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Florida's COVID positive test rate continues to move in the right direction - now at 7.1%
Election Day went off without a problem - Congratulations to Secretary Lee and everyone at the Department of State
Congratulations to all who won last night. Putting your name before the voters is not easy. Win or lose, I thank you for your willingness to enter the arena
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ORLANDO, Fla. - Florida's COVID-19 numbers have been in decline, and experts are hopeful the trend will continue.
The number of COVID-19 cases in the state has been declining. On Monday, Florida reported the lowest number of new daily cases since June.
Rebel Cole, of Florida Atlantic University, has been reviewing the numbers.
Cole says a decline in COVID-19 cases, the positivity rate and emergency department visits related to the virus are all good signs.
"We are on the downhill path to getting to a new normal," Cole said. "It looks like all those measures show that we peaked around July 20 and have been declining for over four weeks."
In a new conference on Monday, Gov. Ron DeSantis said the decline of COVID-19-related emergency room visits is a good indicator that the curve will continue to flatten in the state.
"We have trends in Florida that have been trending in the right direction for many weeks now," Gov. DeSantis said. "If people are showing up in higher numbers, that’s more of a prevalence. When they’re showing up in much lower numbers, that’s a sign the prevalence is abated."
Cole said that based on the numbers he believes the trend will continue to go down.
"Florida is moving out of the COVID spotlight. We’re no longer going to be called the epicenter," Cole said.
What Professionals Are Seeing: “Initially, as the pandemic heightened, we saw an uptick in mental health concerns, including, as you would imagine, significant increases in anxiety and depression. And with the school year finishing virtually, and especially with our younger school-aged kids, we have been able to observe a significant increase in frustration at not being able to see their friends, frustrations and anxiety related to school. And then interestingly, as some kids have returned to camps and to some type of day-care situation as the state has opened back up, we have started to see an increase in anxiety related to those sites not always being able to follow the physical distancing and masking requirements that our kids have been hearing so much about.”
What Parents Can Do: “Look for any changes in behavior: Getting more irritable, more withdrawn, spending more time in their room, not talking to their parents, not getting out and about or not enjoying previously enjoyed activities. We’ve seen a couple of different things that we really want parents monitoring closely — one of those is social media usage and the content of that social media — and the second is really monitoring drug and alcohol use closely. It’s something that we didn’t talk as much about at the beginning, but we are starting to see increases in drug use and alcohol use. Part of it is they’re at home and we are maybe more likely to experiment with some things because we just don’t have the activities and other opportunities keeping us busy. Also, it’s a coping skill — a negative coping skill — but a coping skill. Parents should also monitor their own emotions and show healthy and positive coping strategies, so we can show our kids resiliency and show them that they’re safe.”
Moving to Telehealth: “One of the great things we’ve been able to do for our families who have needs is transition to telehealth. We’re learning a lot about tele-mental health. We are learning that it doesn't work for everyone, but it can be a great opportunity to provide care and to be able to reduce a barrier to access to mental health by the family not having to travel to come in and still having us in the home where we can see and experience what the child and family are experiencing. It allows for parents to worry less about having to maybe leave work or get their kid out of school. Certainly there are some barriers still in terms of internet connectivity that we want to be thoughtful about. And, also, I want to make sure to mention if there are concerns of self-harm or cutting or any suicidal thoughts then that's something that we really want to continue to see in person.”
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (August 17, 2020) - The Southeastern Conference today announced the new football schedules for all 14 SEC schools for the 2020 season.
Last month, the SEC established September 26 as the new kickoff for its 2020 football season to allow its universities to focus on the healthy return of their campus communities and the gradual re-introduction of athletics, as the 14 members of the SEC continue to monitor developments related to COVID-19.
The 2020 SEC football season is comprised of a 10-game Conference-only schedule and the SEC Football Championship Game will be played December 19 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, rescheduled from the original date of December 5. The schedule includes one mid-season open date for each school and an open date on December 12 for all schools.
Each SEC team will play 10 conference football games to include six games against division opponents and four games against non-division opponents.
The season is scheduled to begin on September 26 and will culminate with the SEC Championship Game. It will be the 29thedition of the game and the 27thin the city of Atlanta.
