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Positivity rate has been below 6% for 7 straight days and below 10% for 3 weeks
Available ICU and hospital bed capacity continues to increase
Yesterday at a Press Conference in Broward County, Governor Ron DeSantis was joined by a bi-partisan group of leaders representing the South Florida, Caribbean-American and African-American communities to stand with Judge Renatha Francis.
Work search requirements have been waived for reemployment assistance and SNAP & TANF benefits
Earlier this week, Governor DeSantis vetoed SB 810, “The Use of Tobacco Products and Nicotine Products." As stated by the Governor in his transmittal letter, “Reducing the use of all nicotine-related products, including vaping, among our youth is an important goal, but this will not be achieved by eliminating legal products for adults and by devastating the small businesses who provide these adults with reduced risk alternatives to cigarettes.”
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South Florida Sun Sentinel
An indignant Gov. Ron DeSantis rallied support for his controversial pick for the Florida Supreme Court as he portrayed himself as a champion of women, immigrants and Black citizens — and sought to drive a political wedge into a vital component of the Democratic Party.
The Republican governor was joined by some of Broward’s most prominent Black elected officials — including county Mayor Dale Holness, Lauderdale Lakes Mayor Hazelle Rogers and Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam, all Democrats.
The immediate issue is DeSantis' appointment of Renatha Francis, currently a circuit court judge in Palm Beach County, to fill a vacancy on the Florida Supreme Court....
Florida's Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, an ardent fan of President Donald Trump, may have outdone his hero by assembling a high court more conservative than the U.S. Supreme Court.
Luckily for DeSantis, the three most liberal members of the Florida Supreme Court retired just as he took office in January 2019, allowing him to install conservative replacements. Then Trump elevated two of them to the federal appellate court in Atlanta and created two new openings for DeSantis to fill....
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Vigorously Defends Pick for Supreme Court
ClickOrlando.com
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sternly criticized a Black Democratic lawmaker for challenging his pick of a Jamaican-American woman for the Supreme Court, saying Wednesday that if the representative wins her case, there will be no Black justices on the high court.
State Rep. Geraldine Thompson is challenging the selection of Judge Renatha Francis because she did not meet the constitutional requirement of being a Florida Bar member for at least 10 years. DeSantis knew that when she was appointed in May, but said Francis would not take her oath to sit on the Supreme Court until Sept. 24, when she'll meet the requirement....
A Defiant DeSantis Lashes out as Supreme Court Refuses to Reinstate His Selection
Miami Herald
Gov. Ron DeSantis declared his defiance against the Florida Supreme Court Wednesday, holding a press conference in Miramar to defend his appointment of Palm Beach County Judge Renatha Francis, who has been deemed unqualified by a unanimous court.
The court ruled on Aug. 27 that Francis is not qualified because she has not been a member of the Florida Bar for 10 years, a constitutional requirement, and concluded that the Governor violated the Constitution by attempting to prospectively appoint someone who was not eligible to hold the job. Francis will not have been a member of the Florida Bar for 10 years until Sept. 24 and only then is she eligible to serve on the state’s highest court. He appointed her on May 26....
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB)– This week, Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a measure that would have banned the sale of nearly all flavored electronic-cigarette products.
Attorney General Ashley Moody, as well as other health organizations pushed for the legislation to be passed in an effort to curb teen smoking rates.
“The United States and Florida Surgeon General have declared vaping to be an epidemic. As the attorney general and a mother, I will continue to advocate for legislation and in our courts to protect Florida’s children,” Moody said in a prepared statement.
Ultimately, Gov. DeSantis voted to veto the measure as he said that many Floridians utilize e-cigarettes to stop smoking, and not having them easily accessible may drive users to the black market. In addition, many vaping businesses would be impacted with the loss of business.
MIRAMAR, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference Wednesday at Miramar City Hall, at which time he announced that Judge Renatha Francis is expected to take her seat on Florida’s Supreme Court in two weeks....
Gov. Ron DeSantis has vetoed a bill that, among other things, would’ve banned the selling of flavored vaping cartridges.
That’s good news for Vape Road in St. Petersburg.
“If this hadn’t gotten vetoed, I would’ve been extremely worried about where profits are gonna come from,“ said Vape Road spokesman Tasso Nikolov....
