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News Archive Index
04-28-2006
A Port Charlotte woman whose home was destroyed by Hurricane Charley in 2004 will soon move into a new one built on the same site. When it’s done it will look like many others on the block – but as W-G-C-U’s Valerie Alker reports - it also contains some special features.
04-28-2006
Southwest Florida fared well in a new survey of business-friendly communities. The rankings are from a national magazine that found most of Florida is a good economic place to be.
Inc. Magazine says the Fort Myers/Cape Coral region is the top mid-sized city and the third overall in the country in terms of job growth. Naples/Marco Island checked in at eighth. Sarasota was 20th and Punta Gorda 22nd. Inc Magazine editor Joel Kotkin says they base the findings on job growth and the quality of positions being created. Kotkin says despite a high cost of living, Southwest Florida still offers prospective workers plenty.
“It’s a place that many people with skills are going to because they want to go there. And that creates a labor force and an entrepreneurial culture that’s pretty dynamic.”
Nineteen cities in Florida made the list. Inc. Magazine says Yuma, Arizona is the top city for business …despite being one of hottest places to live in America.
Florida fared well in a new survey of business-friendly cities. Nineteen areas in the Sunshine State made Inc Magazine’s list of the ‘hottest business cities.’ The Fort Myers/Cape Coral region checked in at number three, Naples/Marco Island was 8th, Sarasota was 20th and Punta Gorda was 22nd. Inc Magazine editor Joel Kotkin says the findings are based on job growth and the quality of jobs being created. He says this part of the state has made great strides--but the news isn’t all rosy.
“The key issue I think, going ahead, is how to continue to grow without ruining the environment and the very things that bring people there. And that’s going to be the great challenge that Southwest Florida faces. Just as it was a big challenge faced by places like San Diego and Los Angeles in the 80s and 90s. And hopefully in some ways you’ll be more successful in coping with it than we were.”
Kotkin says even with a high cost of living, this region continues to be a desirable place to call home. He says the region’s record low unemployment is proof the area is attracting young workers.
04-28-2006
The first steps designed to clean up polluted water entering Lake Okeechobee are complete. Nutrient-rich water discharged from the Lake has been blamed for harming the estuaries downstream.
South Florida water managers and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cut the ribbon on projects designed to improve the health of Lake Okeechobee. The water management district’s Randy Smith says two storm water treatment areas north of the lake should help improve the quality of water flowing from farm fields into the lake.
“It’s man-made filter marsh – uses natural vegetation where the water enters from the north and the plants extract the phosphorous from the water. And when it’s released on the south end into Lake Okeechobee it has much less phosphorous then when it came in to the storm water treatment areas.”
Tomorrow, the Army Corps and Water Managers open the Ten Mile Creek Water Preserve Area project. It will provide relief to the St. Lucie River from damaging freshwater discharges.
The first of nine critical Everglades restoration projects authorized by Congress a decade ago are now open. The Water Management District and U-S Army Corps of Engineers celebrated the opening of two filter marshes north of Lake Okeechobee Thursday. The district’s Randy Smith says they will clean water coming from farms before it enters the lake.
“And that’s one of the biggest problems that we have is water with a lot of nutrients that enter the lake from the north have really had no way of being cleaned before these projects were completed so this is going to be one of the projects that’s going to create a system of cleaner water that enters the lake.”
Smith calls this a great start in a series of projects Governor Jeb Bush put in place to clean up the water entering Lake Okeechobee. Smith says the water his agency must discharge from the lake for flood control measures - down the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie Rivers – will now be a bit cleaner. Polluted water has been blamed for harming the estuaries downstream.
04-27-2006
The federal government approved a plan to renourish the beaches on Gasparilla Island in Lee County in 1965. Now, more than 40 years later the project is finally getting underway.
Under an agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers, the federal government will reimburse Lee County for sixty percent of the project’s cost – estimated at 8.5 million dollars. About 3 miles of beach will be restored. Nancy Hamilton of the Visitor and Convention Bureau says it’s a good investment.
