It only takes one.
And if you don’t believe that, ask the folks in Mexico Beach, Panama City, Port St. Joe, Blountstown, Marianna and numerous other Northwest Florida communities. Hurricane Michael roared ashore Oct. 10 and forever changed their lives.
Now, less than eight months later, Florida is poised to enter another hurricane season. From June 1 to Nov. 30, that means a new round of hoping for a calm year --- or at least hoping the wind blows another direction.
For about a decade, Florida was lucky. But then came Hurricane Hermine and Hurricane Matthew in 2016. They were followed by monstrous Hurricane Irma in 2017. And then there was Category 5 Hurricane Michael.
People throughout most of the state have had a taste --- or worse --- of power outages, downed trees and blue tarps. Hurricane amnesia? Not anymore.
TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2019
DESANTIS TRIES TO DRUM UP BUSINESS: Gov. Ron DeSantis and a Florida delegation will continue a trip to Israel. The day is expected to include a meeting and award ceremony with the Israel Innovation Authority in Tel Aviv’ a lunch with Israeli business leaders; ceremonies to sign memorandums of understanding; and a reception hosted by the U.S. ambassador.
RUBIO HOLDS ‘MOBILE’ OFFICE HOURS: Staff members for U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., will hold “mobile” office hours in Hillsborough, Lee and Leon counties. (Tuesday, 9 a.m., Greater Riverview Chamber of Commerce, 10101 Bloomingdale Ave., Riverview. Also, 10 a.m., Southwest Florida Military Museum & Library, 4820 Leonard St., Cape Coral. Also, 1:30 p.m., Eastside Branch Library, 1583 Pedrick Road, Tallahassee.)
OKALOOSA SUPERINTENDENT CASE HEARD: Senate Special Master Dudley Goodlette will hold a final hearing in the battle over Gov. Ron DeSantis’ decision to suspend Okaloosa County Superintendent of Schools Mary Beth Jackson. The Florida Constitution gives the Senate the power to reinstate or remove elected officials from office. Jackson appealed to the Senate after DeSantis stripped her of the superintendent job. DeSantis accused Jackson of “dereliction of duty.” Jackson’s suspension was based, in part, on allegations that a teacher abused developmentally challenged pre-kindergarten students at an elementary school during the 2015-2016 school year. The hearing could continue Wednesday if needed. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., 401 Senate Office Building, the Capitol.)
CANNABIS CHIEF SPEAKS TO BUSINESS GROUP: Holly Bell, director of cannabis in the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, is scheduled to speak to the Network of Entrepreneurs and Business Advocates. (Tuesday, noon, Capital City Country Club, 1601 Golf Terrace Dr., Tallahassee.)
BROWARD COLLEGE TRUSTEES MEET: The Broward College Board of Trustees will meet. (Tuesday, 1 p.m., Willis Holcombe Downtown Center, 111 East Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale.)
FLORIDA KEYS COLLEGE BOARD MEETS: The Florida Keys Community College Board of Trustees will meet. (Tuesday, 2 p.m., Florida Keys Community College, Key West Campus, 5901 College Road, Key West.)
HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS AT ISSUE: U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, D-Fla., will hold a town-hall meeting in Monroe County about hurricane preparedness. (Tuesday, 5 p.m., Marathon Government Center, 2798 Overseas Highway, Marathon.)
MANATEE-SARASOTA COLLEGE BOARD MEETS: The Board of Trustees of State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota will meet. (Tuesday, 5:30 p.m., State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota, Venice Campus, 8000 South Tamiami Trail, Venice.)
WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2019
CABINET MEETING HELD IN ISRAEL: Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state Cabinet will hold what is being described as a “ceremonial” meeting as part of a trip to Israel. DeSantis is expected to sign a bill (HB 741) to combat anti-Semitism. (Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. Eastern time, or 3:30 p.m. in Jerusalem, United States Embassy.)
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS CONTINUE: Gov. Ron DeSantis and a Florida delegation will continue a trip to Israel. Along with a state Cabinet meeting, the day is expected to include DeSantis giving a keynote address at the 2019 Israel-America Business Summit; ceremonies to sign memorandums of understanding; and a business-development reception.