The complete list of 2020 football schedules can be found on the SEC's official website, SECsports.com.
My son, now 11 years old, was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder when he was three. Since then, he has been in intensive behavioral intervention treatment almost continuously until the coronavirus lockdown closed our city in March.
His treatment is two-pronged: at-home therapy focused on everyday functioning (paid through private insurance) and an individualized education program at his school to target academics and socialization. He receives speech and occupational therapy services as a part of his IEP, then additional speech therapy at home.
Because autistic kids tend to self-isolate, behavioral therapies for autism focus on teaching them to not be socially distant but to sit next to their peers, participate in games to the best of their ability, and converse with others. As a parent, I feel this is the most important set of skills he needs to acquire. I was, therefore, pleased to see that in a school setting, my son met the goals set for him in these areas.
So, in spite of his tangible shortcomings, my son is fascinated with other people and enjoys human interaction. The ability to form good relationships with others will be the key to fulfilling life regardless of his level of functioning.
Unfortunately, after school went online, many opportunities for socialization ceased to be. While at times gatherings outside our immediate family have gone against the county’s regulations, we continue meeting with some of his friends. Unfortunately, he is missing out on professional therapy during such gatherings.
My son is starved for social interaction. When we see other kids walking down the street, he screams “People!” and sometimes motions towards them. This usually causes a commotion, not because my child is a threat, but because our neighbors have been conditioned to feel that a naked human face in their vicinity means they are going to catch COVID-19.
It doesn’t help that my son never wears the mask properly: he fidgets with it and pulls it under his nose. He also has a self-stimulating behavior called throat clearing. Like other self-stimulating behaviors common to people with developmental disabilities, it’s a repetitive motion and sound that happens when the sensory balance is out of order — extra motions are necessary to keep individuals with special needs content. My son has always been getting looks, but now he’s getting looks as if he’s about to kill someone.
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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 8/14/2020
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18.28%
% of ICU Beds Available Statewide
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40.65% % of Pediatric ICU Beds Available Statewide
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22.98% % of Available Hospital Beds Statewide
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An Amazing Story - Please Check it Out
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Download any of these social media graphics below for your personal, business, or agency use.
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With all that's happened in 2020, it's hard to believe that we're already in back-to-school season, but our students are returning to clases in the coming days.
Throughout my career, I have been a lifelong fighter to end the school-to-prison pipeline. This advocacy stemmed not just from my desire to life up my community, but from my personal life experience.
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Department of Children and Families
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Well-Being Ambassadors Join the Effort to Build a Healthy Workforce
This year, DCF has officially implemented the new Office of Well-Being to equip, educate, and empower our workforce to achieve sustainable personal wellness. To help implement wellness throughout the state, the Office of Well-Being has started the Well-Being Ambassador program. These Ambassadors consist of employees throughout the agency who have volunteered to promote engagement in workplace well-being initiatives and foster a healthy, inclusive, and engaging culture of well-being. DCF is excited to announce that more than 300 employees (and counting) have volunteered to serve as Well-Being Ambassadors and help accomplish the agency-wide mission of promoting a healthy and resilient workforce that thrives both on and off the job! “My job requires SERIOUS self-care. I love the idea of the new Office of Well-Being as an easily accessible source for positive thoughts, habits and actions I can use. I look forward to passing along ideas and adding any level of positive self-care, laughter and healthy habits I can to my teammates.” – Suzanne Ryan, Child Protective Investigator, Charlotte County.
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Department of Emergency Management
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Protective barriers give St. Augustine sewage plant new hurricane strategy at low cost
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla — St. Augustine’s wastewater treatment plant has a brand-new hurricane protection system that the facility’s director says brings “a lot of peace of mind.”
After hurricanes Matthew and Irma, in 2016 and 2017 respectively, Stephen Curmode told First Coast News in an interview Monday that discussions intensified about coming up with an improved strategy. When Matthew devastated the nation’s oldest city, the treatment plant itself wasn’t compromised but several of the lift stations – facilities that assist in the gravitational flow of sewage effluence to the plant – were.
