Palm Beach and Miami-Dade County schools are among 23 districts that are joining a team effort to launch the Space Florida Academy, according to Space Florida, the state’s aerospace finance and development authority. The program will provide students with the high-demand credentials and skills necessary to work in the aerospace industry.

“What we’re focused on is connecting the students that have these certifications or will get these certifications with an industry that needs those skills,” President and CEO Rob Long told the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

The idea for the program came from conversations Long had with aerospace-industry leaders who saw the need for a connection to students getting credentials and careers.

“They’d tell me, ‘we need a better way to access the talent that is out there’ or at least encourage students to pursue some of these certifications that are needed in the industry,” Long said.

Space Florida worked with the Florida Department of Education, the Florida Department of Commerce, the REACH Office (Reimagining Education and Career Help), and CareerSource Florida to re-evaluate aerospace job characteristics by creating coursework that meet the industry’s current and future demand.

The program “offers a new trajectory for students to explore careers in aerospace by breaking down legacy perceptions of what an aerospace career requires,” Long said. “The program helps highlight these opportunities and ascertains what is truly needed now, and in the future, to meet workforce demands.”

The courses cover topics including aviation and aerospace, advanced manufacturing, construction, cybersecurity and IT, logistics and semiconductors.

Most high schools in Florida offer some level of credential and certificate programs that could be used for a career in the aerospace field. According to Space Florida, by rebranding these existing courses as part of the Space Florida Academy Program, students have a clearer path to well-paid jobs with a high school diploma.

“The Space Florida Academy Program represents a pivotal step in ensuring that our students are equipped with the skills and credentials needed to thrive in the aerospace industry,” Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez, Space Florida Board Chair, said in a statement.

Although the decision is up to each school district, according to Long, most districts are aiming to implement the program starting in the fall.

Founded in 2006, Space Florida is the aerospace economic development agency of the State of Florida. It works with commercial space companies, other governmental agencies and academic institutions to develop space-related infrastructure.

The first closure downtown, off Southwest Second Street, began earlier this week and is scheduled to end Friday. Another closure soon coming up will be at Broward Boulevard and the Florida East Coast Railway tracks. It is scheduled to last from 6 p.m. Saturday through midnight Tuesday.

“It’s going to be an impactful week,” said Vanessa Boschulte, who has driven from Dania Beach to her job as an accounting clerk for Broward County for the past 20 years.

“Even if you plan ahead, there’s not much you can do,” Boschulte said. “There’s one option and it’s these tiny roads, and everybody’s on that same option.”

The Florida Department of Transportation is closing the crossings, one by one, to accommodate repairs. “The closure is needed to allow workers to safely perform necessary repairs to the railroad crossing,” according to an advisory published on the city’s website. “Workers will rehabilitate the existing track to repair defective rails and replace the crossing surface to improve ride quality.”

The Broward Boulevard railroad crossing is near the county’s central bus terminal, just south of the Brightline Fort Lauderdale station.

Detour signs will direct Broward Boulevard drivers to Sunrise Boulevard to the north and Davie Boulevard to the south.

Heads up, #FTL commuters! @MyFDOT_SEFL will be closing Broward Blvd at the Florida East Coast Railway (@fecrwy) crossing, just west of Andrews Ave, starting at 6 PM Saturday, August 3, through midnight Tuesday, August 6.

The closure is needed so workers can repair the crossing… pic.twitter.com/8ZS4JdZXPD

— City of Fort Lauderdale (@FTLCityNews) July 31, 2024

The road closures and traffic delays are nothing new to the many commuters who drive into downtown Fort Lauderdale for work. Similar railroad-related closures have happened before.

Mae Smith, a commuter from Lauderhill, said the weekend closures won’t affect her since she’s off work then. But she’s ready for the changes next week. “When Monday, Tuesday comes around, I’m just going to take Sixth Street all the way to work.”

Smith, currently employed at the property appraiser’s office, has worked in Fort Lauderdale for nearly 25 years, and has her detour down to a science, she said.