“The number one reason people cite coming to lee county is because of our pristine beautiful beaches. another thing is it helps protect those barrier islands during the storm season. what we’ve learned from hurricane charley and Wilma and the storms that have gone by us is if you have this barrier of sand it helps protect what’s there.”
Beaches also provide habitat for nesting sea turtles and shorebirds. Enough sand will be pumped from Boca Grande Pass to the beach to create a buffer of about 150 feet. The project is scheduled to get underway in October.
Environmental officials from Lee County met with members of the Army Corps of Engineers Wednesday to sign off on an agreement to renourish Boca Grande’s barrier island beach. The federal government first approved the project in 1965 – but Lee County did not have the dollars to devote to it. That’s changed and Lee County’s Coastal Engineer Robert Neal says the renourishment is long overdue.
“In some places on the beach there is no sand at high water – the water comes up to the seawalls so we see that as a very direct threat – especially during a storm event to the upland property”
Lee County officials and the federal government will share the 8-and-a-half-million dollar cost to pump sand from Boca Grande Pass onto the beach. The project is to begin in October. The county is also negotiating to restore sand to Estero Island’s beaches.
04-27-2006
A new report by the U-S Census Bureau shows something most southwest Floridians already know…the area is growing, and fast.
Lee County leads the charge – adding more than 15-thousand people per year between 2000 and 2004, making it the 9th fastest growing county nationwide. Lee County Chamber of Commerce President - Armando Nargi says growth is directly tied to the region’s quality of life. And, he says it’s only going to continue because Lee still has plenty of room to grow…
“Cape Coral is still not even half finished so to speak. And you still have east of I-75, Lehigh Acres and the south Lee County area’s still developing. There’s just so much growth to be built on empty land, and they don’t expect that to be completed or basically saturated until the year 2020.”
Lee County’s maximum population – based on current land use plans – is an estimated 1-point-5-million people…nearly 3 times the current population. Six Florida counties ranked in the top 25 on the new list, including Palm Beach at number 7 – and Pasco at number 8.
CENSUS 2
4-20-06
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A new report on migration patterns within the U-S shows more people are moving to the Sunshine State than any other by a nearly 3 to 1 margin. WGCU’s Mike Kiniry has more.
So Florida’s growing really quickly…big surprise, you’re probably thinking.
Between 2000 and 2004 an average of 190-thousand people moved to Florida annually. That works out to about 523 new residents each and every day.
And while that might sound like a lot…it’s considerably less than a statistic that’s been bandied around in recent years…1-thousand a day.
Websites advertising why people would want to move to Florida, both domestic and abroad point to that same 1-thousand-a-day number. Many news stories also commonly refer to that level of growth.
So where are all these people coming from? According to that same new Census report, New York is LOSING nearly as many people each year as Florida is gaining. California is next when it comes to the biggest losers.
Florida’s population is expected to reach nearly 26-million by 2030…up from last year’s almost 18-million.
Locally, Lee County leads the way adding more than 15-thousand people each year. It’s the 9th fastest growing county in the nation.
04-27-2006
Deaf children are learning from dolphins in the Florida Keys this week. It’s part of an effort to encourage expression of feelings and experiences through art, movement and discussion. WGCU’s Amy Tardif has the story.
04-26-2006
Fort Myers Republican State Representative – Trudi Williams – says despite news reports, there’s not going to be a Czar for Babcock Ranch. A bill making its way through the legislature would create a not-for-profit organization to oversee operations at the 91-thousand-acre ranch--assuming developer Syd Kitson’s plan to buy the land is successful. But language just added to the bill by a House committee would give the state’s Agriculture Commissioner - final say on business decisions at the ranch. The move has drawn criticism from several environmental groups, and Lee County Commissioner Ray Judah, over concerns that business operations could trump environmental concerns at Babcock. Speaking on Gulf Coast Live, Representative Williams said that’s not the case.
