The recovery efforts continue in areas hardest hit by Hurricane Michael, and this week, I joined first responders, recovery crews and volunteers helping people in the aftermath of this deadly storm. I cannot thank our utility companies enough for their tireless efforts to restore power in areas filled with total devastation.
Cell service continues to provide challenges for first response and people affected by Michael. A major issue was that most of the cell service in the area was powered by Verizon. Governor Rick Scott and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis have championed this issue to help these citizens regain the cell service they desperately need. AT&T stepped up and brought in many mobile cell towers, as well as mobile phones.
I want to thank Tracfone, a national company based in Miami, for donating 200 phones fully charged with 60 days of AT&T service to help our first responders. These are just a few example of organizations stepping up to help those in need. In Franklin County with Sheriff A.J. Smith, we met a group of St. Petersburg pilots flying donated chainsaws, gas cans and other necessities directly to disaster sites. Continue reading
October 16, 2018
This week, I joined President Donald J. Trump and my fellow members on the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis at the White House for an important bill signing ceremony. Our country is in the midst of a national opioid crisis claiming thousands of lives, and as we continue to combat this crisis, I am encouraged by the President’s leadership and support.
During the ceremony, President Trump signed the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act that expands access to drug treatment and recovery services.
The SUPPORT Act is the single largest legislative package addressing a single drug crisis in history. This bipartisan legislation will bolster ongoing efforts, both in Florida and nationwide, to stop addiction and save lives. Continue reading
Welcome to Bargains by the Pallet. Bargains by the Pallet is a new locally owned business, open to the public. Our clients vary from online stores, flea market merchants, brick and mortar small business retail stores to individuals needing items for themselves. We sell full pallets of mixed merchandise that arrive straight from various retail store distribution centers. Products can range from furniture items, computer and other electronic goods, baby items, skate boards, patio items, tools, small kitchen appliances and other general merchandise. Every pallet is different. Every truck load is different.
Bargains by the Pallet was established September 1, 2018 by Andrea Calhoun and Bob Siebert, commonly referred to as beauty and the beast. This couple is not originally from Ocala, Florida. They moved to Ocala from Rome, GA. where Andrea lived most of her life. In Rome she was a mother (now grandmother), a florist and a friend. Bob has lived in Georgia for over 25 years. There he was a father, retail manager, a super hero and movie buff and all around great guy. Continue reading
(OCALA, Fla.) Oct. 19, 2018 – Ocala Fire Rescue (OFR) received 14 cancer exposure decontamination kits from the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council, Thursday, Oct. 18.
The decontamination kits are 14 of 4,216 units obtained through a $1million grant to the Firefighter Cancer Mitigation Grant Program, awarded to 405 fire departments across the state of Florida. Each kit includes tools essential for soot and particulate removal from bunker gear before firefighters leave the scene of a fire. Kits are comprised of: a five-gallon bucket, clear bags, duct tape, dish soap, scrub brush, spray bottle, wipes, two 50-foot hose lines with nozzles, adapters and collapsible traffic cones.
According to research by the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH), firefighters in the United States have a nine percent higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer and 14 percent higher risk of dying from cancer than the general U.S. population. The purpose of the decontamination kits is to reduce firefighter’s exposure to cancer-causing agents which result from combustions at a fire scene. Continue reading
Gov. Scott: FLOW Mobile Deployed to Gulf County
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. —Today, Governor Rick Scott announced that the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) will deploy a Florida Licensing on Wheels (FLOW) vehicle tomorrow, October 23rd, in Gulf County. These vehicles provide driver license and other motor vehicle services to families impacted by Hurricane Michael. Additional FLOW mobiles are in Bay, Franklin, Jackson and Liberty counties.
The FLOW Mobile in Gulf County will be located at:
Gulf County Tax Collector Office
151 North 3rd Street
Wewahitchka, FL 32465
Hours of operation: 9am – 4pm, CDT
FLOW mobiles provide customers the following services:
- Renew or obtain a Florida driver license and/or ID card;
- Replace a driver license and/or ID card;
- Change a name or address on a driver license and/or ID card;
- Renew a vehicle registration;
- Obtain or renew a disabled person parking permit; and
- Purchase a specialty license plate.
