Connect with us

Florida

Post Endorsements: Choose Acosta in Florida House 89 and Tendrich in Florida House 94

Published

on

Post Endorsements: Choose Acosta in Florida House 89 and Tendrich in Florida House 94


Florida House 89: Choose Acosta in GOP primary

Next month voters in the northwest and western areas of Palm Beach County will begin the process of choosing a new state representative as Republican Rick Roth cannot run for re-election due to term limits. Four Republicans have qualified in the Aug. 20 primary to vie for Florida’s 94th House District. The Palm Beach Post recommends voters choose Christian F. Acosta. The winner will face Democrat Rachelle Litt in the November general elections.

The district leans Republican due to its mix of growing suburbs and vast areas of sugar cane and other farmland. It includes Palm Beach Gardens, Royal Palm Beach, Westlake and the Glades communities along Lake Okeechobee.

Acosta, 41, is an engineer by trade. He’s an adjunct professor at Palm Beach State College and he has worked with Roth. That opportunity in particular has given Acosta a better understanding of the district’s constituents and needs.

If elected, Acosta has said he’d like to serve on the House Agriculture committee, an assignment that would be tailor-made for the district. He would work to boost opportunities in technical education and explore using technology to better secure school perimeters. He would also like to develop new leakage and waterproofing standards for roofs as a way to lower property insurance premiums.

Advertisement

The three other candidates in the race include Gabrielle M. Fox, a 41 year-old small business owner in Palm Beach Gardens and Anthony Aguirre, 40, a Palm Beach Gardens resident who works as an operations manager in the healthcare field. Of the two, Aguirre is the better prepared candidate. If he fails to win the primary, he should continue seeking public office. The fourth candidate, Meg Weinberger, declined to be interviewed by the Post editorial board.

Florida House 94: Vote Tendrich in Democratic primary

Term limits are also forcing a change in Florida House District 89, where state Rep. David Silvers, D-Lake Clarke Shores, has served for eight years and is term-limited from re-election. Two Democratic candidates have qualified for the Aug. 20 primary, and the winner will face Republican Daniel Zapata in the November general elections.

The Palm Beach Post recommends voters choose Debra Tendrich. The 37-year-old Lake Worth resident brings energy and her community involvement has helped her build connections with businesses, faith-based organizations, nonprofits and political groups within the district. which has prepared her for the role as an elected official.

Advertisement

District 89 is a majority Democratic with a growing Hispanic population. It stretches south from West Palm Beach through Lake Clarke Shores, Lake Worth Beach and includes Palm Springs and portions of Greenacres.

Tendrich is a fitness and health educator who founded Eat Better Live Better, a Delray Beach-based nonprofit that provides health food and nutrition advice to children and their families. She would be a reliable Democratic vote in addressing concerns important to the district, like reasonably priced housing, quality public schools, environmental protection, small business support and access to healthcare, reproductive rights and mental health services.

Her priorities include pushing for greater regulation of insurance firms and allowing for more premium discounts for homeowners who invest in measures to reinforce their properties. She’d also support developing down-payment assistance programs for first-time homebuyers and rental assistance programs to ensure individuals and working families looking for apartments and other rental property can afford to live in the communities in which they work.

Destinie Baker Sutton, a 44 year-old attorney, is also running for the seat. Her legal background, volunteer work within the county and stand on issues make her a credible candidate but we believe Tendrich is the better fit for the district.

Up Next: U.S. House primary races

Advertisement



Source link

Florida

South Florida faith leaders call for Miami mental health center to finally open

Published

on

South Florida faith leaders call for Miami mental health center to finally open


On Monday, more than 800 faith leaders and community activists from across South Florida, crowded into the Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Miami to demand the Miami Dade County Commission move forward with opening the Miami Center for Mental Health and Recovery.

“Are we OK with being told to wait when lives are on the line?” said Quanda Dupree, of the St. Peters Missionary Baptist Church. “Or do we believe real accountability means keeping your word? Even when things aren’t guaranteed. We believe our communities deserve more than a delayed response. We deserve action.”

The center – which was promised to voters back in 2004 – would take mentally ill individuals out of the jail and move them into a place where they can receive comprehensive treatment and support. The county has spent more than $50 million renovating the building and two years ago, a pair of non-profit groups were selected to operate the facility while numerous local groups and agencies have pledged their support, including the Homeless Trust. Funding for the first two to three years of the center is already in place.

And yet, the center remains empty – not helping anyone.