In the coming days, the following crossing closures are scheduled:

— SW Ninth Street: 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 5, to midnight Wednesday, Aug. 7.
— SW 15th Street: 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 7, to midnight Aug. 9.
— SW 17th Street: 6 p.m. Aug. 11 to Aug. 13.

You can watch the team take on the New York Mavericks, Oklahoma Wildcatters and Missouri Thunder in “their inaugural homestand” at the Amerant Bank Arena, an event that’ll run from Friday, Aug. 2, to Sunday, Aug. 4.

The team is relocating to Florida from Oklahoma City, where they competed as the Oklahoma Freedom.

The Florida Freedom, under the leadership of 2024 Ring of Honor inductee Paulo Crimber, compete in the Professional Bull Riding Teams league, formed in 2022, which turned bull riding from an individual sport into one where riders compete on teams.

According to Crimber, “expect to see the best bull riders in the world against the best bulls in the world. It’s going to be a lot of excitement.”

Crimber coaches his son, John Crimber, who the team selected with the No.1 overall pick in the 2024 PBR Teams New Rider Draft. At just 18 years old, John Crimber finished No. 2 in the race for the 2024 PBR World Championship this past May.

This year is John Crimber’s first time competing with a team, an experience he is excited to kick off in the Sunshine State.

“It’s pretty fun because whenever a guy goes out there on your team and stays on, it fires the guy up, especially me,” he said. “I like going last because I like watching all my teammates go out there and stay on — it makes me want to do good too.”

The league, with 10 teams across the country, will begin its third four-month season of five-on-five bull-riding matches in July, culminating with the 2024 Teams Championship in Las Vegas in late October. The PBR Camping World Team Series league is broadcast nationally on CBS.

“It’s how hard the bull bucks, and how well the rider rides him,” Paulo Crimber said. “It’s almost like a dance. You’ve got to match every move — be smooth.”

It’s not lost on the team that they’ll be in Sunrise, where the Florida Panthers have long played: “The Panthers brought the cup this year, and we want to bring it home also and maybe we’ll make you guys proud,” Crimber said.

Crimber, originally from Brazil, says the South Florida environment reminds him and his team of “home.”

“It’s the coconut trees, the mango trees, the birds,” he said. “They’re so impressed and excited about seeing it. That’s what makes it so special — how everybody feels home.”

The Freedom’s current roster includes Alex Cerqueira, from Iguatemi, and Thiago Salgado, from Naviraí, both in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, in southern Brazil. They ride alongside World Finals qualifiers Caden Bunch, Casey Roberts and Conner Halverson.

The Freedom finished the 2023 regular season in fourth place with a 14-14 record. The team was led by Caden Bunch’s breakout campaign, successfully making the eight-second mark on nine of his 14 bulls, and rookie Elizmar Jeremias (7-for-18).

Other teams include the Nashville Stampede, Kansas City Outlaws, Austin Gamblers, Texas Rattlers (based in Fort Worth), Arizona Ridge Riders (Glendale), Carolina Cowboys (Greensboro, N.C.) and Missouri Thunder (Ridgedale).

More than 800 bull riders from around the world — including the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada and Mexico — are members of PBR. The PBR World Finals champion receives a golden world championship belt buckle and a $1 million prize. For more information, visit PBR.com.

Tickets for the event can be bought for individual days starting at $30 as well as a three-day package starting at $99. Advance parking for $40 is available for purchase on SeatGeek.com. Doors open 60 to 90 minutes before showtime.

The Amerant Bank Arena is now cashless and enforces a “no bag policy, only small clutches 4”x 6” and under will be permitted,” according to its website.

The Florida Freedom is owned by Heath Freeman, who bought the team in December 2022. Freeman is also chairman of Tribune Publishing, the parent company of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

“I couldn’t be more excited to bring to Florida a professional sports team,” Freeman said in a statement last year. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with the PBR’s exponential growth.”

