Latest news with #FloridaPowerandLight
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
It's hot out there: Heat wave to bring weekend temps in 90s for parts of Palm Beach County
The official start of summer may be more than a month away, but South Florida won't have to wait that long to experience scorching temperatures. An early-season heat wave moving across the South is forecast to bring record daily temperatures to parts of Florida and nearby states in the days leading up to the Memorial Day weekend. The National Weather Service in Miami predicted a high near 94 degrees for interior regions of Palm Beach County on May 16, with highs along the coast reaching into the mid 80s. The warming trend is forecast to continue through early next week, as daily high temperatures climb to the mid to upper 90s across southwest Florida, where heat indices could reach 103-105 degrees each afternoon. The heat index combines the air temperature with the relative humidity and defines how outdoor temperatures feel to the human body. Along coastal areas, sea breezes will help to temper conditions during the daytime, keeping highs in the upper 80s and lower 90s, the National Weather Service said. Overnight lows are forecast to stay in the mid-70s. The chances of rain are low across Palm Beach County at least until May 21 and will increase as Memorial Day draws nearer on May 26. The heat wave could bring moderate to major heat risks to some areas of the South, forecasters say. "The greatest risks will be across the southern tier from East and South Texas, eastward along the Gulf Coast, into the Southeast and Florida," the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland wrote. "Across these regions, there will be potential for both record high afternoon temperatures Friday and Saturday and record high morning temperatures Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings." For many, the warmer temperatures will mean spending more time indoors in air conditioning. Lowering the temperature on the thermostat will likely mean cooler homes, but more expensive electric bills. Florida Power and Light spokesperson Katarina Alvarez said a one-degree increase in thermostats could save between 3% to 5% on cooling costs. The less the air conditioner has to work, the lower your bill. For a long time, 78 degrees has been the number recommended for thermostat settings. But ENERGY STAR, a program run by the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy that has become synonymous with energy-efficient appliances, does not recommend any specific temperature. 'ENERGY STAR does not assert that any particular temperature setting is good for households,' the EPA said in an email to The Palm Beach Post. Homeowners are encouraged to set temperature settings based on what is comfortable to the others in the household, the health conditions of people in the house, how well the home is insulated, what other cooling methods are in use — and how much the owner is willing to pay for the electric bill. In the Florida summer, opening windows day or night could mean letting in heat. Temperatures don't drop much in the overnight and letting the place heat up means an air conditioner will have to start from scratch in the morning. Other steps you can take include: Use a programmable thermostat and set the indoor temperature higher when you are away from home. Use fans to circulate the air when you are in a room. Turn them off when you leave. Change your air conditioner's filter regularly. Close curtains and blinds to keep direct sunlight out of your home. Replace old insulation and weather stripping. Staff writer C.A. Bridges contributed to this story. Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@ and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: South Florida braces for high temperatures amid weekend heat wave
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New OSDE chief of staff paid nearly $50K in first month, still listed as active employee for Florida company
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — The Oklahoma State Department of Education was unable to explain to News 4 why it paid State Superintendent Ryan Walters' newly-hired chief of staff nearly $50,000 during his first month on the job, despite a Florida company also listing him as an active, full-time employee. The records show OSDE Chief of Staff Jon 'Matt' Mohler received two paychecks with vastly different hourly payrates during his first month on the job — totaling nearly $48,000. According to Oklahoma state payroll records, the state paid Mohler two paychecks in February. One check, on Feb. 28, was for $15,833.33, at a pay rate of around $98.96 per hour. The other check, on Feb. 12, was for $31,884.06, at a pay rate of around $398.55 per hour. The payroll system classified both payments as 'regular pay.' The chief of staff role had been vacant since last year, when News 4 reported the department's previous chief of staff and entire legal team resigned. On Friday, an OSDE spokesperson confirmed to News 4 State Superintendent