The Mansions at Doral Breaks Record for Most Expensive Pre-construction Home Sold in Doral

April 12, 2016

Rendering of one of the eight model home types offered at The Mansions of Doral. Each home is designed to be customized to its owner's vision and taste.

DORAL, Florida, April 6, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The Mansions of Doral, the luxury single-family home community rising up in Miami’s Doral neighborhood, broke records for selling one of its 66 customizable mansions for $2.55 million, making it the highest sale ever for a single-family, pre-construction home in Doral. The sale comes on the heels of another home recently sold in the community for $2.3 million. ONE Sotheby’s International Realty closed on the home.

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The 5,400-square-foot mansion features six bedrooms, six-and-a-half bathrooms, premium Italian finishes, double-height ceilings, custom-Italian kitchen, Sub Zero and Wolf stainless steel appliances, a sophisticated smart system and a 670-square-foot rooftop terrace.

Devtov and Century Home Builders, development companies with more than 20 years of experience, came together to create the elite gated community, which includes eight model home types, 35 floor plans and over 100 different customizations. Each home is designed to be customized to its owner’s vision and taste.

The homes, located along Northwest 107 Avenue, range from 3,300 square-feet to 6,425 square-feet and from four-to-nine bedrooms. With less than 20 homes left to be sold, prices start at $1,225,000.

Boasting the amenities of a five-star resort, each homeowner will have access to a private clubhouse complete with a state-of-the-art fitness space, wellness center, spa, massage room, sun deck with swimming pool, and event venue.

Doral is gaining global recognition for its revival as a premier destination to work, live and play. Doral is in close proximity to Miami’s major highways, the Miami International Airport, top-performing schools and hospitals, the Trump National Doral Golf Course, Dolphin Mall and International Mall, and is expecting over 200 new shops and restaurants coming to the area. In 2009, Forbes named Doral #2 in “America’s Top 25 Cities to Live Well in”.

The Mansions of Doral is the product of a visionary team, which includes Devtov’s founder JC Tovar, along with his in-house team, and Pascual, Perez, Kiliddjian and Associates (PPK), an architectural firm dedicated to creating efficient and elegant homes for distinguished developers in Florida. The combined forces bring together the graphic beauty of modernism with a rich, classic design that define The Mansions at Doral.

For more information, visit www.TheMansionsatDoral.com.

Cal/OSHA Urges Employers to Protect Outdoor Workers from Record-Breaking Heat Wave

April 11, 2016

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FRESNO, California, April 11, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — California heat of the past several years has shattered temperature records going back more than 100 years. With this year’s heat season approaching, Cal/OSHA hosted a news conference today to remind employers that prevention is the best defense for outdoor workers against heat-related illness and death.

A key component to Cal/OSHA’s prevention model includes annual trainings statewide in both English and Spanish. Two bilingual trainings, co-sponsored by the Nisei Farmers League and 11 other agricultural employers, were held today in Easton. The trainings highlight the need to protect outdoor workers from heat illness and the requirements under California’s heat illness standard.

“Employers at outdoor worksites must know the steps to take to prevent heat illness injuries on the job,” said Cal/OSHA Chief Juliann Sum. “Cal/OSHA continues to focus on training and outreach, combined with enforcement targeting those employers who put their workers’ safety at risk.”

The risk of heat illness is generally highest for people who work outdoors. Therefore, Cal/OSHA’s approach to prevention includes inspections at outdoor worksites in industries such as agriculture, landscaping and construction during heat season. These targeted inspections check for compliance with the heat illness prevention standard and the injury and illness prevention standard, which require employers to take the following basic precautions:

Train all employees and supervisors on heat illness prevention.
Provide enough fresh water so that each employee can drink at least 1 quart per hour, or four 8-ounce glasses of water per hour, and encourage them to do so.
Provide access to shade and encourage employees to take a cool‐down rest in the shade for at least 5 minutes. They should not wait until they feel sick to cool down. Shade structures must be in place when temperatures exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit, or upon request.
Closely observe all employees during a heat wave and any employee newly assigned to a high heat area. Lighter work, frequent breaks or shorter hours will help employees who have not been working in high temperatures adapt to the new conditions.
Develop and implement written procedures for complying with the Cal/OSHA Heat Illness Prevention Standard, including plans on how to handle medical emergencies and steps to take if someone shows signs or symptoms of heat illness.

