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News Archive Index
06-30-2006
Last night (Thursday), the U-S House of Representatives passed a bill that would lift a federal ban on off-shore drilling. Unable to come to a consensus on whether to support or reject the bill, the Florida delegation splintered its vote. But Fort Myers Republican Connie Mack says the bill does not give Florida the protection it needs. From Capitol Hill, Terry Gildea (gil DAY) reports.
06-30-2006
The Florida chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union dropped off thousands of petitions yesterday (Thursday) to the state’s Public Service Commission. The A-C-L-U wants an investigation of the federal government’s efforts to gain information on people’s calling patterns. The A-C-L-U has called for state regulators to investigate whether A-T-and-T, BellSouth and Verizon illegally turned over detailed call information to the federal government. The government said the information is needed to understand calling patterns and to try to track down potential terrorists living in the United States. Florida A-C-L-U executive director Howard Simon hopes the three-thousand signature petitions the organization gave to phone regulators will send a message:
“Please investigate this matter. There are thousands of people in the state of Florida who are concerned about the breach of trust they have with their telecommunications company and are concerned about the apparent violation of the privacy rights of millions of people in Florida.”
Vermont has launched its own investigation. The state of Washington is holding hearings and court cases are pending in California and Illinois.
06-30-2006
According to the U-S Census Bureau – the number of Americans aged 65 and older will nearly double over the next 20 years…and concern over how they’ll maintain their independence and mobility is growing too. And advancing medical technologies, better diets and exercise means more of them will be healthier longer. But what happens when they can’t get where they want to go anymore?
That’s exactly the question posed to policy makers, transportation planners, law enforcement officials and aging advocates at a forum this week in Kissimmee. Judy Thames is President of Florida’s AARP…the event’s sponsor.
“Many older people in Florida particularly…their transportation is strictly the automobile. And when they get to be 85 and 90 and really are having problems being able to drive they literally become homebound because there are such poor transportation options available to them.”
Thames says the forum hopes to create a relationship between people who deal with transportation issues on all levels…and raise awareness among them of the need for not only safer roads but better and more accessible public transportation options.
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Transportation experts, road planners and members of the law enforcement community are gathering in Central Florida this week for a forum on senior mobility issues called “What will you do when your car won’t take you where you want to go”?
The A-A-R-P event not only promotes safe driving for seniors…but also ways for city planners to create more livable communities with broader transportation options built right into them.
Florida AARP President – Judy Thames – says more and better public transportation is critical…
“But more than that we need people when they’re doing the infrastructure, when they’re building the roads…we need lighted street names, we need bigger stop signs…there are a number of things that we could do that would not only be good for older people but would be good for anybody in terms of safe driving.”
Thames says simple ideas like these can be put into action…but only if planners and policymakers have them on their agendas.
And by bringing these people together for a forum, she hopes to start a dialogue that eventually spreads into all aspects of transportation planning in Florida.
06-30-2006
Boaters in Sarasota Bay have complained about hitting debris in the water since the new Ringling Bridge was built last year. Now officials know why. Boaters have been reporting damage to their vessels from debris in Sarasota Bay. The mystery would not have been solved without modern technology. The answer became more clear after County Environmental specialist Mike Solum says they used a variety of techniques to figure it out.
“The most sophisticated being side-scan sonar which is an amazing tool that allows us to see very clearly 3D pictures of live photos of what’s going on underwater. And then we did more traditional methods of actually putting scuba divers in the water to ground truth what we were seeing with the side-scan.”
And what they saw were large slabs of concrete and rubble piles which are descendants of the original Ringling Bridge, built in 1925 and demolished 48 years ago. Today’s technology was not able to reveal how far down into the sand the pieces go so there’s no way to know how much it would cost to remove them. Solum is working with the Coast Guard to realign channel markers and direct boaters away from the debris.
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Sarasota officials have discovered the 71-year-old remains of the original Ringling Bridge at the bottom of Sarasota Bay. That causeway was demolished in 1958. They investigated the debris field after boaters complained they were running into ‘something’. Environmental specialist Mike Solum used special 3-D pictures of the ocean floor to figure out the problem.
