida,” said Erine Gray, Founder & CEO of Aunt Bertha. “This is life-changing work and we're incredibly grateful to be a part of building toward that collective vision of safe, stable, and thriving families."
“What the leadership is doing in Florida is cutting edge. Connecting people in need with those that want to help in real time,” said Adrien Lewis, Care Portal Chief Innovation Officer. “I’m excited to see the Church and community at large serve the most vulnerable like never before. And, I hope to see other states follow their example.
For more information about MyFloridaMyFamily, please visit www.myfloridamyfamily.com.
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Three Waves are Headed West in the Atlantic. Two Could Merge into Tropical Depression
Miami Herald
The National Hurricane Center is tracking Tropical Storm Nana, which is moving westward near 18 mph. A hurricane watch is in effect for the coast of Belize.
As the Atlantic basin inches toward peak hurricane season, the National Hurricane Center is tracking three tropical waves, a tropical storm and a tropical depression.
Tropical Storm Nana, which briefly became the season’s fifth hurricane as it came ashore in Belize, was back down to a tropical storm Thursday morning with 60 mph winds, as of the 8 a.m. update. It was midway through northern Guatemala and headed toward the Pacific Ocean at about 15 mph, dumping enough rain on the region that flash flooding was a worry.
“Although the remnants of Nana are forecast to move into the east Pacific in about 36 hours, the model guidance is in good agreement that conditions in that area will not be conducive for regeneration,” forecasters wrote.
Tropical Storm Nana, which briefly became a hurricane Wednesday night, was passing through northern Guatemala Thursday morning.
OPINION: Were The Lockdowns a Mistake?
Washington Examiner, By Michael Barone
Were the lockdowns a mistake? To that nagging question, the answer increasingly seems to be yes.
Certainly, they were a novelty. As novelist Lionel Shriver writes, “We’ve never before responded to a contagion by closing down whole countries.” As I noted in May, the 1957-58 Asian flu killed between 75,000 and 116,000 people in the United States, between 0.04% and 0.07% of the nation’s population then. The 1968-69 Hong Kong flu killed about 100,000, 0.05% of the population.
The current death toll of 185,000 is 0.055% of the current population. It will go higher, but it’s about the same magnitude as those two flu outbreaks and less deadly for those under 65. Yet, there were no statewide lockdowns, no massive school closings, no closed office buildings and factories, restaurants, and museums. No one even considered shutting down Woodstock.
Why are attitudes so different today? Perhaps we have greater confidence in the government’s effectiveness. If public policy can affect climate change, it can stamp out a virus.
Plus, we’re much more risk-averse. Children aren’t allowed to walk to school, jungle gyms have vanished from playgrounds, and college students are shielded from microaggressions. We have a “safetyism mindset,”as Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff write in The Coddling of the American Mind, under which “many aspects of students’ lives needed to be carefully regulated by adults, and that it was far better to overreact to potential risks and threats than to underreact.”
So, the news of the coronavirus killing dozens and overloading hospitals in Bergamo, Italy, triggered a flight to safety and restriction. Many people stopped going to restaurants and shops even before the lockdowns were ordered in March and April. The exaggerated projections of some epidemiologists, with a professional interest in forecasting pandemics, triggered demands that governments act.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Says State Will ‘Get To Yes’ On Bars
CBS Miami
TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF) — Gov. Ron DeSantis said he hopes to give Floridians the “ability to have some enjoyment in their life” by soon lifting on-site drinking restrictions imposed on bars and craft breweries since late June.
“I know it’s been difficult, and I just want to let you know that these are not things that we take lightly,” DeSantis said at the conclusion of discussion in St. Petersburg with bar and brewery operators. “It stinks, and like I’m not happy for how everything’s gone. But I think the best thing we can do is just get it right and move forward. And let’s get the state thriving again.”
Fox News
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday immediately severed ties with Quest Diagnostics Labs after the clinical laboratory company “dumped” nearly 75,000 months-old COVID-19 tests, skewing the state’s downward trend of new daily confirmed coronavirus
Though the company had already notified patients, Quest Diagnostics failed to relay information on nearly 75,000 results--some dating back to April--to the Florida Department of Health until this week.
As of 11 a.m. Tuesday, Florida saw 7,569 new positive COVID-19 cases. Out of those, 3,870 were results that were older than two weeks, some dating back to April, because of a delay in reporting from Quest Diagnostic Labs, according to officials.
“The law requires all COVID-19 test results to be reported to the Florida Department of Health in a timely manner," the state health department said. "To drop this much unusable and stale data is irresponsible and Quest has abdicated their ability to perform a testing function in Florida. The nearly 75,000 results date back to April and have little impact on the state of the pandemic today."
Nonfarm payrolls increased by 1.37 million in August and the unemployment rate tumbled to 8.4% as the U.S. economy continued to climb its way out of the pandemic downturn.
The unemployment rate was by far the lowest since the coronavirus shutdown in March, according to Labor Department figures released Friday. An alternative measure that includes discouraged workers and those holding part-time jobs for economic reasons also fell, down to 14.2% from 16.5% in July and 22.8% at the peak in April.
Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had been expecting growth of 1.32 million and the jobless rate to decline to 9.8% from 10.2% in July.
Markets rose sharply on the news, with Dow futures pointing to a gain at the open following an aggressive sell-off Thursday.
