Photo Friday! 8/26/2011

One thing I love about Miami Beach is the vast variety of wild life. From the party animals on North Ocean Blvd. to the vibrant parrots that fly freely through the clear blue sky, it never gets old to me. Here is a wild parrot I spotted while walking from my hotel room to the beach. By the looks of things this little bird is not camera shy.

If you ask us, we think this would make a pretty nice background image on your computer. What do you say? Simply right click with your mouse and choose 'Set As Desktop Background...'

For personal use only. All rights reserved ©Dana Nichols 06/07/1987

Previous Photo Fridays:
8/19/2011
8/12/2011
8/5/2011
7/29/2011
More...

Get Your Social On

Out of office reply: On the road

Hi all,

We will be away from our desks Thursday August 25, 2011 and returning Friday August 26, 2011.
We didn't want to leave you with nothing so here is a short compilation of most viewed posts:

Florida Lottery set to get face-lift:  

(Originally posted Monday, August 1, 2011) 

Website of the week: Zip Orland: 

(Originally posted Monday, August 8, 201)

Would you like a rug with that heroin?: 

(Originally posted Wednesday, August 10, 2011)

Ugly Mugs: Stupid people doing stupid thing: 

(Originally posted Sunday, August 14, 2011)

87-year-old student earns doctorate from FIU: 

(Originally posted Monday, August 15, 2011)

Photo Friday! 8/19/2011: 

(Originally posted Friday, August 19, 2011)

Get Your Social On:

Deadline to file federal economic injury disaster loan is Sept 26

A reminder to Florida small businesses owners that September 26th is the U.S. Small Business Administration's filing deadline federal economic injury disaster loans. Loans can be used to protect assets from hurricane damage and frost freezes to crops from November 5, 2010 through December 17, 2010.

Under this declaration, the SBA's Economic Injury Disaster Loan program is available to eligible farm-related and nonfarm-related entities that suffered financial losses as a direct result of this disaster.  "When the Secretary of Agriculture issues a disaster declaration to help farmers recover from damages and losses to crops, the Small Business Administration issues a declaration to eligible entities affected by the same disaster," said Frank Skaggs, director of SBA's Field Operations Center East in Atlanta. Unfortunately farmers and ranchers are not eligible to apply to SBA.

Small businesses are eligible for loans up to $2 million with a 4% (3% for non-profits) interest rate and terms up to 30 years. Eligibility is based on size of the applicant, type of activity, financial resources, and loan amounts. Terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant's financial condition. Loans are not intended to replace lost sales or profits but may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred.  

The SBA's disaster declaration includes the following counties: Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Polk, Putnam, Saint Johns, Saint Lucie, Sarasota, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union and Volusia in Florida. 

Disaster loan information and application forms may be obtained by calling the SBA's Customer Service Center 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. Loan applications can be downloaded from the SBA's website at www.sba.gov . Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.

Those affected by the disaster may also apply for loans electronically from SBA's website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/ .

U.S. Department of Justice orders Miami-based Ocean Bank to pay $11M for willfully failing to establish an anti-money laundering program

Ocean Bank in Miami is ordered to pay $10,988,136 to the federal government in a deferred prosecution agreement to resolve charges against it for willfully failing to establish an anti-money laundering program from 2001 through June 2008.

The settlement comes after a hefty state and federal investigation nicknamed "Operation Dirty Dinero." Law enforcement agencies examined Ocean Bank's handling of several of its high-profile customers' accounts, including transactions with Mexican currency exchange houses and found that Ocean Bank failed to monitor potential money laundering activity in five accounts allegedly used to launder narcotics money.

“The bank will make a one-time payment in the amount of $10,988,136 to satisfy any penalty, forfeiture or fine that may have been pursued by the Department of Justice, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Florida Office of Financial Regulation, and the Assessment of a Civil Money Penalty by FinCEN,’’ Ocean Bank said in a statement. The amount of the penalty represents the proceeds of illegal narcotics sales that were laundered through the five accounts.

The $11M blow to Ocean Bank, (which is in the midst of trying to raise capital to meet regulators’ requirements) will not effect its current capital position since it already accounted for the penalty in its fourth-quarter 2010 financial statements. Ocean Bank has fully cooperated with government officials and has closed all 5 of the accounts in question.  

The bank claimed that it has improved its anti-money laundering program in 2008 when it revamped its senior management and Bank Secrecy Act staffs. The bank also appointed a new Chief Executive, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and heads of lending and branch administration, operations, legal, credit, human resources, and wealth management to help reduce the risk of a similar incident.  

This year, Ocean Bank has begun monitoring accounts, has invested in additional training and hired additional staff for its BSA department. It also named a new manager of the Bank Secrecy Act department, BSA officer, and a new director for BSA and Regulatory Risk.

According to the government the payment will also satisfy a $10.9 million civil penalty issued by regulators, for “serious and systemic” anti-money laundering violations. “In light of Ocean Bank’s willingness to acknowledge responsibility for its actions and omissions, its full and truthful cooperation and remedial actions taken to date, and its promised continued cooperation and remedial actions in the future, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has agreed to defer prosecution of the criminal charge in the information for 24 months,’’ the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. “If Ocean Bank fully complies with its obligations under the agreement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office agrees to dismiss the criminal information at the end of the 24 months.’’
The agreement was accepted in federal court in Miami on Monday by U.S. District Court Judge Jose Martinez.

Website of the week: Streamline Hotel

This week we bring to you the Streamline Hotel website. Not because it is aesthetically pleasing but because there are some fun filled Daytona events on the horizon and it is a great piece of Florida history. The Streamline Hotel is located on Daytona Beach and reasonably priced. Caution if you have kids since every Friday night at the Streamline there are "female impersonators" and Saturday nights are amateur male dance contests. 

Upcoming events:

August, 25-28th Hippi Fest 

September, 3rd Labor Day fireworks (last of the season)

October, 13-16th Biketober Fest 

Streamline Hotel

140 South Atlantic Avenue

Daytona Beach, FL 

(386) 258-6937 | Website