UNEMPLOYMENT CASES CONSIDERED: The state Reemployment Assistance Appeals Commission will meet. (Wednesday, 9:30 a.m., 101 Rhyne Building, 2740 Centerview Dr., Tallahassee.)
CONGRESSWOMAN VISITS DETENTION CENTER: U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, D-Fla., will visit a migrant detention center in Miami-Dade County. (Wednesday, 10 a.m., Homestead Detention Center, 960 Bougainville Blvd., Homestead.)
RUBIO HOLDS ‘MOBILE’ OFFICE HOURS: Staff members for U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., will hold “mobile” office hours in Clay, Pinellas, Walton, Polk, St. Johns, Madison and Gulf counties. (Wednesday, 10 a.m., Penney Farms City Hall, 4100 Clark Ave., Penney Farms. Also, 10 a.m., Clearwater Main Library, 100 North Osceola Ave., Clearwater. Also, noon, Walton Area Chamber of Commerce, 63 South Centre Trail, Santa Rosa Beach. Also, 1 p.m., Northeast Polk Chamber of Commerce, 35610 U.S. 27, Haines City. Also, 2 p.m., River House Senior Center, 179 Marine St., St. Augustine. Also, 3 p.m., Madison County Commission meeting room, Madison County Courthouse Annex, 229 S.W. Pinckney St., Madison. Also, 4 p.m., Ward Ridge Building, 2775 Garrison Ave., Port St. Joe.)
VOTING EQUIPMENT TESTED: The Leon County Supervisor of Elections Office will test voting equipment in advance of a June 18 special election in state House District 7, which opened when former Rep. Halsey Beshears, R-Monticello, was appointed secretary of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Port St. Joe Republican Jason Shoaf and Tallahassee Democrat Ryan Terrell are running in the district, made up of Calhoun, Franklin, Gulf, Jefferson, Lafayette, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, Wakulla and part of Leon counties. (Wednesday, noon, Leon County Election Center, 2990-1 Apalachee Parkway, Tallahassee.)
CENTRAL FLORIDA COLLEGE TRUSTEES MEET: The College of Central Florida Board of Trustees will meet in Marion County. (Wednesday, 3 p.m., College of Central Florida, Ocala Campus, Founders Hall, 3001 S.W. College Road, Ocala.)
STEUBE DISCUSSES VETERANS’ ISSUES: U.S. Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., will hold a town-hall meeting to discuss policy issues related to veterans. (Wednesday, 4 p.m., Suncoast Technical College Conference Center, 4445 Career Lane, North Port.)
SPICER SPEAKS TO BREVARD GOP: Sean Spicer, a former spokesman for President Donald Trump, is slated to speak during the Brevard County Republican Party’s Lincoln Reagan Dinner. (Wednesday, 7 p.m., Radisson Resort at the Port, 8701 Astronaut Blvd., Cape Canaveral.)
THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2019
DESANTIS MEETS WITH NETANYAHU: The final full day of a trip to Israel by Gov. Ron DeSantis and a Florida delegation will include a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; ceremonies for signing memorandums of understanding; and a visit to the Old City of Jerusalem.
INTERNATIONAL TRADE ON TABLE; The Florida Chamber of Commerce will host a Florida International Trade and Investment Conference, which is expected to include speakers such as Boeing Latin America President Donna Hrinak, BBVA Compass Chief U.S. Economist Nathaniel Karp and U.S. Southern Command Military Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. Mike Plehn, along with panels on e-commerce and trade in the Americas, life sciences, aerospace, and infrastructure. (Thursday, 8:30 a.m. Hyatt Regency Coral Gables, 50 Alhambra Plaza, Coral Gables)
‘CAT FUND’ CONSIDERED: The Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund Advisory Council will hold a conference call. (Thursday, 10 a.m. Call-in number: 1-888-585-9008. Code: 973664296.)
SUPREME COURT RELEASES OPINIONS: The Florida Supreme Court is scheduled to release its weekly opinions. (Thursday, 11 a.m.)