“There isn’t going to be a Czar for Babcock. It’s only if the not-for-profit organization decides to make changes to the existing agricultural plan that they’ll have to get the blessing of whoever’s the commissioner of agriculture at that time.”
Williams says under her bill all other operations at the ranch would be managed by the not-for-profit’s board – which would report directly to the governor and cabinet.
04-26-2006
Congress returns this week and so does the immigration debate. Florida Republican Senator Mel Martinez met with President Bush at the White House Tuesday to discuss the legislation. Jill Morrison reports from Capitol Hill.
Martinez is still pushing legislation he wrote that would legalize the majority of illegal immigrants in the U-S and offer a path to citizenship. Many on Capitol Hill are calling for President Bush to play a larger role in the immigration debate. And maybe even endorse the Martinez plan. But Martinez says the responsibility is with Congress.
“It’s time for us to exercise leadership. I think the President is also there. He’s made it pretty clear that what we did in the Senate is where he leans. And so I don’t know that this has to happen with the President, but what he’s doing today is showing leadership and that’s helpful.”
Martinez and the initial bipartisan supporters of the immigration compromise did meet with President Bush. But Mr. Bush still would not endorse the Martinez legislation. After the meeting both Democrats and Republicans renewed a pledge to work out their differences and pass immigration reform before Memorial Day.
04-26-2006
The Pilot Club of Fort Myers and the Lee County Sheriff’s office introduced a new program this week that helps find people with Alzheimer’s disease who have wandered away from their homes.
Clients in the Project Lifesaver program will wear transmitters on their wrists like watches. Deputies are now getting special training to use the mobile locater tracking system and to deal with lost people who might be frightened and suspicious of strangers. The Pilot Club of Fort Myers paid 7000 dollars for the equipment. President Alison Hussey says the organization focuses on brain-related disorders and injuries.
“Even if one wanders once a year the likelihood of them being recovered in a timely fashion without some injury is not as great. And project lifesaver – if someone wanders with the bracelet they’re usually recovered in less than an hour and it has a 100% success rate.”
Previously, cases of lost patients involved days of searching, and often ended in tragedy. Nationally, the program’s rapid-response teams have been responsible for more than 1000 rescues.
A new tracking program in Lee County targets Alzheimer’s patients who have the propensity to roam. Project Lifesaver consists of a transmitter worn in a bracelet. The Pilot Club of Fort Myers paid for the equipment. The Lee County Sheriff’s office is going through training Tuesday on how to use it and approach the patients when they’re found. Allison Hussey is president of the Pilot Club.
“The patient wears the bracelet, or the tracking device, which emits a signal. And the sheriff’s department then has special equipment to locate where that signal is coming from. They can use a helicopter to help narrow the search and then on-the-ground deputies can then use the equipment in their cars and then on foot.”
Hussey says Project Lifesaver is in 43 states and several countries. The Hendry County sheriff’s office uses it and the Pilot Club of Naples is looking at implementing it in Collier County. It has a 100 percent success rate in finding people, usually in less than an hour.
04-26-2006
Hurricane Season officially starts in about a month! Southwest Florida is still recovering after two years of devastating storms. It was Friday the 13th in August 2004 when Hurricane Charley destroyed the Veterans Administration Outpatient Clinic in Port Charlotte. A new and improved V-A clinic opened Tuesday. WGCU’s Valerie Alker reports.
04-26-2006
The latest real estate numbers are out...and they show Southwest Florida home prices increased last month. But the number of homes sold dropped--again. The median Naples home price inched up to 505-thousand dollars and in Lee County it was 281-thousand dollars. Both slight increases from the month before. The median is the price where half the homes sell above that amount and half below. But more telling is a drop in the number of homes sold annually. A 31-percent decline in Collier and a 29-percent drop in Fort Myers. It’s the second straight month of a double-digit dip in Collier. The Florida Association of Realtors says rising mortgage rates and more homes on the market are to blame. Homes are also staying on the market longer and sellers have reduced prices and offered incentives to lure buyers. Despite the uncertainty of the real estate market, home prices are still about 20-percent higher than last year.
