Latest news with #FloridaAtlanticUniversity
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Former Vero Beach Mayor Mary Beth McDonald dies at 73 following lengthy illness
VERO BEACH — Mary Beth McDonald, a former City Council member and mayor from 2005-2006, died July 4 after a lengthy illness. She was 73. McDonald was elected to the City Council in 2004 and served until 2006. She was heralded for her leadership during hurricanes Frances, Jeanne and Wilma. "Her resolve and hard work were unparalleled during her time on council," said Dr. John W. McDonald, her husband of 48 years. "Though she served only one term, it was an eventful term." John McDonald will remember his wife for her optimism, humor and honesty, he said. After leaving office, McDonald was appointed by Gov. Rick Scott to the Florida Atlantic University Board of Trustees, and served from 2013-2021. Historic hurricanes When hurricanes Frances and Jeanne hit the city in 2004, McDonald's communication skills and optimism shone through. "She was so instrumental in getting the city through what is probably its darkest hour," said former City Clerk Tammy Bursick. "She was so focused and driven. I really admired her for that." The following year, Hurricane Wilma brought immense flooding, seemingly setting the city's recovery back. But not on McDonald's watch. "We couldn't have recovered as quickly as we did without her," said Bursick. "She was so graceful during that time, and her communication skills and leadership were a site to behold." She facilitated rebuilding until the end of her term, said Bursick. "The hurricanes really are the big story of her time on council," said John McDonald. "She hardly got a break during that time because of the storms." Long-time resident McDonald — originally of Chevy Chase, Maryland — arrived in Vero Beach in 1982. She and her husband were establishing a dermatology practice after relocating from Washington, D.C. The two were married in 1977, and had two sons, John Lawrence and Patrick Warren. A graduate of FAU with a degree in communications, McDonald's career spanned more than 25 years. She ascended to the role of communications director for the city, wrote freelance for Florida Parenting News, was a speech and drama teacher at St. Edward's School and opened her own marketing agency, One Source Media and Marketing. Other accomplishment during her term on council were facilitating the opening of Quail Valley Golf Club, Costa d'Este Beach Resort and Spa and renovating the Vero Beach Theater. "She really enjoyed her time on council and serving the city in any way she could," said her husband. "She loved Vero Beach." Education news: New state law means some Treasure Coast high schools likely to continue early start times Larry's take: Vero Beach percentage of county population wanes; major challenges faced | Opinion She also was very active in civic organizations, including the Jasmine Circle Garden Club, Florida Medical Association Ladies Auxiliary and Friends of the Riverside Theater. She is survived by her husband, her sons and two sisters, Susan and Martha Widmayer. Funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Aug. 1 at Holy Cross Catholic Church, 500 Iris Lane, Vero Beach. The family requests donations to VNA Hospice House, at Nick Slater is TCPalm's Indian River County Watchdog reporter. You can reach him at and 224-830-2875. This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Former Vero Beach Mayor Mary Beth McDonald has passed away at age 73 Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Sharks might be spending less time in Florida. That's actually not good.
