Tampa International Airport CEO Joe Lopano and Save Crystal River receive highest honors

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (April 11, 2022) – The Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council's 28th annual Future of the Region Awards named nine honorees for their notable achievements and contributions that have led to regional benefit. The Awards were presented during the 2nd Tampa Bay Regional Resiliency Leadership Summit on Wednesday, April 6.

This year, Tampa International Airport CEO Joe Lopano received the Herman W. Award for Regional Leadership, which is named for the founding father of the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council. The award honors a person that encourages future vision for their community and continues to implement action.

Lopano places an emphasis on resiliency and planning at Tampa International Airport because the airport's runways are only 14 feet above sea level. He's been acknowledged for his passion for creating ideas that introduce a better environment for his community. Previously, Lopano has been named Person of Vision by Preserve Vision Florida and Visit Tampa Bay's Ambassador of the Year, and he also received The H.L Culbreath Jr. Profile in Leadership Award from the Tampa Bay Chamber.

Save Crystal River, a nonprofit group dedicated to keeping Kings Bay in Citrus County clean, received the 2022 One Bay McIntosh Award, which is one of the Future of the Region Awards' highest honors. This award is presented to an organization that embodies the principles of the One Bay Livable Communities Vision, which outlines priorities for responsible land use, mobility, economic, and environmental sustainability for population and employment growth.

Save Crystal River has worked to remove the exotic and invasive species that have overfilled the springs in Kings Bay and replanted native eelgrass. Over the past five years, Save Crystal River has successfully restored 55 acres of canals and have unclogged 747 spring vents.

In addition to the Herman W. Award and the One Bay McIntosh Award, the Future of the Region Awards acknowledged organizations and leaders across Tampa Bay in six categories.

Built Environment demonstrates best industry practices in promoting compact development and redevelopment while preserving history, beautifying public spaces and contributing to a unique regional identity.

Community Preparedness and Resiliency improves the region's capacity to protect life and property from hurricanes, other coastal high hazards, rising sea levels and increases the public's knowledge and access to information about natural and manmade disasters.

Community Service enriches the lives of Tampa Bay residents.

Economy & Energy diversifies the regional economy, attracts quality businesses and job creation, supports small- and medium-sized local businesses and entrepreneurs as a source of innovation, while investing in energy conservation technologies or alternative energy sources.

Transportation and Mobility improves regional connectivity.

About the Tampa Bay Regional Planning CouncilThe Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council brings together governments to coordinate planning for the community's future and provide an opportunity for sharing solutions among the local government jurisdictions in the Tampa Bay region. The TBRPC works with six counties and 21 municipalities as they make long-range plans related to the future of the Tampa Bay region. The Council's work focuses on resiliency, planning for climate change and sea level rise, environmental management, water quality, emergency preparedness planning, protection and restoration of the Tampa Bay estuary, economic analysis, coastal zone management, housing and infrastructure analysis, development of regional impact review, local government comprehensive plan reviews, cross acceptance, dispute resolution and reviews of transportation plans. For more information, visit www.tbrpc.org.

Nevada basketball reeled in its first transfer of the offseason, earning a commitment from Elon guard Hunter McIntosh on Sunday.

McIntosh took an official visit to campus earlier this week and picked the Wolf Pack over finalists Clemson and Wichita State. He also took an official visit to Minnesota and heard from South Carolina, Colorado State, Loyola Chicago, San Francisco, Appalachian State, UNC Charlotte and Illinois State, among others, after entering the transfer portal earlier this month.

McIntosh averaged 13.3 points, 2.8 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game last season, shooting 38.4 percent from the field and 37.7 percent from three. He made 80.3 percent of his free throws. The Snellville, Ga., native spent three seasons at Elon, which gives him two years of remaining eligibility at Nevada. As a first-time transfer, he will be immediately eligible to play for the Wolf Pack in 2022-23.

McIntosh averaged a career-best 15.7 points per game as a sophomore and has scored 1,123 points in 85 college games (all starts). He's made 219 career 3-pointers, hitting them at a 38.1 percent clip. He has 15 20-plus-point games, including a career-high 30 against Delaware during his sophomore season. Elon went 10-22 last year, including a seventh-place finish in the Colonial Athletic Association at 7-11.

The 6-foot-2, 180-pound guard will help replace Grant Sherfield and Desmond Cambridge Jr. in a remade Wolf Pack backcourt. Sherfield and Cambridge were both two-time All-Mountain West picks who transferred this offseason. Their departures should open copious playing time for McIntosh, who averaged at least 31.9 minutes in each of his three seasons at Elon. McIntosh should become one of the focal points of Nevada's offense next season (he averaged 11 shots per game in his Elon career).

The 2019 CAA Rookie of the Year, McIntosh was a two-time first-team all-state player in high school in Georgia. He was the 3A player of the year as a senior as named by the Atlanta Journal Constitution. He was not highly recruited out of high school, also drawing offers from James Madison, Florida Gulf Coast and Tulane, but was an instant-impact college player. His move to the MW will include a jump in level of competition as the CAA ranked 12th in RPI last season to the MW's fifth.