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COVID-19 by the Numbers | COVID -19 Fatalities
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ICUs and Hospital Beds by the Numbers | Current as of 9/3/2020
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20.95%
% of ICU Beds Available Statewide
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40.61% % of Pediatric ICU Beds Available Statewide
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25.06% % of Available Hospital Beds Statewide
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Agency for Health Care Administration
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Families Relieved Nursing Home Visit Restrictions Lifted WFLX It is a move that has been long-awaited by families across the state. The governor is lifting restrictions at nursing homes and long-term care facilities to allow families to reunite with their loved ones.
The past six months have been a nightmare for Beatrice Cohen. Her daily routine of visiting her husband ended abruptly due to the pandemic. "I can't imagine what Marvin was thinking, 'Where is she? What happened to her?' He can't verbalize, so not only was he suffering, but I was suffering," Cohen said. Marvin is a patient at Heartland Health Care Center in Boynton Beach. He was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, which doctors say causes dementia. Beatrice said the restrictions put in place to protect him created an experience that destroyed her."Through a glass window, I could not hear what he was saying. He could not hear what I was saying. He just was staring at me. I had no idea what he was thinking, and it just broke my heart," Cohen said.
In June, the two reached a milestone, alone, 59 years of marriage. But she worried that the celebration this time around could ultimately be the last. Beatrice Cohen, whose husband lives at a long-term care facility in Boynton Beach, is excited to see her husband for the first time in six months. Now, after going months without visiting, there is hope. This week Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order to reopen nursing homes partially. However, there are several strict safety measures in place.
Visitors will be screened. There can be no more than two visitors at any time and no more than five people a day.
Minors aren't allowed, and facilities can only have visitors if they have gone 14 days without any cases. It's a move Cohen said was long overdue. "I think it's about time that he took care of us caregivers and took us into consideration. And let us return to our loved ones because isolation kills. It's a known fact that the caregivers are under so much stress that they die first," Cohen said. Cohen said she plans to visit her husband as soon as possible and bring him his favorite food, chocolate donuts and ice cream.
It's important to note that even though the governor is lifting restrictions on visitations, not all nursing homes are ready to allow visitors. WPTV reached out to a few local facilities and they advised that it will take time to implement the governor's new policies.
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Agency for Persons with Disabilities
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PCA Plus Has Great Success with Pen Pals Program apdcares.org
A couple months ago, APD provider PCA Plus’ Mary Smith developed a simple project that has had phenomenal results. She started a system for her clients to be pen pals!
The program is designed to help keep clients from feeling secluded and isolated. Clients write letters, send cards, dictate letters to supports, or do art projects that they mail out. Each client gets a minimum of four pieces of mail daily so that they stay connected and have something to look forward to each day during this pandemic.
This initiative has been very successful in lifting spirits and increasing social connections among clients. Great idea, Mary!
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Jackson County Schools, CareerSource Chipola Partner to Offer Course in Construction,Building JACKSON COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) — Jackson County Schools is teaming up CareerSource Chipola to offer a new way to help rebuild after Hurricane Michael.
The district received a grant for $500,000 for the next two years. With that, they're starting new construction classes to teach students the basics of building. It's a magnet school program open to high school students and homeschooled students. Superintendent Larry Moore says it's a win-win for teens to learn a career, get on-the-job experience and help make repairs in the community. "There's a lot of opportunity in that field, in the building construction field, especially with that aftermath of Hurricane Michael and the rebuilding that's still taking place in our area," said Moore.
Any student or parent interested in the program is invited to tour the building on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the old Marianna High School Ag Building.
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Department of Business and Professional Regulation
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The executive chef and owner of The Mill Restaurant, Ted Dorsey, said there is only one way to sum up the pandemic for many restaurant owners. "It just sucks man. It sucks. It’s been a rough, rough few months."
Dorsey said restaurants were devastated by having to shut down in the middle of their peak season. He explained operating at 50% capacity is tough and the extra costs are adding up. "We are going through cases of gloves on a daily basis and cases of masks."
However, restaurant owners are finding help within their communities. The city of St. Petersburg used Chef Ted's heirloom watercress salad in "St. Pete Eats", a cookbook created by Deputy Mayor Dr. Kanika Tomalin.
The book is filled with restaurant-quality recipes you can make at home. Proceeds from book sales went to restaurants and small businesses adversely affected by the pandemic.
"It's an awesome way to find connectivity with our community in this time we are forced to be separate. We can demonstrate that we are never apart and the proceeds go directly into the pockets of the people who need it," Dr. Tomalin said.
The cookbook was so popular, the city has sold out and currently has no plans to print more.
Across the bay, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said it was the first city in the country to help restaurants create more outdoor seating while still social distancing. "We looked early on at ways we could lift them back up," Castor shared.
Tampa is now allowing outdoor seating capacity to expand into parking lots. It's part of their "Lift Up Local" recovery plan. It's a life-saving effort for employees, like the ones at Green Lemon restaurant on South Howard Avenue.
"They were very excited because we could bring staff back on that had been furloughed. You don't have that same demand when you only have 50% occupancy inside," Green Lemon consultant Steve Michelini explained.
Back on Central Avenue in St. Pete, Chef Salvatore Merola opened The Florribean just two months before the pandemic began.
"We are brand new, in a pandemic, in a city that has a lot of great restaurants. So, it’s tough. To get people to go outside of their routine to try something new is hard enough and then to get them to try something new when everybody is scared to go outside is really tough," Merola shared.
Merola said sales have increased over the last month. Hopefully, it's a sign there's light at the end of the tunnel.