Source link

Continue Reading

Florida

SNAP benefits will be changing in Florida starting Monday

Published

on

SNAP benefits will be changing in Florida starting Monday


New SNAP restrictions will start Monday in Florida.

What we know:

Advertisement

These changes will ban the purchase of many sugary sodas, energy drinks, candy and ultra-processed, shelf-stable prepared desserts.

Hunger Free America, an advocacy group, is against these restrictions.

Joel Berg, the CEO, said some regulation is a good thing, but he wants to see it support access to healthy foods as a choice.

Advertisement

“We do support mandates to mandate that healthier food is available in stores that do accept SNAP,” Berg said. “So, it makes a lot more sense to make it easier to get healthier food.”

Berg said these restrictions are unnecessary in achieving a healthier America.

Advertisement

“We should make America healthier again by making healthy food more affordable, convenient and physically available,” Berg said. “We shouldn’t micromanage the eating patterns of adults to try to achieve that goal.”

The other side:

Advertisement

This is part of the Make America Healthy Again initiative.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said, “Under the MAHA initiative, we are taking bold, historic steps to reverse the chronic disease epidemic that has taken root in this country for far too long.”

What they’re saying:

Advertisement

Berg said that these changes, on top of cuts to the program nationwide, will increase hunger.

“It’s not that low-income Americans don’t want healthier food; it’s that they can’t afford healthier food,” Berg said.

Advertisement

This coincides with the announcement that there will be cuts to WIC, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, which supplies food to mothers and young children.

“President Trump’s budget just announced that he’s proposing taking away fruits and vegetables from the WIC program for pregnant women and children under five,” Berg said. “So, they’re taking away healthier food.”

The WIC cuts would take away $1.4 billion in fruit and vegetable benefits from 5.4 million people.

Advertisement

Big picture view:

The SNAP changes come as part of the MAHA movement and include more than 20 other states that will implement changes over the next two years.

Advertisement

The Source:  Information in this story comes from WIC, SNAP and interviews done by Fox 13’s Danielle Zulkosky.

Hillsborough CountyHealth



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Florida

GALLERY: Barrett-Jackson ‘Super Saturday’ takes over South Florida Fairgrounds

Published

on

GALLERY: Barrett-Jackson ‘Super Saturday’ takes over South Florida Fairgrounds


The engines are revving for one final day of high-stakes bidding and family fun at the South Florida Fairgrounds.

Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach auction reaches its grand finale today with an action-packed “Super Saturday” lineup, promising to close out the weekend with a full slate of collector car sales, live entertainment, and fan attractions.

“Super Saturday,” presented by Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, officially kicks off at 8 a.m. when gates, food courts, and the exhibitor marketplace open to the public.

What to expect

  • 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.: The Fantasy Bid presented by Dodge begins early, running in tandem with the automobilia auction in the arena.
  • 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Thrill-seekers can catch Dodge thrill rides on the Barrett-Jackson Performance Track.
  • 10:00 a.m.: New amenities open to the public, including the Stella Artois, Staging Lanes, and Food Court patios, which offer shaded seating and auction views.
  • 10:45 a.m.: The national anthem will be performed in the auction arena, signaling the start of the main collector car auction at 11 a.m.
  • Afternoon Entertainment: DJ sets run from noon to 5 p.m. across the various patios, and a detailing clinic by Adam’s Polishes is scheduled for 2 p.m. near the South Showcase.

For those unable to attend, the whole event will be livestreamed throughout the day on the Barrett-Jackson website and the HISTORY channel from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Today’s finale comes on the heels of a high-energy Friday that saw significant sales and notable celebrity interest.

Advertisement

Star power was evident throughout the day, particularly with vehicles tied to the Busch family. A 1957 Ford Thunderbird Convertible owned by Samantha Busch and a 1969 Oldsmobile 442 Custom Coupe were among the day’s heavy hitters, each fetching $159,500. Kyle Busch’s 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Custom Coupe also drew a strong bid, selling for $143,000.

Other Friday highlights included:

  • 1968 Ford Mustang Eleanor Replica: $137,500
  • 2004 Dodge Viper SRT-10 Mamba Edition: $132,000
  • 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer Custom SUV: $126,500
  • 1957 Ford Thunderbird Custom Convertible: $121,000
Comment with Bubbles

BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT

With a festival-style atmosphere and high-profile sales driving momentum, organizers expect a busy crowd for the final push at the auction block today.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending