Villages/Lady Lake
“Those who have not learned from history are doomed to repeat it.” That is especially true with hurricanes. Even though forecasting methods and tools are improving year after year, people are still at great risk if they are not prepared.
Experience has taught us that the best thing to do before a hurricane is prepare, so you can be confident during a storm that you’ve done everything you can to keep your family safe. As your Chief of Police, I want you to know that during a hurricane, you can depend on the resilience and resourcefulness of the men and women of the Lady Lake Police Department.
As a local law enforcement agency, we work year-round with our local, county, state and federal partners to improve our response, cooperation and communication during hurricanes. Just as we at the police department plan for unexpected weather emergencies, there is plenty you can do to make yourselves, your families and your homes ready for hurricane season. Don’t wait for a storm to threaten. Continue reading
Have you ever approached an intersection and heard a siren? Perhaps you have looked in your rearview mirror and saw flashing lights behind you. Chances are that you have passed an emergency worker or a law enforcement officer who pulled off the roadway with his or her lights flashing. You should be aware that in Florida the law requires that you move over, make way and slow down when approaching all emergency and law enforcement vehicles stopped on the roadway. The law, known as the Move Over Act, is designed to protect law enforcement officers, firefighters and other emergency workers from needless, accidental tragedy.
After 40 years in law enforcement and public safety, I have learned that driving, especially when responding to calls for service, is the most hazardous duty performed by law enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency service professionals. Many fatalities and injuries to emergency service workers could have been avoided had the driver simply slowed down and moved over.
The Lady Lake Police Department strictly enforces the Move Over Law to help keep you and all public safety professionals safe. While on the roadway, please be alert, pay attention and remember the following: Continue reading
The Oklawaha Valley Audubon Society of Lake County, FL will host a program on Eagle Watch 2 p.m. Sunday May 7th at Trout Lake Nature Center 520 E County Rd 44 Eustis, FL.
Shanwlei Breeding Eagle Watch Coordinator of the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey in Maitland, FL and volunteers will discuss this 25 yr citizen science program that monitors bald eagles in central Florida. Volunteer training for Eagle Watch will be held in late summer.
Registration and refreshments will begin at 1:30 pm. the meeting is free and open to the public. Details: www.oklawaha-audubon.com or call 407-230-5404
OCALA METRO POSTS THIRD FASTEST JOB GROWTH RATE IN FLORIDA
OCALA, Fla. (April 21, 2017) – If not yet in full bloom, the economy is certainly growing stronger in the CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion region.
According to today’s employment summary by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), the unemployment rate in March for the CareerSource CLM region was 5.2 percent, down 0.7 percentage point since February and 0.6 percentage point lower than the area’s rate a year ago of 5.8 percent.
Out of an expanded labor force of 201,238, there were 10,556 unemployed, a drop of 1,281 over the month and 915 less than a year ago. Significantly, there were 190,682 people with jobs throughout the three counties, an increase of 1,893 over the month and 5,882 more than in March 2016.
Additionally, the DEO reports that the Ocala metropolitan statistical area (MSA) posted 103,700 nonfarm jobs in March, an increase of 4,000 new jobs for a 4.0 percent growth rate over the year. That’s the third fastest rate among all Florida’s metro areas.
For the third consecutive month, the Ocala MSA continued to hold the fastest annual job growth rate compared to all metros in Florida in professional and business services, at 11.0 percent. The Ocala MSA had the third fastest job growth rate in mining, logging and construction at 10.4 percent.
Kathleen Woodring, CareerSource CLM’s executive vice president, said that the region is gaining momentum when it comes to positive economic indicators.
“This is exactly what we like to see: expansion of the labor force fueled by strong job growth,” she said. Continue reading
BRADENTON, Fla. — Today, Governor Rick Scott announced that Florida businesses created 53,800 private-sector jobs in the first two months of 2017, bringing the total number of new jobs added since December 2010 to 1,346,200. Governor Scott made the announcement at Bealls, Inc. in Bradenton. The retailer, which is headquartered in Florida, has created more than 300 jobs across the state over the past two years and employs more than 8,500 Floridians.
Governor Rick Scott said, “I am proud to announce that Florida’s private-sector businesses have created nearly 54,000 new jobs in 2017. Over the past six years, we have been relentless in our efforts to make Florida the most business-friendly state in the nation because a job is the most important thing to a family. It is incredibly disheartening that politicians in the Florida House have voted to jeopardize programs that create opportunities for our families, visitors, military members and job creators. However, we will continue to fight for important economic development tools like Enterprise Florida and VISIT FLORIDA and the critical impact they have on supporting our growing economy.” Continue reading
This month I would like to again discuss a very important community/law enforcement partnership, CRIMELINE. CRIMELINE is a non-profit organization led by citizens against crime that offers cash rewards of up to $1000 to persons providing anonymous information that leads to the felony arrest of criminals and fugitives. Anonymous CRIMELINE tips are received through a secure tips line or through a secure web connection manned by a professional program coordinator. Each caller is assigned a code number for the purpose of ensuring anonymity. CRIMELINE is based on the principal that someone other than the criminal has information that can solve a crime and was created to combat the three major problems faced by law enforcement in generating that information:
- Fear of REPRISAL
- An attitude of APATHY
- Reluctance to get INVOLVED
112.8 million tourists visited Florida in 2016
FLORIDA– Governor Rick Scott announced that Florida set another record in tourism by welcoming the highest amount of visitors in the state’s history with 112.8 million visitors in 2016. This is the sixth consecutive record year for visitation to Florida, exceeding the previous high of 106.6 million in 2015 by 5.9 percent. Tourism jobs also hit a record high in 2016 of 1.4 million jobs, exceeding the previous record in 2015.
Governor Scott said, “Today, I am proud to announce that Florida has once again welcomed a record number of tourists with 112.8 million visitors to the state in 2016. Visitors spent $109 billion and supported a record 1.4 million Florida jobs in 2016 – a testament to the vital importance of tourism to our growing economy. Continue reading
Remember – Light it UP!
Many people ask, how can I keep my house safe from potential burglars? Here are a few tips about home security lighting to help prevent break-ins to your home:
Keep the outside of your home well lit! Keeping the outside of your home well lit can help to deter any would be criminals by shedding light on all possible areas of entry into your home. This can be done with flood lights or well-placed landscape lighting.
Front porch/entry lighting: Keeping your front porch light on while you are away can give the facade of being home even if you are on a week-long vacation. This can be achieved by purchasing a timer that will turn the lights on and off at certain times of the day that can be set differently for each day to give the illusion that you are home. Continue reading