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Department of Children and Families
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First Lady Casey DeSantis Closes the 2020 Child Protection Virtual Summit
The 2020 Child Protection Virtual Summit has officially wrapped! This year, DCF was honored to have First Lady Casey DeSantis provide closing remarks. As a mother and an advocate for child welfare, her words truly inspired the team and will serve undoubtedly continue to serve as motivation for staff and stakeholders all over the state as we work to better protect children and strengthen families. Below is an excerpt from her message:
“So, let me take this opportunity to say ‘thank you.’ Thank you for your service and your commitment to improving the lives of families and children. We know that it is difficult. We know that it can be heartbreaking, and it can be tragic, but we also know that there is hope. Hope comes from something as simple as a smile from a child who knows that there is hope for their future. As long as good folks like you stay in the fight, we will be there to support you.”
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Department of Economic Opportunity
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The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) announced on Wednesday that communities impacted by Hurricane Michael may now apply for more than $111 million through the Rebuild Florida General Infrastructure Repair Program.
The Rebuild Florida General Infrastructure Repair Program is designed to provide funding for local governments to strategically rebuild and harden infrastructure to prevent or reduce losses from future disasters. Hurricane Michael hit Florida back in October 2018.
A total of $223 million in funding is allocated for the Rebuild Florida General Infrastructure Repair Program through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program. The Rebuild Florida General Infrastructure Repair Program will be implemented in two competitive cycles.
State agencies and local governments within the federal and state Most Impacted and Distressed (MID) areas are eligible to apply for funding. School districts, nonprofit or not for profit organizations, and non-governmental organizations may apply in partnership with a state agency or local government.
The deadline to complete an application is November 30 at 5:00 p.m. (EST). DEO staff will be available to provide technical assistance to communities during the application process.
To provide potential applicants with more information about the Rebuild Florida General Infrastructure Repair Program, DEO will host a webinar at 2:00 p.m. (EST) on Thursday, September 17.
DEO is the governor-designated state authority responsible for administering all HUD long-term recovery funds awarded to the state. Rebuild Florida uses federal funding for Florida’s long-term recovery efforts from the devastating impacts of natural disasters.
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FSCJ Nursing Students Helping Elementary Kids Go Back to School Safely WJXT
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Nursing students from Florida State College at Jacksonville’s (FSCJ) Alpha Delta Nu Honor Society Alpha Lambda Chapter are working to help Henry F. Kite Elementary School students go back to school safely this year. According to a news release, the future nurses developed and distributed educational materials to help the elementary students adapt to wearing a mask, and to teach them about social distancing, vigilant handwashing and sanitizing surfaces. They are also supporting caregivers who are being asked to provide resources to help slow the spread of the virus in addition to traditional school supplies. “While schools, parents and businesses prepare for students to return to class, as future registered nurses, we recognize there are many challenges our schools and teachers are facing,” FSCJ Alpha Delta Nu President Charre Garvie said in a prepared statement. Members were able to raise funds and procure donations to provide individual hand sanitizer for each of the 55 third graders. They also donated a case of 4,000 paper towels and three non-contact thermometers.
Why Florida Gives Parents Options During the Pandemic | Column by Commissioner Richard Corocan Tampa Bay Times
The risks of not allowing children to return to school are real, profound, and certain, writes Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran
To open schools or not to open schools. That is the big debate across the nation as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. During this crisis, the goal of President Donald Trump, U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Gov. Ron DeSantis and myself, as commissioner of education in Florida, has been to offer compassion and grace to parents, students and teachers.
The president has rightly recognized that the coronavirus presents people with two choices:
1. Face the risk of going back to school with COVID-19 still in the world, or 2. Face the risk of not going to school and all that comes with it.
Florida, we followed the president’s lead, which is why the Florida Department of Education released a temporary emergency order giving parents the right to choose in-class or virtual instruction. Every parent faces a unique set of circumstances, and the government should not block them from choosing the best option for their child.
We respect the concerns of families for whom the health risks are more than they can tolerate. But we must also respect the concerns of families who have weighed the risks of not returning to school and want their students to return.
The risks of not allowing children to return to school are real, profound and certain. Here are just some of the risk factors that parents — and society as a whole — need to realize are inherent in the choice to not have children to return to school.
1. Mental Health The American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) most recent guidance continued to urge the reopening of school campuses, especially for children in marginalized communities and warned against the danger of “social isolation” with remote learning. Similarly, an open letter signed by 1,500 members of the United Kingdom’s Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) said that continued closures risk “scarring the life chances of a generation of young people,” including through separating them from mental health support. These risks have already had a drastic impact on the mental health of our students. Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in a recent webinar that suicides and drug overdoses have surpassed the death rate for COVID-19 among high school students.
2. Family Stability When parents, often single parents, can no longer go to work, the stability of their household is threatened. The Brookings Institute recently reported “that only 37% of U.S. jobs can be performed at home.” That leaves the 63% of Americans who cannot work at home, mostly the working class, essential medical professionals, and poor and marginalized families, pleading for school campuses to re-open.
3. Achievement Gap Children from disadvantaged backgrounds are much more likely to drop out or graduate below grade level in reading and math. This gap is likely to increase without in-person learning. Seventy two percent of Florida’s students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, 63% of our public school students are minorities and nearly 62% live in low-income households. In addition, in Florida, 14.5% of public school students have disabilities and 10.1% are English Language Learners. Many of these students need additional learning supports. Keeping schools open allows the most effective interventions to be offered.
4. Setback for women in the workplace The strides women had been making in the workplace are hampered when schools do not open. According to Bloomberg, Hispanic women, a cohort of about 12 million, now have one of the highest unemployment rates among racial groups. The Florida Council of 100 recently reported that this is a devastating reality for many working mothers who experience greater difficulties juggling a job while their children are learning at home.
