WEST PALM BEACH, Florida, March 5 -- Palm Beach County issued the following news: Sports have long been regarded as more than just games; they are economic engines that power communities. Beyond the thrill of competition and the camaraderie it fosters, sports profoundly impact the economic landscape of counties, promoting tourism, generating revenue, creating jobs and boosting local businesses. Palm Beach County is unrivaled in golf, racquet sports, equestrian sports and baseball amenities. The  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, March 5 -- Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody issued the following news release on March 4, 2024: Attorney General Ashley Moody is demanding Meta immediately cease monetizing child exploitation and prohibit child-modeling accounts on Instagram. The call comes after news reports revealed the social media platform monetized minor accounts and actively promoted the accounts of young girls to those with overt sexual interest in minors. Attorney General Moody, along with 26   more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, March 5 -- Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody issued the following news release: Attorney General Ashley Moody is kicking off National Consumer Protection Week in Florida by highlighting the more than half a billion dollars secured fighting for Floridians. Attorney General Moody's Consumer Protection Division, an expert team of attorneys and investigators, took legal action to stop hundreds of scams and disreputable organizations violating Florida's Deceptive and Unfair  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, March 5 -- The Florida Auditor General released the following financial and federal single audit (No. 2024-143) on Feb. 29, 2024, involving Indian River County District School Board. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY OF REPORT ON FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Our audit disclosed that the basic financial statements of the Indian River County District School Board (District) were presented fairly, in all material respects, in accordance with prescribed financial reporting standards  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, March 5 -- The Florida Auditor General released the following financial and federal single audit (No. 2024-144) on Feb. 29, 2024, involving Okeechobee County District School Board. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY OF REPORT ON FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Our audit disclosed that the basic financial statements of the Okeechobee County District School Board (District) were presented fairly, in all material respects, in accordance with prescribed financial reporting standards. S  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, March 5 -- The Florida Auditor General released the following operational audit (No. 2024-145) on Feb. 29, 2024, involving Broward College. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY This operational audit of Broward College (College) focused on selected College processes and administrative activities and included a follow-up on findings noted in our report No. 2021-201. Our operational audit disclosed the following: Finding 1: Without apparent legal authority, a College direct-  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, March 5 -- The Florida Department of Financial Services issued the following statement on March 4, 2024: * * * Today, Florida (CFO) Jimmy Patronis issued a statement following the passage of HB 939, a Consumer Protection Bill by Representative Griff Griffitts, off the House Floor. The Legislation bars the state and state entities from contracting with entities that blacklist media outlets. The legislation also mandates cash-app companies to create protections, so users ar  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, March 5 -- Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Florida, issued the following news release on March 4, 2024: Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announces the appointment of Glen Gilzean as Supervisor of Elections in Orange County to fill the vacancy left by former supervisor Bill Cowles' retirement in January. Gilzean has been a dedicated public servant to the State of Florida, most recently serving as Administrator of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District as the district navigated the  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, March 5 -- Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Florida, issued the following news release: Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nunez participated in a ride-along in support of Operation Safe Highways, a multi-agency strike force tasked with interdicting criminals on state roadways with an emphasis on illegal drugs and criminal aliens. Florida law enforcement agencies participating include Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), Florida National Guard, and Esc  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, March 5 -- Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd issued the following news release on March 4, 2024: Today, Secretary of State Cord Byrd announced that St. Cloud Main Street, located in Osceola County, has been designated the March 2024 Florida Main Street Program of the Month. "St. Cloud's roots run deep with community pride, dating back to its inception as a veteran's colony over 100 years ago," said Secretary Byrd. "With a commitment of setting St. Cloud on a course tow  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, March 5 -- Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd issued the following news release on March 4, 2024: Today, Secretary of State Cord Byrd reminded Florida voters of early voting options available for the upcoming Presidential Preference Primary (PPP) on Tuesday, March 19, 2024. "As a convenient way to cast their ballot, registered Florida voters can vote early at any of the designated early voting sites in the county in which they are registered," said Secretary of State Co  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, March 5 -- The Florida State Senate issued the following news release on March 4, 2024: Last Friday, two bills (SB 42 and SB 50) sponsored by Senator Linda Stewart (D-Orlando) passed unanimously off the Senate floor. SB 42, entitled "Professional Licensing Requirements for Barbers and Cosmetologists", would prevent the licensing boards from using history of non-violent incarceration for grounds of denial of licensing. SB 50, entitled "Provision of Homeowners' Association R  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, March 5 -- The Florida Democratic Party issued the following statement on March 4, 2024: * * * Today, the Florida Democratic Party suspended three local party chairs in Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and Franklin counties, and issued the following statement: "The actions taken today are part of an overall strategy to get our local parties back on track," said FDP Chair Nikki Fried following the suspension of Robert Dempster, Miami-Dade Democratic Party Chair, Mindy Koch, Palm Be  more