The most frequent violation that Cal/OSHA cites during targeted heat inspections is for failure to have a proper written heat illness prevention plan specific to the worksite. Serious violations are often related to inadequate access to water and shade, and to a lack of supervisor and employee training.

To remain in compliance with the standard, Cal/OSHA encourages employers and worker supervisors to learn more about the standard, which was updated in 2015. Please refer to the Cal/OSHA guidance on the new requirements and the Heat Illness Prevention Enforcement Q&A for more information on the updates.

Additional information about heat illness prevention, including details on upcoming training sessions throughout the state can be found on Cal/OSHA’s Heat Illness Prevention page. Cal/OSHA also has extensive multi-lingual materials for employers, workers and trainers on its Water. Rest. Shade. public awareness campaign website.

Questions related to heat illness prevention should be directed to Cal/OSHA’s Consultation Services Branch, which provides free and voluntary assistance to employers and employee organizations to improve their health and safety programs. Employers should call (800) 963-9424 for assistance from Cal/OSHA Consultation Services.

Employees with work-related questions or complaints may contact DIR’s Call Center in English or Spanish at 844-LABOR-DIR (844-522-6734). The California Workers’ Information line at 866-924-9757 provides recorded information in English and Spanish on a variety of work-related topics. Complaints can also be filed confidentially with Cal/OSHA district offices.

Members of the press may contact Julia Bernstein or Peter Melton at (510) 286-1161 with questions or to arrange interviews. The public is also encouraged to subscribe to get email alerts on DIR’s press releases or other departmental updates.

The California Department of Industrial Relations, established in 1927, protects and improves the health, safety, and economic well-being of over 18 million wage earners, and helps their employers comply with state labor laws. DIR is housed within the Labor & Workforce Development Agency. For general inquiries, contact DIR’s Communications Call Center at 844-LABOR-DIR (844-522-6734) for help in locating the appropriate division or program in our department.

Letter Carriers’ 24th Annual Food Drive with a Fresh Twist

April 11, 2016

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National Association of Letter Carriers. (PRNewsFoto/National Association of Letter Carriers)

WASHINGTON, April 11, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The National Association of Letter Carriers will hold its 24^th annual food drive on Saturday, May 14. The Stamp Out Hunger® Food Drive, the country’s largest single-day food drive, provides residents with an easy way to donate food to those in need in the community. Customers simply leave their donation of non-perishable goods next to their mailbox before the delivery of the mail on Saturday May 14, to be collected and distributed to local food agencies by letter carriers. Visit www.nalc.org/food to learn more.

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In a new addition to this year’s food drive, letter carriers are teaming up in a few targeted areas with Amp Your Good, a company that provides an efficient way to get healthy fresh fruits and vegetables to local food banks. Postal patrons living in San Francisco, parts of New York City and Greenwich, CT will receive the usual reminder postcard this year asking that non-perishable food donations be left next to their mailbox on the second Saturday in May, but they’ll also get an additional message about the opportunity – by going to www.StampYourGood.com – to donate fresh produce. That can be done throughout the month of May.

In its 23 years, the Letter Carrier food drive has collected more than 1.4 billion pounds of food, and in each of the last 12 years has collected more than 70 million pounds. Given the continuing problem of hunger in the United States, the hope is that this year’s effort will continue that success.

The 280,000-member National Association of Letter Carriers represents letter carriers across the country employed by the U.S. Postal Service, along with retired letter carriers. Founded by Civil War veterans in 1889, the NALC is among the country’s oldest labor unions.