If the option to return to school is not offered, it will hit hardest our society’s most vulnerable – single parents, students with disabilities, English language learners, the working class, students from low-income families, working women and those in need of mental health support. The Trump administration is right. Schools should open, and parents should have the choice.
I am the father of six school-aged children, ranging from a second-grader to a university sophomore; I am the husband of a working mother who is a full-time attorney; I am the son-in-law and brother-in-law of two vulnerable family members who are also our neighbors and who our immediate family must take precautions to protect. And, yes, all six of our children are returning physically back to their public schools. Why? Because my wife and I believe it is the best decision for them.
The Trump administration, our governor and the Florida Department of Education strive to give grace and compassion to all involved. Given the facts about the virus and the reality that every parent faces a different set of circumstances, this means both in-class and virtual options must be available. Our families and students deserve nothing less.
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Department of Elder Affairs
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The most recent edition of Elder Update dropped in mailboxes across Florida this week. The special edition featured Governor Ron DeSantis and DOEA Secretary Richard Prudom offering tips to older residents on “How To Do Your Part,” when it comes to COVID-19. The mailer was delivered to over 45,000 individuals and contains tips ranging from how to minimize contact outside the home and how to utilize delivery services, to the importance of checking in with family, friends, and neighbors through the use of phone calls, text, and email. The flyer also championed DOEA’s #TalkitOutFL campaign. The Talk It Out Campaign highlights the importance of being able to ask for help when it comes to mental health and the ability to recognize when someone else may be experiencing stress, anxiety, loneliness, or showing other signs of depression. The flip side of the mailer provided recipients with a list of resources and telephone numbers on such topics as local services, meal assistance, memory disorders, and how to report fraud.
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Division of Emergency Management
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Panama City Hospital Marks Full Reopening Since Hurricane Michael, Welcomes New Chapel Panama City News Herald
PANAMA CITY — One local hospital held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark its full reopening since Hurricane Michael and to bless a new chapel.
Ascension Sacred Heart Bay, formerly Bay Medical Center, held the ceremony Wednesday at the 6th Street entrance. Local officials and clergy joined hospital staff and CEO and president of Ascension Florida and Gulf Coast Tom VanOsdol in signifying that despite the hardships of the storm, "Ascension Sacred Heart Bay is back."
"Since that time, Ascension has invested nearly $75 million to clean up, rebuild and invest in key clinical programs, facilities, equipment, and people — all with the goal of providing clinical excellence and compassion," VanOsdol said.
"We're fully open, providing exceptional care to every patient, to every loved one, every moment of every day and we're going to keep investing and keep growing to ensure the residents of this great community have timely access to the care you need and deserve to yourselves, and to the people you care most about," he added. "Ascension Sacred Heart Bay is back." Hurricane Michael dealt a devastating blow to the hospital, leading to more than 600 employees being laid off by the time it reopened in January 2019, three months after the storm. Ascension fully acquired the hospital in March from the hospital's former parent company Ardent Health.
One of Bay County's own Heath Evans, president of Ascension Sacred Heart Bay, touted the milestone progress the hospital has made, including about a $47 million investment to rebuild the hospital and return it to a path of continued growth. "Through hard work and determination, we have made it to today as a team, to celebrate the rebuilding of this hospital," Evans said. "A place of refuge in times of need that houses the work of more than 1,100 associates and medical staff members who bring hope, compassion, and healing to those most in need."
ASHB has restored 229 patient beds in private rooms only and recently opened additional services in its medical office building and new rehabilitation services in Lynn Haven.
Bay County Commission Chairman Philip "Griff" Griffitts, who sits on the hospital's board, recalled a time when Sacred Heart was there for him and his family, delivering his now "bright, shining" 24-year-old daughter who was birthed early weighing 2 pounds, 14 ounces.
"Bay Medical did not have any type of facility to take care of a little baby like that. She was sent to Sacred Heart in Pensacola," he said. "I know first hand what it's like, the success that a regional hospital can have on a family."
"I think, truly, through the miracle that was given to me by Sacred Heart Pensacola and the Ascension hands, she's what she is today," Griffitts said. None of that could have been possible without a regional hospital."
Mayor Greg Brudnicki also spoke about why the city continues to believe in the mission of the hospital, which he called "a safety net for this region." Brudnicki was a trustee on the board for 17 years previously.
"When I first went on the board in the 1990's, the uncompensated care was around $5 million a year. The mission of this hospital since Ascension took it over has not changed. Today, that uncompensated care is north of $150 million," Brudnicki said. He added, ASHB invested $75 million outside of what insurance would cover and "could have walked away," but "they had a footprint in the Panhandle and they made that kind of investment."
"And we, as citizens truly appreciate it," he said.
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Department of Environmental Protection
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DEP Completes Annual Ozone Certification for Florida
The Office of Air Monitoring has completed the required annual certification for Florida’s ozone level 2 standards. These standards are taken to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Region 4 laboratory in Athens, Georgia. Annual certification is required in accordance with EPA’s quality assurance regulations and guidelines.
The federal certification of Florida’s ozone level 2 standards, show Florida’s ozone data is in compliance with federal standards. Once Florida’s level 2 ozone standards have been certified, they are returned to the Quality Assurance Standards Lab in Tallahassee where they are used to calibrate the ozone monitoring sites across the state of Florida. This quality assurance process ensures collection of high-quality and verifiable data by Florida’s network. The state of Florida has one of the best outdoor air quality monitoring networks in the country, designed to provide the public with timely, accurate air quality data. The network is comprised of more than 200 monitors at 96 sites strategically positioned across the state. DEP is proud of the Office of Air Monitoring’s efforts to complete this important work to protect air quality during the challenges presented by COVID-19.