‘CANNABIS ECONOMY’ AT ISSUE: Andrew Freedman, who served as Colorado’s director of cannabis coordination, will speak to the Economic Club of Florida. Freedman, co-founder and senior director of the firm Freedman and Koski, will discuss the topic, “The Cannabis Economy: What Everybody is Getting Wrong About the ‘Green Rush.’” (Thursday, noon, FSU Alumni Center, 1030 West Tennessee St., Tallahassee.)
TRAIL SYSTEM DISCUSSED: The Florida Department of Transportation will hold an open house to discuss a planned multi-use trail along U.S. 17, from State Road 40 to the border of Volusia and Putnam counties. The 14-mile stretch is expected to be part of the 260-mile St. Johns River to Sea Loop. (Thursday, 5:30 p.m. Pierson Community Center, 124 West Washington Ave., Pierson.)
PSC HOLDS RATE MEETING: The Florida Public Service Commission will hold a customer meeting in Brevard County on a proposed wastewater rate increase by TKCB, Inc. (Thursday, 6 p.m., Merritt Island Public Library, 1195 North Courtenay Parkway, Merritt Island.)
TRUMP CAMPAIGN MANAGER IN MIAMI-DADE: Brad Parscale, campaign manager for President Donald Trump’s 2020 re-election bid, is slated to speak to the Miami Young Republicans. (Thursday, 6:30 p.m., Miami Dade College Koubek Memorial Center, 2705 S.W. Third St., Miami.)
FRIDAY, MAY 31, 2019
DESANTIS RETURNS TO FLORIDA: Gov. Ron DeSantis will end his trip to Israel by leaving for Florida.
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS ‘TAX’ HOLIDAY BEGINS: A week-long disaster-preparedness tax “holiday” will start Friday. During the period, shoppers will be able to buy a variety of hurricane supplies without paying sales taxes. The supplies include battery packages and non-electric food storage coolers that cost $30 or less; self-powered light sources that cost $20 or less; tarpaulins, self-powered radios, ground anchor systems and weather-band radios that cost $50 or less; and portable generators that cost $750 or less. The beginning of the tax-holiday period comes the day before the start of the 2019 hurricane season.
MANUFACTURING ‘SUMMIT’ SLATED: Associated Industries of Florida, FloridaMakes, CareerSource Florida, Inc., Florida Chamber Foundation and the Florida Manufacturing and Logistics Council will host a manufacturing “summit” in Orange County. Among the numerous speakers will be Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Executive Director Ken Lawson. (Friday, 8 a.m., JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes, 4040 Central Florida Parkway, Orlando.)
HURRICANE READINESS DISCUSSED: U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, D-Fla., will receive a briefing about hurricane readiness. (Friday, 1 p.m., Miami-Dade County Office of Emergency Management, 9300 N.W. 41st St., Miami.)
SATURDAY, JUNE 1, 2019
HURRICANE SEASON BEGINS: The six-month Atlantic hurricane season will start. Florida has sustained heavy hurricane damage during the past three years, including from Hurricane Irma in 2017 and Hurricane Michael in 2018. The hurricane season will end Nov. 30.
SEA OATS PLANTED: Duke Energy Florida and Mexico Beach officials will lead an effort to plant 15,000 sea oats along the city’s shoreline. Mexico Beach was devastated in October’s Hurricane Michael, and sea oats help prevent beach erosion. (Saturday, 8 a.m. Central time, 714 U.S. 98, Mexico Beach.)
CENSUS IMPORTANCE DISCUSSED: Florida KIDS Count, the State Innovation Exchange and Organize Florida will hold a town-hall meeting in Hillsborough County about the importance of the 2020 U.S. Census. The town hall is expected to include state Rep. Susan Valdes, D-Tampa; Rep. Jennifer Webb, D-Gulfport; Rep. Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa; Rep. Dianne Hart, D-Tampa; and Rep. Adam Hattersley, D-Riverview. (Saturday, 10 a.m., University of South Florida, College of Behavioral and Community Sciences atrium, 3108 USF Banyan Circle, Tampa.)