At only a few feet above mean sea level, Curmode said the plant, which serves all of St. Augustine and some addresses outside city limits, is becoming ever more vulnerable.
“We’re going to see more and more,” he said of serious storms. Curmode, who previously ran similar operations in Fort Lauderdale, said Irma was the 52nd named storm of his career.
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Pasco schools, health department create first of its kind 'COVID Command Center'
Next Monday, more than half of Pasco County’s nearly 75,000 students are expected to head back to the district’s 96 schools.
Keeping track of all of those students, teachers and other staff members will be a huge job, especially when it comes to contact tracing if and when people start getting sick.
To coordinate the massive effort, Pasco schools are creating a first of its kind "COVID Command Center" with the Florida Department of Health.
“We’re doing something kind of novel,” Assistant Superintendent Ray Gadd said. “I don’t think any other school district has done it.”
Eleven members of the county health department will work side-by-side with school district staff in a building directly behind the main district office.
“We’re going to have our COVID team their COVID team working together in our buildings with a universal number,” Gadd said.
The command center will be equipped with a health department hotline so school employees and parents can make immediate contact at the first sign of anyone getting sick.
"This way if we have a problem in our schools, we will actually be sitting with the health department so that we can make sure there’s no communication breakdowns," Gadd said.
The whole idea is quick communication and rapid response so any COVID cases can be isolated before they have a chance to further spread.
Florida’s COVID-19 positivity rate is in the single digits for seventh straight day
Fewer than 10% of people tested for COVID-19 received positive results over the past week, according to state health officials.
On Monday, 7.9% of the results came back positive.
Since the pandemic’s peak in mid-July, Florida has seen outbreaks improving across the state. Emergency department visits have declined, the statewide hospital census has declined and new cases have fallen to levels not seen since June.
At the height of the pandemic, one report charted an 18.4% positivity rate and another one tallied 15,300 new cases in Florida.
Tuesday’s report brought 3,838 new diagnoses. Overall, 579,932 individuals, including 6,121 non-Florida residents, have tested positive in the state.
The new cases cover residents and non-residents confirmed positive Monday morning to Tuesday morning. For all-day Monday, the state diagnosed 3,922 positive residents, with a median age of 43.
Together with the depressed positivity rate, officials received 56,884 test results. Through Tuesday morning, 4.3 million Floridians have been tested, as have 19,000 non-residents in the state.
Nearly 10,000 Floridians have died with COVID-19, and the state confirmed 219 deaths since Monday’s report. The daily death toll has plateaued with the seven-day average ranging from 155 to 181 this month. That metric, which helps eliminate the weekly ebb and flow of data, is 172 with Tuesday’s report.
But deaths are also a lagging indicator of the pandemic. Deaths can occur weeks after someone tests positive, and people testing positive were likely infected a week or more prior.
Of those 219 newly-confirmed deaths, 24 occurred outside the last 30 days and beyond the scope of the report’s timeline. Of those visible new fatalities, 31 occurred on Saturday.
Within the last 30 days, July 20 was the deadliest day when 184 Floridians died.
And while newly confirmed hospitalizations remain high — 501 in Tuesday’s report — hospitals are showing improving trends.
Overall, 34,695 people have been hospitalized. But the Agency for Health Care Administration reports 5,483 people are currently hospitalized with the disease, down 148 from 24 hours earlier.
Emergency department visits declined last week. The week of July 5 saw 6,255 emergency department visits with flu-like illnesses and 15,999 for illnesses like COVID-19. For the week of Aug. 9, those visits dropped to 2,187 and 4,835 respectively.
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Business shows cement Canada-Florida trade ties
Canada is one of Florida’s top trading partners, and the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement that took effect July 1 will continue to bring that relationship into the 21st century, said Susan Harper, Canada’s consul general in Miami. Multiple trade shows and events were planned to bolster that partnership this year, she continued, and many of these events will be moved online due to Covid. A press release from Enterprise Florida Inc., the state’s economic development arm, dubs Canada the state’s “most important economic partner overall,” and says it was Florida’s “second-largest global foreign investor, supporting 44,700 Florida jobs.” Even before the new agreement, Ms. Harper said, Canada and Florida fostered a strong trade relationship spanning diverse industries. For example, she said, one of South Florida’s largest exports to Canada is service. In fact, she continued, Canada is Florida’s number 1 source for international tourism.