Fishermen sometimes complain that they munch their catch before they can get it into their boat, and every so often, one might bite a swimmer or surfer. But as far as the health of our oceans go, sharks are vital – and seeing fewer of them, as new research projects, might have 'catastrophic' consequences. 'We've noticed that with ocean warming, sharks are leaving these regions later on in the year because they're very temperature driven,' said Maria Manz, the lead author of a new study that tracked the migratory behavior of six shark species within the Mid-Atlantic Bight, a coastal region stretching from Massachusetts to North Carolina. Manz, a doctoral candidate at Stony Brook University in New York, and colleagues from seven other U.S. institutions used National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data to create a model to project how their observations would play out on a grander scale. If the ocean surface temperature warms by 2.01 degrees Celsius, for example, species like the sandbar shark would arrive in Florida almost a month later than they used to. Under current projections, that could become reality within the next five to 25 years if fossil fuel usage is unabated, the path we're on under current US policies. If that happens, sharks also might not stay as long or not swim as far south as Florida at all. Local coastal waters would turn too hot for them, while the beaches of the Carolinas, for example, might feel just right. Already, Florida Atlantic University documented that Florida's blacktip shark numbers decreased by almost 60 percent between 2011 and 2019, from a peak of 12,128 individuals to 4,955. What could a shift in shark migration of population mean for the marine ecosystem? Mahmood Shivji, director of Nova Southeastern University's Guy Harvey Research Institute and a leader in shark research, cautioned that he was unaware of studies that detailed the exact effect a decline of sharks would have. But he had no doubt that a limited presence of these major predators would have wide-ranging, potentially catastrophic ramifications on the entire foodweb. Sandbar, dusky and blacktip sharks, for example, are among larger shark species whose preferred prey include groupers and snappers, whose numbers might increase. While that might initially sound like good news to fishermen 'it's not just about enabling you to catch more fish so you can take it home,' Shivji said. An excess of larger, predatory fish would decrease the numbers of the smaller fish, crustaceans, and mollusks they eat. If there's few of those smaller fish, others down the food web might thrive — a cascading effect that might be felt all the way to the bottom of the chain. 'The entire normal balance, the way things have been, sort of historically, evolutionarily, all that changes, and what impact that is going to have downstream – of course, nobody really knows,' Shivji said. At the bottom of the food chain, for example, a decline in species that eat blue-green algae could, theoretically, increase the chances of toxic algae blooms, Shivji said. Major blooms in 2019 already prompted Gov. Ron DeSantis to create a task force, sicken around 80,000 Americans a year, and are linked to a range of diseases, including Alzheimer's and liver damage. Removing top predators like shark will have a cascading effect, Shivji said. 'There's no doubt about this.' There's also no doubt that these changes to migratory behavior of sharks, as well as countless other species across the planet, are happening quickly. Ecosystems don't have enough time to adapt, he said. 'These are definitely big changes and when changes happen quickly, they tend to be catastrophic.' This climate report is funded by Florida International University, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the David and Christina Martin Family Foundation in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald retains editorial control of all content.
Miami Herald
7 days ago
- Science
- Miami Herald
Sharks might be spending less time in Florida. That's actually not good.
Fishermen sometimes complain that they munch their catch before they can get it into their boat, and every so often, one might bite a swimmer or surfer. But as far as the health of our oceans go, sharks are vital – and seeing fewer of them, as new research projects, might have 'catastrophic' consequences. 'We've noticed that with ocean warming, sharks are leaving these regions later on in the year because they're very temperature driven,' said Maria Manz, the lead author of a new study that tracked the migratory behavior of six shark species within the Mid-Atlantic Bight, a coastal region stretching from Massachusetts to North Carolina. Manz, a doctoral candidate at Stony Brook University in New York, and colleagues from seven other U.S. institutions used National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data to create a model to project how their observations would play out on a grander scale. If the ocean surface temperature warms by 2.01 degrees Celsius, for example, species like the sandbar shark would arrive in Florida almost a month later than they used to. Under current projections, that could become reality within the next five to 25 years if fossil fuel usage is unabated, the path we're on under current US policies. If that happens, sharks also might not stay as long or not swim as far south as Florida at all. Local coastal waters would turn too hot for them, while the beaches of the Carolinas, for example, might feel just right. Already, Florida Atlantic University documented that Florida's blacktip shark numbers decreased by almost 60 percent between 2011 and 2019, from a peak of 12,128 individuals to 4,955. What could a shift in shark migration of population mean for the marine ecosystem? Mahmood Shivji, director of Nova Southeastern University's Guy Harvey Research Institute and a leader in shark research, cautioned that he was unaware of studies that detailed the exact effect a decline of sharks would have. But he had no doubt that a limited presence of these major predators would have wide-ranging, potentially catastrophic ramifications on the entire foodweb. Sandbar, dusky and blacktip sharks, for example, are among larger shark species whose preferred prey include groupers and snappers, whose numbers might increase. While that might initially sound like good news to fishermen 'it's not just about enabling you to catch more fish so you can take it home,' Shivji said. An excess of larger, predatory fish would decrease the numbers of the smaller fish, crustaceans, and mollusks they eat. If there's few of those smaller fish, others down the food web might thrive — a cascading effect that might be felt all the way to the bottom of the chain. 'The entire normal balance, the way things have been, sort of historically, evolutionarily, all that changes, and what impact that is going to have downstream – of course, nobody really knows,' Shivji said. At the bottom of the food chain, for example, a decline in species that eat blue-green algae could, theoretically, increase the chances of toxic algae blooms, Shivji said. Major blooms in 2019 already prompted Gov. Ron DeSantis to create a task force, sicken around 80,000 Americans a year, and are linked to a range of diseases, including Alzheimer's and liver damage. Removing top predators like shark will have a cascading effect, Shivji said. 'There's no doubt about this.' There's also no doubt that these changes to migratory behavior of sharks, as well as countless other species across the planet, are happening quickly. Ecosystems don't have enough time to adapt, he said. 'These are definitely big changes and when changes happen quickly, they tend to be catastrophic.' This climate report is funded by Florida International University, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the David and Christina Martin Family Foundation in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald retains editorial control of all content.