Ryan Walters hired Mohler as chief of staff in February. Records: State paid former OSDE spokesperson more than $75k in final paycheck It's not clear whether Mohler's role at OSDE is his only full-time job. As of Friday, Mohler's LinkedIn profile did not mention his role as OSDE's Chief of Staff. It says he works in Tallahassee, Florida, as an external affairs and special projects manager for Florida Power and Light. His profile says he has worked in the role from Feb. 2021 until 'present.' News 4 called Florida Power and Light's media hotline on Friday in an attempt to reach Mohler. The staff member who answered the phone did not work for the media relations department. They told News 4 they could not find Mohler's contact information in their company directory and asked for News 4's contact information so they could reach back out with a more definitive answer as to whether Mohler still works for the company. As of Monday, nobody from Florida Power and Light has reached back out to News 4. However, also as of Monday, Mohler was still listed on Florida Power and Light's website as an active employee, complete with a headshot and full biography. Mohler's LinkedIn account also says he previously worked for Front Line Strategies, a political consulting firm, from 2007 until 2024. OK School Standards with 2020 election theories 'going to take effect' OSDE Chief Policy Advisor Matt Langston, who Oklahoma Watch reported received a nearly $40,000 bonus this year, also previously worked for Front Line Strategies. As of Friday, Mohler was listed online as a current board member for United Way of North Central Florida (UWNCF). His profile on UWNCF's website lists 'Florida Power and Light' beneath his name. UWNCF shared a statement from Mohler in a Facebook post on Jan. 27. 'I look forward to working hard alongside fellow board members, volunteers, and staff to continue to make North Central Florida a healthy and happy place to live, work, and raise a family,' Mohler said in the statement. Mohler also previously served on the board of a Florida charter school – Tallahassee Classical School. Mohler was on the school's board in 2023 when multiple Florida news outlets reported the board's chairman forced a principal to resign because a parent complained a lesson involving Michelangelo's 'The David' statue was 'pornographic' – gaining national headlines. Publicly-available voter registration records show Mohler was still actively registered to vote in Florida as of Friday. On Friday, News 4 reached out to an OSDE spokesperson and asked if Mohler has been working for the department in-person—as a recent executive order from Governor Stitt required for all state employees—or, if he is working remotely. The spokesperson told News 4 Mohler has been working for OSDE in-person since February, but could not say anything more. News 4 asked the spokesperson why Mohler received the additional paycheck at a seemingly-inflated hourly rate in February. The spokesperson told News 4 they were 'unsure' why Mohler received the nearly $32,000 payment. When News 4 asked the spokesperson if they could ask Walters or Mohler for the reason and get back to News 4 with it, the spokesperson said they would be 'unable to say more.' 'Oklahomans have a right to know where this money is coming from and what it's paying for and why,' said Tim Gilpin, a former Oklahoma State Board of Education member and former Assistant Oklahoma Attorney General. Gilpin said, if he were still in office, payments like the ones OSDE recently gave Mohler and Langston would certainly raise red flags. 'Large sums of money going out to current and former employees would raise suspicion.' Gilpin said. 'And you would certainly ask Mr. Walters for a detailed explanation. But that's going to have to come from either a process from the state attorney general's office or the state legislature authorizing a review or investigation of it.' Last week, News 4 uncovered records showing OSDE paid its former spokesperson Dan Isett more than $76,000 in his final paycheck when he separated from the department in February. At the time of that report, multiple Republican and Democratic state lawmakers called for an investigation. 'It is appalling to see a payout this size, effectively creating a golden parachute for somebody who's separated from an agency for unknown reasons,' State Rep. Andy Fugate (D-Del City) told News 4 last week. 'I will point out that we have just impaneled a special investigative committee to take a look at what's going on in Department of Mental Health and substance abuse. We should be doing the same kind of thing with what has been happening at State Department of Education.' 'I do think the taxpayers deserve an answer as far as what happened here, why the money was spent this way,' State Rep. Daniel Pae (R-Lawton) told News 4 last week. 'As the legislative branch, it is our responsibility to provide oversight and accountability to all the state agencies. I know there's a conversation on looking at what specific budget requests each agency has brought forth, where the expenditures are. And so I think this can be part of that conversation.' News 4 has submitted multiple open records requests to OSDE for documents such as employment agreements, paystubs and severance agreements for Mohler, Isett, Langston and others who have received significant payouts. As of Monday, nobody at OSDE had responded to News 4's requests. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