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Agency for Persons with Disabilities
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A local company is creating mask-face shield combos to make the lives of children and those with disabilities easier.
Each of the mask-face shields hybrids are handcrafted in the Tyton Designs Bradenton warehouse of 301 blvd. Owner Ty Salvatore, is a parent of two little boys says he created masks comfortable for children for those who have advanced needs.
“I was born hearing impaired. I started focusing on what people are forgetting about and that’s people who have advanced needs. I know how important it is to have to see the educator’s mouth to hear or either to emulate what they’re doing and how they’re doing it,” explains Salvatore.
Eleonora Raso says these hybrid masks are perfect for her daughter, Victoria who has a learning disability.
“She’s special needs and having ADHD, everything makes her nervous. So, for her to look at the speech therapist while she talks, she has to look at her mouth,” says Raso
Salvatore says Pasco County School District bought his masks for their employees.
The school district confirms they bought over a thousand masks for their bus drivers.
Now Salvatore hopes his hybrid mask will make their way into Manatee County Schools. He says he sent masks to the school district to review for their use.
“Manatee County School District asked if we could send some samples and we did about a week and a half ago for their review and we have not heard back either yay or nay,” says Salvatore.
ABC 7 News has reached out to the Manatee County School District about the hybrid masks and have not heard back.
These mask-face shield hybrids are available for anyone to buy.
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Florida Department of Law Enforcement
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Florida’s See Something, Say Something tool kit updated for 20-21 school year Just in time for back to school, Florida’s “If You See Something, Say Something®” Campaign updated its school online tool kit with new school safety resources including preventing school violence, emergency operations planning for schools, reducing vulnerabilities to cyberattacks and best practices for children online. Also included is a link to download the FortifyFL App. It’s an easy resource for school safety information whether you’re a parent, teacher or school administrator. Florida launched the state’s “If You See Something, Say Something®” campaign in 2011 to engage citizens, tourists and local communities in safeguarding our state. In 2016, an online tool kit was developed to be a one-stop resource for businesses, citizens and schools to find a variety of timely safety information. For more information, visit the “If You See Something, Say Something®” tool kit.
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Department of The Lottery
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St. Petersburg man wins $2M top prize from scratch-off ticket WTSP August 18, 2020 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A St. Petersburg man is close to $2 million richer thanks to a $10 scratch-off lottery ticket. Luka Vidakovic, 28 of St. Petersburg, claimed the $2 million top prize from the CASHWORD scratch-off game. He chose to get his winnings as a one-time lumps sum payment of $1,475,000. Vidakovic bought the winning ticket from the Winn Dixie located at 1049 62nd Ave. The store will get a $4,00 bonus commission for selling the winning ticket. During COVID-19, Florida Lottery Headquarters and district offices are closed until further notice. If you have a winning ticket, you can drop them off securely at a drop box located at each district office or mail tickets to Florida Lottery Headquarters or your nearest district office. All claim deadlines have been extended, Florida Lottery says. For more information click here.
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Florida Department of Veterans Affairs
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Benefits Guide Available for Veterans A COVID-19 edition of the annual Florida Veterans’ Benefits Guide is now available both online and in print form. The 32-page full color guide helps connect Florida’s veterans and their families with earned federal and state benefits, services and support. It also contains useful phone numbers and website addresses for additional information. The 2020 edition is produced by the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs and published via grant by the Florida Veterans Foundation. To view the online version or order a printed copy to be mailed to you at no cost, visit http://floridavets.org/resources/va-benefits-guide/
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Florida Department of Economic Opportunity
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The full economic toll from coronavirus is starting to come into view — but so is the recovery, assuming the pandemic abates. According to a new report from the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Economic Forecasting, Florida’s economy is expected to contract by 6% year-on-year in 2020 — but will bounce back with growth of 7.6% in 2021.
