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Walker was honored with the Meenu T. Sasser Outstanding Jurist Award at The Florida Bar’s annual convention last month. Presented by the Young Lawyers Division of The Florida Bar, the award is given to judges with a reputation for sound judicial decisions, an unblemished record of integrity as a lawyer and judge, and a willingness to assist young lawyers.
Upon accepting the award, Walker credited the continued support and guidance of colleagues and also paid homage to Judge Sasser’s legacy as a model of judicial excellence. Sasser, the first Asian-American judge in Palm Beach County, served as a Circuit Court Judge in 2009 until her death in 2019.
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*The Florida 12th Circuit Court is one of twenty circuit courts in Florida. It is a trial court of general jurisdiction presiding over DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota counties.
Manatee County is partnering with Tampa General Hospital on a drone program that will be the first in the nation to deliver life-saving supplies via drone. 911 callers in the pilot program may receive an AED or opioid overdose treatment in under two minutes while an ambulance is on the way.
Some more details:
Drone adds another layer to emergency services in Manatee County
Archer First Response Systems launched a pilot program at the EMS station in Lakewood Ranch.
Ten years before Gordon Folkes presented a drone to the Manatee County Commission as a lifesaving device, he was a sophomore at Florida State University who thought a drone would be a fantastic way to transport beer across a golf course.
The idea, that’s since been developed into Archer First Response Systems, was called Sky Caddy for about two months.
Instead of stocking drones with beers and sandwiches, Folkes is now stocking drones with automated external defibrillators, tourniquets and nasal sprays that can reverse drug overdoses.
Archer software is tapped into 5,000 911 call systems nationwide. The program is being tested for the first time in Manatee County.
The Archer software is integrated into the 911 call system, so the drone is simply one more layer of emergency service. It doesn’t replace the traditional EMS response. An ambulance will still be dispatched, but the plan is that the drone will arrive first.
“The average response time for the drone is less than two minutes, while an ambulance's average response is eight minutes,” said James Crutchfield, Public Safety Department deputy director and EMS chief. “The calls that the drone is prepared to assist with are time-sensitive and can make a significant impact for individuals experiencing medical emergencies.”
Motorists are reminded to wear safety belts and drive with caution, courtesy, common sense, and patience as they travel through work zones. Remember, speeding fines are doubled in work zones.
As a reminder, travelers can visit www.FL511.com or dial “511” from their phone to learn about traffic conditions on major roadways across the state. If you know before you go, you can plan accordingly and save time and money.
In November, North Port will ask voters to allow the city government to take on debt without getting voter approval in certain scenarios.
The exact ballot language is being determined.
But the city depicts a yellow banner across the top of its home page to spread the word.
“Nov. 5 Charter Referendum,” it reads.
“Voters will be asked to amend the City Charter to allow City Commission to issue debt without prior voter approval to respond to a declared emergency or for some safety or public health projects. With the ability to borrow money as it’s needed, the City of North Port can start to Get the Work Done.”
A “learn more” tab can be clicked for more information. The hyperlink leads to an entire page dedicated to the 2024 charter referendum.
It details how and why the city is looking for the amendment to the current charter.
In a recent meeting, North Port bond counsel Steven Miller said he has “never seen” such a restriction on a municipality.
In April, the City Commission unanimously agreed to work on a change to the rule. Such a decision came after discussions about large projects, including a new, $122 million police station.
Since North Port was incorporated in 1959, it has been unable to borrow, per the City Charter.
“This led previous City leaders to take a ‘pay as you go’ approach to our capital projects and infrastructure needs: Save up the millions of dollars needed to fully fund a project before starting it,” the website states.
Such a method has downsides, according to the city website. The new page cites the widening of Price Boulevard as one.
After months of delays, walls, and rooms filled with asbestos, the Punta Gorda Waterfront Hotel is set to finally begin its interior demolition.
Like several places in Southwest Florida, Hurricane Ian left the hotel badly damaged, but now the possible rebuild project can commence.
This is a project that is years in the making after both hurricanes Ian and Idalia left the Punta Gorda Waterfront Hotel struggling to make a comeback.
Delays started occurring after the discovery of asbestos inside the walls and rooms of the hotel back in April.
However, it was the flooding from Ian that left the building as a public safety hazard and fire risk.
According to attorney Derek Rooney, it’s been a long and hard process for the property owner Amer Asmar after permanently closing it.
Rooney told Gulfshore Business that Asmar never wished to demolish the hotel but unfortunately had no other options.
Punta Gorda residents hope that whatever comes next might liven up the area.
Steve McBride, a resident of Punta Gorda said, “I live in Bay Palms and they all mentioned that, they said because I used to come here—It’s horrible. It’s got graffiti on it now and it’s gone ghetto.”
Donna Peterman isn’t finished with her work in District 1 on the Punta Gorda City Council.
Peterman ran unopposed two years ago. Now Jeannine Polk is vying for the seat.
Peterman was chief communications officer of the PNC Financial Services Group before retiring and moving to Punta Gorda in 2016.
Peterman wants to see new developments in the downtown district.
She said while everyone didn’t agree with the land development regulations, they were vetted for years. She believes new regulations will lead to changes for some blighted sections of downtown that will help the city.
She also speaks up for the historic district, noting the city’s OK of a local Register of Historic Places with the new land development regulations.
“(The rules) enhanced protections from demolition and sets forth the powers and duties of the City’s Historic Preservation Advisory Board,” she said.
She wanted to see dinghy docks regulated. She said some residents living near Charlotte Harbor dealt with bad behavior by some boat dwellers for years.
It is not her only concern about water.
