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Pensacola

Wesley Chapel native proudly serves country

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Kaelyn Cardona, a graduate of the Class of 2013 at Wiregrass Ranch High, is now known as Seaman Cardona and she works as a cryptologic technician in Pensacola.

The Wesley Chapel native is stationed with a command that’s responsible for teaching future information warriors the skills required to defend America around the world.

Seaman Kaelyn Cardona

She operates out of the Information Warfare Training Command (IWTC) Corry Station in Pensacola.

As a cryptologic technician, she’s responsible for analyzing electronic communications, jamming enemy radar signals, deciphering information in foreign languages, and maintaining equipment and networks used to generate top secret intelligence.

Cardona credits success in the Navy with lessons she learned during her years in Wesley Chapel.

“Growing up, I learned to never give up, which helps me so much in the Navy,” Cardona said, in a news release.

The IWTC Corry Station is just one component that makes up the Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT) domain, headquartered at Naval Air Station Pensacola Corry Station.

The CIWT leads, manages and delivers Navy and joint force training to 22,000 students annually.

It also oversees about 200 courses at four information warfare training commands, two detachments, and additional learning sites located throughout the United States and Japan.

As a member of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Cardona and other sailors and staff know they are part of a legacy, serving as a key component of the information warfare community.

These sailors have a tremendous responsibility in creating options for fleet commanders and advising decision-makers at all levels, serving worldwide aboard ships, submarines and aircraft, and from the National Security Agency to the Pentagon.

Cardona said, “Serving in the Navy means giving back to my country that I love.”

Published August 15, 2018

Wesley Chapel: No. 1 job market

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Wesley Chapel is at the top of the list for “best job market” in Florida, according to a report from WalletHub on 2016’s Best & Worst Florida Cities for Finding a Job.

The Washington D.C.-based financial website ranked 130 cities in the state in three categories: job market, socio-economic environment and overall.

While Wesley Chapel came in first, Lutz and Land O’ Lakes ranked 16 and 17, respectively, as best job markets.

In this category, reviewers looked at job opportunities, employment growth, starting salaries and unemployment rates.

In ranking for socio-economic environment, they considered median annual income, average commute times, employee benefits, housing and transportation costs, crime rates and social life, such as things to do and places to go.

Wesley Chapel scored second in affordable housing and third for lowest unemployment for high school graduates.

Overall, Wesley Chapel’s scores earned a fourth place finish behind Sarasota in first place, Jacksonville Beach in second place and Pensacola in third place.

Still, average workdays and commute times were factors working against Wesley Chapel, which mustered only a 66th place on socio-economic environment factors alone.

Lutz ranked 27th on the socio-economic score and 11th overall, while Land O’ Lakes languished in 113th place in socio-economic rankings and 46th overall.

Tampa ranked 15th in the job market, ninth in socio-economic environment and sixth overall. Brandon came in second behind Wesley Chapel in job market, 68th in socio-economic environment and fifth overall.

Spring Hill was 126th overall, 121st in the job market and 125th in socio-economic.

Miami Gardens sat at the bottom of the list overall and in job market, and rose only to 124th spot on the socio-economic

scale.

The full WalletHub report is available at WalletHub.com/edu/best-cities-in-florida-for-jobs/21610.

Published July 6, 2016

Foreclosures falling in Florida

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For far too long, Florida led the nation when it came to residential foreclosures. But no more.

Maryland saw its foreclosure filings explode in October by 30 percent compared to the previous year, and its 5,943 properties in limbo made it the worst in the nation, pushing Florida to No. 2.

Yet, one in every 444 properties are in foreclosure, according to Florida Realtors and RealtyTrac. That is down 2 percent from September, and 25 percent from a year ago — and it did mark the 15th consecutive month Florida had a year-to-year decrease.

The Tampa area is down 23 percent from a year ago, but it was still the third highest metropolitan foreclosure rate in the country with one in every 395 properties facing a filing. Miami was the worst for cities with a population of 200,000 or more, jumping 11 percent from the previous month, but down 27 percent from a year ago.

Orlando was just behind with one in every 394 housing units in foreclosure. Other areas in Florida also made the national list including Jacksonville at fourth, Cape Coral-Fort Myers at sixth, Lakeland at eighth, and Pensacola at 10th.