Staff writer Ben Crandell contributed to this news article. 

The free hourlong session, known as “Python Patrol,” will be presented by a biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. You don’t need to be an expert: Snake-handling experience isn’t required to participate.

Attendees will learn how to identify Burmese pythons, how to safely search for them, as well as how to capture and humanely kill them. The classes also will detail how to report pythons to the wildlife commission.

“Python Patrol” will be presented the third Thursday of each month. The first virtual class will be offered at 7 p.m. Aug. 22. More classes will be presented at 7 p.m. Sept. 19, and 7 p.m. Oct. 17. Spaces are unlimited and no prior registration is required. You can join online at myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/nonnatives/python/patrol.

Amy Siewe, a python hunter and guide, said there is plenty to learn. For example, baby pythons that have just hatched are similar in size to the area’s native snakes and can be difficult for non-professionals to tell the difference.

“It’s important that people do know the difference between the pythons and our native snakes so they don’t harm our native snakes,” Siewe said.

She also said it can be a process to learn what to do.

“People don’t know what to do when they come across a 10-foot python,” Siewe said. “It’s really important they learn how to handle it properly — for their own safety — because these are big snakes. They’re not happy when they’re caught, and they’ve got a mouthful of razor sharp teeth.”

One of the largest snakes in the world, the Burmese python is a nonvenomous constrictor found primarily in and around the Everglades ecosystem in south Florida. Added to Florida’s prohibited species list in 2021, the snake is an invasive species in Florida that represents a threat to native wildlife.

“These pythons are dietary generalists, preying upon native mammals, reptiles and birds, including some endangered or threatened species such as the endangered Key Largo woodrat,” said Lisa Thompson, with the wildlife commission’s division of habitat and species conservation.

The wildlife commission works with partners to manage the pythons in a variety of ways, and with “Python Patrol” the public can get involved too.

“It’s absolutely awesome what they’re [the wildlife commission] doing,” said Donna Kalil, a python elimination specialist with the South Florida Water Management District. “I think they should do much more of it to make sure that the public knows and is aware of what to do while they’re out there python hunting.”

Other ways for the public to get involved in conservation efforts include helping raise awareness about invasive species, getting involved in removal efforts of nonnative wildlife in events like the 2024 Florida Python Challenge, happening Aug. 9 to Aug. 18.

“The more people that get involved in helping to remove nonnative species means the more we can protect native wildlife and Florida’s incredible ecosystems,” Thompson said.

There’s also a hot line: Anyone can report sightings of Burmese pythons and other nonnative snakes to the wildlife commission’s invasive species hot line at 888-Ive-Got1 (888-483-4681).

Sightings of other nonnative species can be reported online at IveGot1.org or on the free IveGot1 app.

Stopping by the centers were Congresswoman Lois Frankel and Small Business Administration Deputy Administrator Dilawar Syed.

In the past three years, the Small Business Administration has helped over 18 million new businesses get back on their feet, supporting them with nearly a trillion dollars of COVID relief loans, Syed said during a visit to Learning Wonderland Preschool in Palm Springs.

“It’s good news, and we love to share good news,” U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel said as she walked through the colorful learning center.

The preschool was one of the many businesses in Florida to receive a loan from the Small Business Administration to keep doors open during the pandemic. Not only did the SBA cover six months of loan payments during the pandemic, but funding and guidance from the local SBA chapter also helped Alina Shubov achieve her dream of opening the child care center eight years ago.

“Without the SBA, none of this would have happened,” Yakov Shubov, her husband and co-owner, said. “The SBA kept us afloat during the hardest times.”

Frankel and Syed on Friday also visited Super Kidz West Palm Beach.

According to Syed, the state of Florida has the highest number of small businesses created in the past three years.

Many of these small-business owners come from underserved communities. Knowing this, the SBA opens its doors to these entrepreneurs and small-business owners, offering guidance and funding to those who face challenges receiving approval from banks.