Walden University Introduces New Tempo Learning™ Competency-Based Programs

April 11, 2016

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Walden University logo. (PRNewsFoto/Walden University)

MINNEAPOLIS, April 11, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Walden University, a pioneer in online education, is introducing two new programs offered through Tempo Learning™, its self-paced educational experience for students who want to earn their degree on their terms. In the competency-based Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) programs, students can progress at their own pace by applying their existing knowledge and prior experience while focusing on mastering the new skills they need to meet the demands of the workforce.

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Tempo Learning is composed of competencies and rigorous assessments that have been designed by faculty and validated by employers—creating a direct link between education and the workplace. Students receive individualized help from faculty members and academic coaches while working on their own to pass assessments designed to reflect the needs of the workplace. Successful students can demonstrate their learning and speed their progress toward earning their degree. Unlike traditional degree programs, where time and cost are fixed, Tempo Learning gives students the ability to accelerate their learning and reduce the cost of their degree.

“Our new competency-based MBA and MHA programs will give students the timely skills and knowledge they need to apply at work. We developed our Tempo Learning programs with the help of industry and academic experts in business and healthcare to create a unique learning experience. Now, students will spend less time on what they already know and use their professional experience—with support from Walden faculty—to advance more quickly toward completing their degree,” said Jonathan Kaplan, president of Walden.

Jobs for medical and health services administrators and managers are projected to grow 17% from 2014 to 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Walden’s online, competency-based MHA program is designed to help students prepare to meet the demand for effective, visionary healthcare leaders, as they develop skills and knowledge to apply immediately to advance their career in this rapidly changing field. Competencies touch on all facets of healthcare administration, from laws and ethics, to operations management and human resources, to financial management and strategic planning.

Walden’s ACBSP-accredited competency-based Master of Business Administration (MBA) program will launch with a specialization in Project Management. The program is designed to provide working professionals and entrepreneurs with the vital business and leadership skills they need to keep up with the pace of innovation in an increasingly global market. This self-paced online program allows students to learn and advance by mastering a series of competencies grouped in areas of expertise including innovation for growth, leadership and management, systems and performance, strategic and financial management, and project management.

Walden’s initial Tempo Learning™ offering, a competency-based MS in Early Childhood Studies with a specialization in Administration, Management and Leadership, is the nation’s first online competency-based master’s program in early childhood using a direct assessment model.

To learn more about Tempo Learning and its growing portfolio of competency-based programs, visit www.WaldenU.edu/tempolearning.

About Walden University
For more than 45 years, Walden University has supported working professionals in achieving their academic goals and making a greater impact in their professions and their communities. Today, more than 52,600 students from all 50 states and more than 155 countries are pursuing their bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degrees online at Walden. The university offers more than 80 degree programs with more than 390 specializations and concentrations. Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission. For more information, visit www.WaldenU.edu.

Walden is the flagship online university in the Laureate International Universities network—a global network of more than 80 campus-based and online universities in 28 countries. For more information, visit www.laureate.net.

Consumers and Workers Unite to Defend 911 Against AB 2395

April 11, 2016

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Workers and Consumers Unite Against AB 2395

SACRAMENTO, California, April 11, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Representatives of workers, customers and vulnerable Californians are urging the Assembly Committee on Utilities and Commerce to reject AT&T’s AB 2395 (Evan Low, D-Silicon Valley). The bill would give AT&T carte blanche to avoid consumer protections including the obligation to serve all Californians, rather than just the most profitable ones.

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Through the legislation, AT&T seeks to abandon the 10.7 million California households and businesses who still use their copper landline phones, because they prefer the call quality, dependability and top-notch emergency capabilities of copper. Small businesses and rural communities would be especially impacted, as they often cannot get comparable connections from wireless, fiber, or Internet based services. Until these alternatives become more widely available and meet everyone’s needs, the groups say, AT&T’s self-serving agenda disadvantages vulnerable consumers and puts the public safety at risk.

