Feb 27, 2019
Florida Marijuana Legislation on the Move
Florida House Representatives Carlos Guillermo Smith and Mike Grieco are sponsoring a bill to legalize recreational marijuana to adults.
Both representatives have announced their sponsorship of HB117 throughout their social media pages. The bill will allow for adults 21 and older to purchase up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana at a time. However, consumers will not be allowed to use the drug in public.
If the marijuana is used in public, the person will face a $100 fine. The bill proposes a 5% tax on all the recreational marijuana purchased for the revenue to be used by the Department of Health.
For more information about the bill visit: https://myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/B…
Hurricane Tampa Tag to Get Home Fast
As all Floridians know, hurricanes are expected to bring commotion in the coming months. In order to prepare in advance, the City of Tampa is launching a program for the disarray after the storm.
Beginning next week, city residents and businesses that are most likely to be evacuated during the hurricane season will be mailed a color-coded, plastic hang tag for the rear-view mirror of their vehicles.
This action will launch the city’s new Hurricane Re-Entry Program. When returning from the safety zones that saved them from the storm, citizens with the hang tag on their car will be designated to specified return passages provided by the Tampa Police Department.
This will allow citizens to return to their homes after it is deemed safe much more efficiently. Citizens without the pass will be directed to a separate line that may be much slower because they will be individually vetted by law enforcement.
For more information about the hurricane tags and how to receive your own visit: https://www.tampagov.net/
One Injured from Car Crashing into Building
One person in an Allstate at Killingsworth Insurance Agency on Cortez Boulevard was injured after a car drove into the building.
The driver was in a Ford Fusion and leaving a handicapped parking space, but put the car into the wrong gear.
Instead of hitting the breaks, the driver hit the gas and went straight into the building. The employee sitting near the front of the business jumped away before being hit. However, she did obtain a few cuts and scrapes.
As a precaution, she was sent to the hospital to be checked. After the crash, crews quickly began to clean the office and board up the hole. We do not know if the driver will be charged for the incident.
The Aftermath of One of Florida’s Worst Red Tides
Florida has been facing one of the worst red tides in the state’s recorded history.
As a result of the 2017 red tide incident, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission met with the Bay Area Legislative Delegation at Mote Marine in Sarasota to discuss what could be done to limit the impact of the red tide.
The meeting discussed the ideas of more funding for research, as well as seeking new regulations. This was one of the longest red tides in duration.
For more information on the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission visit their website at: https://myfwc.com/
Innovative USF Aging and Technology Forum
The University of South Florida held an Aging & Technology forum at USF Connect with USF Research and participating health companies.
The forum included sessions on innovative research in aging in place, patient self-management, virtual reality for health and hearing and speech.
The forum included lunch and provided companies the opportunity to discuss new opportunities in allowing people to get the most out of their life even with aging.
The companies discussed various technologies that could prove useful to further investigate from the research provided during the sessions.
For more information about USF Research visit their website at: https://www.usf.edu/research-innovation/
Anchor: Allison Foy
Producer: LeeAnn Bohannon
Director: Sabrina Olivier
Technical Director: Maribeth Nguyen
Graphics: Alexa Ignacio
Audio: George Rivera
Prompter: Rachel Boyd
Floor Manager: Peyton Roux
Camera Operator: Celine Fleites and Caylee Cottrell
Radio: Colin Whitlock
Teaching Assistant: Tatyana Bazard
Graduate Assistant: Kelsey Baker
Faculty Advisor: Cathy Gugerty
