Each Wednesday | 5 – 6 PM
June | Fort King National Historic Landmark |3925 E. Fort King St.
July | Scott Springs Park | 2825 SW 24th Ave.
August | Heritage Nature Conservancy | 2005 NE Third St.
September | Fort King National Historic Landmark |3925 E. Fort King St.
October | Heritage Nature Conservancy | 2005 NE Third St.
November | Scott Springs Park | 2825 SW 24th Ave.
December | Wetland Recharge Park | 2105 NW 21st. St.
Join the Ocala Park Rangers every week for Wildlife Wednesdays. Each week discover different native animals and explore their unique Florida habitats.
Saturday, Sept. 30 | 6 – 9 PM | Ages 5+ | $10 per person
How does an entire command go missing on their way to Fort King? Who was really to blame for the attack in 1835? Hear from the legends who witnessed the event at Legends of the Fort.
This guided lantern tour takes you back in time at Ocala’s Seminole War historic site. Meet the legends and hear the tales of a time gone by during this unique event.
Tours last approximately one hour with groups starting every 30 minutes. Each group is limited to a maximum of 20 people per group.
Tickets MUST be purchased in advance so reserve your time slot today!
For additional information, please visit our website or call 352.368.5533.
Dear Neighbor,
The last two weeks have been trying in North Central Florida—first with the expected hurricane and then with the aftermath. After visiting all of our communities and hearing from emergency management officials, small business owners, residents, and leaders, one thing is clear: our district is strong and resilient.
In Cedar Key and Horseshoe Beach, homes and businesses were washed away in just a couple of hours. Further inland, extreme wind and water damage ripped buildings from their foundations and flooded homes. Our agricultural producers—some of the hardest-hit after Idalia—saw fields flooded, crops demolished, and equipment damaged. Despite all of these challenges, we’re so proud of how our neighbors worked to support each other. We have a long way to go, but we are stronger when we work together. Continue reading
ear Neighbor,
Tomorrow, members of Team Kat will be in Cedar Key and Horseshoe Beach to assist residents with disaster claims following Hurricane Idalia.
In Cedar Key, visit us at 450 2nd Street from 9am-3pm. In Horseshoe Beach, visit us at the Horseshoe Beach Fire Department at 83 5th Avenue E from 9am-3pm.
We’ll be there in-person to assist residents with filing federal claims with FEMA, the Small Business Administration (SBA), the USDA, and others. If you need help filing a claim or sorting through paperwork, we’re standing by to help. Please continue reading for information about documents needed to expedite the process. Continue reading
FARMS is an agricultural cost-share reimbursement program that reduces groundwater withdrawals from the Upper Floridan aquifer through conservation and alternative water supply best management practices (BMPs). In conjunction with water conservation BMPs, water quality and natural systems improvement BMPs also may be cost-shared in priority areas.
The program is designed to serve as an incentive to the agricultural community to promote water quantity, water quality and natural systems BMPs to conserve groundwater use and promote resource sustainability.
Examples of commonly used BMPs include:
- Weather stations and soil moisture sensors with telemetry
- Riser culverts and water-controlled structures
- Surface water or tailwater irrigation pumps and filters
- Remote irrigation zone controls and soil moisture and climate sensor telemetry
- Fertigation systems
- Cold protection measures
FARMS is a public/private partnership developed by the District and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Program Goals
The FARMS Program focuses on Upper Floridan aquifer withdrawal savings throughout the District as well as water quality and natural systems improvements in targeted Water Use Caution Areas and priority watersheds.
- Improve water quality within the Shell, Prairie and Joshua Creek (SPJC) Watersheds
As of July 2023, the 87 Board-approved projects located within the SPJC watershed are projected to offset approximately 11.9 million gallons per day (mgd) of groundwater through BMP implementation. An additional water resource benefit is reductions in the potential for groundwater mineralization of surface waters while improving water quality in the City of Punta Gorda’s drinking water reservoir. Prairie Creek has been removed from the list of impaired waterbodies by the Department of Environmental Protection, indicating the success of the program. - Improve natural systems in the Upper Myakka River Watershed (UMRW)
As of July 2023, nine projects have been approved and are operational offsetting 2.8 mgd through conservation and the reuse of tailwater. These projects are reducing the contribution of groundwater to this volume-sensitive basin. - Reduce groundwater use by 40 mgd within the Southern Water Use Caution Area (SWUCA)
As of July 2023, 195 projects have been approved with 174 operational projects having offset 22.4 mgd. These projects are reducing the amount of groundwater pumped from the Upper Floridan Aquifer. - Reduce groundwater use within the Most Impacted Area (MIA)
The MIA is an area specifically affected by groundwater withdrawals within the SWUCA. It’s about 700 square miles and located along the southern Hillsborough, Manatee and northwestern Sarasota counties. As of July 2023, 18 projects have been approved with 18 operational projects having offset 3.4 mgd. - Reduce groundwater use within the Central Florida Water Initiative (CFWI) region
Although not fully incorporated within the SWUCA, the CFWI has been identified as a priority area in which the implementation of agricultural BMPs to reduce Upper Floridan groundwater use will help to ensure future water needs are met. As of July 2023, 27 projects have been approved with 24 operational projects having offset 1.5 mgd. - Reduce cold protection groundwater use within the Dover/Plant City Water Use Caution Area (DPCWUCA)
The DPCWUCA was established in 2011 as a result of an extended freeze event in 2010 that resulted in numerous dry well complaints and sinkholes due to agricultural-related groundwater pumping for cold protection. As of March 2023, 24 projects have been approved with 21 operational projects having offset 72.4 million gallons per freeze event. - Implement agricultural BMPs to reduce groundwater use and reduce nutrient loading
As of July 2023, 15 operational projects having offset 0.7 mgd and reducing nutrient loading by approximately 5,182 pounds per year.