“When you start a business, that’s just the first step,” Syed said. “You need funding, resources, support and advice. That’s where our team comes in. We work with partners to make sure that if you are looking for funding, we can support you with that.”

In Florida, a lack of affordable child care continues to burden working families.

Parents or guardians “can’t go to work if they don’t have a safe, nurturing place for their children,” Frankel said. “Because of this women are having to leave the workforce, which has a negative effect on the economy.”

According to Frankel, continuing to support child care centers with SBA funding is one way to combat affordable child care shortage in Florida.

“It’s important for the families that the children have a place to go so that parents can go to work. It’s also important for teachers to have a job, because they’re also supporting their families,” Shubov said. “If the place shuts down it affects a lot of families, a lot of individuals.”

In a dark classroom, two armed guardians held guns that pointed a laser onto a projected screen in front of them. With over a thousand different scenarios, the guardians navigated videotaped active shooter calls, having to communicate with a partner and quickly make “shoot or don’t shoot” decisions, according to Kevin Nosowicz, Broward County Public Schools Police Chief.

After each scenario, Detective Carl Schlosser discussed the approach the guardians took in their response and then the correct ways each scenario should be handled.

“We told him to drop the weapon. He didn’t, so I eliminated the target,” armed guardian Shalon Jackson said, explaining his response to address one shooter scenario.

With the sixth-largest school district in the country, Broward County uses “more guardians than anyone else in the state,” Nosowicz said. “And the program’s only gotten stronger.”

Led by the Broward Schools Police, the training included instruction in firearms use, tactics and de-escalation, with the goal of providing safety to Broward County schools. The simulation training is in addition to the annual training the guardians receive two weeks before the start of the school year.

“Law enforcement — it’s always changing. The more training you get, the better off you’re going to be,” Robert Ung, a retired law enforcement officer with over 20 years of experience, said.

The guardian program was created in 2018 in the wake of the Parkland shooting. Before that, only sworn law enforcement officers were allowed to carry guns on school campuses, but the state Legislature passed a law requiring every school to have at least one armed officer per school, and guardians were an option.

The school district considered phasing out the guardian program last school year and creating a full-fledged police department, but the School Board rejected that. They could be used at more schools as cities like Pembroke Pines say they can’t afford to provide police at the current rate the district pays.

The armed guardians are the men and women in bright yellow shirts equipped with the necessary skills to act as the first line of defense in the school district’s efforts to protect students and staff. They are veterans, former law enforcement officers and former security personnel.

“I saw this as an opportunity to protect people. To protect the children and protect the future of our country,” Dwayne Jiles, a veteran who spent 20 years in the Army Military Police, said. “That’s really important to me, because I also have children and for them I would want someone that’s willing to sacrifice themselves for others.”

In a partnership with Keiser University, Broward Schools Police used the new Multiple Interactive Learning Objective Range simulator for Thursday’s training. The MILO system, a simulation learning tool, is designed for critical incident training, de-escalation tactics, decision support training, traditional tactical judgment training, and firearms proficiency training.

Jiles, who will be going into his seventh year as a guardian and has children of his own, has seen first-hand how the guardians benefit the school system.

“The kids, they come to you, they rely on you,” Jiles said. “They let you know if anything is going on.”

SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman made the low-interest disaster loans available for businesses and residents in response to a letter from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on June 28, requesting a disaster declaration by the SBA.

“Getting businesses and communities up and running after a disaster is our highest priority at SBA,” Guzman said.

The declaration covers Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, as well as Collier, Hendry and Monroe counties.

“The opportunity to include measures to help prevent future damage from occurring is a significant benefit of SBA’s disaster loan program,” said Francisco Sánchez, Jr., associate administrator for the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the Small Business Administration.

From June 11-14, record rainfall hit multiple cities across Miami-Dade and Broward County. The hardest-hit city was Hallandale Beach, followed by Hollywood. The latest rainfall totals show  Hallandale Beach with 19.39 inches, and Hollywood with 19.10. In North Miami, rainfall surpassed the 20-inch mark.