Some of the drops in foreclosure came from a bump in auction activity, with Orlando up 23 percent in auctions, while other places like Cape Coral-Fort Myers were as high as 170 percent.

 

Refinery problems freeze gas prices

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The dream of gas under $3 may have to wait a little longer, at least in Florida.

Refinery outages in both Canada and Texas put a halt to the summer-long decline in gas prices, and even went as far as pushing prices up in some places, like Pensacola.

“Refinery maintenance, especially in the Gulf, is causing the tightening of supplies in some areas,” said AAA spokesman Josh Carrasco, in a release. “As a result of these refinery issues, the downward pressure eon gas prices motorists saw earlier this month has stopped.”

Several companies in the Gulf region — home to more than 40 percent of U.S. refining capacity, announced an unplanned maintenance, AAA said, which reduced gasoline output in this areas. Those outages occurred the same time as other refineries in the region are conducting seasonal maintenance.

Oil prices also are rising again, with West Texas intermediate crude rising $1.13 to $93.54 a barrel on Friday.

“Overall, motorists are still seeing value at the pump,” Carrasco said. “Gas prices are at a seven-month low, and we expect gasoline to continue trending downwards in the coming months.”

Prices in Florida held steady this week at $3.29, but was down 8 cents from a month ago, and 6 cents from a year ago.

The cheapest gas in Land O’ Lakes was $3.16, and found at a few stations in the area, including the Hess on State Road 52 and U.S. 41, as well as the RaceTrac at State Road 52 and Silver Palm Boulevard, and another RaceTrac on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard, near Lake Patience Road, according to GasBuddy. The most expensive gas reported to the site was $3.29 at the Shell station on the corner of State Road 54 and State Road 56.

In Wesley Chapel, prices ranged from $3.12 at Sam’s Club near Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, and $3.29 at a Shell station nearby. Lutz gas was as low as $3.16 at the Chevron and Sunoco at State Road 54 and Collier Parkway, and as high as $3.39 at the Shell on North Dale Mabry Highway and Van Dyke Road.

Gas prices in Zephyrhills climbed a little bit to a low of $3.15 at the Marathon on Eiland Boulevard and Geiger Road, as well as the Mobil on State Road 54 and Allen Road. The most expensive was reported at the Cumberland Farms on Gall Boulevard and State Road 39, where gas was $3.26.

The cheapest gas in Dade City was $3.13 at Clark, on U.S. 301 near Long Avenue. The most expensive there was said to be at Chevron on the corner of Fort King Road and Clinton Avenue, were prices came in at $3.24.

USAA among those honored with national award

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The more than 1,200 new jobs at New Tampa’s USAA location didn’t go unnoticed by the company’s development peers at the national level, as the United Services Automobile Association has helped Florida win another Silver Shovel award for job creation.

The award, which is given by Area Development magazine, recognizes state economic development agencies that drive significant job creation through innovative policies, infrastructure improvements, processes and promotions that attract new employers and investments in new and expanded facilities, according to a release from Gov. Rick Scott’s office.

The awards are presented annually to states that have achieved significant success in terms of job creation and economic impact.

USAA, which is expanding its existing Bruce B. Downs Boulevard campus into Brandon, will create an estimated 1,215 jobs through a capital investment of $164.3 million. Only Navy Federal Credit Union in Pensacola is bringing in more jobs — 2,200 after a capital investment of $206 million.

“Florida continues to draw the attention of business leaders and site selectors across the nation, and this recognition will certainly shine a light on the work we’re doing to tell the state’s business story,” said Gary Swoope, the president and chief executive of Enterprise Florida, in a release. “Florida’s resources and pro-business climate allow us (to) compete for community-changing projects, and we’re thrilled so many industry leaders have chosen to locate or expand in the state. The future is bright for business in Florida.”

All 50 states were invited by the magazine to submit information about its top 10 job creation and investment projects started in 2013. Those states were then rated based on direct jobs creation, new jobs per capita, amount of investment, number of projects creating high value-added jobs, industry diversity, and number of new facilities.

Based on its score, Florida won one of three Silver Shovel awards for significant job creation and economic impact.

Enterprise Florida, which received the award on behalf of the state, is a partnership between Florida’s businesses and government leaders, and is the principal economic development organization for the state. Enterprise Florida facilitates job growth for Florida businesses through recruitment and retention, international trade and exporting, sporting event promotion, and capital funding programs to assist small and minority businesses.