By comparison, the Conference Board, the nonprofit group of economists that calls U.S. recessions, predicts 4.9 percent contraction for the American economy in 2020 and a 2% growth recovery in 2021.
“If the Sunshine State can avoid more shutdowns, it will be on track to a fast recovery while outpacing much of the nation in job growth and income growth,” the Institute said in the report.
That outlook assumes the state avoids further shutdowns, which report author and Institute director Sean Snaith estimates left more than one million Floridians out of work. Snaith says that it may take until 2023 before Florida approaches full employment; other reports have also set that year as the likely date when key components of the state’s economy will have fully recovered.
The Central Florida Institute now forecasts annualized statewide unemployment rates of 8.2% for 2020, 5.5% for 2021, and 3.6% for 2022. Leading the jobs recovery will be the leisure and hospitality sector, which is expected to grow 31% in 2021 after contracting 8.6% in 2020. According to travel data group STR, statewide hotel occupancy was 43.3% in June — well below the 74.2% seen this time last year. And real estate loan tracking group Trepp puts the percentage of hotel loans that are 30 or more days delinquent at 23.4 percent as of last month — the highest percentage on record.
Florida retail jobs are also predicted to snap back by 10% in 2021 after declining 6.1% in 2020. That forecast comes as numerous regional and national retail chains, including Stein Mart, Lord & Taylor, Brooks Brothers, and J.C. Penney, have filed for bankruptcy amid the pandemic.
For Miami-Dade, the recovery will be led by professional and business services employment, which is expected to average 3.7% growth in 2023, followed by education and health services at 2.9%. Manufacturing is forecast to decline 2.8%.
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Florida's tourism industry sees improvement in early August Orlando Business Journal August 18, 2020
Florida's travel industry began August with travel spending improving slightly compared to several weeks prior, which were devastated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Specifically, travel spending in the state hit $1.127 billion for the week of Aug. 8, said a study by Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics Company, the U.S. Travel Association and others.
Although it's down $993 million from the same period last year, it's up from a weekly $1 billion-plus loss for the previous seven weeks dating back to June 20.
National travel spending also improved the week of Aug. 8 despite the ongoing pandemic, up from 49% from two weeks prior, although it was just 54% of the spending during the same time in 2019.
Other market trends such as the average hotel occupancy rate appear to support the study. For example, Orlando had a 30.3% average hotel occupancy rate in late July, up from the 12.3% all-time low early on in the pandemic, but below the typical 70% or more the region typically sees during the summer.
That shows that more tourists were visiting the region in the recent weeks since the pandemic first hit the area. That's likely thanks to Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort and SeaWorld Orlando reopening in June and July.
The upcoming Labor Day holiday is showing hotel bookings up 10%-15% compared to July 4 holiday bookings, according to a Visit Orlando tourism bureau update given during Orange County's Aug. 11 commission meeting. The exact figures change daily, but show the outlook for that weekend and the fall season is improving in "a slow and steady manner," said Visit Orlando CEO George Aguel, during the presentation. Orlando's $75 billion travel industry employs hundreds of thousands of local direct and indirect workers.
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Florida Department of Corrections
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FDC Correctional Programs Administrator Lisa Kinard Nationally Recognized Peyton Tuthill Award - Interstate Compact for Adult Offender Supervision
We are pleased to announce the Florida Department of Correction’s lead victim advocate Lisa Kinard has won the Peyton Tuthill Award, a national award given to an individual who consistently displays exceptional leadership and service to victims.
Correctional Programs Administrator Ms. Kinard has worked tirelessly to provide service to victims for more than 34 years. From ensuring accurate and proper confidential markings of records, to helping keep victims informed of offenders status, she continuously addresses any safety concerns from victims.
Ms. Kinard has expanded the Victim Services staff by applying for and receiving a new grant-funded position that provides previously unmet services to victims. She is the victim contact for capital punishment cases and stands by the side of victims at the time of the final fulfillment of the sentence. She ensures the victims are properly represented and assists in providing them with an anchor during the process. Ms. Kinard recently assisted with the expansion of VINE, a service offered to keep victims notified regarding the individuals involved in their case. She has also assisted with the development of new policies and processes to streamline the notification method that provides victims with accurate information as timely as possible for emergency releases and other urgent related inmate notifications. In 2019, Kinard assisted in the development of processes for Florida’s implementation of Amendment 6, in order to ensure that the Florida Department of Corrections provided for the rights outlined in Marsy’s Law to each victim.