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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 9/10/2020
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21.01%
% of ICU Beds Available Statewide
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36.12% % of Pediatric ICU Beds Available Statewide
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23.85% % of Available Hospital Beds Statewide
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Download or share any of these social media graphics or posts below for your personal, business, or agency use.
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Agency for Persons with Disabilities
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COVID-19 Testing Update By APD Director Barbara Palmer The Champion Newsletter
As you are aware, APD has issued Emergency Rule 65GER20-1, which requires all APD-licensed homes and APD-operated residential facilities to conduct Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing of their staff every two weeks. This measure is consistent with orders previously issued by the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) related to nursing homes and assisted living facilities. This action is being taken in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, quickly identify who has the disease, and ensure staff and residents receive the care needed...
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Department of Business and Professional Regulation
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Space Coast Restaurants use Quarantine Down Time to Make Improvements Inside and Out Florida Today
Long had David Swartz intended to make revisions, however subtle, in his restaurants, Coasters Pub & Biergarten (971 E. Eau Gallie Blvd., Melbourne) and Coasters Taphouse (5675 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach).
Then came the COVID-19 shutdown, and although Swartz had not planned to close for makeovers while in the midst of profitable times, in the pandemic he found the opportunity to upgrade and add safety features....
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Department of Children and Families
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Join DCF to Promote Child Abuse Reporting
While children were home from school during the COVID-19 pandemic, calls to the Florida Abuse Hotline dropped significantly. Despite the drop in calls, abuse is still occurring. Now that children are starting to go back to school, calls to the Abuse Hotline have begun to increase. However, we still need your help to prevent and report child abuse! Please join DCF to promote child abuse reporting by sharing social media posts and calling the Florida Abuse Hotline at 1-800-962-2873 if you know or suspect that child abuse is occurring. For more information regarding child abuse reporting, visit https://myflfamilies.com/service-programs/abuse-hotline/.
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Department of Economic Opportunity
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Department of Environmental Protection
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DEP Continues to Prioritize Public Input through Virtual Meetings
On Sept. 1, the Division of State Lands hosted a successful virtual Acquisition and Restoration Council (ARC) meeting with coverage on the Florida Channel. Staff walked the ARC members from Torreya State Park to Plank Road State Forest along the Gulf Power electric transmission easement. Additionally, updates to land management plans were approved for Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, John D. MacArthur Beach State Park and Bell Ridge Longleaf Wildlife Environmental Area (WEA). Plan amendments for Apalachicola River WEA, Box-R Wildlife Management Area and Charles H. Bronson State Forest were also approved. ARC also heard presentations on proposed Florida Forever boundary amendments to Apalachicola River and the Strategic Area Managed Area Lands List projects. More than 100 people attended the virtual meeting from all over the state. DEP’s Office of Resiliency and Coastal Protection's Coral Reef Conservation Program team, as well as partners from Florida Sea Grant and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, collaborated to plan and facilitate the Southeast Florida Coral Reef Initiative virtual meeting on Sept. 2-3. The team successfully hosted a virtual public meeting that tackled a series of challenging topics on coral conservation, stony coral tissue loss disease, water quality, communications, adaptive management and restoration. These meetings showcase DEP's continued commitment to public input despite the challenges presented by COVID-19.
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Department of Elder Affairs
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The Florida Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA) began distributing robotic pets in April of this year to help older adults combat social isolation, especially during COVID-19. DOEA’s initial distribution was 375 cats of dogs to individual older adults. To date, we have delivered over 6.5 times that number with over 2,450 animatronic pets delivered throughout Florida. “Our participation in this innovative program will help many older adults improve their daily mood and give them a greater sense of well-being because of the companionship provided by the interactive pets,” said DOEA Secretary Richard Prudom. Anyone can fill out an online application for a robotic pet on the homepage of DOEA at ElderAffairs.org.
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“He’s my baby,” she tells me over Zoom, holding up a puppy to the camera. “Huh, Lucky? Yes! Say hello!” Lucky barks at me. I laugh and say, “Who’s a good robot?” Lucky barks again, and the sound is convincing, as if it’s coming from a real dog. He’s got a tail that wags, eyes that open and close, and a head that turns to face you when you talk. Under his synthetic golden fur, he has sensors that respond to your touch and a heartbeat you can feel...