FPL awards Callaway Elementary with a classroom makeover grant
CALLAWAY, Fla. (WMBB) — Callaway Elementary celebrated a generous donation Tuesday morning. One that will transform their steam room with a makeover. Callaway Elementary is one of three Northwest Florida schools chosen to receive $50,000 to spruce up their S.T.E.A.M. classroom. The goal is to instill innovative education in students from a young age. Florida Power and Light hits 100 years of business this year. The company's initiative previously granted five schools a year with a classroom makeover. But with the centennial anniversary coming up FPL officials say the company wanted to quadruple that number. 'Science, technology, engineering and mathematics, that's our STEM curriculum. We believe that's the keys to success for growing students to become, you know, productive students in the workforce. And so having that STEM background is really important. We believe it's a good investment to provide that sort of education and access to that technology in the classrooms,' said FPL Senior External Affairs Manager Shane Boyett. 'The steam room is one of my favorite classes ever. It's really, really, really fun. I'm glad that this is going to be a really big donation because, like, the donations, help so much through the funding of Steam room, its one of the funnest rooms, I think, in this whole school, so definitely I think it's going to be great,' said Fourth Grader Remington Gillespie. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
FP&L officials move forward with solar energy center amid residents' concerns
JACKSON COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Late last year, Florida Power and Light proposed a fourth solar energy facility during a Jackson County planning board meeting. Dozens of locals protested the project that would require clearing 1,049 acres of forest, wetland, and farmland in Graceville. They ultimately turned down the application. FP&L had no power lines on the property on the land in Graceville and therefore had no connection to a power source. On Tuesday night, FP&L held an open house to meet with residents. Almost two months ago, Florida Power and Light presented a solar energy center on land in Graceville. Residents expressed concerns over environmental impacts, health effects, safety issues, and overall lack of transparency from FP&L. While many locals expressed they are not anti-solar, they don't feel like Graceville is the right fit. In the end, the planning board told FP&L officials to resubmit the application when they could find a power source connection on the property. Some residents are concerned about where they'll find that connection. Jimmy Patronis has been selected as the Republican nominee for Florida's 1st District Congressional seat Resident Michael Davis is a 7th generation land owner. 'We own a mile of property from this site to their transmission line. And I don't give up a mile of right away for a transmission line for a solar farm we don't want there in the first place, and I don't want that around my children and grandchildren,' Davis said. Dozens of residents attended Tuesday night's open house to find some officials are still optimistic over the potential project. 'Solar energy centers like this one have many benefits. First of all, it provides local tax revenue for the county, which is important, and the county can use at their discretion for different services. Also, these solar sites create about 200 jobs at peak construction. So, it creates a boost to global economy. And this is a zero-emission source of energy that's good for the environment. And we're excited to propose this project here,' FP&L spokesperson Florencia Olivera said. Residents say they've seen the problems existing solar farms have caused, and hope county officials vote against it. 'I just hope that the county votes for their citizens and planning and zoning, they're good people. They know, understand Jackson County people. I look around this room and I don't see a single person here who supports this. And so we got good county commissioners and planning and zoning. And so I just hope and pray that it don't clear that hurdle,' Davis said. The planning board is tentatively set to discuss the issue again on February 17th. Officials did not say how they are moving forward with the power source issue. Many of the residents that attended the open house said they preferred more of a meeting-style format, so they could receive more unified answers. Still, they said they were thankful for the opportunity to speak face-to-face with officials. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
