Advances:  Week of September 16, 2018

By NSF Staff

 

TALLAHASSEE --- Florida’s citrus industry is suffering through tough times.

Already faced with the scourge of citrus greening disease, relentless development pressure and competition from growers in places such as Brazil, the industry got clobbered last September by Hurricane Irma.

Hurricanes, of course, are nothing new in Florida. But Irma barreled through prime citrus territory as it tore up the state. By the end of the 2017-2018 season, orange and grapefruit production was at depths not seen since World War II --- or before.

As growers move forward with a new season, the Florida Citrus Commission will meet Wednesday in Polk County. The commission and the rest of the state hope 2018-2019 will be much kinder to one of Florida’s signature industries.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2018

BRIDGE REPLACEMENT DISCUSSED: The Florida Department of Transportation will hold an industry forum about a major project involving the Howard Frankland Bridge, which carries Interstate 275 traffic between Tampa and St. Petersburg. The project involves building four non-tolled lanes and two tolled express lanes --- and eventually replacing the existing northbound bridge. (Monday, 9 a.m. Tampa Westshore Marriott, 1001 North Westshore Blvd., Tampa.)

INFANT MENTAL HEALTH AT ISSUE: The Florida Department of Children and Families will hold one in a series of meetings across the state about infant and early-childhood mental health. (Monday, 9 a.m., DCF Fort Lauderdale office, 1400 West Commercial Blvd., Fort Lauderdale.)

COLLEGE PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH DISCUSSED: The Florida State College at Jacksonville will hold a meeting to provide an overview of its presidential search process. Former President Cynthia Bioteau retired this year. (Monday, 10 a.m., Florida State College at Jacksonville administrative offices, 501 West State St., Jacksonville.)

ELDER AFFAIRS AGENCY ON AGENDA: The Florida Department of Elder Affairs Advisory Council is scheduled to hold a conference call. (Monday, 10 a.m. Call-in number: 1-888-670-3525. Code: 9620760613.)

REPORT DELVES INTO CHARTER SCHOOLS: The group Integrity Florida will release a report about charter schools. (Monday, 11 a.m., Florida Press Center, 336 East College Ave., Tallahassee.)

ATHLETIC TRAINING ISSUES ON TABLE: The Florida Board of Athletic Training will hold a conference call. (Monday, 12:30 p.m. Call-in number: 1-888-670-3525. Code: 4552635641)

STATE INVESTMENTS AT ISSUE: The Investment Advisory Council, which reviews and makes recommendations about state investments, will meet. (Monday, 1 p.m., The Hermitage Centre, 1801 Hermitage Blvd., Tallahassee.)

SEMINOLE STATE TRUSTEES MEET: The Seminole State College of Florida Board of Trustees will meet. (Monday, 2 p.m., Seminole State College of Florida, Sanford/Lake Mary Campus, 100 Weldon Blvd., Sanford.)

RUBIO HOLDS ‘MOBILE’ OFFICE HOURS: Staff members for U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., will hold “mobile” office hours in DeSoto County. (Monday, 2 p.m., DeSoto County offices, 201 East Oak St., Arcadia.)

TCC TRUSTEES MEET: The Tallahassee Community College Board of Trustees will meet. (Monday, 2:30 p.m., Tallahassee Community College, Hinson Administration Building, 444 Appleyard Dr., Tallahassee.)

RING CAMPAIGNS IN DUVAL: Former state Sen. Jeremy Ring, the Democratic candidate for state chief financial officer, is scheduled to speak at a Duval County Democratic Party meeting. Ring is seeking to unseat Republican Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis. (Monday, 6 p.m., IBEW union hall, 966 North Liberty St., Jacksonville.)

VOTING RIGHTS AT ISSUE: Several groups will hold a forum in Broward County on voter suppression and election security. Among the participants in the event is expected to be Tim Canova, an unaffiliated candidate in Congressional District 23. (Monday, 6 p.m., Hollywood Beach Cultural & Community Center, 1301 South Ocean Dr., Hollywood.)

