Displaying items by tag: Florida

Citizens Property Insurance Corporation announced it has decided to restructure its home re-inspection program that has cost policyholders over $137 million dollars in lost mitigation discounts.  Senator Mike Fasano was one of the most vocal critics of the re-inspection program because it routinely denied homeowners discounts they had previously been granted.   The mitigation program was originally designed to encourage homeowners to make expensive investments to harden their homes against wind damage and then receive discounts on their insurance premiums.

It’s lights, camera, sunscreen this week as one of the state’s premier film festivals returns to downtown St. Pete’s Muvico Theaters at Baywalk.

Florida's House of Representatives and the Senate concluded Week Three with an extraordinary concurrent resolution to the United States Congress, a proposal to save lives with defibrillators, and a resolution to move the 2010 session up by two months to meet a redistricting deadline.

Clearwater, in a relatively small turnout on March 9th, voted to keep a city council incumbent and reelect a former city council member.

Hands Across the Sand, a statewide, peaceful protest against offshore drilling, was held throughout Florida's beaches on February 13th. Despite the colder-than-average weather, large groups of citizens made their way out to the beaches to make their voices heard and to show their support for Florida's beautiful landscape, with the hope that it will stay beautiful.

On Saturday, February 13th, concerned Florida residents and visitors will make their objections to off-shore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico known during Hands Across the Sand, a state wide event.

Entertainment industry trade publication Pollstar announced that Ruth Eckerd Hall ranked #18 in the world in venues having 10,000 seats or less in their 2009 year end ticket sales for the top 100 worldwide theatre venues.  Within that same ranking, Ruth Eckerd Hall is #2 in venues having 2,500 seats or less.  This ranking is based on concert and event gross tickets sales from January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009 with performances during that period.  Ruth Eckerd Hall ranked higher than such prestigious venues as the Fox Theatre in Detroit, Fabulous Fox Theatre in San Diego, Chicago Theatre, Royal Albert Hall in London and the Carol Morsani Hall in Tampa. 

The mild waters off Florida’s sunny beaches are home to a variety of marine fauna, including our sea turtles, adapted to the sub-tropical climate. So when the recent cold snap hit, the sea turtles had trouble coping.

The inverted pyramid of The Pier has been a St. Petersburg landmark since it opened its doors in 1973. On January 6th, the Pier Advisory Task Force met to discuss plans to redesign and revitalize the colorful triangular edifice, which has been seen as a burden on the city in recent times. $50 million has been approved for future renovation of the structure, but will not become available until 2012.

The United Nations is dedicating a year to young people by proclaiming 2010 the “International Year of Youth”. But Youth for Human Rights Florida and several local schools are a step ahead of the game in youth-driven human rights advocacy. Washburn Academy, Delphi Academy Florida and Clearwater Academy International were all awarded “YOUTH FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AWARDS” for not only teaching human rights, but also involving their students in activities to help them understand how human rights are a part of our world.