Hate crimes forum Wednesday in BVL

There will be a Hate Crime Prevention Act Forum, facilitated by the U.S. Department of Justice, Community Relations Service, from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the Robert Guevara Community Center, 501 Florida Parkway, Buenaventura Lakes.

Participating agencies include the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Civil Rights Office of the Florida Attorney General and the Florida Commission on Human Relations.

Representatives of local law enforcement agencies and civil rights organizations also are scheduled to participate.

These forums help to identify the interests and role of local, state and federal agencies in relation to hate crime and bias incident reporting, investigation, prosecution, and prevention.  The forum also serves as a tool in assisting communities to strengthen the local capacity to prevent and respond to actual, or perceived, bias incidents and hate crimes.

Radio Field Day this weekend

The Osceola County Office of Emergency Management is hosting this year’s annual Amateur Radio Field Day event today and Sunday at the Emergency Operations Center, 2586 Partin Settlement Road, Kissimmee.

The event is free and open to the public. Today, the event will run from noon to 5 p.m.; on Sunday, the time is 8 a.m. to noon.

Osceola County Emergency Management sponsors a group of dedicated operators known as the Emergency Management Communication Assistance Team, which is comprised of several organizations, such as the American Radio Relay League and Military Amateur Radio Service, a federally sponsored group.

The purpose of the field day is to allow amateur radio groups to compete in an effort to establish communications with other amateur radio operators worldwide and to sharpen skills in communication capabilities in various modes.

This year, Osceola County and Orange County amateurs are teaming up as partners to establish coordination and support in this effort. Emergency Management officials also will be on hand to answer questions about hazards that threaten the community as well as hurricane preparedness.

For more information on Amateur Radio Field Day, contact the Osceola County Office of Emergency Management at 407-742-9000.

KUA launches YouTube channel

To equip customers with information on reducing high energy bills while improving comfort, Kissimmee Utility Authority has announced the launch of a dedicated channel on the popular video-sharing website YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/

KUADirect.

The channel currently features 16 videos developed by the utility to address energy and water conservation, including information on airflow and air leaks, thermostats, lights and electronics and tips on buying a new AC/heating unit. The channel also features a tutorial on how energy consumption is measured and how an electric meter is read.

Additional videos covering conservation, electrical safety and storm preparedness will be added in the coming weeks, KUA officials stated. Viewers who subscribe to the channel will receive notification each time a new video is posted.

Customers also can follow KUA on Twitter at @KUADirect and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/mykua.

Dockery receives foundation award

State Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland, has been selected to receive the 2010 Pete Weitzel/Friend of the First Amendment Award in recognition of her continuing leadership on open government issues in Florida and her commitment to ensuring that the government remains open and accessible to its people.

The nomination for the award was based on Dockery’s struggles to obtain access to public records so that she – and the public – could be better informed regarding government decisions that impact the lives of her constituents and people throughout Florida, and her years of service protecting open government as a state legislator.

The First Amendment Foundation, in granting this award, stated: “Senator Dockery sets a standard all those in government should emulate.”

The award was presented to Dockery June 18.

The Pete Weitzel/Friend of the First Amendment Award was created in 1995 to recognize the significant contribution made by Pete Weitzel, former senior editor of The Miami Herald, and founder and past president of the First Amendment Foundation, in the area of open government.

The award is given annually to someone in Florida who has made a significant contribution to the cause of furthering open government.

Dredging work planned on canal

The C-30 Canal, which connects Lake Mary Jane with Lake Myrtle, will be closed beginning Monday to allow crews from the South Florida Water Management District to dredge the canal and restore it to its original condition.

The work should not impact boaters because there is no navigation lock at Lake Mary Jane that allows boat traffic to Lake Myrtle. The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of September.

Sand and sediment have collected over time in the canal, reducing its ability to move water for flood protection. District crews expect to remove 3,700 cubic yards of material – about 200 dump truck loads – which will then be spread and graded on district property adjacent to the canal.