STONE SPEAKS IN PALM BEACH COUNTY: Republican political operative Roger Stone is slated to speak to the Palm Beach County Trump Club. (Monday, 7 p.m., Palm Beach Kennel Club, 1111 North Congress Ave., West Palm Beach.)

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2018

INFANT MENTAL HEALTH AT ISSUE: The Florida Department of Children and Families will hold one in a series of meetings across the state about infant and early-childhood mental health. (Tuesday, 9 a.m., Valencia College, School of Public Safety, 8600 Valencia College Lane, Orlando.)

ST. PETERSBURG COLLEGE TRUSTEES MEET: The St. Petersburg College Board of Trustees is scheduled to meet in Clearwater. (Tuesday, 9 a.m., St. Petersburg College, Clearwater Campus, 2465 Drew St., Clearwater.)

RUBIO HOLDS ‘MOBILE’ OFFICE HOURS: Staff members for U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., will hold “mobile” office hours in Duval and Pinellas counties. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., Lane Wiley Senior Center, 6710 Wiley Road, Jacksonville. Also, 1 p.m., Clearwater Countryside Library, 2642 Sabal Springs Dr., Clearwater.)

SANTA FE COLLEGE TRUSTEES MEET: The Santa Fe College Board of Trustees will meet. (Tuesday, 4 p.m., Santa Fe College, Northwest Campus, 3000 N.W. 83rd St., Gainesville.)

NORTHWEST FLORIDA COLLEGE TRUSTEES MEET: The Northwest Florida State College Board of Trustees is scheduled to meet. (Tuesday, 4:30 p.m., Northwest Florida State College, Student Services Center, 100 College Blvd., Niceville.)

PALM BEACH COLLEGE TRUSTEES MEET: The Palm Beach State College Board of Trustees will meet. (Tuesday, 5 p.m., Palm Beach State College, Lake Worth Campus, Multi-Media Board Room, 4200 Congress Ave., Lake Worth.)

MOODY RAISES MONEY FOR AG RACE: Former Hillsborough County Circuit Judge Ashley Moody, who is the Republican nominee for attorney general, will raise money during an event in Tallahassee. (Tuesday, 5:30 p.m., Governors Club, 202 South Adams St., Tallahassee.)

NORTH FLORIDA COLLEGE TRUSTEES MEET: The North Florida Community College Board of Trustees will meet. (Tuesday, 5:30 p.m., North Florida Community College, board room, 325 N.W. Turner Davis Dr., Madison.)

CHIPOLA COLLEGE TRUSTEES MEET: The Chipola College Board of Trustees is scheduled to meet. (Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., Chipola College, Public Service Building, Marianna.)

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

CITRUS TAX ON TABLE: The Florida Citrus Commission will meet in Polk County and consider a proposed $17 million budget for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1. (Wednesday, 9 a.m., Florida Department of Citrus, 605 East Main St., Bartow.)

PANEL HEARS PAROLE CASES: The Florida Commission on Offender Review will hear parole cases from across the state. (Wednesday, 9 a.m., Betty Easley Conference Center, 4075 Esplanade Way, Tallahassee.)

UNEMPLOYMENT APPEALS CONSIDERED: The state Reemployment Assistance Appeals Commission will meet. (Wednesday, 9:30 a.m., 101 Rhyne Building, 2740 Centerview Dr., Tallahassee.)

RUBIO HOLDS ‘MOBILE’ OFFICE HOURS: Staff members for U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., will hold “mobile” office hours in Seminole, Miami-Dade and Hardee counties. (Wednesday, 10 a.m., Winter Springs Senior Center, 400 North Edgemon Ave., Winter Springs. Also, 10 a.m., Health Fair, 3750 South Dixie Highway, Miami. Also, 1 p.m., Hardee County Library, 315 North Sixth Ave., Wauchula.)

SENIOR SCAMS TARGETED: The Florida Department of Financial Services will hold one in a series of "Be Scam Smart" workshops to help seniors avoid financial scams. (Wednesday, 10:30 a.m., Windsor at Celebration, 1370 Celebration Blvd., Celebration.)