After the McIntosh addition, the Wolf Pack has three open scholarships available. He joins a 2022 recruiting class that includes high school signees Trey Pettigrew and Darrion Williams.

BRUNSWICK, Ga. – Two football-frenzied states with an already famous rivalry are raising the stakes.

The inaugural Georgia-Florida Border Classic presented by Baker’s Sports was announced at Glynn County Stadium in Brunswick Thursday. That’s where the event will pit 14 teams from the neighboring states against each other in a three-day celebration of high school football from September 8-10. News4JAX, Airstream Ventures, High School 9:12 and Gemstone Media, Inc. are proud to partner in the event.

Over the last three years, the Bold City Showcase has been a staple in the city of Jacksonville which featured teams from across Northeast Florida. Now, seven schools from Georgia have been added to the mix.

Kicking off the three-day event, that Thursday evening, will be two matchups from Georgia and Florida high schools. The first game features McIntosh vs. West Nassau, two teams that carried the same record last season. Followed by Glynn County and Creekside, who ranked number two in their district last year.

The Friday evening matchups begin with two teams who made it to the playoffs last season and hope to make it again this season. Charlton County will take on University Christian as the first game of the evening. To end the night, Brunswick and Bolles will go head-to-head. Brunswick made it to the second playoff game in their district last season, as Bolles made it to the third in their district.

The opening game of Saturday features two teams who made it all the way through playoffs last season, including winning the final games. Fitzgerald finished with a 13-2 record while Madison County posted an 11-3 mark. Directly followed by Coffee County, which held a record of 7-3 including one playoff game, and St. Augustine, which held a 6-3 record with two playoff games. In the nightcap, Richmond Hill will face off against Baker County which placed first in its district for the 2021 season.

All seven games will be live-streamed online at News4JAX.com, the News4JAX app and the News4JAX+ app via Roku, Android TV, Fire TV, Apple TV and Google Chromecast. Once kickoff times are set, News4JAX will release a viewing schedule where fans based in the Jacksonville market will also be able to watch featured games live on television.

“We are committed to being the Local Station for Northeast Florida and South Georgia. That continues by broadcasting and streaming a great event like the Border Classic,” said Terri Cope Walton, Vice President and General Manager of WJXT Channel 4. “We have a unique focus on all local high school sports in our area. That will carry on as we celebrate one of our communities’ biggest passions.”

High School 9:12, a 501c3 whose mission is to help high school students and athletes, will also work to ensure the event’s inaugural success.

“High School football is such a grassroots foundation in our society,” said Alan Verlander, Executive Director of High School 9:12. “We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Baker’s Sports, WJXT and Glynn County to showcase the area’s best talent and to create an event that will rival any high school event in the country.”

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Ocala, Fla. — The Florida Department of Health in Marion County has reissued a Health Alert for the presence of harmful blue-green algal toxins in Orange Lake, near McIntosh.

This is a continuation of a previous Health Alert the department issued for the lake on March 4. This alert is being reissued after a water sample taken on April 21 by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection indicated that toxins were still present.

The public should exercise caution in and around Orange Lake.

Residents and visitors are advised to take the following precautions:

What is blue-green algae?

Blue-green algae are a type of bacteria that is common in Florida’s freshwater environments. A bloom occurs when rapid growth of algae leads to an accumulation of individual cells that discolor water and often produce floating mats that emit unpleasant odors.

Some environmental factors that contribute to blue-green algae blooms are sunny days, warm water temperatures, still water conditions and excess nutrients. Blooms can appear year-round but are more frequent in summer and fall. Many types of blue-green algae can produce toxins.

Is it harmful?

Blue-green algae blooms can impact human health and ecosystems, including fish and other aquatic animals.

For additional information on potential health effects of algal blooms, visit floridahealth.gov/environmental-health/aquatic-toxins.

Find current information about Florida’s water quality status and public health notifications for harmful algal blooms and beach conditions by visiting ProtectingFloridaTogether.gov. Protecting Florida Together is the state’s joint effort to provide statewide water quality information to prioritize environmental transparency and commitment to action.

What do I do if I see an algal bloom?

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection collects and analyzes algal bloom samples. To report a bloom to DEP, call the toll-free hotline at 855-305-3903 or report online at surveygizmo.com/s3/3444948/Algal-Bloom-Reporting-Form.

To report fish kills, contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute at 1-800-636-0511.

Report symptoms from exposure to a harmful algal bloom or any aquatic toxin to the Florida Poison Information Center. Call 1-800-222-1222 to speak to a poison specialist immediately.

Contact your veterinarian if you believe your pet has become ill after consuming or having contact with blue-green algae contaminated water.

If you have other health questions or concerns about blue-green algae blooms, please contact the Florida Department of Health in Marion County at 352-629-0137, or at Info.Marion@FLHealth.gov.

Lifting the alert

A health alert is lifted once negative toxin analyses are obtained from DEP-coordinated resampling of the bloom, or 30 days have elapsed since the last sampling date. If a health alert has been issued, it can be rescinded at this time.

