On Friday, April 6, 2012, House Bill 691, was approved by Governor Scott. HB 691 unanimously passed the House and Senate with a single ammendment and the
co-sponsorship of every Senator present. The amendment renamed Chapter 161, making this law the Dennis L. Jones Beach and Shore Preservation Act.
To read the history of HB 691 click here.
April 9, 2012 (Tallahassee, Fla.) – Celebrating the diverse selection of culinary delights available in the Capital City, Visit Tallahassee is proud to announce the inaugural Capital Cuisine Restaurant Week, April 12 – 22, 2012. Participating restaurants will offer specially selected prix fixe menus during both lunch and dinner, featuring two to three course meals priced at $15 or $25.
During the culinary extravaganza, patrons will dine their way through Tallahassee, exploring the tastes of the area’s most popular neighborhood eateries from casual fare pizza and fresh seafood to farm-to-table and white tablecloth venues. As varied as Tallahassee’s ever-changing landscape – from rolling hills to the 78 miles of Spanish moss-draped canopied roads – is the diverse menu of authentic regional cuisine, fine dining and international fare.
“Tallahassee’s restaurant scene is evolving and we are proud to highlight the incredible dining options available to residents and visitors alike,” said Lee Daniel, Visit Tallahassee’s executive director. “The region has an array of local delicacies and we look forward to showcasing the world class food available in Tallahassee.”
Capital Cuisine is part of Visit Tallahassee’s Natural Tallahassee campaign, which highlights the outdoors, culinary delights and numerous events and celebrations taking place in the region March through May. The restaurant week will span 10 days, giving diners opportunities to take advantage of Capital Cuisine deals and bring exposure to the area’s restaurants and locally produced foods.
Participating restaurants range from the casual and fun Momo’s Pizza, Po’Boys Creole Café and Barnacle Bill’s to the intricate menus and sophisticated ambiance of A la Provence, Georgio’s and Avenue Eat & Drink, just to name a few.
A fusion of cosmopolitan flair and charming personality defines the spirit of Tallahassee, Florida’s Capital City – where it all comes together for visitors. Situated just off Florida’s northern I-10 corridor, stretching along the state’s Panhandle, Tallahassee is a place where college town meets cultural center, politics meets performing arts and history meets nature – a place where the vibrancy of what to do is matched only by the city’s inviting hospitality.
For more information on Capital Cuisine Restaurant Week and a complete list of participating restaurants, visit www.NaturalTallahassee.com or call Visit Tallahassee toll free at (800) 628-2866.
April 25,2012 (Written by Bill Kaczor, Associated Press) TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A judge’s ruling that online travel companies should be taxed only on what they pay for hotel rooms rather than the higher price they charge customers will be appealed, a lawyer for 17 Florida counties said on Tuesday. Circuit Judge James Shelfer on Thursday ruled from the bench in favor of Expedia Inc. and other online companies after a three-day hearing in Tallahassee.
April 30, 2012 (Written by The Florida Current) – The U.S. Department of Justice on Monday approved all three of Florida’s redistricting plans. Shortly after the Justice announcement, a judge ruled that Florida can hold congressional elections under the Legislature’s new redistricting map this year. In late March the Senate submitted the legislative and congressional maps for federal “preclearance” under Section 5 of the federal Voting Rights Act.
April 28, 2012 (Written by Nick Sortal, Sun Sentinel) – Florida’s highest court on Friday cleared the way for lawmakers to expand gambling anywhere in the state, whether by putting slot machines in more counties or allowing destination casinos in South Florida. The Florida Supreme Court dismissed an appeal by South Florida pari-mutuels that tried to strip Hialeah Racetrack of the ability to offer slot machines, and also to restrict the Florida Legislature’s power to authorize more gambling
May 3, 2012 (Written by Brent Kallestead, Associated Press) – TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney could be headed for a photo finish in Florida this November, a poll released Thursday shows. Forty-four percent of 1,169 Florida voters surveyed by Quinnipiac University between April 25 and May 1 said they’d vote for Romney if the election were now, compared to 43 percent who said they prefer the president. The latest snapshot of voter preferences has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points. The new figures were an improvement for Romney, who trailed Obama by 7 percentage points among Florida voters in late March.
May 2, 2102 (By Associated Press) – NEW ORLEANS—A federal judge on Wednesday preliminarily approved a proposed class-action settlement that would resolve billions of dollars in claims against BPBP.LN +0.70% PLC over the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier’s ruling allows the settlement process to proceed, but he will hold a “fairness hearing” on Nov. 8 before deciding whether to give his final approval to the deal between London-based BP and a team of plaintiffs’ attorneys.
May 2, 2012 (Written by Felicia Kitzmiller, News Herald Writer) – PANAMA CITY — Two area legislators are being recognized as advocates for business in Tallahassee. Associated Industries of Florida (AIF), a pro-business association, on Wednesday announced they were giving their annual Champion of Business awards to 12 representatives and four senators who made notable contributions to enhancing Florida’s business climate during the last legislative session, including state Rep. Jimmy Patronis, R-Panama City, and state Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville.
May 4,2012 (Written by Sascha Cordner – WFSU) – Will a recent Supreme Court decision to allow more slot machines in South Florida lead to expansion of gambling throughout the rest of the state? Sascha Cordner delves into a recent decision by the high court to uphold a lower court ruling. In 2004, Florida voters approved a state constitutional amendment that allows several pari-mutuel facilities in South Florida to carry slot machines. That means places, like dog tracks and horse tracks, could now have slots in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties.
May 7,2012 (Written by Dan Witters – Gallup) – WASHINGTON, D.C. — Residents of Gulf Coast-facing counties continue to suffer from lower overall emotional health, as measured by the Gallup-Healthways Emotional Health Index, in the two years since the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Those living in non-Gulf states and inland counties in the same Gulf Coast-facing states have shown no such drops in Emotional Health Index scores in the aftermath of the oil spill.