“And who knows what technology they had back in the 1950’s to remove and then find anything that was left over. It’s kind of a pretty little spot but we don’t want anyone once we get the winter low tides to strike this so we’re going to leave a hazard buoy on it and work with the coast guard to redirect the traffic over to where they should be.”
The area is about 160 feet outside the Sarasota intra-coastal waterway, where boaters should be, so Solum says he’ll get the channel markers realigned and a warning sign installed.
Sarasota Bay’s second bridge was razed in 2004. A third bridge was built last year.
06-29-2006
The Florida Legislature has approved nearly 11 million dollars in new adult substance abuse funding statewide. That means an additional two million dollars for treatment in Southwest Florida. But, it’s not enough to end the region’s waiting list.
Even with a pending 45 percent increase in state funding for adult substance abuse treatment, the region’s needs remain. Today, Southwest Florida addiction services will ask the Lee Memorial Hospital board to help it build a new detox center.
The agency - also known as SWFAS - has only 17 detox beds. That’s 1 for about every 35 thousand adults at-risk in Lee, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties. So its director, Kevin Lewis, says patients end up where they shouldn’t.
“In some cases they end up in local emergency rooms where they are a tremendous drain on resources there and it’s really the wrong place for them to be. In other cases they end up in our local crisis stabilization units in Charlotte county and Lee county where again, wrong place to be, not the right fit. And some will actually end up in local jails.”
About 800 people in need of detoxification end up in Lee Memorial’s emergency room each year. The hospital system’s board votes today to give SWFAS 75,000 dollars over three years to help build a larger facility on land the city of Fort Myers donated. It has already raised about 2.5 million toward that goal.
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Southwest Florida Addiction Services or SWFAS will ask the Lee Memorial Hospital Board for 75-thousand dollars today to help it build a 40-bed detoxification facility in Fort Myers.
The region’s population has outgrown the current 17-bed detox center and people in-need end up in the emergency rooms, mental health facilities and even jail.
The city of Fort Myers donated four acres of land. SWFAS has raised 2-point-5 million dollars. SWFAS Director Kevin Lewis says it’s also getting a million dollar state grant to make the new center a hurricane shelter.
“Our intent is to design a building that will function as a hurricane shelter as well. Presently we have to shut down that service for several days at a time when a hurricane threatens. And that leaves folks literally in Lee, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties no place to go.”
While in detox, patients are medically managed and monitored so they can be safely withdrawn from alcohol and other drugs. They also get motivational and other counseling to alter their lifestyles.
Currently there’s room for only 1 person for about every 35 thousand adults at-risk in the area. This year, lawmakers realized the need and appropriated nearly 11 million dollars in new adult substance abuse funding statewide. That’s a 45 percent increase locally.
06-29-2006
Tests have found small amounts of the organism that causes red tide off the coast of Siesta Key in Sarasota County.
Biologists with the state’s Fish & Wildlife Research Institute say the very low concentrations of Karenia Brevis haven’t caused any ill effects…such as fish kills, or respiratory problems for people.
FWRI researcher Jay Abbott says while blooms of the toxic, naturally occurring algae often form this time of the year…the current levels are so low there’s little cause for concern.
“The concentrations that we found were only slightly above what we consider background…which is the concentration of Karenia Brevis that is normally occurring in the Gulf of Mexico. It doesn’t ever completely go away.”
Abbott says they consider 1000 cells per liter to be background concentration…and that the current levels are only slightly above that.
It’s the first time Karenia Brevis has turned up near Sarasota since one of the worst blooms in history finally disappeared about 5 months ago.
Trace amounts of red tide were also found recently off the coasts of Lee & Collier Counties.
06-29-2006
The latest snapshot of how Floridians are ‘feeling’ showed a big jump in consumer confidence. The June report conducted by the University of Florida shows the state’s consumers apparently have a good view of the future. U-F Survey Director Chris McCarty says he’s not sure what to think about the survey because he expected consumer confidence to remain the same or even drop.
“So it might be that people think the stock market is due to make some increases or the Federal Reserve is going to stop raising interest rates and that’s going to lead to some increases in the stock market. People may feel that gasoline prices are, although high, leveling off and so that maybe making them feel somewhat better.”
