North Florida News

Senator Jason Brodeur Files Legislation to Expand Access to Florida’s Wildlife Corridor

Published

2 years ago

January 24, 2023

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. –State Senator Jason Brodeur (R-Sanford) today filed Senate Bill 106, Florida Shared-Use Nonmotorized Trail Network. The legislation expands access to Florida’s Wildlife Corridor, connecting the iconic corridor to Florida’s Greenways and Trails System and the SUN Trail Network, as well as recreational pathways to heritage small towns across Florida.

“Fifty years from now our children and grandchildren will say that the greatest thing the Florida Legislature did in the 2020’s was the expansion of the Wildlife Corridor and the preservation of millions of acres of farmland and ranch land for conservation. It will be our Central Park,” said Senator President Kathleen Passidomo (R-Naples), who has prioritized expanding the Wildlife Corridor during her two-year term as Senate President. “I envision Florida’s Wildlife Corridor as a top destination for bikers, runners, and other visitors. Expanding access, where appropriate, will allow the public to see the wonder, beauty, and importance of preserving these areas.”

Florida’s Wildlife Corridor encompasses approximately 17 million acres, including almost 10 million acres of conservation lands. The corridor is being created through the state’s purchase of development rights of farmers, ranchers, and other landowners who will be able to continue their operations in perpetuity and the lands will never be developed.

“Over the last two years, the Legislature has prioritized $600 million for the preservation and expansion of Florida’s iconic wildlife corridor,” said Senator Brodeur who serves as Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government. “By connecting the corridor to our trail system, more people across our state and around the world can experience Florida’s unique natural habitat at its finest, with the added benefit of connecting athletes and tourists with trail towns across Florida’s heartland.”

The Florida Shared-Use Nonmotorized (SUN) Trail Program, a priority of former Florida Senate President Andy Gardiner (R-Orlando), was created in 2015 to support the establishment of a statewide system of interconnected multi-use trails for bicyclists and pedestrians through coordination between the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). The program receives funding from a portion of the existing fees paid when new vehicle registration fees are paid. The FDOT also dedicates other resources, such as federal grant funds, when available, to build bike and pedestrian trails that are part of the SUN Trail Network.

SB 106 formally connects the corridor to the state trail system, extending the SUN Trail Network to lands of the Florida Wildlife Corridor, which will include components that connect to nature trails, loop trails, or other points of public access wholly within a single park or natural area as potential parts of the SUN Trail Network. To fund expansions that connect the SUN Trail to the corridor, as well as the construction of shared-use nonmotorized trails in these areas, the bill increases from $25 million to $50 million the annual amount allocated to the SUN Trail Network from motor vehicle registration fees. The bill also appropriates $200 million from the General Revenue Fund to the FDOT as a nonrecurring major investment to boost the planning, design, and construction of the SUN Trail Network. The legislation also codifies an existing campaign of the FDEP to recognize communities located along or in proximity to long-distance nonmotorized recreational trails as “Trail Towns,” with guidance to Visit Florida for promoting trail-based tourism.

The bill requires that trail projects located within the Wildlife Corridor, to the greatest extent possible, use previously disturbed lands, such as abandoned roads and railroads, utility rights-of-way, canal corridors and drainage berms, and permanent fire lines. Further, FDOT is directed to minimize gaps between trail segments and to ensure, to the greatest extent possible, that local support exists for projects and trail segments, including the potential for dedication of local funding and of contributions by sponsors to support trail maintenance, which may include those private landowners who make their land, or property interests in such land, available for public use as a trail.

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North Florida News

Attorney General James Uthmeier Secures Guilty Conviction of Child Predator

Published

3 weeks ago

April 2, 2025

FNN NEWS

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.— Attorney General James Uthmeier’s Office of Statewide Prosecution secured a guilty conviction for Deandre Devone Williams on four felony counts for sexually abusing a minor. Williams traveled from Illinois to Florida to commit these crimes.