Businesses and private nonprofit organizations may borrow funds to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.

For small businesses and most private nonprofit organizations, the SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. EIDL assistance is available regardless whether the business sustained any physical property damage.

Loans of up to $500,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for loans of up to $100,000 to repair or replace damaged personal property.

Interest rates are as low as 4% for businesses, 3.25% for nonprofit organizations and 2.688% for homeowners and renters, with terms of up to 30 years.

Interest does not begin to accrue, and monthly payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the initial disbursement. Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on the applicant’s financial condition and unique circumstance.

Even though the online application takes about 30 to 45 minutes to complete, one-on-one application assistance is available at the SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Centers in Hollywood and Miami Gardens until July 29.

Walk-ins are accepted, but you can schedule an in-person appointment at an SBA Disaster Loan Center in advance.

The Broward County Disaster Loan Outreach Center is at the Oak Lake Community Center in Hollywood. The center is open:

— From 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Friday.

— From 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

— From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

“We’re very fortunate to have this level of focused assistance, particularly for our small-business community, positioned in our City,” City of Hollywood Economic Development Manager Herb Conde-Parlato said. “The Center’s central location ensures that those affected small businesses located in some of the harder hit areas to the south and west of Hollywood also have access to vital assistance.”

The Miami-Dade County Disaster Loan Outreach Center is at the North Dade Regional Library in Miami Gardens and is open Tuesday to Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Both centers close permanently at 2 p.m. Monday.

At the centers, bilingual customer service representatives are there to guide applicants through the process, “ask the right questions and make sure that if an application is not submitted correctly, corrections are made online,” according to Liliana Tschanett, public affairs specialist at the SBA Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience.

At the center, individual applicants should be prepared to present a valid ID and any information pertinent to the loss. Businesses should bring a valid Employer Identification Number, tax registration and documents that could be signatory on the loan.

The filing deadline to submit applications for physical property damage is Aug. 30.

The deadline to submit economic injury applications is April 1, 2025.

Physical property damage includes damage to the property, business and fixed assets — anything “considered to be immediate damage for the residents,” Tschanett said.

For additional disaster assistance information visit sba.gov/disaster.

Applicants also may call SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance.

For those who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, dialing 711 for telecommunication relay services is available.

The home just hit the market for $18.5 million.

The 4,000-square-foot, two-story home sits where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Gulf of Mexico, offering great views from every direction.

According to property records, the seller is Cecilia Joyce Johnson, widow of the late sculptor John Seward Johnson II, who died in March 2020.

The house, built in 1958, was purchased by the Johnsons in the 1990s.

“He was a very famous public figure and this was his winter home,” said Ellen Gvili, a global real estate adviser who currently holds the listing with Ocean Sotheby’s International Realty. “Which adds even more interest to the home and the property.”

A plaque at the front of the home reads “The Southernmost Southernmost House U.S.A.,” reminding any passers-by just how distinguished 400 South St. is. Greenery and towering palm trees line the pathway to its front door.

Five bedrooms, six and a half bathrooms and one powder room are part of the 4,008 square feet of living space on the 17,000-square-foot lot.

Its most luxurious amenities include a chef’s kitchen with ample open space, restaurant-style stainless steel appliances and a Sub-Zero fridge as well as a Florida room — the natural-lit sunroom with sliding glass doors that lead to the pool deck.

Outside, a 50-by-20-foot swimming pool stretches across the backyard, with room for a spacious lounge area for sunbathing.

At the edge of the deck a mosaic pieced together with shades of blue reads, “North America begins here.”

Its prime location not only boasts stunning views, but also proximity to Key West’s iconic attractions such as the Hemingway House, Lighthouse and Butterfly Conservatory.

With a transient license, the property allows for nightly rentals, making it a prime investment opportunity for vacation rentals or a lavish private residence.