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Florida Reports 150 More People Died From COVID-19 as State Sees Downward Trend With Infections Sun-Sentinel.com
The Florida Department of Health on Thursday reported another 149 people have died from COVID-19 illness and 3,571 more people have tested positive. Back in April and May those would have been record-high coronavirus pandemic numbers. But these days the data is in line with a recent downward trend that has fueled the government’s efforts to reboot tourism and other aspects of normal life in the state. “You just don’t have a virus that just all of a sudden disappears .... it’s going to be a factor,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said, during a meeting with bar owners and craft beer makers in St. Petersburg. “At the same time we’ve got to get all facets of society operating.”
Setting aside a backlog dump of cases added Tuesday, the state this week reported 2,583 cases on Sunday, 1,885 on Monday, and 2,402 on Wednesday. There usually is a lag between the collection of swabs over several days — and processed by numerous labs — and the confirmation of positive results on the state’s daily pandemic reports.
With Thursday’s tally, the state has logged a total of 637,013 COVID-19 cases and 11,800 deaths linked to the disease. The daily death report reflects COVID-19 fatalities in recent weeks, but just confirmed in the past 24 hours. In addition to Thursday, the state reported 14 deaths on Sunday, 68 deaths on Monday, 190 deaths on Tuesday, and 130 deaths on Wednesday.
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Department of Management Services
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Walk-Up COVID-19 Tests Take Place this Week The Gainesville Sun
A mobile testing bus will be stationed this week at Gainesville’s Martin Luther King Jr. Multipurpose Center for walk-up COVID-19 testing.
Testing will take place at the center, 1028 NE 14th St., Thursday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
An appointment or doctor’s note is not required. However, adults who wish to be tested must present a valid ID. An Alachua County Community ID card is acceptable. Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to be tested.
The Florida Department of Management Services, which is administering the tests, will provide 200 free nasal swab coronavirus tests per day on a first-come, first-served basis.
Those tested will be called or emailed by DMS staff within two days with results, and the Florida Department of Health in Alachua County will provide follow-up case management for those who test positive.
Free virus testing also is available Wednesdays and Fridays by appointment at the former headquarters of the Regional Transit System. Call the local health department at 334-8810 to schedule an appointment.
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Department of Transportation
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New Report Highlights Economic Impact of Florida Ports Florida Politics A report released Wednesday by the Florida Ports Council shows Florida seaports saw steady trade from 2018 to 2019. Florida’s total waterborne trade for 2019 was valued at $86.6 billion, with top trading partners including China, Japan, the Dominican Republic, Brazil and Mexico. Additionally, cruising increased 8.7% over the year, with a total of 18.3 million passenger movements. The 2020-2024 Five-Year Seaport Mission Plan, completed annually as part of the Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Council’s (FSTED) mission, provides a snapshot of ports’ economic impact along with goals for the next five years. The new report applauds the state of Florida’s investment in seaports through FSTED, which was created by the Legislature 30 years ago, and also acknowledges the difficulties of estimating the impact of COVID-19 on trade and cruising in 2020 and beyond. “The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the continued importance of state investment in our ports. Investing in strategic port infrastructure keeps our state and local economies healthy and moves commerce safely and efficiently 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,” said Doug Wheeler, president and CEO of the Florida Ports Council, which administers FSTED. “Even with the uncertainty ahead, our ports have capital improvement plans that total more than $3 billion over the next five years, providing jobs and huge economic impacts in local communities.” Some highlights of the report include: — $86.6 billion in value of total waterborne trade — 18.3 million cruise passenger movements — $3.1 billion in combined port capital improvement plan investments over the next five years — 30% increase in cruise passengers since 2010 — 111.8 million tons of cargo moved SpaceX Wakes up the Space Coast with Another Starlink Launch from Kennedy Space Center Florida Today The sun was shining bright when SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket took flight from Kennedy Space Center pad 39A Thursday morning. At 8:46 a.m., the rocket's nine Merlin engines roared to life, alerting everyone on the Space Coast that the aerospace company was once again sending a batch of its Starlink communication satellites to orbit, which it successfully did 14 minutes after liftoff. Approximately eight minutes after liftoff, the rocket's first stage booster successfully landed on the Of Course I Still Love You drone ship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean, marking its second flight. Thursday's launch marked the 12th batch of Starlink satellites SpaceX sent up to low-Earth orbit, bringing the internet constellation to roughly 700 — a small number considering the plan is to have tens of thousands of those satellites beaming down and providing internet to Earthlings down below.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said public beta testing could begin later this year in North America. "The Starlink team is on the beginning stages of our global space-based internet constellation but we are well into our first phase of testing with our private beta program with plans to roll out a public beta later this year," SpaceX engineer Kate Tice said during SpaceX's webcast.
Those interested in signing up for the public beta testing can do so on starlink.com and receive more information on Starlink news and service availability. The only thing needed to join the constellation will be a pizza box-sized, white dish. Musk said that finding a signal should be as simple as pointing the dish toward the open sky and waiting for a connection. The primary purpose of Starlink is to provide internet to those living in remote, rural and underserved areas around the world, but it will also serve for something else.