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida, March 5 -- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University issued the following news: By Ginger Pinholster Two Embry Riddle Aeronautical University academicians are being honored as part of the 2024 U.S. Fulbright Scholar Program. Dr. Kelsi Matwick, assistant professor of technical and professional writing in the Department of Humanities and Communication at Embry Riddle's Prescott, Arizona, campus is bound for Japan after being named a Fulbright Scholar. From Embry Riddle's Wor  more

MIAMI, Florida, March 5 -- Greenberg Traurig, a law firm, issued the following news release: Greenberg Traurig advised OTB Ventures on the extension of the seed financing round of ATMOS Space Cargo GmbH (ATMOS) by an additional investment of EUR 1.3 million. ATMOS, an innovator in the space sector, specializes in the development and manufacturing of space capsules for the safe return of cargo from space. These capsules facilitate a variety of microgravity uses, from a few hours to three months  more

MIAMI, Florida, March 5 -- Holland and Knight, a law firm, issued the following news release: Holland & Knight was recognized as the top firm for energy-related articles in the 2024 JD Supra Readers' Choice Awards, which recognize JD Supra contributors for the visibility and engagement their thought leadership earned among readers in select subjects during 2023. JD Supra is a leading distributor of customized legal and business content. * * * In addition, five Holland & Knight attorneys were   more

MIAMI, Florida, March 5 -- Miami Dade College issued the following news release: Miami Dade College's (MDC) Construction Pre-apprenticeship Program continues growing. Most recently, the program welcomed City of North Miami Beach (NMB) Water Department as a new employer partner. Addressing an urgent labor shortage, NMB Water is training and hiring electrician and plumber pre-apprentices in a 12-month program that blends classroom instruction with paid on-the-job training for workers with little   more

ORLANDO, Florida, March 5 -- The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority issued the following news release: Encouraged by robust passenger traffic and an ambitious Strategic Plan, Moody's Investors Service has favorably evaluated several of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority's (GOAA) key financial benchmarks. Moody's revised the outlook on GOAA's outstanding bonds from stable to positive; affirmed the Aa3 rating on the Aviation Authority's outstanding senior lien revenue bonds: and affirmed the   more

LINCOLN, Nebraska, March 5 -- Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers issued the following letter on March 4, 2024: * * * To: Ms. Jennifer Newstead, Chief Legal Officer, Meta Platforms, Inc., 1 Hacker Way, Menlo Park, CA 94025 Re: Letter from the State of Arkansas and 26 other States demanding that Instagram cease monetizing child exploitation Dear Ms. Newstead: The States of Arkansas, Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri  more

PALATKA, Florida, March 5 -- St. Johns River State College issued the following news release: St. Johns River State College will roll out five new degree programs this fall, including two bachelor's degrees, answering a district-wide need for intelligence-based, tech-savvy skill sets in today's evolving workforce. "Technology is rapidly changing the many facets of our workforce - from healthcare and computer information systems to how law enforcement fights crime," said SJR State President Joe  more