“Thanks to our law enforcement partners and Senior Assistant Statewide Prosecutors Emily Frazier and Johnna Lessard for bringing this sick predator to justice,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “Child sexual abuse is heinous, and anyone who harms a child will be held accountable. Our office will continue prioritizing these cases and ensure those who commit such disgusting crimes face the consequences.”

According to the law enforcement investigation, Williams, a resident of Illinois, contacted a 13-year-old victim through social media. Williams convinced the child that the two were in a romantic relationship and traveled from Illinois to meet the child in St. Augustine. The defendant then took the child to Ft. Lauderdale, where Williams spent the weekend with the victim in a hotel room. Williams sexually abused the child, then later dropped the victim off at a train station in Ft. Lauderdale, where the minor was unable to get home.

Williams was found guilty of four felony counts of lewd and lascivious battery, traveling to meet a minor, and interference with the custody of a child. Williams is scheduled to be sentenced in St. Johns County on May 2, 2025, and faces up to 50 years in prison.

North Florida News

Representative Adam Anderson to Present $5 Million to FSU Health at Pediatric Rare Disease Symposium

Published

7 months ago

October 3, 2024

FNN NEWS

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FNN) – Florida State University’s Institute for Pediatric Rare Diseases at FSU Health will host the Pediatric Rare Disease Symposium on Monday, October 7, 2024, from 9 AM to 4 PM Eastern, bringing together the nation’s leading experts in pediatric rare disease research. The symposium aims to foster collaboration between researchers, healthcare professionals, and policymakers to advance treatment and research for pediatric rare diseases.

State Representative Adam Anderson will kick off the event with special opening remarks, where he will present a $5 million funding check to support the Institute for Pediatric Rare Diseases at FSU Health.

“Florida State University is at the forefront of pediatric rare disease research. This symposium will be the catalyst for a collaborative nationwide effort, ensuring that institutions share the best knowledge and practices to bring new cures and hope to millions of children and their families,” said Rep. Anderson.

Other highlights of the event include:

Keynote address by Dr. Terence R. Flotte, Executive Deputy Chancellor and Provost at UMass Chan Medical School
Presentations from experts representing NIH, Harvard, Stanford, University of Florida, University of Miami, and Nicklaus Children’s Health System
Industry roundtable focusing on the intersection of industry, healthcare, and academia in advancing pediatric rare disease research

What to Bring:

Relevant research materials or presentations
Questions for the panelists and speakers

Note: The symposium is focused exclusively on pediatric rare disease research. For more information or to register, visit med.fsu.edu/iprd/.

FSUHealth, RareDiseaseResearch, PediatricCare, MedicalBreakthroughs, FSUSymposium

North Florida News

Harris Campaign to Launch Historic Mobilization Blitz in Florida Panhandle

Published

9 months ago

July 26, 2024

FNN NEWS

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FNN) – The Harris for President campaign is set to kick off its largest mobilization effort to date in the Florida Panhandle, capitalizing on the surge of grassroots energy across the state. This massive weekend of action, marking 100 days until the general election, comes just days after Vice President Kamala Harris secured her position as the presumptive Democratic nominee for president.

Starting tomorrow, the campaign will engage thousands of supporters through over 36 events statewide, including canvass launches, press events, and appearances by notable Democratic leaders such as Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, former Florida House Representative and Attorney General candidate Sean Shaw, and Florida House Representative Kevin Chambliss.

Key Points:

Mass Mobilization: More than 36 events will take place across Florida, including the Florida Panhandle.
High-Profile Support: Democratic leaders like Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Sean Shaw will participate.
Grassroots Energy: Over 7,000 organic volunteer signups have been recorded.
Campaign Goals: Harris is focusing on strengthening democracy, protecting reproductive freedom, and ensuring economic opportunities for all.
Opposition Stance: The campaign contrasts Harris’s vision with Donald Trump’s Project 2025 agenda, which they claim would threaten rights and hurt the middle class.

The weekend’s events, open to media, include the Harris for President – 100 Days of Action Weekend Black Men’s Roundtable in Hillsborough County on Saturday, July 27, 2024, at 3:00 PM EST.