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PBC Virus Deaths Lowest Since July The Palm Beach Post
As long-shuttered Palm Beach County businesses on Tuesday finally reopened and retail shops and gyms began to welcome more customers, the growth of the number of new coronavirus cases and deaths continued at a slow pace, according to the Florida Department of Health. For the second day in a row, Florida reported fewer than 1,850 new cases, a trend not seen since early June. The 1,823 new cases means 650,092 people in the state have now been diagnosed with the highly contagious respiratory disease. The 19,052 additional cases reported in the past week is the lowest since the week ending June 19, when 18,777 new cases were tallied.
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Department of Transportation
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USDOT Announced Strategic Plan for America’s Freight System Transportation News Today U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao announced Thursday her U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) would release the first-ever National Freight Strategic Plan. The plan lays out a vision for long-term investments in infrastructure, the workforce, and other parts of the freight system, designed to strengthen the country’s economic competitiveness. “The Department is unveiling the first-ever National Freight Strategic Plan so that the U.S. can maintain our competitive edge across major industries like agriculture, manufacturing, energy production, and E-commerce,” said Chao. According to the USDOT, the U.S. transportation network moves nearly $52 billion worth of freight and energy products, roughly more than 51 million tons, via the country’s highways, railways, ports and inland waterways, pipelines, and airports. Recently, the increasing use of e-commerce and global supply chains has strained the freight system, the department said. Failure to incorporate innovative technologies and maintain infrastructure could threaten America’s competitiveness, the department said....
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Florida Department of Corrections
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ICYMI: FDC Partners with Leon County Sheriff’s Office to Increase Public Safety Virtual training for assessment tool will aid officers and reduce recidivism.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) partnered with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office for online training on FDC’s Spectrum Lite tool.
Spectrum is a risk and needs assessment system created by FDC to evaluate inmates and offenders under supervision. Assessments are used to create individualized case management plans with appropriate and intentional programming and interventions in an effort to rehabilitate inmates for the time when they return to society as productive citizens. Spectrum Lite is the mobile version of the Spectrum system made available by FDC to Florida correctional, judicial and re-entry agencies.
“Spectrum is a pivotal resource that provides valuable insight into an inmate’s criminal history, behavioral patterns and social environment. The insight gained from these assessments is beneficial because it defines key areas where each inmate can best be supported to make positive choices, improve their quality of life and achieve successful restoration to the community,” said FDC Secretary Mark Inch.
Data used for Spectrum Lite assessments comes from information in local databases, criminogenic domain questionnaires and interviews conducted by a correctional professional. Assessments generally focus on areas of adverse childhood experiences, substance use and other risk factors such as family, social awareness, employment and education. Shared use of Spectrum Lite allows FDC and partner agencies to strengthen interagency communication and provide a more streamlined continuity of care to inmates and offenders.
“The Leon County Sheriff’s Office is excited to collaborate with FDC and implement a tool that will expand officer resources and allow them to aid offenders based on individual need. Citizens become offenders under many different circumstances. So, a one size fits all approach isn’t ideal in the rehabilitative process. There’s value in understanding those in our care and providing the right kind of support - support that will make the difference between reoffending or becoming a law-abiding citizen,” said Sheriff Walt McNeil.
During the two-and-a-half-week training, LCSO corrections professionals learned to conduct comprehensive assessments on their offender populations, both incarcerated and those on community supervision. The LCSO plans to implement the Spectrum Lite tool in its county detention facilities over the next few weeks.
To learn more about Spectrum, click here.
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Florida Department of Law Enforcement
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Florida’s Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse Advisory Board will host its annual Florida Missing Children’s Day in Tallahassee on Monday, September 14, at 10 a.m. in a virtual ceremony to air on the Florida Channel at https://thefloridachannel.org/.
Who: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, First Lady Casey DeSantis and FDLE Commissioner Rick Swearingen will preside over the prerecorded ceremony. When: Monday, Sept. 14, 2020 Time: 10 a.m. Where: View the ceremony on The Florida Channel or FDLE’s Facebook Page Websites: https://thefloridachannel.org/ or https://www.facebook.com/FDLEpage
Florida Missing Children’s Day is held each year to recognize missing children and their families, to educate citizens on safety awareness and to honor individuals in our state who have made a difference in the life of a child.
