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Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater today announced that the 2015 unclaimed property auction held last Saturday in Jacksonville raised $1.53 million for Florida’s public schools. While entrusted in the state’s care, all unclaimed property funds are placed into the state’s public education trust fund where they support the greater good until claimed.

To kick start the 2015 Florida unclaimed property auction activities, the Department of Financial Services hosted a live two-hour phone bank yesterday at television studio WJXT in Jacksonville. During that time, viewers were encouraged to call in and check for unclaimed property accounts in their name. In less than 18 hours, more than 5,000 individual accounts were found in the Jacksonville area worth a combined total of more than $1 million.

This week, CFO Jeff Atwater and the Department of Financial Services will host the 2015 Florida Unclaimed Property Auction at the Jacksonville Marriott. Media opportunities begin today, July 30, with the delivery of an unclaimed property check to a local Jacksonville woman. The auction’s public preview will be held Friday, July 31, and the live auction will be held Saturday, August 1. In addition to the media opportunities listed below, interviews can be arranged by request.

Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL), Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of the Congressional Homelessness Caucus, hosted a briefing with Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), and the National Coalition of the Homeless. The briefing addressed the importance of providing unhoused families with support to address trauma and how trauma-informed care can be an effective model in helping families heal, while combating homelessness. Hastings made the following statement at the briefing

The purpose of Community Advisory Committees is to insure that the interests of residents, property owners, businesses and other stakeholders in the area are represented in key decisions. Community Advisory Committees provide input and make recommendations to City staff and the Community Redevelopment Agency concerning their respective areas

The Miami real estate market recorded its highest number of single-family home sales of any month in history in June and is on pace to set another all-time annual sales record, according to a new report by the 36,000-member MIAMI Association of REALTORS® (MIAMI) and the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS) system. The Miami market registered 1,390 single-family home sales in June, beating its previous record of 1,317 in June 2005

Florida’s housing market reported more closed sales, higher median prices and tightening inventory in June, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors®. Closed sales of existing single-family homes statewide totaled 27,729 last month, up 19.6 percent over June 2014

Market conditions are heating up in Palm Beach County. According to year-over-year market statistics for June, single family home sales rose 16.2 percent from 1,636 to 1,901 transactions. Within the breakdown, we also saw noteworthy leaps, including a 35.4 percent increase in sales between $250,000 and $299,999 and a 51.8 percent increase in sales between $600,000 and $999,999

South America’s largest nation continues to be the top foreign country searching for South Florida real estate on the MIAMI Association of REALTORS® (MIAMI) website, according to new statistics from the nation’s largest local Realtor group. For the 12th consecutive month, Brazil led all global consumers using MIAMI’s search portal, Miamire.com, in May 2015.

The Lake County Solid Waste Division is encouraging Lake County residents to dispose of toxic materials in a safe and environmentally sensitive way at an upcoming Household Hazardous Waste Collection event

Program change control/management is the process of controlling and managing changes introduced in an information technology infrastructure. It ensures efficiency in service operations by standardizing procedures, aids information management by recording all changes to service assets, and promotes business benefit by minimizing the risk of disruption to the production environment

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor announced that Tampa was selected as one of only 27 communities nationwide to participate in ConnectHOME, which promotes locally tailored solutions to help bridge the gap in digital access for working-class households by addressing the barriers they have to high-speed broadband.

A Miami-area real estate developer and owner of a mortgage company, his business partner and a senior mortgage underwriter each pleaded guilty to a mortgage fraud scheme involving federally insured mortgages that caused losses of $64 million to the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). Including these defendants, 25 individuals have pleaded guilty to offenses related to this scheme to date.

The Florida Department of Financial Services’ Division of Insurance Fraud today announced the arrest of Cledith E. Oakley III, owner of Asset, Insurance & Mortgage Services, Inc. or AIMS in Boynton Beach, on charges of grand theft and insurance fraud after it was discovered that he stole the identity and information of his business partner in an effort to conceal commission profits made from the sale of fraudulent life insurance policies

U.S. Rep. Dennis A. Ross (FL-15), Senior Deputy Majority Whip, along with Reps. Jim Himes (CT-4), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-5) and John Delaney (MD-6), today introduced the Private Investment in Housing Act of 2015, bipartisan legislation that would provide the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) the authority to establish a demonstration program and enter into budget-neutral, performance-based agreements that result in the reduction in energy or water costs for multi-family housing.

Both eastbound lanes of West Cypress Street are closed between North Lois and North Clark avenues while the Tampa Water Department performs maintenance work. Barricades and signs are located in the area to assist with traffic flow. Please use caution when traveling in the area.

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Nadine Gurley of the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG) and Special Agent in Charge Timothy A. Mowery of the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG) made the announcement.

When Ron and Dot Gilbert heard a “pitiful cry” coming from the side of their Leesburg home, they didn’t mind ripping apart their hedges and flower garden to find the source: a tiny female kitten they rescued, shivering from hunger and fear. However, when the sound of furious meowing continued emanating from underground, the elderly couple knew they needed professional assistance.

The northbound lanes of South Westshore Boulevard will be closed between West Melrose and West Clear avenues beginning at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning while the Tampa Water Department repairs a water main break. Barricades and signs will be located in the area to assist with traffic flow. Please use caution when traveling in the area.

The Lake County Solid Waste Division, in partnership with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, is encouraging Lake County residents to dispose of unwanted household hazardous materials and medications in a safe and environmentally conscious way at an upcoming collection event