Newsmax TV to have soft launch Monday

Makes Progress Toward Soft Launch in Early Summer, Full Rollout in the Fall

Newsmax Media announced that it has reached a distribution agreement with satellite TV provider DISH Network for Newsmax TV, expanding the reach of the news and lifestyle channel to close to 35 million satellite homes and businesses when it has its soft launch on Monday.

The deal puts Newsmax in more than one-third of U.S. cable and satellite homes as it begins. The company has also secured a distribution deal with DIRECTV, the nation’s largest satellite provider reaching more than 20 million subscribers.

Newsmax TV bills itself as providing independent news with a “mainstream conservative” tilt.

With headquarters in West Palm Beach and Boca Raton, plus studios in New York, Washington and Los Angeles, Newsmax TV will launch with nine hours of live programming, expanding to 18 hours of live programming by year’s end.

Jupiter Medical launches clinical trials

JUPITER – Jupiter Medical Center is conducting two clinical trials.

One trial, in conjunction with Scripps Florida, seeks surgical tissue specimens of the breast and the lung to identify targets for development and testing of therapeutics. Results from the trial will help the medical community better understand how therapies work and how to most effectively manage and treat cancers.

Eligibility is voluntary and open to participants who are over the age of 18, will undergo a tissue biopsy or surgery to determine the presence of cancerous lesions, and have not received anti-cancer therapy in the past five years. All participants sign an informed consent to provide their tissue to research after pathology review.

For more information on the clinical trials conducted at Jupiter Medical Center, contact Jupiter Medical Center’s Clinical Research Department at (561) 263-5791 or visit jupitermed.com/clinical-research.

The other trial is designed to test an alternative to treat patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. Matthew Stiebel M.D. and Gary Ackerman M.D. of Palm Beach Sports Medicine, in conjunction with Jupiter Medical, have opened a clinical trial of KineSpring, a new implantable device intended to treat the symptoms of pain and loss of function of the knee caused by the disease. The purpose of this research study is to test whether the KineSpring device is safe and provides relief of knee pain, improving knee function.

About 100 patients in the United States have received the KineSpring System implant through clinical trials. A similar version of the implant used in a European trial has been implanted in 550 patients as of February 2014. The average patient is 45 to 55 years of age. After surgery, patients are back to their normal routine at about three weeks. Intensive physical activity is recommended after only three months.

For more information on the KineSpring System clinical study, contact Palm Beach Sports Medicine at 561-845-6000.

Visit Florida names board

With the start of its new fiscal year on July 1, Visit Florida – the state’s official tourism marketing corporation – ushers in new leadership to serve on its Executive Committee, Board of Directors and industry committees. More than 220 Visit Florida partners, including some of the industry’s foremost experts, have been selected to represent the tourism industry for the upcoming term.

Andrew Hertz, president & general manager of Miami Seaquarium, will take over as the new chair of the 2014-2015Visit Florida Board of Directors. Hertz succeeds Tammy Gustafson, senior director of sales integration with Universal Orlando Resort.

The board of directors is the organization’s private sector governing body who, along with the members of its 11 committees, provide guidance into marketing programs. The 31-member board, which is appointed by Enterprise Florida in conjunction with the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, is comprised of representatives from key sectors of the tourism industry and is balanced geographically throughout the state. The nine-member Executive Committee of the Board of Directors, made up of the officers and standing committee chairs, serves as the highest level of VISIT FLORIDA’s volunteer leadership.

Jeff Castner, regional general manager of the Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa, is a board of director member.

Co-founders of Sklar Furnishings honored

BOCA RATON — Contemporary furniture retailers Rick and Pat Howard, co-founders and co-owners of Sklar Furnishings, were presented the 2014 Small Business Leaders of the Year Award by the Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce at the organization’s annual awards luncheon at the Boca Raton Resort & Club with more than 500 people in attendance.

The Howards were applauded as leaders in green advocacy who forge alliances with designers and manufacturers that share their commitment to the environment. Sklar Furnishings partners in creating forests via the National Forest Initiative by donating a tree to one of Florida’s four natural forests for each purchase of a wood product.

Rick Howard serves as president of the North American Home Furnishings Association.

Dollar General opens in West Palm Beach

WEST PALM BEACH – Dollar General has opened a new location at 3969 North Haverhill Rd. in West Palm Beach.

Additionally, the first 50 adult shoppers at the store will receive a $10 Dollar General gift card and the first 200 shoppers will receive a Dollar General tote bag, among other giveaways.

Dollar General stores employ six to 10 people.

Planet Fitness franchisee celebrates eighth opening

LAKE WORTH – Planet Fitness has opened a gym at 6488 Lake Worth Rd. For owner, Glenn Dowler, this is his eighth Planet Fitness location in his franchise territory that encompasses Indian River, Saint Lucie and Palm Beach counties. He plans to open two or three more locations this year in Palm Beach County.

Planet Fitness, popularized through the hit TV show, “The Biggest Loser” is one of the fast growing fitness franchises in the country. The new gym is the 790th location.

Local Planet Fitness locations are being constructed by Sisca Construction Services of West Palm Beach.