The sound of cannon fire filled the air as the 17th annual commemoration of the end of the Second Seminole War was celebrated at St. Francis Barracks, Florida, on August 17, 2024. The ceremony is a yearly tradition hosted by the Florida National Guard to honor fallen participants of the Florida Seminole War.
FEMA has established a Disaster Recovery Center in Manatee County to assist residents impacted by Hurricane Debby. The center is located at the Lakewood Ranch Library, 16410 Rangeland Parkway, Bradenton, FL 34211, and operates daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Courtney Drummond, Alexis Lambert, and Ivey Yarger to the State Emergency Response Commission.
On August 16, 2024, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson announced the preservation of Joseph Miller Ranch, a 490-acre cow/calf operation in St. Lucie County, through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. The preservation was achieved through a rural land protection easement valued at $2,070,000.
FloridaCommerce announced today that the Jacksonville area’s total private sector employment increased by 15,500 jobs (+2.2%) over the year in July 2024. The Jacksonville Metro Area’s labor force saw a modest increase of 1,972 (+0.2%) during the same period.
FloridaCommerce has approved over $1.5 million in funding through the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program to support small businesses affected by Hurricane Debby. So far, 42 businesses have been approved to receive these funds, which are intended to provide temporary financial relief while awaiting other sources of funding such as insurance.
Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that Florida's unemployment rate has been lower than the national rate for 45 consecutive months. In July 2024, Florida's statewide unemployment rate was 3.3%, which was one percentage point lower than the national rate of 4.3%. Additionally, Florida's private sector employment grew by 201,500 jobs (+2.3%) over the year since July 2023, outpacing the national rate of 1.5% over the same period.
Governor Ron DeSantis has announced the appointment of six individuals to the Electrical Contractors Licensing Board. The appointees are Douglas Bassett, Rafael Echarri, Robert Lombardo, Kevin McElroy, Donald Smith Jr., and Clarence Tibbs.
Tallahassee, Fla., August 16, 2024 – Today, Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, Jr., announced August’s chosen books for the Commissioner’s Book of the Month, a monthly reading challenge aimed at promoting literacy and reading engagement in preK-12 schools.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.— Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Dr. Steven Christie and Dr. James “Matthew” Knight and the reappointment of Dr. Scot Ackerman and Dr. Hector Vila to the Board of Medicine.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Jaime DiDomenico and Brittany Riner to the State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota District Board of Trustees.
FloridaCommerce has announced that the Miami metro area gained the most private sector jobs among all metro areas over the year in July 2024. The region saw an increase of 35,400 jobs, marking a 3.1% rise.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is seeking participants to help identify images of eastern indigo snakes, listed as federally threatened, from a database of digital trail camera photos. This project, the Indigo Snake Watch, aims to improve understanding of the reintroduced snakes’ activity and distribution while providing volunteers an opportunity to contribute to the conservation of North America’s largest native snake species.
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson announced the preservation of Lowder’s Gulf Hammock, a 691-acre working timber and wetland property in Levy County, through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. The preservation is facilitated by a rural land protection easement valued at $691,200.
On August 15, 2024, FloridaCommerce awarded technical assistance and planning grant funding to 25 Florida communities, including 20 small and rural communities, to foster economic growth. The grants, totaling over $1.5 million through the Community Planning Technical Assistance (CPTA) and Competitive Florida Partnership programs, will support various job creation strategies.