The property does need some work, including partial restoration of the sea wall, but because it comes with “bay bottom” rights, a future resident has permission to restore it as well as add a dock for boating, paddle boarding, kayaking, and snorkeling right from the back patio, according to Gvili.

Seward Johnson II was known for his life-size sculptures, including the famous “Double Check” statue of a seated businessman that survived the 9/11 attacks.

His works can be found throughout Key West, including one of Marilyn Monroe at the Tropic Cinema.

However, Fort Lauderdale United FC, a new professional women’s soccer team, is entering into a unique collaboration with Nova Southeastern University, sharing the cost of beefing up the on-campus stadium and reaping the myriad benefits of having access to NSU’s new and ambitious innovation center.

The football club, one of eight founding teams in the inaugural year of the USL Women’s Super League, is starting with a $7 million upgrade to the on-campus stadium, hoping that its central location will become a pillar of the Broward community.

“We aren’t just a club, we are a team identifying with Broward and the 954,” co-founder and CEO Deon Graham said.

Ahead of the first season, kicking off in August, the team is partnering with Stadium Structures, LaBella Associates architecture and Craven Thompson to expand the former Miami Dolphins training facility from 2,000 to almost 7,000 seats, according to Fort Lauderdale United FC co-founder and chairman Tommy Smith.

“The vibe is going to be just that – a vibe,” Graham said. “It’s going to be an entertaining place with fast-paced energy.”

NSU previously contributed approximately $3 million to the initial renovation of the stadium for the university’s soccer teams, according to Associate Athletic Director for External Operations John Sung.

“We went through a whole renovation of getting things like new locker rooms for our teams,” Sung said. “We were excited in September when we launched it, and after redoing it again, we’ll be excited when we have the opportunity to be back on that field.”

The team, whose partners include Nike’s the Jordan Brand, Sheraton Suites Plantation and Mill Creek Apartments, is leasing the stadium from the university, and all stadium upgrades are considered donations to NSU.

“For us, the partnership with Fort Lauderdale Football Club gives us the ability to have an already world class facility and elevate it,” Sung said. “We’re just starting the relationship and are really excited about where this can go for both parties. At the end of the day, it’s going to give our community another stadium where people will be able to see some really good athletic events.”

Fort Lauderdale United FC has been working closely with the Town of Davie and City of Fort Lauderdale to make the experience reflective of the community it resides in.

“I am immensely proud to have a major professional women’s soccer sports team call Davie home,” said Davie Mayor Judy Paul. “The joy of sports is inescapable and has the power and ability to break barriers and bring people of all walks of life together. Our athletic facilities will prove to be an asset for the players, coaches, or those who want to stop by to watch practices or games.”

Construction at the stadium is on schedule and set to be completed before the team’s home opener on Sept 29.

The grass field will be surrounded by three grandstands, with the east and west sides covered by canopies. Upgrades include an LED scoreboard and perimeter board, a fan engagement area, and a cutting-edge press box made of Lego-like modular pieces, according to Stadium Structures Managing Partner Brian Mishkin.

“Everything you see from a top-level stadium  — that’s what you would come to expect where we’re at,” Smith said.

The league received Division One sanctioning from the U.S. Soccer Federation, allowing the league to compete at the highest level of professional soccer in the United States.

The new league’s start comes after a surge in viewership for women’s soccer, as the National Women’s Soccer League saw 95% increase in total viewership from last year.

The National Women’s Soccer League, also a U.S. first-division professional women’s league, first kicked off in 2012 with one Florida team, Orlando Pride, which joined in 2016.

South Florida soccer fans may remember the Boca Raton-based women’s soccer team, magicJack, who were terminated by the Women’s Professional Soccer league after one season.

More than just a place to play

Team CEO Graham said that the partnership with the school will give the players the opportunity to pursue free continued education, take internships and other benefits, including access to the innovation programs and resources at the Alan B. Levan NSU Broward Center of Innovation (Levan Center), where the team’s offices reside.

