ST. PETERSBURG, Florida, March 29 -- Eckerd College issued the following news: By Tom Zucco As a child, Ashley Rhodes-Courter '08 spent more than nine years in foster care, bouncing around 14 different homes until she was finally adopted at age 12. She later learned that roughly a quarter of her caregivers were already, or eventually became, convicted felons as a result of problems with drugs, alcohol, violence or pedophilia. "It was not the most ideal of circumstances," she would later tell   more

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida, March 29 (TNSres) -- Eckerd College issued the following news: By Tom Zucco Last summer, sea surface temperatures around Florida reached the highest levels on record--close to 97 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas--according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. As Philip Gravinese, Ph.D., assistant professor of marine science at Eckerd College, documented last summer when he and five of his students conducted research at the Mote Marine Laboratory in   more

JACKSONVILLE, Florida, March 29 -- Edward Waters University issued the following news: The journey to the 35th Honda Campus All-Star Challenge (HCASC) National Championship Tournament is underway for the team of scholars from Edward Waters University. HCASC, America's premier academic competition among HBCUs, annually brings together more than 325 HBCU students, coaches, presidents and institutional representatives for a tournament that uniquely combines educational and personal development exp  more

WAKULLA, Florida, March 28 -- Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Florida, issued the following news release on March 27, 2024: Today, First Lady Casey DeSantis joined nonprofit organization Wakulla Giving Hands, Inc. to serve Florida seniors at a food distribution event at the Wakulla County Senior Center. The First Lady also awarded Wakulla Giving Hands, Inc. with $20,000 through the Hope Florida Fund. First Lady Casey DeSantis launched the Hope Florida Fund in July 2022 to harness the charity of the priva  more

MIAMI, Florida, March 29 -- Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava issued the following news release on March 28, 2024: On Wednesday, April 3, 2024 at 9:30 a.m., the 2024 Serving the Arts Awards will be held at the Miami-Dade County Auditorium, 2901 West Flagler Street. The awards ceremony will celebrate 27 cultural leaders and organizations for their continued commitment to advancing arts and culture in Miami-Dade County. This year, the inaugural Miami-Dade County Mayor's Legacy in Arts   more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, March 29 -- Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody issued the following news release on March 28, 2024: Attorney General Ashley Moody is leading a multistate coalition of state attorneys general in probing whether MSCI, Inc., a large investment company, is embracing the boycott, divestment and sanctions, or BDS, movement against Israel. At least 38 states in the U.S. have taken actions to oppose the BDS movement. Attorney General Ashley Moody said, "Israel is our greatest  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, March 28 -- The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services issued the following news release on March 27, 2024: Today, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson highlighted the Florida Forest Service's recording-setting 2023-2024 prescribed fire season to combat and mitigate catastrophic wildfires in Florida. In the current fiscal year -- which runs through June 30, 2024 -- the Florida Forest Service has treated 164,915 acres of state forests with pre  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, March 29 -- The Florida Auditor General released the following financial and federal single audit (No. 2024-171) on March 25, 2024, involving DeSoto County District School Board. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY OF REPORT ON FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Our audit disclosed that the basic financial statements of the DeSoto County District School Board (District) were presented fairly, in all material respects, in accordance with prescribed financial reporting standards. SUMMARY  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, March 29 -- The Florida Auditor General released the following financial and federal single audit (No. 2024-173) on March 25, 2024, involving Hendry County District School Board. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY OF REPORT ON FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Our audit disclosed that the basic financial statements of the Hendry County District School Board (District) were presented fairly, in all material respects, in accordance with prescribed financial reporting standards. SUMMARY  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, March 29 -- The Florida Auditor General released the following financial audit (No. 2024-172) on March 25, 2024, involving Pasco-Hernando State College. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY OF REPORT ON THE AUDIT OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Our audit disclosed that the basic financial statements of Pasco-Hernando State College (a component unit of the State of Florida) were presented fairly, in all material respects, in accordance with prescribed financial reporting standar  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, March 29 -- The Florida Auditor General released the following operational audit (No. 2024-170) on March 25, 2024, involving Pinellas County District School Board. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY This operational audit of the Pinellas County School District (District) focused on selected District processes and administrative activities and included a follow-up on findings noted in our report No. 2021-062. Our operational audit disclosed the following: Finding 1: Distr  more

