After 10 Glorious Years, Sunshine State News and I Are Passing the Baton

Gov. Rick Scott signed executive orders on Thursday calling for special elections on Nov. 6 to fill two seats on the Municipal Service District of Ponte Verde Beach board of directors in St. Johns County and three vacancies on the Lake Padgett Estates Independent Special District board of supervisors in Pasco County. No one filed to run for any of the vacant seats. On Tuesday, Scott issued executive orders for special elections on Nov. 6 for seats on the Charlotte County Airport Authority and the Loxahatchee River Environmental Control District.

In a couple of weeks, Judge Kevin Carroll of the 2nd Judicial Circuit Courtis expected todeterminewhether nurses and other state employees may proceed with their present lawsuit against the Florida Department of Corrections (DOC), or whether they will need to file an entirely new one in their long-ranging battle against privatization of prison health services.

Gov. Rick Scott, who has championed bulking up Floridas seaports as a means to attract more global trade, has called for the fast-tracking of the widening and deepening of Port Canaveral's shipping channel by pumping $24.4 million into the $65 million project. The action is expected to advance the work from 2017 to 2014, allowing larger cargo and cruise ships into the port.

Gov. Rick Scotts schedule for Thursday includes a job announcement in the morning on the Space Coast, conducting a ceremonial bill signing with students that drafted the new law, and helping the Office Depot Foundation in Tampa distribute school supplies in the afternoon. The nature of the job announcement was not immediately available, other than that it will occur at 9 a.m. at Cruise Terminal 6 at Cape Canaveral.