“Rather than modernizing phone service, this bill would take us back to the dark days when consumers were totally at the mercy of AT&T,” said TURN executive director Mark Toney. “It will eliminate the most basic consumer protections, regardless of the enormous impact abandoning copper could have on emergency services and vital communications.”

Newer technologies would be impacted as well. The Communications Workers of America opposes the bill, saying that AB 2395 could “leave many consumers and communities with no Internet access, or with only wireless Internet access, which is expensive and often unreliable.” Toney said many of TURN’s members, including seniors, disabled people and families with small children, want to keep their landlines regardless of whether they have cell phones.

Key organizations opposing AB 2395 include: Communications Workers of America, District 9, The Broadband Alliance of Mendocino County, Greenlining Institute, AARP California, California Labor Federation, National Hispanic Media Coalition, Mendocino County Board of Supervisors, California Alliance for Retired Americans, Public Citizen, National Consumer Law Center, Center for Accessible Technology, the Consumer Federation of California, and San Diego Area Congregations for Change.

Contact: Mindy Spatt, TURN, 415.929,8876 x306

FPL continues to advance clean, affordable, reliable power in Florida with commissioning of Port Everglades Next Generation Clean Energy Center

April 11, 2016

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida, April 11, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) today formally commissioned its Port Everglades Next Generation Clean Energy Center – the third in a series of such facilities powered by American-produced natural gas. As was the case with the company’s Next Generation Clean Energy Centers at Riviera Beach and Cape Canaveral, the Port Everglades facility replaces a 1960s-era, oil-fired power plant that was demolished in mid-2013. During its operational lifetime, the new, fuel-efficient plant, which entered service two months early and under budget, is expected to provide FPL customers with hundreds of millions of dollars in fuel and other savings.

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“The Port Everglades Next Generation Clean Energy Center is yet another demonstration of our commitment to dramatically reducing our dependence on foreign oil, while at the same time, delivering clean, reliable and affordable energy for our customers,” said Eric Silagy, president and CEO of FPL. “This facility is the equivalent of taking a car from the 1960s and replacing it with a hybrid, which is more fuel efficient and produces less emissions. This energy center is one more example of how the nearly 9,000 employees of FPL are working hard each and every day to ensure our customers benefit from electric bills that are among the lowest in the state and 30 percent below the national average.”

FPL invested approximately $1.2 billion to build the new energy center on the same site in Broward County where a 1960s-era oil-burning plant was dismantled three years ago. Construction was completed two months ahead of schedule, allowing the plant to officially enter commercial operation on April 1.

By making smart investments in high-efficiency energy centers that operate on American-produced natural gas and use less fuel to generate more energy, FPL has cut fuel costs and saved its customers more than $8 billion since 2001. The new Port Everglades energy center, running on 35 percent less fuel per megawatt-hour, is estimated to save FPL’s customers $400 million during the 30-year life of the facility.

New energy center benefits local economy, environment

FPL’s investment in the new energy center also brings with it important benefits for the local economy. At the peak of construction, more than 900 people were employed, the majority of whom were Floridians, giving an economic boost to numerous local businesses.

“Hollywood is proud to be the home of FPL’s newest state-of-the-art, high efficiency, natural gas energy center in Port Everglades. The center will benefit the City of Hollywood for years to come by providing reliable, domestically produced, clean energy,” said Hollywood Mayor Peter Bober. “Additionally, FPL’s investment will specifically assist Hollywood in the form of new tax revenue in the years ahead.”

In addition to saving on fuel costs, the energy center’s technology further improves FPL’s emissions profile – already among the cleanest in the United States. In fact, as a result of FPL’s investments in clean energy technology, the company is already positioned to meet the U.S. EPA’s Clean Power Plan targets by 2030 today. Compared to the former plant, the new energy center reduces air emissions by more than 90 percent and cuts the carbon dioxide emissions rate in half, which is the equivalent of removing 46,000 cars from the highway each year.

The new energy center is capable of producing about 1,277 megawatts of electricity or enough power for more than a quarter million residential customers.