ORLANDO, Florida, March 28 -- Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Florida, issued the following news release on March 27, 2024: Today, Governor Ron DeSantis signed HB 621, which protects property rights, provides homeowners remedies against squatting, and increases penalties on squatters. "We are putting an end to the squatters scam in Florida," said Governor Ron DeSantis. "While other states are siding with the squatters, we are protecting property owners and punishing criminals looking to game the system."  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, March 28 -- Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Florida, issued the following news release on March 26, 2024: Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Craig Mateer to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. Craig Mateer Mateer, of Orlando, is the founder of CCM Capital Group and was the founder and owner of Bags, Inc., which he sold to a publicly-held company in 2018. He was named the 2014 "CEO of the Year" by the Orlando Business Journal. Mateer earned his bac  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, March 28 -- Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Florida, issued the following news release on March 26, 2024: Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announces seven judicial appointments: one to the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court, one to the Broward County Court, one to the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court, two to the Hillsborough County Court, one to the Twentieth Judicial Circuit Court, and one to the Seventh Judicial Circuit Court. Christopher Wigand, of Plantation, to serve as Judge on t  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, March 28 -- Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Florida, issued the following news release on March 27, 2024: Today, Governor Ron DeSantis received the following bills from the Florida Legislature. The Governor has until April 11, 2024, to act on these bills. CS/CS/HB 217 - College Campus Facilities in Areas of Critical State Concern HB 523 - Florida Seal of Fine Arts Program CS/CS/HB 883 - Short-acting Bronchodilator Use in Public and Private Schools HB 7043 - OGSR/Agency Personnel   more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, March 29 -- Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd issued the following news release: A federal three-judge redistricting panel unanimously upheld Florida's 2022 congressional redistricting maps. This decision follows a four-day bench trial in Tallahassee in late September 2023. "This decision is vindication that Florida's redistricting maps comply with Florida law and the U.S. Constitution," said Secretary of State Cord Byrd. "We are very pleased with the outcome of this e  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, March 29 -- The Florida Democratic Party issued the following news on March 28, 2024: On Wednesday, the Second Gentleman of the United States, Douglas Emhoff joined Florida Democrats in Miami for the opening of the Miami-Dade Democratic Hispanic Caucus and official launch on behalf of Latinos con Biden-Harris 2024 in Florida. The Second Gentleman was joined by Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Miami-Dade Democrati  more

MIAMI, Florida, March 29 -- Akerman, a law firm, issued the following news release on March 28, 2024: Top national law firm Akerman today announced Michael Goldberg, a partner in the Bankruptcy and Reorganization Practice Group, has been named to Forbes' inaugural Top 200 U.S. Lawyers list. According to the publication, the ranking recognizes the "top lawyers involved in the most consequential cases, deals, or legal trends in recent years." For more than three decades, Goldberg's practice has   more

NEW YORK, March 29 -- Greenberg Traurig, a law firm, issued the following news release: Greenberg Traurig Senior Vice President, Shareholder, and Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Officer Nikki Lewis Simon was a panelist during the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (Nareit) REITwise: 2024 Law, Accounting & Finance Conference in Florida. Simon spoke during a general session panel titled "Implications of SCOTUS Harvard/UNC Decisions on Corporate Policies & DEI Program  more

SARASOTA, Florida, March 29 -- The University of South Florida's Sarasota-Manatee campus issued the following news: HospitaBull, the elegant dining experience, prepared and served by students at the University of South Florida, raised over $100,000 to support scholarships and programs in USF's School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. The twelfth annual event took place on Tuesday, March 26, at award-winning restaurateur and wine professional Michael Klauber's renowned Sarasota supper club,  more

WASHINGTON, March 27 -- George Washington University issued the following news: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a bill prohibiting children under 14 from having social media accounts and requiring parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds on platforms with algorithmic features. The move aims to address concerns over online safety for minors, though critics, including tech industry group NetChoice, argue it imposes undue restrictions and privacy concerns, sparking debates over online fr  more

WEST LONG BRANCH, New Jersey, March 28 -- Monmouth University issued the following news: Faculty and students representing Monmouth University's Occupational Therapy Doctoral (OTD) program presented their research at the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Inspire 2024 Conference, which took place from March 21-23 in Orlando, Florida. According to John R. Patro, OTD, OTR/L, program chair and associate professor, the event marks a milestone for the OTD program, as it prepares to gra  more

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida, March 29 -- Daytona State College issued the following news release: Nursing Process, a comprehensive online resource for information about nursing education and careers, has recognized Daytona State College as offering one of the best Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) programs in Florida for 2024, according to a recently released Top 10 list. DSC's Associate Degree Nursing program is a two-year course of study that prepares graduates for nursing careers in hospitals, lon  more

ORLANDO, Florida, March 29 -- Marriott International issued the following news on March 28, 2024: The Marriott Vacation Clubs(TM), a portfolio of vacation ownership brands operated by Marriott Vacations Worldwide (NYSE: VAC), understands there is a difference between visiting a city and seeing its sites, and truly experiencing it by discovering its secrets. With that in mind, today the company announces The Marriott Vacation Clubs City Collection. This collection consists of Marriott Vacation C  more

PENSACOLA, Florida, March 29 -- The University of West Florida, a component of public state university system in Florida, issued the following news release: The University of West Florida Historic Trust has announced a partnership with F. Diane Pickett, local emerging author and the president and founder of DeFuniak Landmarks, a nonprofit foundation established to preserve and protect the architectural integrity of homes within the historic districts of DeFuniak Springs. This partnership will f  more