04-26-2006
Florida lawmakers are rushing to complete all their work before they adjourn next week. It’s also a time when controversial bills can easily become law. As the 60-day legislative session comes to a close...it’s when lawmakers are deluged by thousands of bills that can run hundreds of pages each. Former state lawmaker and current Southwest Florida lobbyist Keith Arnold says it’s impossible to wade through all the proposed bills -- and lawmakers don’t always know what they’re voting on.
“Generally these things work out. But it’s also somewhat of a dangerous time for the citizens of Florida because it takes a couple of weeks after the session for the dust to settle and for everybody to figure out exactly what did happen. We know the big picture. But sometimes the nuances are very important too.”
Arnold spoke on Gulf Coast Live. He said those nuances can sometimes be hard to understand during a late night session on the floor of the House -- when many of the controversial laws get passed.
04-25-2006
The national president of the AFL-CIO joined the widow of Robert F. Kenndy in Immokalee yesterday as part of a campaign to raise wages for those who pick tomatoes used on McDonalds’ salads and sandwiches.
78-year-old Ethel Kennedy and union head John Sweeney marched Sunday to support the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. They pointed out that farm-workers currently must pick nearly two tons of tomatoes to earn $50-dollars… and Sweeney pledged the support of the AFL-CIO’s 10-million members in the fight to raise wages…
“…commitment”
The Coalition of Immokalee Workers' gained national attention with a four-year boycott of Taco Bell. That boycott ended last year when the fast food maker’s parent company agreed to require its tomato suppliers to pay a penny a pound more to pickers.
04-25-2006
Gas prices in Southwest Florida have crested above three-dollars a gallon. And that spike is crimping the region’s public transportation systems. LeeTran prepared last year for gas prices to shoot up by budgeting a cushion into its spending plan. Already, with six months left in its fiscal year, the bus operator is paying even more for fuel than it thought it would. Spokeswoman Joann Haley says last year LeeTran spent one-and-a-half million dollars on fuel. A huge jump from the year before.
“There was a 50% increase in that portion of our operating expense in a single year. And it looks like this year’s expense is going to be at least two million which is an additional half-million dollar increase.”
The extra money for fuel means less spent on raises or hiring new workers. LeeTran hasn’t increased its fares in a decade, Haley says, so public transit can remain affordable to those that can afford increases the least, putting further pressure on LeeTran.
LeeTran says the recent gasoline price surge is cutting into its bottom line. The public transit system expects to spend at least an extra half-million dollars on fuel this year compared to last year. LeeTran spokeswoman Joann Haley says they’re reluctant to raise fares because it’s been more than a decade since they last increased them.
“Part of the mission of public transportation is to make it affordable to everyone. So we’ve tried to keep our fares stable. And what that means is that the increase in our fuel costs necessarily has to come from the general fund.”
Haley says last summer when gas prices shot up, the number of LeeTran riders increased by one-quarter. She says if a similar bump happens now, the extra passengers will partially-offset the higher fuel costs.
04-25-2006
A 20-year veteran of the New York Fire Department was buried in Cape Coral Monday. Thomas Brennan was the Chief of the Waterbury, Connecticut Fire Department, Editor of Fire Engineering Magazine, a Captain in the New York City Fire Department, and the long time volunteer. Chief Brennan was regarded as one of the most important fire service educators of his generation. Cape Coral Fire Battalion Chief Glenn Morosco says locally Brennan worked with the Fort Myers and Cape Coral Fire Departments.
“He was a highly decorated captain with a ladder company in New York City, in Brooklyn, during an unprecedented time of arson fires in the 60’s and 70’s. Upon his retirement he went on to become a very, very prominent fire service instructor and shared the knowledge that he gained over the years working in some in some of the busiest ladder companies in Brooklyn.”
Chief Thomas Brennan was one of the leading experts on forcible entry firefighting techniques. Honor Guards at his funeral Monday were from as far away as Connecticut, Tampa and Orlando.
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