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Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs
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Governor Signs Florida Veteran Suicide Prevention Month Proclamation Florida joins President’s Roadmap to Combat Veteran Suicides
TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Ron DeSantis has lent his signature to the Florida Veteran Suicide Prevention Month Proclamation, highlighting the state’s involvement with the nation’s comprehensive suicide prevention effort known as PREVENTS. On March 5, 2019, President Trump signed Executive Order 13861, The President's Roadmap to Empower Veterans and End a National Tragedy of Suicide (PREVENTS), with a call to action to highlight and accelerate progress in addressing veteran suicides. PREVENTS seeks to change the culture surrounding mental health and suicide prevention through enhanced community integration, prioritized research activities and implementation strategies that emphasize improved overall health and well-being. In conjunction with PREVENTS, Florida accepted the “Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans and their Families,” a national call to action asking state, military and civilian interagency teams to embark on a process of collaborating, planning and implementing suicide prevention best practices and policies for service members, veterans and their families statewide. Both PREVENTS and the Governor’s Challenge acknowledge that by working together on all levels, we can substantively reduce suicide. The PREVENTS task force is partnering with stakeholders including the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs, as well as nonprofits, state and local organizations, Fortune 500 companies, and government leaders, to implement best practices to improve health and prevent suicide. For more information on the PREVENTS campaign, visit https://www.va.gov/PREVENTS
To view the proclamation, visit https://bit.ly/3icNGt8
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Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
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Hunter Safety During COVID-19
Each year, thousands of youth and adults take a Florida hunter safety course. Due to the FWC’s response to COVID-19, we’ve modified how we offer the course. Instead of the traditional classroom course, students are encouraged to take one of the comprehensive online training options (including a free course!) to learn about safe, responsible hunting. The next step is students must take part in a virtual field day where they are taught the same material covered during in-person field days. Hunter safety instructors are using the specialized computer programs that present scenarios to help students hone the decision-making skills they will use while hunting.
Before becoming certified, students are required to complete a live-fire portion of the course to demonstrate safe firearms handling skills by one of three methods: 1) Visiting a range and having range staff sign their targets 2) Sending a video to their hunter safety instructor of them safely completing the assignment, 3) Meeting an instructor at shooting sports facilities during an assigned time to demonstrate their skills. Learn more about hunter safety requirements.
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Florida Housing Finance Corporation
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The Apalachicola Times
Carrabelle’s stock of affordable housing is about to get larger, as plans are moving forward to transform the site of the former Carrabelle High School into a 30-unit development, and to begin construction at Jordan Bayou.
During an online appearance at the Sept. 3 regular meeting of the city commission, Ariana Brendle, development manager at McDowell Housing Partners, outlined plans for the New River Landing residential development at Gray Avenue.
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Florida Tourism Industry could Bounce back Faster than Other Parts of US, According to Study WFTS Tampa Bay
PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Bouncing back! Florida’s tourism industry could recover from the COVID-19 pandemic impacts quicker than other states around the country, according to a new study just released by Tripadvisor.
The study found 65% of travelers are planning domestic Fall getaways, most planning to take short trips of 2-5 nights. Both St. Pete Beach and Clearwater Beach made the top 10 list of U.S. travel destinations for Fall 2020.
Like so many of us, Luis Rodriguez was forced to cancel his vacation this year....
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Last week, First Lady Casey DeSantis announced that the theme for Hispanic Heritage Month will be “Celebrating Untold Stories and Contributions of Hispanic Americans in Florida” and released information regarding the student art and essay contests and Excellence in Education awards. Hispanic Heritage Month is recognized and celebrated in the United States from September 15 to October 15. Volunteer Florida is proud to partner with the Executive Office of the Governor, Florida Department of Education, Florida Department of State Division of Cultural Affairs, Florida Prepaid College Foundation and the Florida Lottery on these exciting contests. For more information, including information on how to enter or nominate an educator, please visit www.floridahispanicheritage.com.
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Agency for Health Care Administration
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Department of Juvenile Justice
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Department of Management Services
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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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Florida Division of Emergency Management
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