Each of the 20-22 contracted players will be paid a minimum salary of $45,000 plus medical and housing at NSU, Smith said.

Access to the innovation center will give the coaching and business arms of the team a leg up as well.

John Wensveen, NSU’s Chief Innovation Officer and Executive Director of the Levan Center, views the center as a start-up, which he thinks makes it the perfect place for a start-up sports business to grow.

Wensveen said that the team’s physical presence in the Levan Center will make a difference. “We have the ability to assist them by promoting accessible opportunities to emerging technologies that ultimately can make the team better in terms of performance, fan engagement opportunities, health, wellness and fitness,” Wensveen said.

Anybody associated with the team has access to programs like cybersecurity programming, an in-house media studio, technology makerspace and the volumetric capture scale — the only Sony powered publicly accessible studio in the U.S. that can create 3D capture for simulation purposes.

“In theory, I could put an athlete into the studio and have them simulate different types of motions … that can be used in a training or simulation or a data analytics type of environment,” Wensveen said.

According to Wensveen, the areas of opportunity piloted at the innovation center in collaboration with Fort Lauderdale United FC have the ability to “be adapted throughout the USL soccer league itself, or even brought into other sports environments in the amateur and professional worlds.”

Not only has construction provided temporary jobs, but because of the partnership with NSU, students interested in professional sports business have the opportunity to apply for internships and work with the team in a hands-on environment.

“The energy is here on campus,” Graham said. “We’re telling the students interested in sports business — come be in the building, come work with us.”

Both Smith and Graham have daughters who play soccer, and are excited to unite the Broward community and forge new paths for women in sports.

“I think what’s most impressive is the mission of encouraging women to go into sports and then making sure that there are more accessible opportunities for them moving forward,” Wensveen said. “I think this partnership will help break down barriers.”

What was known among anglers as the “Florida strain” largemouth bass, commonly found in bodies of water across Florida, is now considered a unique species, the Florida bass. The announcement was made Wednesday by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Prompted by a Yale University research publication that used advanced genetic analysis to determine the Florida bass to be its own species, the American Fisheries Society established the Florida bass as a separate species from the more common largemouth bass, whose range covers much of the U.S. with the exception of the Rocky Mountains.

The research also identified the range of Florida bass to be larger than once believed, including not only Florida, but also parts of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.

“The greater our understanding of the biodiversity, the more power we have to conserve that diversity and, in a sense, make it the economically important and rewarding recreational resource that it is,” said Thomas Near, professor and chair of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Yale University and one of the three scientists who worked on the study.

The scientific names for the species also changed. The scientific name previously used to describe largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides, will now be used for the Florida bass species, according to the study. Largemouth bass will now be considered Micropterus nigricans.

For anglers, the main change to expect lies in how the species will be referenced in regulations, messaging and signage, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

“There is no need for anglers to distinguish between the two species for regulations purposes,” the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission wrote on their website.

Because they are visually indistinguishable, Florida bass and largemouth bass will be considered within the same species for regulations. The only way to tell the difference is to run genetic testing.

However, even before the name changed, it was known that there was a different variety of bass in Florida that “grew faster and was more aggressive,” according to Near.

The name change is crucial to understanding their environment, which “provides a critical foundation for better managing and conserving these important and iconic fish,” the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission wrote on their website.

According to Near, the specification of the separate species allows management agencies and individuals to stop exporting Florida bass to other parts of the country and world.

“The problem is they start hybridizing with the locally occurring largemouth bass,” Near said. “Hybrids are not as fit and viable as the parentals, and that leads to problems with biological conservation.”

The name change and designation of the Florida bass “will aid in ensuring their continued conservation and sustainable use for future generations,” the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission wrote on their website.

In 1975, Florida legislature named the largemouth bass the official state freshwater fish, according to the Florida Department of State. The state record catch is over 17 pounds, though several larger fish have been caught and not certified.