The approved projects support the District’s Regional Water Supply Plan, SWUCA Recovery Strategy, Strategic Plan and the Springs Management Plans.
Program Funding Qualifications
To qualify for funding, projects must be located in the District and include one or more of the following BMP strategies:
- Utilize an alternative water supply or technology to reduce groundwater use.
- Improve irrigation water quality and watershed ecology by reducing reliance on poorer quality groundwater.
Project Guidelines
- Growers manage their projects and are reimbursed for approved expenses.
- Reimbursement can amount to as much as 75 percent of total project costs with water quality and groundwater quantity savings / conservation BMPs; and as much as 50 percent with water quality or groundwater quantity savings / conservation BMPs.
- District and grower(s) enter into a signed and executed contractual agreement for the FARMS project with a contract duration generally 5–10 years.
- Growers are responsible for obtaining all project-related permits and must have District authorization prior to incurring approved reimbursable expenses.
- Permitted water use allocations are not reduced. Southwest Florida Water Management
Find out more at https://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/
This week, Floridians endured the wrath of Hurricane Idalia. The storm made landfall as a dangerous Category 3 hurricane Wednesday morning in the Big Bend region.
The wreckage left by Idalia is truly devastating, leaving many communities in ruins that will take months to recover fully. But Floridians are resilient; and while visiting Dixie, Levy and Taylor counties, I heard many inspiring stories of Floridians coming together and rebuilding immediately after the storm.
Unfortunately, we still need to remain alert, as scammers may try to exploit this tragedy to rip off Floridians through contractor fraud, debris removal scams, price gouging or even looting. I have already been in touch with local law enforcement and state attorneys in the hardest hit areas of our state. We will not allow criminals to exploit this crisis to target Floridians trying to rebuild their lives. Continue reading
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| Dear Neighbor,
Hurricane Idalia devastated parts of our district, largely in Levy, Dixie, Lafayette, Hamilton, and Suwannee Counties. Recovery efforts are underway to restore power and other utilities to the hardest-hit areas, and we are in constant contact with local leaders, law enforcement, and utilities companies to keep folks updated on these restoration efforts. This morning I visited Cedar Key with Senator Rick Scott to see the damage and hear from homeowners, business owners, law enforcement, and city leaders about what they need most right now. The entire Florida delegation is working together to make sure all federal resources are available for our communities, including resources from FEMA, the Small Business Administration, the USDA, and more. For those whose homes or business were damaged, please see below or here for information about the necessary steps to file insurance and disaster claims. Our office stands by to help process those claims with the appropriate federal agencies. In the coming days, we’ll share more information on mobile office hours for our staff, along with representatives from the other federal agencies. We anticipate being available in-person at several sites throughout our communities to answer questions and accept claims throughout September. As the recovery process continues, stay updated on our website, and on Twitter, Facebook, Instagra As always, we are with you and will weather this recovery together. If our team can be of assistance, please give us a call or reach out to us at KCammack.Hurricane@mail.house. |
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| For Freedom,
Congresswoman Kat Cammack Proudly Representing Florida’s Third Congressional District |
Jena Sullivan of Edward Jones was recently installed on the Board of Directors for the Lady Lake Area Chamber of Commerce. President, Jeanne Lazo is pictured handing her the lanyard all board members receive. Jena will be filling a seat on the board after a recent vacancy.
Total Quantum Healing celebrated its Grand Opening with a ribbon-cutting celebration. They are located inside Perhealth Chiropractic in Mulberry Plaza The Villages. They offer a holistic approach to traditional medicine. Curious about what’s happening inside your body & mind? Schedule a scan today!
By TomL
Information from the net!
Social Security is financed through a dedicated Payroll Tax.
Employers and employees each pay 6.2 percent of wages up to the taxable maximum of $160,200 (in 2023), while the self-employed pay 12.4 percent. The payroll tax rates are set by law, and for OASI and DI, apply to earnings up to a certain amount.
In listening to the financial news a comment was made about “ China is our largest debtor”. Not true the largest debtor is our own Social Security Fund! Politicians can’t stand the fact the Social Security Fund had money in it. So they have been using the money for things other than the aging. Actually they are budgeting in advance for other things not related to the elderly before they have it in hand. Continue reading