Looking ahead, McCarty expects the monthly report to decline. He cites uncertainty in the stock market and continued sluggishness in the real estate market and the use of risky home loans.
Florida consumers apparently have a good view of the future. That’s the finding of the latest University of Florida monthly snapshot that measures the consumer confidence of the state’s residents. U-F Survey Director Chris McCarty says the stock market has dipped this month, gas prices remain high and interest rates are still going up – and he’s not sure why Floridians remain so positive. McCarty says the slowing of the state’s real estate market will drag down consumer confidence for the next six months.
“You can’t overstate the extent to which consumers used the equity in their homes following the 2001 recession in order to fuel purchases. The rising interest rates have pretty much put an end to that. They’ve also increased the inventory of homes.”
McCarty says unlike other states, Florida has fared better in economic expansion since 2001. He specifically notes strong job creation and a low unemployment rate.
06-28-2006
New housing numbers out Tuesday show the real estate market in Southwest Florida continued its general slowdown last month.
The median home price in Punta Gorda last month was 211-thousand dollars...down slightly from a year ago. The median is the price where half the homes sell above that amount and half below. Fort Myers/Cape Coral reached 286-thousand dollars and Sarasota checked in at 322-thousand. All of those areas saw drastic reductions in the number of homes sold. The Naples region saw the biggest drop: a 40-percent decline...but a median home price of 508-thousand dollars. Jo Carter is president of the Naples area Board of Realtors. She says the slowdown is a return to normalcy.
“We do have product now which we didn’t have a year ago. Even our developers were doing lottery sales. If a listing came on the market it was just snapped up before it could even get on the market good and now we do have product so this is a much more healthier market, I think.”
Carter notes there are hundreds of ‘affordable’ listings in Collier County with prices in the low 300s to high 200s.
Meanwhile, the statewide housing numbers mirror what’s happening in Southwest Florida. Steadily increasing mortgage rates and more homes for sale helped slow a five-year run-up in prices. Florida Association of Realtors spokeswoman Marla Martin says last month’s median price of 256-thousand dollars is an eleven-percent gain over the past year.
“All this talk of bubbles nationwide has people afraid. There is not a bubble in Florida. None of the analysts, in fact nationwide, are talking about bubbles. They’re talking about a slowing of the market and an easing of conditions, which basically means things are going to stabilize.”
Last month, more than 18-thousand homes changed hands in Florida...a one-quarter decrease over May 2005.
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Florida’s red-hot housing market of the past few years continued to slow down last month. New real estate numbers released Tuesday showed the median home price increased slightly in May. But existing sales continued to drop. Florida Association of Realtors spokeswoman Marla Martin says the statewide median home price in May was 256-thousand dollars...more than twice the median from 2001.
“It was a bit of an easing and still an adjusting market which is inline with what’s happening nationwide. Sales are slowing a little bit. But that’s to be expected after a five-year record run.”
The median is the price where half the homes sell above that amount and half below. Martin notes the number of homes sold last month was near the historical average they’re used to seeing.
Southwest Florida didn’t escape the housing cool down. W-G-C-U’s Russell Lewis has that part of the story.
The Naples region saw the biggest slowdown. Its existing home sales declined 40-percent last month compared to the same period a year ago. At the same time, the median home price inched up slightly to 508-thousand dollars. Jo Carter, with the Naples area Board of Realtors, says the important fact is prices are still increasing.
“I view this market that we’re in right now a lot more normal than last year’s market. A market like this is healthy for our area.”
The median price in Fort Myers and Cape Coral was 286-thousand dollars, a 5-percent annual increase. Punta Gorda declined 2 percent to 211-thousand and Sarasota hit 322-thousand, a 2 percent increase. All of those regions also saw big declines in the number of homes sold last month.
06-27-2006
Some Charlotte County doctors will ask Charlotte commissioners today to help them stop what they call a Hepatitis C epidemic. Hepatitis C attacks the liver. People generally catch it by IV drug use or old blood transfusions. Port Charlotte Infectious disease specialist Mark Asperilla says last year there were more than 200 reported cases in Charlotte County, about 270,000 cases in Florida and 4 million in the United States. He calls it a silent epidemic because people may not have symptoms for decades. Asperilla is asking for fifty thousand dollars to start a medical clinic where doctors would volunteer to treat people with Hepatitis C.