Ms. Kinard is passionate about the work she does and the rights and safety of victims. She has been an advocate about matters not only on a statewide basis but also on a national scale. Ms. Kinard has provided valuable input at National Conferences and has worked with Pat Tuthill herself. For all these exceptional acts and so much more, Ms. Lisa Kinard is deserving of this recognition.
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Florida Housing Finance Corpration
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WJHG August 17 PANAMA CITY, Fla. (PRESS RELEASE) - Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the relaunch of the Hurricane Michael Recovery Loan Program to assist those who were impacted by the Category 5 hurricane in 2018. Administered by the Florida Housing Finance Corporation (Florida Housing), the homeownership program will provide $10 million in down payment assistance (DPA) to Floridians in the following impacted counties: Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Liberty, Taylor, Wakulla and Washington. “This $10 million will help over 660 families purchase homes,” said Governor DeSantis. “I was proud to support this program last legislative session and pleased it was included in the state budget I signed in June. I’d like to thank our Northwest Florida legislative delegation for their efforts in getting this critical funding across the finish line for their constituents.”
“Florida Housing thanks Governor DeSantis and the legislature for providing these important housing resources,” said Florida Housing Finance Corporation Executive Director Trey Price. “We were very successful in allocating $5 million for down payment assistance here in 2019 for more than 335 households and are thrilled to see this relaunch effort to assist the area again.”
“It is an honor to work alongside Governor DeSantis, my colleagues in the Legislature and the Florida Housing Finance Corporation to provide safe, quality affordable housing for the people of Northwest Florida,” said Senator George Gainer. “These homeownership and down payment assistance programs will further assist in the rebuilding of these Panhandle communities, and we will continue to utilize available resources to ensure these areas fully recover. This is one of the many reminders that we have not been forgotten here in the panhandle and we deeply appreciate Governor DeSantis for his commitment that he has delivered.” “It is an honor to fight for much-needed relief for Northwest Florida in the legislature,” said Representative Jay Trumbull. “I would like to thank Governor DeSantis for his steadfast support of our community. Witnessing the success of this project last year, I’m proud to stand here today announcing additional housing funds for individuals and households in my district. This timely appropriation will help our community rebuild after Hurricane Michael and continue to push us to greater prosperity.”
“As a long-time supporter of affordable housing for rural communities, I am happy to see and be a part of the continued recovery efforts for Florida families in the Panhandle that were impacted by Hurricane Michael,” said Representative Brad Drake. “Working closely alongside Chairman Trumbull this past legislative session, we were able to secure funding and resources to the affected areas. We thank Governor DeSantis for his steadfast support of Northwest Florida.”
Following Hurricane Michael FEMA determined about 70% of Bay County residents were renters while just 30% were homeowners. Since then, local leaders have been working to change those numbers. “This is one of the ways to flip that- is to make money available for people to vest themselves in the community and buy and stay,” said Panama City mayor, Greg Brudnicki.
Jimmy Patronis, the state’s Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal, said “So reinstituting this program again, doubling the money, so now we’re already helped over 350 families. Now there’ll be over 600 families that will then have a reason why to stay in northwest Florida.”
Expected to launch September 1, the Hurricane Michael Recovery Loan Program will offer below market 30-year fixed rate first mortgages coupled with up to $15,000 in down payment (DPA) and closing cost assistance for qualified homebuyers. DPA loans will be zero percent interest, non-amortizing and forgivable at 20 percent per year over five years. The DPA loan is fully forgivable if an active duty serviceperson is officially reassigned and must sell the home.
Additionally, those eligible do not have to be a first-time homebuyer to qualify for this program, though the home must be owner-occupied. Interested homebuyers should contact one of Florida Housing’s Participating Lenders to start the process. This information can be found in the Homebuyer Loan Wizard on Florida Housing’s website at www.floridahousing.org.
