Patriot National Insurance donates to NSU
On Jan. 13, NSU received a $450,000 gift from Steve M. Mariano, chairman and CEO of Patriot National Insurance Group, a leading provider of workers’ compensation insurance and insurance services. The gift to the College of Dental Medicine will fund the newly launched Patriot Health Initiative to help provide dental programming to underserved populations of Greater Fort Lauderdale.
FPL set to increase customers’ bills
On Jan. 17, Florida Power & Light Co., the state’s largest electrical utility, projected that it would request a $6.80-a-month increase to its base rate, or the general charge for providing service from the Public Service Commission. The request, which will be made in mid-March, puts a typical electrical bill for a home budget at nearly $100 per month. FPL officials said the increase is to help cover rising cost of doing business and to fund the construction of a natural gas plant at Cape Canaveral. If approved the increase would take effect in 2013.
Websites protest proposed Internet piracy bills
On Jan. 18, websites like Wikipedia and Reddit shut down for one day in protest of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA). If passed, the proposed bills will allow the U.S. government to block Americans from accessing websites, such as online gaming and YouTube, which infringe on intellectual property.
Burger King testing home delivery
South Florida-based fast food chain Burger King is set to test a home delivery service at four restaurants in the Washington DC area beginning at the end of January. The delivery service, which costs $2 and will be available to customers living within 10 minutes of participating restaurants.
Search continues for passengers on almost sunken cruise ship
Rescuers continue to search for bodies off the coast of Giglio, Italy from the capsized cruise ship Costa Cordina. The ship came into distress after hitting rocks on Jan. 13, which caused major flooding. Authorities have deemed the cause of the incident “grave error.”
Six U.S. marines die after helicopter crash
On Jan. 20, six U.S. marines were killed in a helicopter crash in Hemland province, Afghanistan. NATO said there was no reported enemy fire in the area. However, the Taliban is taking credit for bringing down the aircraft. Separately, an Afghan solider killed four French soliders and injured 15 in eastern Afghanistan, prompting Paris to consider an early withdrawal of their troops.