Miami Herald
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
‘This is our Super Bowl': How ‘Love Island USA' became a South Florida phenomenon
After the seventh season of 'Love Island USA' came to its gripping conclusion on Sunday, there was no denying the real winner of the show, which has become a cultural phenomenon, is South Florida. Not only has the show filled its roster with contestants that hail from South Florida, but it has also filled sports bars and restaurants during the slow summer months when the professional teams are between seasons. Fans across South Florida — and the country— flocked to local bars and restaurants that hosted watch parties during the season. This season was the most watched of 'Love Island USA,' the American version of the popular UK series of the same name. In the show, hot, young singles ditch their day jobs to spend a summer in a villa in Fiji where they couple up, break up, make out and fuel six weeks' worth of memes, drama and social media discourse — all while wearing tiny bikinis and high heels. The show is filmed in real-time, which means fans can influence what happens by voting. At Casa Tiki in Little Havana, over 120 fans packed the bar and lounge space, sipping on 'Love Island'-themed cocktails like Hurricane Huda and Soul Ties with rose petals strewn on the bar counter for Sunday's season finale. Casa Tiki was one of the first bars in Miami to jump on the idea as young women posted on social media about wanting bars to host watch parties, said Michael Guerrero, the bar's multimedia manager. 'It's what the girls demanded!' Guerrero said. 'It did give us that feel of people watching something together, and in this case, mainly girls. Girls wanted to feel like guys do watching a sporting event.' The 'Love Island' watch parties, held twice a week, have been a hit. Reservations for seats at the bar's lounge space sold out for every watch party, Guerrero said. During intermissions, the hosts grabbed audience members on stage for flirty games, like 'hottest make-out session' and 'worst date story.' The bar even raffled Labubus, the trendy plush toy popular among Gen Z (and apparently, 'Love Island' fans). 'I love it. For guys, they have their sports. For girls, this is our Super Bowl,' said Carla Lumbi, 31, who wore a shirt with cast member Amaya Espinal's face on it to the watch party at Casa Tiki. When Espinal and accountant Bryan Arenales, a Latino couple, won the show, Lumbi and the rest of the bar jumped out of their seats to cheer. Nic Vansteenberghe, a 24-year-old Jacksonville native who graduated from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, was the only Floridian to make it to the finale. Vansteenberghe and his partner Olandria Carthen, known as 'Nicolandria,' were the runners-up. Vansteenberghe, a registered nurse and model, lived in Miami and then traveled for three months before going on the show, said Vansteenberghe's manager Ron Gerard of NEXT Management Miami. Besides Vansteenberghe, season 7 of Love Island USA's South Floridian cast members included: Austin Shepard, a 26-year-old pool technician who lives in Fort LauderdaleChelley Bissainthe, a 27-year-old Haitian-American day trader born in Miami Yulissa Escobar, a 27-year-old mobile bar owner from MiamiElan Bibas, a 24-year-old technology consultant who lives in MiamiGracyn Blackmore, a 25-year-old who lives in West Palm Beach But the South Florida representation on the show was not without controversy. Escobar was unceremoniously removed from the villa on the second episode after a clip of her saying the N-word on a podcast resurfaced. Vansteenberghe unknowingly became one of the season's main characters, with fans (and even his own family members) hoping that he would finally couple up with Carthen, despite their previous ties to other contestants. Nicolandria also had the support of major brands, NFL teams, the University of Miami and Delray Beach native and tennis superstar Coco Gauff. 'nicolandria stans we upppp #LoveIslandUSA,' Gauff posted on X. But perhaps Vansteenberghe's biggest contribution to the show was a viral conversation he had with fellow islander Huda Mustafa when she revealed to him that she has a daughter back home. Just google 'I'm a mommy' and prepare to go down the rabbit hole. Back at Casa Tiki, 'Love Island' fan Julia Ceresani, 24, said she and friends Brooke Howard and Yami Figueroa were happy to see the South Florida representation on the show. 'I absolutely love it. I think Florida gets such a bad rep normally, although, I don't know how good the show is for that honestly,' Ceresani said, laughing. 'But I love that they're repping Florida in a non-crazy, Florida Man way.' Howard, 30, was pleasantly surprised to learn that Vansteenberghe was a fellow FAU alum, though she was hoping for Iris Kendall and Pepe Garcia to win. 'Go Owls!' she said.