As part of SpaceX's and Musk's goal to eventually have human settlements on Mars, the hope is that Starlink will help fund those future Mars missions to send humans to live on the red planet. Up next for launches on the Space Coast could be United Launch Alliance's Delta IV Heavy rocket. Two earlier attempts had been tried last week but both were forced to scrub due to technical issues. Still, spectators could potentially see the candy corn-colored rocket take flight sometime this weekend. SpaceX, meanwhile, could attempt three more launches this month, including two more Starlinks. Artificial Reef Off Space Coast Will Create New Habitat for Marine Life Spectrum News 13 MERRITT ISLAND, Fla. — In Brevard County, an artificial reef project off the coast promises an underwater habitat for marine life and a bounty for fishermen. The reef is being built with some 450 tons of used concrete culverts, pipes, barricades, and other cement pieces donated by the Florida Department of Transportation. The material is being readied for shipment on a barge to an 80-foot deep, flat, sandy bottom area, 15 miles off of Port Canaveral. Officials say within a couple weeks of putting the reef in place, fish will begin gathering in their new habitat. “After a year, the material becomes fully encrusted with marine life. There will be schools of fish around the area, people will be catching snapper,” said Matt Culver with Brevard County Natural Resources. The reef is the fifth put along the coast in the past six years. The project was made possible by a $52,000 grant from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Florida Sports Fishing Association, and the Coastal Conservation Association.
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Florida Department of Corrections
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Federal Appeals Court Backs Prisons on Hepatitis C Treatment Law.com A split federal appeals court sided with the Florida Department of Corrections in a drawn-out legal battle over whether the state is providing proper treatment to prisoners with hepatitis C. The class action lawsuit centers on the use of an expensive type of medication known as “direct acting anti-virals” to treat the contagious liver disease, which can be fatal. U.S. District Judge Mark Walker last year ordered the Florida Department of Corrections to provide the treatment to all inmates with hepatitis C, but the agency appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
In a 2-1 ruling Monday, a panel overturned Walker’s decision, saying the state is not required to offer the expensive treatment to prisoners in the early stages of the disease. The state does not dispute that direct acting anti-virals should be given to inmates with later stages of hepatitis C. But the corrections department contends that it would not violate prisoners’ constitutional rights if they did not receive the high-cost medication in the early stages. In a budget passed in March, state lawmakers set aside $28 million in reserves to pay for the treatment if needed. But Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed the money in June as he looked for ways to cut the state budget as the coronavirus reduced state tax revenues. In Monday’s majority opinion, Judge Kevin Newsom noted that many people infected with hepatitis C will “spontaneously clear” the virus without treatment. At least half the cases are chronic and can only be treated with medication, however. The state does not want to use the expensive anti-viral treatment on inmates who are in the early stages of the disease, classified as “F0” or “F1.”
The treatment can cost up to $25,000 to $37,000 per inmate, according to court documents. Lawyers representing inmates asked the court to order the treatment for all prisoners with hepatitis C, regardless of the pace of the disease progression or underlying comorbidities. During a 2017 hearing in the case, expert doctors for the state and the plaintiffs reached “dueling conclusions regarding the necessity of treating HCV-positive inmates who showed little or no liver scarring,” Newsom noted in Monday’s majority decision, which was joined by Judge Bobby Baldock. But Newsom and Baldock found that the plaintiffs failed to show that Department of Corrections Secretary Mark Inch’s response to inmates’ medical needs was “deliberately indifferent.”
Newsom noted that previous court decisions regarding prisoners’ medical care “have held that the Eighth Amendment doesn’t require it to be ‘perfect, the best obtainable, or even very good.’” Rather, the court has found medical care to be unconstitutional “only when it is so grossly incompetent, inadequate, or excessive as to shock the conscience or to be intolerable to fundamental fairness,” he wrote, again quoting from a 1991 ruling in a case known as Harris v. Thigpen. The question in the Florida case isn’t whether all inmates with hepatitis C should receive treatment with direct acting anti-virals, Newsom wrote. “Rather, because the plaintiffs here have invoked the Eighth Amendment, the sole question before us is whether the secretary’s approach to the treatment of F0- and F1-level inmates is so reckless — so conscience-shocking — that it violates the Constitution. As explained below, it is not,” he added. Inch isn’t refusing or denying medical care to any inmates who test positive for hepatitis C, Newsom noted. “He may not be providing F0- and F1-level inmates the particular course of treatment that they and their experts want — or as quickly as they want it — but he isn’t turning a blind eye, either,” Newsom wrote.
Corrections officials are “diagnosing their illnesses, assessing their risk of future harm, and regularly monitoring and managing their disease progression,” the judge said. Courts have also decided that disagreements in medical opinions between a prison’s medical staff and an inmate as to diagnosis or course of treatment fail to support claims of cruel and unusual punishment, Newsom said. “That, at bottom, is exactly what we have here,” he wrote. “Because the plaintiffs here are receiving medical care — and because the adequacy of that care is the subject of genuine, good-faith disagreement between healthcare professionals — we are hard-pressed to find that the secretary has acted in so reckless and conscience-shocking a manner as to have violated the Constitution.” In addition, the majority found that prison officials are allowed to take cost into consideration when deciding what treatment options to offer to inmates. “Every minute of every day, ordinary Americans forgo or delay beneficial — and even life-altering — medical treatment because it’s just too expensive. … What a topsy-turvy world it would be if incarcerated inmates were somehow immune from that cold — and sometimes cruel — reality,” Newsom said. The Constitution “does not prohibit prison officials from considering cost in determining what type (or level) of medical care inmates should receive,” he emphasized. Dante Trevisani, a lawyer who represents plaintiffs in the lawsuit, called the court’s ruling “on this narrow aspect of the case disappointing. “But we’re grateful that the underlying lawsuit has resulted in thousands of incarcerated people receiving hepatitis C treatment, and will continue to do so in the future,” Trevisani, executive director of the Florida Justice Institute, said in an email Monday evening. “We’re contemplating our legal options.” Monday’s split decision reversed Walker’s permanent injunction to the extent that it requires direct acting anti-viral treatment for all inmates with hepatitis C. But in a scathing dissent, Judge Beverly Martin said not only that she would have upheld Walker’s injunction, but that she is “concerned that recent decisions of this court will undermine the rights of our incarcerated citizens to maintain their health and safety while they serve their sentences.” Martin took issue with the majority’s assertion that corrections officials aren’t refusing or denying medical care to any inmates with hepatitis C. “Yet it appears to me that refusing treatment is precisely what the secretary is doing — at least up to a certain point,” she wrote. “This delay in treatment ignores the progression of the disease and the underlying damage that cHCV-positive prisoners experience in the meantime.”