BROWARD TRUSTEES MEET WITH ASPEN INSTITUTE: The Broward College Board of Trustees will meet with the Aspen Institute, a think tank. (Wednesday, 11:20 a.m., Broward College, A. Hugh Adams Central Campus, Building 17, 3501 Davie Road, Davie.)

ALBRITTON, PRICE SQUARE OFF: Republican Ben Albritton and Democrat Catherine Price, who are running in state Senate District 26, are slated to appear at the Tiger Bay Club of Polk County. Albritton and Price are seeking to replace outgoing Sen. Denise Grimsley, R-Sebring, in the district, which includes DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Highlands, Okeechobee and parts of Charlotte, Lee and Polk counties. (Wednesday, 11:30 a.m., Bartow Civic Center, 2250 South Floral Ave., Bartow.)

CITIZENS INSURANCE CLAIMS DISCUSSED: The Claims Committee of the Citizens Property Insurance Corp. Board of Governors will hold a conference call. Among other things, the committee will receive an update about litigated claims. As of Aug. 15, Citizens had been served with 5,493 Hurricane Irma-related lawsuits, according to committee material. (Wednesday, 1 p.m. Call-in number: 1-866-361-7525. Code: 5219676193)

SOUTH FLORIDA COLLEGE TRUSTEES MEET: The South Florida State College Board of Trustees is scheduled to meet. (Wednesday, 1 p.m., South Florida State College, Highlands Campus, 600 West College Dr., Avon Park.)

ST. JOHNS COLLEGE TRUSTEES MEET: The St. Johns River State College Board of Trustees will meet. (Wednesday, 3 p.m., St. Johns River State College, Palatka Campus, Administration Building, 5001 St. Johns Ave., Palatka.)

LAKE-SUMTER COLLEGE TRUSTEES MEET: The Lake-Sumter State College Board of Trustees will hold a workshop, followed by a regular board meeting. (Wednesday, workshop at 4 p.m., with board meeting at 5 p.m., Lake-Sumter State College, Student Services Building, 9501 U.S. 441, Leesburg.)

PINELLAS ROAD OPTIONS EYED: The Florida Department of Transportation and Forward Pinellas will hold a workshop on corridor studies for Alternate U.S. 19, from Park Street north to the Pinellas-Pasco County Line. (Wednesday, 5:30 p.m. Hale Senior Activity Center, 330 Douglas Ave., Dunedin.)

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2018

UNF TRUSTEES HOLD RETREAT: The University of North Florida Board of Trustees will hold a retreat and discuss a variety of issues, including challenges for higher education from a national perspective and the board’s responsibilities in addressing those challenges. (Thursday, 8:30 a.m., University of North Florida, Adam W. Herbert University Center, Jacksonville.)

REFUGEES AT ISSUE: The Florida Department of Children and Families will hold a community meeting and a Broward Area Refugee Task Force meeting to discuss refugee services. (Thursday, 10 a.m., Urban League of Broward County, 560 N.W. 27th Ave., Fort Lauderdale.)

MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES DISCUSSED: The Florida Department of Children and Families will hold a meeting in Alachua County about improvements in mental-health treatment services. (Thursday, 10 a.m., Alachua County Library, Tower Road Branch, 3020 S.W. 75th St., Gainesville.)

GULF COAST COLLEGE TRUSTEES MEET: The Gulf Coast State College Board of Trustees will meet. (Thursday, 10 a.m., Gulf Coast State College, William C. Cramer, Jr. Seminar Room, Panama City.)

SUPREME COURT RELEASES OPINIONS: The Florida Supreme Court is expected to release its regular weekly opinions. (11 a.m.)