CBS News
26-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Florida to create less "woke" university accreditation system, Gov. DeSantis says
Florida is working with university leaders from five other Southern states to form a new higher-education accrediting body, Gov. Ron DeSantis and officials from the other states announced Thursday. The Commission for Public Higher Education, which will need federal approval, would be an alternative to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, a longtime accrediting agency that has clashed with Florida education leaders in recent years. "We want to focus on real, serious academic rigor. We want to focus on things that really matter, things that are enduring. We don't want to waste someone's education," DeSantis said during an appearance at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. Other participants are university systems in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. Accreditation plays a critical role in making schools eligible for students to receive federal financial aid. But Florida, in recent years, took steps to move away from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, which is often known as SACS, and battled in federal court with the Biden administration about accreditation. In 2022, the Republican-controlled Legislature and DeSantis approved a bill requiring public universities and colleges to periodically change accreditors. That followed concerns raised in 2021 by SACS about then-state Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran's candidacy to become president of Florida State University. Corcoran, who is also a former state House speaker, did not get the FSU job but is now president at New College of Florida. Florida in 2023 filed a lawsuit against federal education officials challenging the constitutionality of the accreditation system, arguing, for example, that "Congress has ceded unchecked power to private accrediting agencies to dictate education standards to colleges and universities, and it has forbidden the U.S. Department of Education from meaningfully reviewing, approving or rejecting those standards." But U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Becerra last year sided with the Biden administration and dismissed the lawsuit. Becerra wrote that Florida could "seek to change the law in Congress, provide its own funding to students attending its schools, or compete in the marketplace without the use of federal funds, just to list a few examples. But this court is only empowered to look at the facts as they are plead, not rhetorical conclusions, and then apply the law as it exists, not as the state would like it to be. By those lights, what the state presented, at least in this complaint, cannot stand." The state appealed to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, where the case remains pending. DeSantis, who has tried to reshape Florida's higher-education system to become more conservative, emphasized a need Thursday to get the new accreditation commission approved while President Donald Trump is in office. He said the Trump administration is supportive of the proposal. "The reality is if it doesn't get approved and stick during that time, we can have a president come in next and potentially revoke it, and they could probably do that very quickly," DeSantis said. "If we get this done … I think almost all the states in our region are going to be favorable to this." DeSantis criticized what he called the "monopoly of the woke accreditation cartels," which he said is "not what the state of Florida wants to see reflected in its universities." State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues contended the current accreditation process wastes time "checking the compliance box and managing the minutiae of bureaucracy, with very little focus on real, actual academic excellence."