According to a monthly status report filed in May by the Department of Corrections with Walker, 8,338 of the state’s roughly 94,000 prisoners were identified as having chronic hepatitis C. But the number of inmates who have the disease could be much higher, as new prisoners enter the system and as officials continue to screen for infections. Martin also disagreed with the majority about prison officials’ consideration of costs when offering treatment. “Cost may be considered in determining whether a prison official is deliberately indifferent,” she wrote. “However, in light of the secretary’s years-long delay in providing treatment for cost reasons, and the evidence showing the standard of care here is to treat everyone with cHCV, I would affirm the district court’s finding of deliberate indifference.”
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Florida Department of Law Enforcement
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FDLE Arrests Miami Man and Woman for Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering
Agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrested Archie Tyrone Cox, 31, of 14950 N. Miami Avenue, #10, Miami, and Paris Vernisha McClendon, 22, of 260 Biscayne River Drive, North Miami Beach, on drug trafficking and money laundering charges. Cox faces one count each of cocaine trafficking, conspiracy to traffic illegal drugs, money laundering, illegal transport of funds to commit money laundering, possession of a firearm by a felon, and grand theft of a vehicle. McClendon is charged with one count each of cocaine trafficking, money laundering, and illegal transport of funds to commit money laundering. The investigation by FDLE Miami’s Guns, Gangs, and Drugs Task Force (GGDTF) determined that Cox was attempting to purchase trafficking amounts of cocaine. On August 31, GGDTF agents, with the assistance from FDLE’s Special Operations Team South, the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) Criminal Interdiction Unit, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), conducted a narcotics operation that resulted in the arrest of Cox and McClendon. Agents recovered a stolen pistol from within the vehicle Cox was driving, which was itself reported stolen. In addition to seizing the stolen firearm and the stolen vehicle, agents seized approximately $36,000 in cash.
In addition to the state charges detailed above, additional federal charges may be filed by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida after that office’s review of the case.
GGDTF is an ongoing partnership between FDLE, ATF, DEA and FHP focused on narcotics, human trafficking, gang violence and firearms crimes.
Cox and McClendon were both booked into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center and ordered held without bond. The case will be prosecuted by the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office’s Narcotics Division.
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Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs
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Veterans Preference in Hiring
To attract and retain military veterans and their families to Florida, the state offers unique benefits such as in-state tuition rates for those using the Post-9/11 GI Bill, several layers of property tax exemptions, extensive benefits, licensure and fee waivers for many activities and occupations, and expanded veterans’ preference.
Understanding the skills and abilities military veterans bring to the workforce, the state of Florida, and all political subdivisions of the state, give several layers of preference in employment, promotions after being deployed and retention. For more information, visit https://floridavets.org/benefits-services/veterans-preference/ or for assistance, send an email to veteranspreference@fdva.state.fl.us.
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Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
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With Fun, Freedom of Boating Comes Responsibility Citrus County Chronicle
With record numbers of boaters expected Labor Day weekend, safety is paramount
Boating is a way of life for many who call Florida home. In 2019, the state registered a total of 961,266 vessels with 16,775 registered in Citrus County alone, according to the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles.
With the fun and freedom of boating comes responsibility.
While many regulations are in place to protect boat operators and passengers those laws alone cannot prevent loss of property and/or life.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), human error remains the leading cause of boating accidents.
“Learn the rules, your responsibilities and how to safely operate your power, sail or human-propelled vessel,” the USCG advises.
Keeping a sharp eye out while operating a boat is one key to a safe day on the water.
For additional life-saving tips, required safety equipment as well as a complete list of boating laws go to uscgboating.org and myfwc.com.
Contact Chronicle Photo Editor Matthew Beck at 352-564-2919 or mbeck@chronicleonline.com.
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Florida Housing Finance Corporation
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Governor Ron DeSantis Announces Florida Housing Approval of Additional $45 Million Coronavirus Relief Funds for COVID-19 Affected Households
Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that the Board of Directors for the Florida Housing Finance Corporation (Florida Housing) approved the remaining $45 million of the $120 million to local governments to assist Floridians impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with rental and mortgage assistance.
Through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), additional funds were previously approved to assist tenants living at multifamily and special needs developments in Florida Housing’s rental housing portfolio.
“We strongly encourage Florida families who have been affected by this pandemic and need rental or mortgage assistance to reach out to housing offices within their local governments for more information on how they might receive assistance,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “As we continue to implement additional funding resources, our work with Florida Housing aims to alleviate some of the stress we know individuals are facing as a result of COVID-19.”