“We need a study on flooding in the downtown district,” she said. “I wanted to see the study get done so we know what options are available to fix the issue … We know it floods, but there may be something more we can do to deal with this issue.”
Hurricane Beryl made its third landfall along the Texas coast around 4:30 a.m. July 8 as a Category 1 storm.
As expected, Beryl strengthened as it approached the coast. By the time it made landfall near Matagorda, winds had increased to 80 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.
As of 7 a.m., Beryl was bringing life-threatening storm surge and strong winds as it moves over eastern Texas. Damaging winds are ongoing along the coast, with strong winds moving inland.
Sustained winds remain at 80 mph as Beryl moves to the north at 12 mph. At 7 a.m., Beryl was located 15 miles north of Matagorda, Texas, or 70 miles south-southwest of Houston.
Sunrise in Matagorda will be at 6:33 a.m. CDT. When conditions are safe, photos and videos of the damage Beryl left behind will be available. We'll update this story throughout the day, but here are images that have been shared so far on social media.
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*There is a high risk for dangerous rip currents and life-threatening beach conditions along the Gulf Coast, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Life-threatening storm surge, damaging winds, flooding and rainfall are spreading across southeastern Texas.
2.3 million without power!
Heavy rainfall of 5 to 10 inches with localized amounts of 15 inches is expected across portions of the middle and upper Texas Gulf Coast and eastern Texas today into tonight. Considerable flash and urban flooding as well as minor to isolated major river flooding is expected. Heavy rainfall of 3 to 5 inches, with locally higher amounts possible, is expected across portions of far southeastern Oklahoma, Arkansas and southern Missouri tonight into Tuesday.
Last edited by wondermint2; Yesterday at 10:22 AM..
Manatee County restaurants are routinely inspected by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation for health and food safety issues and cleanliness.
Florida bases its inspection standards on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Food Code, which contains many, many possible violations.
Passing inspection without flaw is no easy feat, so we like to let our readers know which restaurants did exceptionally well during recent inspections.
Here are the local businesses that earned perfect or near-perfect health inspections from June 18 to July 3.
MATAGORDA, Texas (AP) — Hurricane Beryl swept into Texas early Monday with heavy rains and powerful winds, knocking out power to 1.5 million homes and businesses and flooding streets with fast-rising waters as first responders raced to rescue stranded residents.
Beryl had already cut a deadly path through parts of Mexico and the Caribbean before turning toward Texas. The Category 1 hurricane hit land just before 4 a.m., then weakened to a tropical storm about five hours later. At least two people were killed. The National Hurricane Center said damaging winds and flash flooding will continue as Beryl continues pushing inland.
High waters quickly began to close streets in storm-weary Houston, which was again under flood warnings after heavy storms in recent months washed out neighborhoods.
CenterPoint Energy in Houston reported 1.5 million homes and businesses were without power. Flood warnings were in effect across a wide stretch of the Texas coast, where a powerful storm surge pushed water ashore, and further inland as heavy rain continued to fall.
“We haven’t really slept,” said Eva Costancio, 67, as she gazed at a large tree that had fallen across power lines in the Houston suburb of Rosenberg. Her neighborhood lost power about four hours earlier and she worried that food in her refrigerator would be spoiled.
“We are struggling to have food and losing that food would be difficult,” she said.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who is acting governor while Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is out of the country, said crews cannot get out to fix power lines until the wind dies down. He also warned that flooding could last for days and the storm continues to dump rain onto already saturated ground.
“This is not a one-day event,” Patrick said.
Rosenberg police noted that one of its high-water vehicles was hit by a falling tree while returning from a rescue, and they urged people to stay off the roads. Video footage showed heavy street flooding in the barrier island city of Galveston, and Houston was under a flash-flood warning for most of the morning as heavy rain continued to soak the city.
Two people were killed after trees fell on their houses: a man in the Houston suburb of Humble and a woman in Harris County, authorities said.
Texas officials warned people along the entire coastline to prepare for possible flooding, heavy rain and wind. Several coastal counties called for voluntary evacuations in low-lying areas. Local officials also banned beach camping and urged tourists traveling on the Fourth of July holiday weekend to move recreational vehicles from coastal parks.
When Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed the money allocated by the state legislature for arts and cultural programming for the first time last month, it forced leaders of more than 600 non profit organizations to try to figure out ways to make up the money.
For Sarasota County’s vibrant arts scene, that represents a loss of $1.45 million that was allocated for 27 arts and cultural organizations. That total was just 47% of the $3.1 million that the organizations had requested from the state. In Lee County, 16 organizations were expecting $768,280 after the Legislature made its cuts, and 13 organizations in Collier County were in line for $650,881.
In Manatee County, six organizations were expecting $246,789, and only the Charlotte Chorale was to receive state funding in Charlotte County.
In Sarasota County 12 organizations, including Asolo Repertory Theatre, Sarasota Orchestra, Sarasota Opera and Sarasota Ballet, qualified for the top amount of $150,000, but with the reduced budget approved by the Legislature, they would have received $70,500. The smallest grant totals in the county would have gone to EnsembleNEWSRQ, the contemporary classical organization with $10,659, and $11,750 each to the Sarasota Pops Orchestra and Urbanite Theatre.
“All funding makes a huge impact,” said Summer Wallace, producing artistic director of Urbanite Theatre. “Less grant support means we rely more on individual donors and they’re all dealing with increased costs, higher insurance, higher rents.” Wallace has just announced her company’s 2024-25 season and “we’re thinking of 2025-26 and how am I going to pare it back.”
Here is a look at what arts organizations in Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties were expecting after the the Foorida legislature approved the budget before the governor’s veto.
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