Dear Friends,
Yesterday, the Florida Supreme Court ruled that Governor Rick Scott would not be able to pick the next three Supreme Court justices. Despite the fact that this seems like a blatant violation of the separation of powers, we still have a chance. Despite the absurdity of a clearly partisan court ruling in their own favor (fox guarding the henhouse?), we still have a chance. Despite the democrats, nominating a man (who is under FBI investigation for corruption, by the way) who hates our constitution, despises our country and her laws, we still have a chance! We still have a chance to elect a Governor, who will stand up to the Supreme Court and end the practice of legislating from the bench. We still have a chance to elect a Governor will pick justices and judges who know the constitution, love the constitution, and will interpret the law, as it is, not by how they think it should be. We still have a chance, to tell our friends and neighbors, that the policies and decisions of a far left socialist like Andrew Gillum, may be what California wants, but that is not what Florida wants. California and Gillum want judges who protect sanctuary cities, and turn loose criminal, illegal aliens back on to our streets. California and Gillum want judges who tell private businesses that they must offer a service, even if it violates their conscience, or face heavy fines and jail time. California and Gillum want judges who will take away your 2nd amendment rights, and strip your ability to take responsibility for yourself and others. That is not what Florida wants, and that is not what a Governor DeSantis will want. Continue reading
Three of the key areas on which the CEP focuses to drive our mission is Business Attraction, Business Retention, and Business Creation. Each of these areas is equally important as we seek to be the catalyst for a more prosperous community by serving as the voice of the business community and working to create and retain jobs and provide a return on investment for our partners. Not only are they equally important, but each has had recent successes.
Business Attraction
The CEP was able to officially announce recently that Nice Snacks had purchased a facility in the Ocala International Commerce Park and would be establishing their headquarters and manufacturing operations here. Nice is a private company which bakes healthy snacks. Food manufacturing is one of our five target sectors and they will be a great addition to our community. The company will be adding 25 employees and looks forward to being an active corporate citizen. Continue reading
We are Statewide Award Winning, Yes we are. The Community Papers of Florida had their state conference at Hutchison Island and Resort, a great spot for a conference. At the end of the two day conference we got the results of our competition. We were in the top three in five categories for TomL Publishing LLC:
Color Photography was by Wendy Netherclift
Best Home Page was by Chris Boody
Three editorial awards that I share with several stringers! We are proud!
Alex Baldwin the actor said we must overthrow the United States Government under Donald Trump. Last month I was chastised by a reader when someone was discussing a civil war and now there is talk coming from well-known actors, actresses, and well-known democrats like Elizabeth Warren, Chuck Chumor, Hilliary Clinton and more about civil disorder. Even Obama who probably started some of this when he started siding with the Continue reading
by A.J.(Tony) Powell
Immigrants -vs- Invaders!
Univision, Judicial Watch and others report that many ‘Middle Easterners’ are in the caravan. In fact, the President of Guatemala claims to have arrested over 100 of them.
One source alleges that about 20% or approximately 44 million of the world’s international immigrants live in the United States.
Already, in the USA this year over a half million people have been detained for violating US borders in the South-Western States and that number continues to rise.
The vast majority are from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Continue reading
Each holiday season, I reflect on the year past and give thanks for all life has provided. I also wake up every day humbled and grateful to serve the good people of Lady Lake in the greatest job in the world.
For many, however, the holidays are far from joyous. Sadly, many in our community struggle with day-to-day needs and are unable to put food on their tables – let alone buy gifts for their kids. No child should spend Christmas hungry. No parent should have to explain to their children why they didn’t receive a gift for Christmas.
This holiday season, as in years past, the Lady Lake Police Department is planning to once again coordinate with other law enforcement agencies and host the “Santa’s Shop With A Cop” Event. School-aged children, chosen by their school guidance staff, will be given a special invitation to go shopping with law enforcement officers. The event allows deserving children and police officers a chance to make some fun Christmas shopping memories. Continue reading