“Most of them are the working poor and they cannot afford the treatments, about 30,000 dollars. The treatment lasts for about 4 to 8 weeks. It’s an injection that you take once a week and a pill that you take every day twice a day. And they need to be monitored by blood tests. And sometimes the blood tests cost a lot of money.”
The Florida Department of Health pays for testing and diagnosis but not for treatment. Those who can't afford the medicine will eventually need a liver transplant or they die. Asperilla wants to model the Charlotte Hepatitis clinic on one in Tampa, which uses grants to keep it going.
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The Florida Department of Health recognizes today as National H-I-V Testing Day. But another disease affects three times more people than AIDS. And by the turn of the century Hepatitis C will kill far more people than AIDS each year. That’s why Port Charlotte Doctor Mark Asperilla will ask Charlotte county commissioners todayfor 50-thousand dollars to start a medical clinic to treat people with Hepatitis C. The virus can cause liver failure if not treated and most people can’t afford the medicines.
“It’s going to get worse and we’ll have longer lines on the transplant lists. Right now there’s 16,000 waiting for 4,000 livers. More people who get sick will end up in the emergency room this could be one of the issues in the future that needs to be addressed. And also if you don’t treat them you have potential to spread it to other people so it’s a public health issue as well.”
Hepatitis C is 20 times more contagious than HIV if a person comes in contact with the blood. Unlike AIDS, doctors can cure the potentially life-threatening disease within a year. Asperilla hopes with the county’s help, along with grant money, treatment for Charlotte County’s Hepatitis C patients can begin soon.
06-27-2006
There’s a turf war brewing in Sarasota County. No, not the political kind. But actually a fight over sod and grass. Sarasota officials are considering a law to ban the use of some kinds of lawn fertilizer. They want to reduce the amount of nutrients flowing into area waterways. But the fertilizer industry says not so fast. WGCU’s Valerie Alker has our story.
06-27-2006
Blood centers in Southwest Florida say they’re facing a critical shortage. They say it’s even more worrisome heading into the July 4th holiday next week. Blood centers like to have a 3-to-5 day supply on-hand. Right now, some facilities in Lee and Charlotte Counties have less than a 12-hour supply. Medical managers say they’re concerned because fewer people donate in the summer. It’s complicated around holidays because there’s a much greater need due to car accidents. Ruth Wilburn is a donor coordinator with Florida’s Blood Centers in Fort Myers.
“There is nothing in this world that’s going to replace human blood. We can’t manufacture it and it has a limited life and that you can change somebody’s life by donating. And you can save three people by simply giving less than hour of your time.”
Wilburn spoke on Gulf Coast Live. She says blood has a shelf life of 42 days and someone can donate about once every two months.
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Florida’s blood centers have issued an urgent plea for all types of blood. It’s only the second time this year, they’ve found their inventories so low. Fort Myers Blood Donor coordinator Ruth Wilburn says they’re especially concerned because next week is July 4th. The holidays are some of their busiest times because of a spike in car accidents. Speaking on W-G-C-U’s Gulf Coast Live, Wilburn said donating is ‘a badge of honor’.
“You realize that you have made a commitment that is not just good –but it is life-changing, it is life-altering. And once you start doing it and make a commitment to the process, it becomes part of your life. It’s something that every 56 days you just do and you know you’re going to do it.”
Wilburn says 60-percent of U-S residents will need some extra blood at some point in their lives... but just FIVE-percent actually donate.
06-26-2006
The Department of Juvenile Justice and the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence or A-B-C-T-E is hosting “Become a Teacher” sessions around Florida. People will learn how to earn a teaching certificate as well as learn about teaching possibilities in detention facilities.
A-B-C-T-E Press Secretary Colleen Corliss says her organization hopes the conferences bring in a pool of qualified teachers eager to give back to the community.