Other investments in clean, efficient generation

The Port Everglades Next Generation Clean Energy Center is part of FPL’s ongoing effort to modernize its power generation fleet in order to continue providing clean, affordable, reliable energy for its customers. These investments, which are projected to save customers billions of dollars in fossil fuel costs, include:

Cape Canaveral Next Generation Clean Energy Center: In April 2013, FPL commissioned the new energy center, which replaced the 1960s-era power plant on the Space Coast.
Riviera Beach Next Generation Clean Energy Center: The company dismantled the Riviera Beach Plant in June 2011. It was replaced by FPL’s Riviera Beach Next Generation Clean Energy Center, which entered service in April 2014. Earlier this year, the company opened on the center’s property Manatee Lagoon – An FPL Eco-Discovery Center, a free environmental educational center and observation area to view manatees.

Florida Power & Light Company
Florida Power & Light Company is the third-largest electric utility in the United States, serving more than 4.8 million customer accounts or more than 10 million people across nearly half of the state of Florida. FPL’s typical 1,000-kWh residential customer bill is approximately 30 percent lower than the latest national average and, in 2015, was the lowest in Florida among reporting utilities for the sixth year in a row. FPL’s service reliability is better than 99.98 percent, and its highly fuel-efficient power plant fleet is one of the cleanest among all utilities nationwide. The company was recognized in 2015 as one of the most trusted U.S. electric utilities by Market Strategies International. A leading Florida employer with approximately 8,800 employees, FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Fla.-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE), a clean energy company widely recognized for its efforts in sustainability, ethics and diversity, and has been ranked No. 1 in the electric and gas utilities industry in Fortune’s 2016 list of “World’s Most Admired Companies.” NextEra Energy is also the parent company of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which, together with its affiliated entities, is the world’s largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun. For more information, visit these websites: www.NextEraEnergy.com, www.FPL.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.

EDITORS NOTE: B-roll and photos of the new plant are available below:
https://fpl.sharefile.com/d-s723394acab5479e8

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Don’t Underestimate Your Flood Risk: Consider Buying Flood Insurance Even If You Live Outside Of A High Risk Zone

April 8, 2016

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NEW YORK, April 5, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Nine out of 10 natural disasters in the United States involve flooding, yet less than 15 percent of the nation’s homeowners and renters have purchased flood insurance, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.).

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“Too few residences are covered by flood insurance policies because many homeowners and renters underestimate their flood risk,” said Jeanne Salvatore, the I.I.I.’s senior vice president, Public Affairs, and chief communications officer, noting that 20 percent of all flood claims come from moderate-to-low flood risk areas. “Most Americans should at the very least consider acquiring flood insurance because standard homeowners and renters policies do not cover flood-caused damage.”

Flood insurance is available to homeowners and renters from FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and a few private insurance companies. Excess flood insurance policies can also be purchased by homeowners seeking coverage above and beyond the basic NFIP policy, which is capped at $250,000 for structural damage and $100,000 for contents, or those residing in a community that does not participate in FEMA’s NFIP and cannot buy an NFIP policy from the federal government.

“There is a 30-day waiting period between buying an NFIP policy, and when the coverage takes effect, so those residing along the Gulf and Atlantic coastlines may want to act soon because hurricane season starts on June 1,” Salvatore noted.

In its U.S. Spring Outlook for April–June 2016, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) stated, “Parts of Louisiana, Arkansas and eastern Texas have an elevated risk of moderate flooding, along with communities along the Mississippi and Missouri River basins and the southeastern United States, from Alabama to North Carolina.”

RELATED LINKS
Articles: Does My Homeowners Insurance Cover Flooding?; Flood Insurance
Facts and Statistics: Flood Insurance
Issues Update: Flood Insurance
Presentation: The Plain Truth about Flood Insurance and Floodplain Management
Video: NOAA’s spring 2016 Climate and Flood Outlook

The I.I.I. has a full library of educational videos on its You Tube Channel. Information about I.I.I. mobile apps can be found here.

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