RUBIO HOLDS ‘MOBILE’ OFFICE HOURS: Staff members for U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., will hold “mobile” office hours in Pasco, Miami-Dade, Osceola and Sarasota counties. (Thursday, 11:30 a.m., Saint Leo University, Student Community Center, 33701 State Road 52, Saint Leo. Also, noon, West Flagler Library, 5050 West Flagler St., Miami. Also, 1 p.m., Osceola Council on Aging, 700 Generation Point, Kissimmee. Also, 1 p.m., North Sarasota Library, 2801 Newtown Blvd., Sarasota.)

SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS AT ISSUE: The Florida Department of Transportation will hold a public hearing in Altamonte Springs about making safety improvements to a portion of State Road 436. (Thursday, 5 p.m., Florida Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists Community Room, 351 South State Road 434, Altamonte Springs.)

HOUSE CANDIDATES SPEAK TO GOP CLUB: Republican House candidates Will Robinson, Ray Pilon and Tommy Gregory are expected to take part in a meeting of the Sarasota Republican Club. Robinson is running for an open seat in House District 71; Pilon is challenging Rep. Margaret Good, D-Sarasota, in House District 72; and Gregory is running for an open seat in House District 73. (Thursday, 6 p.m., Marina Jack, 2 Marina Jack Plaza, Sarasota.)

BREVARD ROAD IMPROVEMENTS DISCUSSED: The Florida Department of Transportation will hold an open house in Titusville about proposed improvements to parts of U.S. 1 and State Road 406. (Thursday, 6 p.m., Titusville City Hall, 555 South Washington Ave., Titusville.)

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2018

ABLE TRUST KICKS OFF ‘AWARENESS’ MONTH: The Able Trust, which works to provide employment opportunities for people with disabilities, will hold an event about the start of Disability Employment Awareness Month. Among the expected participants in the event are incoming Senate President Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton. (Friday, 9 a.m., Rosen Shingle Creek Resort, 9939 Universal Blvd., Orlando.)

NURSING HOME ADMINISTRATORS GATHER: The Florida Board of Nursing Home Administrators will meet in Osceola County. (Friday, 9 a.m., Embassy Suites, 4955 Kyngs Heath Road, Kissimmee.)

ACUPUNCTURE ISSUES ON TABLE: The Florida Board of Acupuncture will meet. (Friday, 9 a.m., Four Points Downtown, 316 West Tennessee St., Tallahassee.)

SCHOOL FOR DEAF, BLIND BOARD MEETS: The Board of Trustees of the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind will meet. (Friday, 9 a.m., Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind, 207 North San Marco Ave., St. Augustine.)

UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS RELEASED: The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity is scheduled to release August unemployment figures. (Friday, 10 a.m.)

REFUGEES AT ISSUE: The Florida Department of Children and Families will hold a community meeting and a Palm Beach Area Refugee Task Force meeting to discuss refugee services. (Friday, 10 a.m., West Palm Beach City Hall, 401 Clematis St., West Palm Beach.)

RUBIO HOLDS ‘MOBILE’ OFFICE HOURS: Staff members for U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., will hold “mobile” office hours in Columbia and Alachua counties. (Friday, 11:30 a.m., Columbia County Library, 308 N.W. Columbia Ave., Lake City. Also, noon, Gainesville Main Library, 401 East University Ave., Gainesville.)

MEDICAL BOARDS DISCUSS OPIOD BILL: A joint committee of the Board of Pharmacy, the Board of Medicine, the Board of Osteopathic Medicine, the Board of Dentistry, the Board of Nursing, the Board of Optometry and the Board of Podiatric Medicine and the Council on Physician Assistants will meet to discuss implementation of a new law aimed at curbing the opioid epidemic. (Friday, 1 p.m., Rosen Plaza Hotel, 9700 International Dr., Orlando.)

JOLLY, MURPHY ON SATELLITE RADIO: Former U.S. Rep. David Jolly, R-Fla., and former U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Fla., will take part in a town-hall meeting on the SiriusXM POTUS radio station to discuss ideas for ending gridlock in Washington. (Friday, 2 p.m., SiriusXM POTUS Channel 124.)

CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS DUE: State candidates and political committees face a Friday deadline for filing reports showing finance activity through Sept. 14.