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Volunteer Florida’s AmeriCorps programs make a difference in the Sunshine State. When Miami-Dade County closed its schools in March due to COVID-19, Branches responded within 24 hours, providing meals and virtual mentoring to students and families. This program year, Volunteer Florida is proud to support Branches and 35 other AmeriCorps programs. Together, these programs will recruit and manage 1,497 AmeriCorps members who will serve in 32 counties statewide.
For more information,see our video : https://vf.egnyte.com/dl/oaFIOT6pjp/
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Department of Business and Professional Regulation
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DBPR offers online testing alternative for professional license exams
The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation announced Tuesday it has partnered with Pearson Vue to provide an online alternative for professional license exams.
“With these online examination options, we will help more licensure candidates move forward with scheduling examinations and completing the licensure process, regardless of recent seating and spacing limitations that have been necessary to maintain safe testing environments,” said DBPR Secretary Halsey Beshears. “These options are more than just a new choice of format – the capacity and convenience enabled through online testing will give hardworking Floridians the opportunity to get started in their occupations sooner, by a matter of months in some cases.” The online exams, which will be monitored in live time by a proctor, will be offered on a rolling schedule through Aug. 22 for the following professional license examinations:
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Bradenton Herald August 15, 2020
Samantha has been working as an assistant supervisor at a local fast-food chain for nearly six years, during which she’s been promoted multiple times and is now making $12.50/hour with benefits. She decided to go back to school, but dropped out after having her son so she could focus on work and provide for her family.
Stories like Samantha’s are all too common in today’s job market. According to the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constraint, Employed) report provided by United Way Suncoast, 44% of Manatee County households live below the survival budget of $45,984 (family of 4) or $30,152 as a single mother of one. The ALICE report highlights the real challenges facing families looking to improve their education so they can move into better wage careers. That is why communities including Manatee County have been prioritizing the importance of apprenticeships.
Apprenticeships have been around for centuries and is the original “earn and learn” model, providing individuals with an opportunity to earn a decent living while they are learning the skills to advance in a specific industry. The average apprentice earns a starting wage of $15/hour and increases to an average of $33.65/hour at the end of a four-year apprenticeship program.
Apprenticeships exist in industries such as healthcare, information technology, and manufacturing and provide jobseekers with a clear pathway to upward economic mobility. At CareerSource Suncoast, apprenticeships are a top priority as we know it will provide opportunities for individuals to find career success by being given an opportunity to earn a living while receiving the skills to increase their wages.
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Department of Juvenile Justice
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Collaboration Through COVID: Serving Together Through a Global Pandemic Florida Council on Crime and Delinquency-The Councilor Summer 2020
A few short months ago, no one could have imagined just how much the world around us would change. While we began to learn more and prepare for the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), the great shift that would impact almost every aspect of our lives was something that could not have been predicted.
Even through a global pandemic, it is impossible for the criminal and juvenile justice systems to shut down completely. These systems, and the dedicated professionals that serve in them, would need to adapt quickly. At the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, our first priority was to keep the youth in our programs and the staff who care for them safe from this encroaching and unpredictable virus. We immediately began to modify our procedures and institute new ones to ensure that we were doing all we could to keep COVID-19 out of facilities, while doing our part to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the community. Our facilities instituted pandemic plans in keeping with CDC guidelines, which included protocols on social distancing, group size limits, and how to handle a youth or staff that tests positive for COVID-19. Both staff and youth are utilizing personal protective equipment inside DJJ facilities and staff are screened daily prior to their shift, including answering screening questions and temperature checks. Youth are also screened before entering a juvenile detention center or if they are admitted to a residential commitment program. To minimize further community spread, youth who are released from a facility that has had any known staff or youth who have tested positive within the previous 20 days are tested for COVID-19. Our strategy in fighting against the virus had to be flexible due to the everchanging nature of this public health emergency.