“We are thrilled to offer these programs that will be able to assist Floridians,” said Trey Price, Executive Director of Florida Housing Finance Corporation. “We hope property owners and local governments will use these resources to ensure all Florida residents can remain in their homes, especially during this difficult time.”
Coronavirus Relief Fund updates are as follows:
Strategy 1- $120 Million for Rental Assistance for Tenants in Florida Housing’s Portfolio
- To date, a total of 548 affordable multifamily rental housing developments in Florida Housing’s portfolio have responded to the Invitation to Participate in the program.
- Property owners and managers indicate with this funding they will be able to provide assistance to over 10,000 rental households in Florida.
Strategy 2- $120 Million for Rental and Mortgage Assistance for Homeowners and Renters
- Since the announcement of this program, more than 80 percent of all local government entities have signed their funding agreements and begun the process of providing rental and mortgage assistance for individuals and families impacted by the pandemic in Florida.
- Within funding guidelines, participating local governments have the ability to prioritize how the resource will be utilized in their communities.
Strategy 3- $2 Million for Operations Assistance for Housing that Serves Persons with Special Needs or Homeless Households
- 33 special needs developments (representing 2,191 units) in Florida Housing’s portfolio responded to the Invitation to Participate in the program.
- Financial assistance will be provided to these developments to assist them with coronavirus related expenses including extra staffing and cleaning services and supplies that will help keep their residents with special needs healthy during the pandemic.
- Agreements have been sent out to the eligible developments.
In June, Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida Housing first announced the $250 million to assist Floridians impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with rental and mortgage assistance. Impacted homeowners and renters can still apply for funding assistance through their local government housing office.
For more information on the program, please click here. The toll-free Coronavirus Relief Fund for Impacted Homeowners and Renters Information Line is available from 9 am - 7 pm for those who would like to speak directly with a representative: 1-888-362-7885.
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Marketing Campaign Urges In-State Travel News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE --- Florida’s tourism-marketing agency wants Floridians to become in-state travelers as the crucial hospitality industry tries to rebound amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Visit Florida on Wednesday launched its first ad campaign since the pandemic hit in March, pitching Floridians on first exploring the state before they make other travel plans. The roughly $13 million campaign will last at least through December.
“In-state travel is an important first step in our long-term recovery plan,” Visit Florida President and CEO Dana Young said during a news conference at The Daytona, Autograph Collection, a boutique hotel in Daytona Beach.
“And we are going to be moving very soon into a domestic U.S. campaign at the right time to start bringing people from around the country back to Florida,” Young continued. “Our message is very clear: We have rebounded from crises before. And we will rebound from COVID-19.”
The state saw tourism numbers crash more than 60 percent in the second quarter of the year from the same period in 2019, ending a decade of year-after-year growth of travelers to Florida.
The marketing focus on Floridians, which will be done online, through billboards and in traditional TV ads, is based on data that show people are more comfortable traveling closer to home.
“And right now, they're feeling more comfortable driving,” said Young, whose agency again had to fend off an attempt this year by House leaders to abolish it.
“We often hear people … say that travelers know about our beaches, they know our theme parks. So, why do we have to spend money to advertise them?” Young said. “I’ll tell you why. First, because advertising works. If it didn't work, large sophisticated corporations wouldn’t do it. And second, and more importantly, is that Florida is more than just beaches and theme parks. We are a diverse, amazing, unique state. And our job at Visit Florida is to tell the story of the whole Florida to the entire world.”
Money for the ads was held over from the spring, when the virus halted the agency’s marketing efforts. The campaign is scheduled to expand in late September, with 12 local tourism agencies partnering in the effort.
The pandemic has put more than 1.2 million Floridians out of work, and estimates are that around 550,000 of those people are tied to the hospitality and leisure fields.
Gov. Ron DeSantis, also at Wednesday’s news conference, called the campaign an “invaluable tool” to show people “Florida is back.”
“I know a lot of people want to come here,” DeSantis said. “And so, we really believe that this campaign will help reinvigorate those jobs and contribute to these communities even more.”
DeSantis has been pushing since May 4 to revive the economy, though the effort ran into problems in late June when COVID-19 cases and deaths surged.
Last week, DeSantis backed major theme parks in the state increasing their capacity, as attendance is down more than 80 percent from previous years.
DeSantis reasserted Wednesday that theme parks haven’t been a source of mass COVID-19 outbreaks and that beaches are fine for people to go out and exercise. He also has traveled the state recently touting improved COVID-19 statistics.
“We’ve declined now in hospitalized COVID patients by over 60 percent since the third week of July,” DeSantis said. “We're down 55 percent in terms of COVID-positive patients that are hospitalized in the ICU (intensive care unit). And the number of individuals who go to the emergency department with COVID-like illnesses has declined by more than 75 percent since the peak, the seventh of July. And so those are really strong indicators it's not just confined to one part of the state.”
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Helping Survivors of Hurricane Laura
One of the best ways that individuals can help those affected by Hurricane Laura is by donating monetarily. During disasters, cash can be transported instantly and can be used to purchase essential supplies that are needed for both response and recovery activities.
For more information about where to donate or how to affiliate with a volunteer organization, we recommend reaching out to Louisiana and Texas’ state service commissions. Similar to Volunteer Florida, Volunteer Louisiana and One Star Foundation in Texas coordinate volunteers and donations before, during and after disaster.
For more information, please visit www.volunteerlouisiana.gov and www.onestarfoundation.org.
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Department of Juvenile Justice
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Department of The Lottery
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Florida Department of Citrus
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Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
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