5 things you need to know happening in Florida on Monday, August 13

TAMPA - Here are five things you need to know happening in Florida on Monday, August 13.

(1) Mitt Romney in Florida

Presumed Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney will make two campaign stops in Florida on Monday.

Romney launched his "The Romney Plan For A Stronger Middle Class" bus tour in Virginia on Saturday. The tour went through North Carolina on Sunday and continues today in Florida.

His first event is 8:20 a.m. at Flagler College in St. Augustine. That will be followed by a stop at Palacio De Los Jugos at 5:25 p.m.

Originally, Romney was supposed to hold a housing roundtable at the home of attorney Christi Adams in Orlando at 12:30 p.m., but his campaign canceled that event Sunday night citing exhaustion.

The bus tour will continue Tuesday in Ohio.

(2) GTE Financial renaming

GTE Federal Credit Union is getting a new name on Monday. The company will now be called GTE Financial.

"We chose 'financial' to represent our focus on providing relevant financial solutions to our wide range of members," said GTE Financial President and CEO Joe Brancucci.

Through the course of the day, members will be greeted with giveaways at the credit union's 21 Community Financial Centers.

There will also be a sign unveiling ceremony at the company's headquarters in Ybor City is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.

GTE Financial wants its customers to know the name change does not mean there is any change to the company's status or structure and there are no changes to member accounts.

(3) Silver Airways adds routes

Silver Airways expands its service at Tampa International Airport on Monday with new daily flights to Jacksonville.

The company will operate three daily flights Monday through Friday and two daily flights on weekends.

"This expansion to Jacksonville is right in line with our goals and objectives to be Florida's hometown airline and connect the state like never before," said Darrell Richardson, CEO of Silver Airways. "Jacksonville is our ninth station in Florida, with more on the way soon."

The 65-minute flights leave Tampa on weekdays at 8:35 a.m. and 3:25 and 6:45 p.m. On Saturdays and Sundays, flights depart Tampa at 3:25 and 6:45 p.m.

Silver Airlines is offering a special introductory rate of just $39 each-way, plus taxes and service charges, on bookings made by September 9, 2012 for travel completed by September 30, 2012.

For more information on Silver Airways service in Florida or to make a reservation, call (800) 864-8331 or visit www.gosilver.com .

(4) Operation Finally Home

An injured soldier's new home will begin to take shape on Monday.

On June 8, 2011, Specialist Charlie Lemon was seriously injured when an explosive device destroyed the Humvee he was riding in. Lemon lost both his legs as a result of the attack. He has after months of extensive rehabilitation at San Antonio Military Medical Center in Texas.

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Martin Gramatica will gather with community supporters and volunteers to celebrate the wall raising of Lemon's new custom-built, mortgage-free home.

Lemon is the recipient of an Operation Finally Home house.

Operation Finally Home partners with corporate sponsors, builders, developers, individual contributors and volunteers to help severely wounded heroes and their families’ transition from the battlefront to the home front.

Lemon's new home is being built at 1922 Gray Street in Tampa. The wall raising is scheduled to occur at 9:00 a.m.

(5) International Left Handers Day

August 13 is the 23rd annual International Left Handers Day, a day dedicated to make everything right with all that is left.

This special day allows the lefties of the world to be proud about left-handed superiority. They have to put up with doors, computer mice, keyboards, desks and sinks that have been designed to be more efficient for right-handers to work at.

Did you know between 7% and 10% of people are left-handed?

For more information about the day, visit www.lefthandersday.com .