University of Central Florida (UCF) President Alexander Cartwright’s contract was extended this week, giving him a $900,000 base salary — a 20% raise — to continue leading one of the biggest schools in the country for the next year.

The Florida Board of Governors approved Cartwright’s deal Thursday after the trustees at the Orlando school voted yes last month.

The new contract will pay him a $900,000 base salary starting April 13 until April 12, 2026. In addition, he is eligible to receive bonuses up to $375,000, which would put Cartwright’s total compensation at $1.275 million.

His previous annual base salary was $750,000.

“Dr. Cartwright’s efforts have also positioned UCF as a national leader in higher education,” UCF Trustees Chair Alex Martins, who is the Orlando Magic CEO, wrote in a Jan. 14 letter to the state board. “Under President Cartwright’s leadership, UCF is on track to achieve preeminence by 2026, unlocking new opportunities and resources that will propel the university to even greater heights.”

Cartwright was hired at the school in April 2020.

Since Cartwright took over, the school’s four-year graduation rates improved while 72% of UCF graduates are finishing their schooling without taking any federal loans, Martins wrote in his letter.

Martins also praised Cartwright for helping grow the school foundation’s endowment from $163 million to $262 million.

Several major projects are underway, from building a bigger nursing school to expanding the football stadium. 

“President Cartwright firmly believes that a vision without resources is just a hallucination, and he has worked closely with state leaders, community partners, and university supporters to secure the investments necessary for UCF’s future,” Martins wrote.

Cartwright thanked the state after his contract was renewed, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

“I do want to thank the state of Florida, our legislature, the governor’s office, everybody who has supported us in this vision of being Florida’s premier engineering and technology university,” Cartwright said. “It is the future. It’s what we need to be doing for Florida.”

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Multiple candidates are emerging to succeed term-limited Chuck Brannan in North Florida’s House District 10, which encompasses Baker, Bradford, Columbia, Union, and northern Alachua Counties.

Marshall Rawson, a member of the Florida Guard who aided Gov. Ron DeSantis’ illegal immigration fight in Texas, is looking to take his talents back to Tallahassee, where the University of Florida-trained lawyer served under Secretary of State Cord Byrd as a legal aide in addition to interning at the Department of  Agriculture.

Unsurprisingly given his experience in Florida’s expedition to stem the tide of extralegal migration over the Mexican border, Lawson sees mitigation of Joe Biden’s border policies as central to his mission should he be elected.

“With the election of President Trump, voters sent a resounding message that the invasion at the border must be stopped and that corrections must be made, I will stand with our President and Governor to make this a reality while offering real, sustainable and long term solutions to the labor crisis throughout our state,” said Rawson, who is the North Florida Regional Director of the Republican Liberty Caucus.

It’s more than just the border for the candidate though.

“Florida has been the recognized leader of the states that rose up to push back against the Biden agenda and the radical left. The states have always been our safeguards for freedom, and to keep Florida strong, we must tackle the cost of living crisis, cut property taxes, stop the cannibalization of our vital rural farmlands and greenspaces, and protect our most vulnerable seniors and the unborn,” he said.

Rawson is the second filed candidate, joining Chase Brannan, the son of the outgoing lawmaker, in the field.

“My family history extends eight generations deep in Florida, especially in North Central Florida,” Brannan said earlier this month.

“Because of conservative principles instilled in me since childhood, I understand the value of community work and service to others. Therefore, I humbly offer my candidacy to serve as State Representative to the people of North Central Florida. I have seen first-hand how government can be used for the greater good but also harm the people of Florida. I will always fight to ensure the government serves the people. I strive to bring accessibility, conservative and rural values, and fairness to the citizens of North Central Florida.”

The winner of the GOP Primary will likely score an easy win in next November’s General Election, given the district’s strong conservative lean. In his final campaign for the seat, Chuck Brannan defeated Democrat Bobby Brady 74% to 26% last fall.

Rawson’s promise of standing with the Governor on police seems especially pointed at a moment when DeSantis has heavily criticized and even suggested he will fund Primary opponents for lawmakers who backed a Legislature-driven immigration bill over his proposal earlier this week. Rep. Brannon supported the bill.

But Rawson also comes from the agricultural sector, which has been in the middle of the controversy this week as DeSantis suggested many growers rely too heavily on cheap undocumented labor. Rawson owns and operates Free State Growers. He also served as an intern to former U.S. Rep. Paul Broun, a Georgia Republican with one of Congress’ most conservative records during his time in office.

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Jacob Ogles contributed to this report.

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Walt Disney World’s government has settled a lawsuit after a boy was injured during a ride evacuation in 2021 at the Magic Kingdom, records show.

The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District agreed to pay the boy’s grandfather, Richard McNamara, $50,000 and did not admit any liability for the incident, according to the terms of settlement. Both sides agreed to pay their own legal expenses.

CFTOD, formerly known as Reedy Creek Improvement District, released the settlement this week following a Florida Politics records request made late last year.

The boy, originally from Alabama, had gone through a lot in his 12 years before he came to Orlando on vacation in March 2021.

His teenager brother shot and killed their father before shooting the boy, paralyzing him from the waist down, according to media reports.

An organization that helps children in need provided the boy with a trip to Disney World.

It was on that vacation when the boy rode the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, a popular roller coaster based on “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” when the coaster broke down.

“When the first responders attempted to lift (the boy) to remove him from the ride, they over-extended his leg, snapping his right femur at the knee,” the lawsuit said.

The family sued in 2022 for a claim of more than $100,000.

The lawsuit was voluntarily dismissed last year after the two sides reached a settlement.

McNamara’s attorney, the boy’s attorney and CFTOD either declined to comment or did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.

At the time, Disney did not disclose the boy’s injury on the state theme park injury report released every quarter by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Theme parks face little regulation when it comes to disclosing juries to the public. Theme parks are only required to disclose injuries if people are hurt on a ride and require at least 24-hours of hospitalization.

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