Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointments of Cary Rada to the Fifth Circuit Court, George Wright to the Eighth Circuit Court, William Henry to the Fourteenth Circuit Court, Paige Gillman to the Fifteenth Circuit Court, Tabitha Blackmon to the Broward County Court, Jason Jones to the Leon County Court, Cristina Rivera Correa to the Miami-Dade County Court and Chiaka Ihekwaba to the Miami-Dade County Court.

A Judge from this area is…

Cary Rada

Rada, of Tavares, has been a Judge for the Lake County Court since 2018. He previously served as a prosecutor for the State Attorney’s Office. He received his bachelor’s degree from Florida Atlantic University and his law degree from Stetson University College of Law. Rada fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Mark Hill.

Dear Friends,

It is great to be a Floridian! It is truly a blessing to live in in a state that has not been completely overrun by liberal socialists. It saddens me to see that the average working American in other parts of this country have to live and raise a family in states that do not value their labor and effort. Instead, in places like Seattle, Washington, weak leaders reward law-breakers, rioters, and looters. They allow them to take over public spaces, threaten law enforcement, and burn or destroy local businesses. This lawlessness is unacceptable, unjust and cannot be allowed to continue in our America. Their rebellion is not about injustice, or they would not acting this way. Their rebellion is against the principles that this country was founded on. Does our country have some ugly history? Yes! We know that there have been many instances in world history that mankind has not been kind to each other, but that does not mean that the guiding principles that our country was founded on are evil or unjust. Liberty and justice for all with law and order secured. This is what our country needs now, more than ever.

While those in other parts of the country continue to burn and destroy, Florida remains focused on the current mission. Get people back to work, quickly, safely and efficiently. There is nothing in the world that a little prosperity cannot cure. Floridians are not interested in destroying; they are interested in building a future. Governor DeSantis and your elected leaders in the House and Senate are doing a fantastic job, and Florida is in a good shape to bounce back quickly from the economic damage of COVID-19 and get us back on track. Continue reading →

Dear Friends,

We are finally beginning to see some light at the end of the tunnel. For the last three months, and three columns, COVID-19 issues have dominated our conversations. As this is being written, however, the State of Florida has begun it’s re-open plan and we are seeing good signs that we will be fully back on track soon.

Three months ago, No one could have accurately predicted where we would be at today with this virus. Some said it would last three weeks and once warmer weather came, it would be gone. Others said it would be years before we could safely leave our homes as we wait for a vaccine. Neither has turned out to be true. Three months ago, predictions for Florida were dire. Hundreds of thousands of cases, tens of thousands of death, hospitals failing, this was what we were being told would happen in a best-case scenario. None of that looks to be true. Statewide, hospital capacity never went above fifty percent and thousands of ventilators remained unused. Continue reading →

DCF has also made workforce adjustments and instituted a series of policy initiatives to simplify the application process to provide timely benefits to Florida Families

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis and the Department of Children and Families (DCF) announced the extension of good cause for the month of May and the submission of a federal waiver, to assist Floridians participating in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) during the current public health emergency. Following initial approval from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), SNAP recipients’ maximum monthly allotment (based on household size) will be increased for the month of May. Once approved, current SNAP recipients will receive this additional benefit amount automatically.

“With nearly three million Floridians participating in SNAP alone, I’m confident that these policy initiatives are in our state’s best interest – they will help us safely and gradually re-establish normalcy and ultimately allow families to thrive post-COVID-19,” said Governor DeSantis. “These timely and proactive efforts taken by DCF helps ensure the good people of Florida have access to the support and resources they need.” Continue reading →

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that, beginning May 4 2020 Florida State Parks will re-open access to trails, and some day use areas, including some beach access with limited facilities. Visitors will be asked to practice proper social distancing and to limit group size to 10 or less and to stay six feet apart.

“I applaud the Re-Open Florida Task Force on their hard work to inform a safe, smart and step-by-step approach to re-opening Florida,” said Governor DeSantis. “Recreational activity provides important physical and mental health benefits, particularly during these uncertain times. This Phase One plan will allow for the thoughtful, measured re-opening of some of our state’s incredible natural resources for public recreation.”

“Florida State Parks and Resilience and Coastal Protection managed areas offer a wide variety of recreational opportunities,” said Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Noah Valenstein. “We are excited to be welcoming visitors back and appreciate the cooperation of the public as we implement measures that will allow access while protecting both our staff and the public we serve.” Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody is asking Congress to modify the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act as Florida and other states seek to hold China accountable for its role in the COVID-19 pandemic. Attorney General Moody today sent a letter to leaders in Congress requesting that the FSIA be amended to increase opportunities to seek damages from China, when appropriate, for public health and economic harm.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “China must be held accountable, but our current legal framework presents challenges. Modest changes to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act would clarify and support actions against China, if necessary, to seek damages from the devastation from COVID-19.”

The letter Attorney General Moody sent to congressional leaders Thursday states, “Any proposed legislation should be measured to have a limited impact on our diplomatic relations around the world… Such limitations achieve an appropriate balance between the need to provide a forum to hold bad actors accountable and the federal government’s interest in having a coherent foreign policy. I respectfully ask that you consider such legislation to address the grievous harm inflicted on our states.” Continue reading →

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—This week marks two months since Attorney General Ashley Moody activated Florida’s Price Gouging Hotline in response to the COVID-19 emergency declaration. During that time, Attorney General Moody’s Office has secured hundreds of thousands of dollars in refunds, worked with online platforms to deactivate nearly 200 posts offering items for outrageous prices and ensured information important to price gouging investigations is preserved.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “My office is dedicated to protecting consumers and that is exactly what we are doing during this COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout this crisis, we have been working diligently to secure refunds, deactivate outrageous online posts and collect information crucial to our price gouging investigations.

“A key part of our success is the thousands of tips flooding into our Price Gouging Hotline from Florida and beyond. And as we slowly start to reopen, I want to remind Floridians to remain vigilant. Don’t let your guard down. We are more successful when we work together, so please keep sending us price gouging tips and we will continue to do our part to protect consumers.” Continue reading →

Public Information Officer

OCALA, Fla.-If you have cancer, diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, or a chronic or underlying health condition, you are at a higher risk for more severe illness if you contract COVID-19. This means it’s important to pay extra attention to your health needs right now.

Cancer

If you have cancer now or had cancer in the past, you may need to take special steps to protect your health. This is especially important for cancer patients who are treated with chemotherapy. They are more likely to get an infection because chemotherapy can weaken the immune system, and for the same reason, the infection may be more severe. To take care of your health:

–        Before going into your appointments for cancer treatment, ask your doctor how you can help protect yourself from catching COVID-19.

–        Check if any oral medications that you are taking can be sent directly to you so that you don’t have to go to the pharmacy or clinic.

–        Ask your doctor if there are other things that you can do to isolate yourself from others. Continue reading →