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Florida Department of Elder Affairs
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Police dogs follow noses to solve crime
The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office police dogs do everything you’d expect of a K-9 unit: sniff out drugs, go after suspects and find explosives. But one of their talents has nothing to do with fighting crime. Sumter County has the nation’s oldest population with a median age of 68.1 years. With a more mature population comes an increase in residents with various forms of dementia who sometimes wander from their homes. According to a 2018 Florida Department of Elder Affairs report, 12% of Sumter County residents over the age of 64 have Alzheimer’s disease, and the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office is on the cutting edge of finding wandering people. When someone with any type of dementia wanders off, the department’s K-9 unit, specifically its bloodhound, can be called in. Sumter is one of three counties in the state — along with Seminole and Bay — that are part of Florida’s Bringing the Lost Home project.
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Department of Management Services
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Mobile COVID-19 testing will be available in Bay County this week
A mobile COVID-19 testing bus sponsored by the state will be coming to Bay County on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Youngstown-Fountain Recreational Complex.
A temporary walk-up site for the bus will be open on Tuesday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and on Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., while supplies last. The bus will have enough supplies to test 200 people per day, according to a news release.
Anyone who wants to be tested must bring a photo ID, insurance card—although insurance is not required—and a pen. Test swabs from the nose and throat will be taken.
The mobile testing bus is sponsored by the Florida Department of Management Services.
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Department of Enviromental Protection
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As the state responds to COVID-19, DEP continues to evolve agency efforts to prioritize safety of the public and our staff. Transitioning many public meetings to virtual platforms while still providing opportunity for public comment and transparent deliberations are a major priority for the State of Florida. As one example, DEP's Office of Environmental Accountability and Transparency (OEAT) recently facilitated the Blue- Green Algae Task Force’s seventh meeting since being organized by Governor DeSantis. The meeting was virtual and facilitated by Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Frazer, with technical assistance provided by the South Florida Water Management District office (SFWMD). Topics discussed included a presentation on cyanotoxin advisory standards from DEP’s David Whiting, an update on blue-green algae research projects from the Florida Department of Health and a roundtable discussion on the effectiveness and role of blue-green algae public advisory signage.
To view the Blue-Green Algae Task Force meeting, use the following links for Part 1 and Part 2.
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Department of Transportation
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SpaceX successfully launches Falcon 9 Starlink-10 launch Source PensacolaNewsJournal.com
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. (WESH/WFLA) — SpaceX successfully launched a rocket Tuesday morning from the Kennedy Space Center. It’s the SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink-10. SpaceX launched the 11th mission of the constellation of networked satellites known as Starlink. The goal of Starlink is to create a network that will help provide internet services to those who are not yet connected and to provide reliable and affordable internet across the globe, according to the Kennedy Space Center website. Riding along with Starlink satellites payload on this mission are three SkySat Earth-imaging satellites for Planet.
Four international airlines return to Miami International Airport Source Miami Today
Miami International Airport (MIA) welcomed back four airlines serving international routes this month. More will come as international travel restrictions ease, spokesman Greg Chin said. Mexican carrier Volaris on Aug. 2 started two weekly flights from Guadalajara. The next day, Air Europa resumed weekly service from Madrid. On Aug. 4, Swiss Air Lines began two weekly flights from Zurich. And on Tuesday, Virgin Atlantic began flying thrice weekly to London. Next up is Aerolíneas Argentina, which should begin three weekly flights to Buenos Aires Sept. 3, six or so months after pausing here, Mr. Chin told Miami Today. Also in September, Panama’s Copa Airlines will resume service at MIA after five months away. The carrier is now flying citizens back to their home country, Mr. Chin said.
Copa next month plans to again fly, with stopovers in Panama City, from Miami to San Jose, Costa Rica; Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic; Quito and Guayaquil, Ecuador; Sao Paolo, Brazil; and Santiago de Chile, Chile. The returning airlines will join 13 that either never stopped servicing MIA or came back since the pandemic began. American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Air Lines, United Airlines and LATAM Airlines flew nonstop. Aeromexico, British Airways, Caribbean Airlines, Eastern Airlines, Iberia, Lufthansa, TAP Air Portugal and Turkish Airlines returned later. MIA before April hosted 61 passenger and 40 cargo carriers, Mr. Chin confirmed. Daily passenger flows at MIA nearly quintupled between April and July, from 6,000 to 28,000 – or 868,000 total in July, a 78% dip from the year prior.
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