About the Florida Department of Health

The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @HealthyFla. For more information about the Florida Department of Health please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov.

The University of Wisconsin's reworked contract with Tony Granato makes it clear the upcoming season is crucial for the men's hockey coach.

A major change in the contract, released Friday in response to an open records request, is the amount of money UW would owe Granato if it fires him after a future season.

The buyout is $1 million for the next year, down from the full remaining amount of the contract that could have been up to $2.4 million. The amount goes up again in increments after July 1, 2023, eventually reaching $2 million after July 1, 2025.

The Badgers kept Granato's contract at five years in April, giving him a routine one-year extension but sending changes to the Board of Regents for approval.

UW posted the second-worst record in its 59-year modern era in 2021-22, going 10-24-3 and finishing sixth out of seven teams in the Big Ten Conference a year after winning the regular-season championship.

Granato has been named the Big Ten coach of the year in two of his six seasons leading the program where he's third on the all-time goal-scoring list as a player. The other four seasons have ended in losing records.

The $1 million buyout amount lasts through June 30, 2023. Then it's $1.33 million through June 30, 2024, $1.66 million through June 30, 2025, and $2 million afterward.

Other Big Ten schools have used a lowering of what's called liquidated damages if a coach is fired without cause to strike a balance between providing another chance to succeed and protecting the athletic department's financial interests.

Nebraska reworked men's basketball coach Fred Hoiberg's deal as a third straight 20-loss season was nearing a conclusion earlier this year, both reducing his salary and his buyout.

Michigan did the same while extending football coach Jim Harbaugh's contract after a 2-4 finish during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. The Wolverines made the College Football Playoff for the first time in 2021, and Harbaugh had his contract revised again to push back up his salary.

Granato's annual salary is staying at $600,000 and a new clause in his additional compensation agreement with the UW Foundation gives him a chance to increase it. The amount climbs $25,000 per year the next time the Badgers qualify for the NCAA Tournament, then $25,000 per year after that every time the Badgers have a season with a .500 record or better.

Another change in the contract removes Granato's $1 million buyout owed to UW if he leaves for another coaching position.

"We worked on some things, we got it to work for both sides and we're moving forward and hopefully going to be here for a long time," Granato said in April about the contract reworking with athletic director Chris McIntosh.

McIntosh said in April the expectation at UW was the men's hockey team will compete for championships. He didn't put numbers on where the Badgers need to be in the rankings or in the Big Ten standings for Granato to fulfill the AD's desire for a return to prominence for the team.

McIntosh said instead that when UW has been its most successful "everyone knows what that looks like and what that feels like."

Granato has a 92-106-16 record with the Badgers. One of his associate head coaches, Mark Strobel, resigned after last season.

The Badgers have a potential 2023 first-round NHL draft pick set to join the team next season in center Charlie Stramel of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. They are poised to add the highest draft pick out of the transfer portal this offseason in former Quinnipiac forward Ty Smilanic.

A make-or-break season for Granato will hinge upon the contributions of the newcomers and a reversal of downturns from a number of the returning players.

Brian Elliott (at UW 2003-07) joined the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning last offseason as a backup goalie. He played in 48 playoff games for four teams from 2010 to 2020.

Forward Trent Frederic (at UW 2016-18) is in his fourth NHL season but didn't appear in a playoff game in his first three years.

Forward Luke Kunin (at UW 2015-17) scored four goals in the 10 playoff games in which he appeared for Minnesota and Nashville in 2020 and 2021.

Defenseman Ryan McDonagh (at UW 2007-10) spoke at the White House in April as the Lightning were honored for their second straight Stanley Cup championship. He played in 162 playoff games over his first 11 years in the NHL.

Defenseman K'Andre Miller (at UW 2018-20) played in all 82 games this season, his second in the NHL. This is his first playoff appearance.

Forward Joe Pavelski (at UW 2004-06) became the oldest U.S.-born player to reach 80 points in a season and just the 12th in NHL history to do so at age 37 or older. He's the third player in NHL history to set a career high for points at age 37 or older, joining Gordie Howe and Tim Horton. This is his 14th season in the playoffs.

Defenseman Justin Schultz (at UW 2009-12) won Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh in 2016 and 2017. This is his seventh season in the playoffs and second with the Capitals.

Defenseman Brendan Smith (at UW 2007-10) has played in the playoffs in six seasons, most recently 2020 with the New York Rangers.

Forward Craig Smith (at UW 2009-11) is in the playoffs for the seventh straight season, the last two of which have been with Boston. He had five points in 10 games last postseason.

Forward Derek Stepan (at UW 2008-10) has scored 20 goals in 106 career playoff games entering 2022. He joined the Hurricanes last offseason.

First-round opponent: Boston Bruins.

Defenseman Ryan Suter (at UW 2003-04) appeared in the playoffs five times with Nashville and seven times with Minnesota, averaging more than 27 minutes of playing time per game over 88 contests.