“We’ve been working with many school districts in Florida and been holding information sessions as well. The career changers that we’re looking for are experienced and knowledgeable people who have the passion to teach and are interested in making that move.”
The DJJ is looking for professionals with bachelor’s degrees for the certification. Teachers who participate will be recognized as “highly qualified” according to the No Child Left Behind Act. Today’s sessions are at the Sarasota One-Stop Career Center at five, six and seven pm.
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Several “Become a Teacher” events being are offered around Florida to fill a growing gap in those qualified to teach young people who are involved in Department of Juvenile Justice programs.
The DJJ and the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence, or A-B-C-T-E, are working together in the effort.
A-B-C-T-E Press Secretary Coleen Corliss says the juvenile justice system needs teachers, just as the entire state needs teachers.
“There’s a teacher shortage all throughout Florida, so it is certainly an urgent issue, and last year Florida had recognized that they would need thirty two thousand teachers for this coming school year, and many school districts are still scrambling to find teachers to fill those positions as the school year is quickly approaching.”
There are sessions tonight (Monday) at the Sarasota One-Stop Career Center to help people learn about how to earn an A-B-C-T-E Passport to Teaching certification. Teachers who meet requirements and receive this certification are considered “highly qualified” by the No Child Left Behind Act.
06-26-2006
The Children’s Home Society, or C-H-S warns people not to shake their babies. The agency offered a free course Saturday to alert people to the risks of Shaken Baby Syndrome. The course is in response to a baby who died recently after being shaken in Fort Myers.
The national information support and referral service says ten to 12 percent of all deaths due to abuse and neglect are attributable to shaken baby syndrome. C-H-S Case Manager, Katie Black, says the course will teach parents and caregivers alternative methods of dealing with children.
“A lot of times parents feel like if the baby’s crying, they should be holding the child. Its definitely okay to put the baby in a setting where they’re safe, and walk away until the parent or the caregiver feels their frustration level going down a little bit.
Black says she will discuss parenting tips along with ways to recognize Shaken Baby Syndrome and how to prevent it. The course is Saturday morning at 10 at the Children’s Home Society Office in Fort Myers.
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The Shaken Baby Alliance reported in 1998 that between 1000 and 3000 children are diagnosed with shaken baby syndrome every year. Parents and caregivers who attend the course will learn about the hazards of shaking babies. Children’s Home Society case manager, Katie Black, says stressed parents who resort to shaking their children can unknowingly hurt them.
“Some parents end up shaking the baby, not with an intent to harm the child, but purely out of frustration that they’re feeling. Let everyone know that has a child that you never ever ever shake a baby. Never shake a baby.”
Black says shaking can bruise a baby’s brain, possibly resulting in brain damage or death. The course is tomorrow (Saturday) morning at the Children’s Home Society office in Fort Myers. The organization is one of the largest non-profit child welfare agencies in Florida. It’s cared for abused children for more than one hundred years.
06-26-2006
Florida’s red-hot job market is starting to hit employers where it hurts the most---in the wallet. Florida has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. And it’s even better here in Southwest Florida where the jobless rate is a microscopic 2-point-3 percent. With figures that low, it’s a job-seekers dream because there are plenty of available positions and workers can demand big perks and hefty salaries. Warren May is with the state agency that tracks unemployment. He says workers have been sitting on the sidelines but now they’re looking at new positions. And May says the state’s businesses will have to become experts in retention.
“They’re going to have to really look at their whole benefit package and offer a wide array of benefits that are really competitive because there’s going to be an awful lot of competition for that good worker you’ve got out there.”
May says every job sector in Florida has added jobs this year, giving prospective workers even more choices.
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Florida’s tight labor market is helping the state’s workers get more money and enhanced benefits. It’s also been a headache for employers who are beginning to see their experienced employees leave for better offers. That’s true in Southwest Florida where the unemployment rate is a paltry 2-point-3 percent. Warren May is with the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation. He says just about anyone who wants a job can find one.
“People who have been sort of sitting on a job waiting for things to get better realize that things are better and now they’re starting to move to other jobs. It creates a very tight labor market for employers out there.”
May says employers need to look at their benefits package and offer a wide array of choices to help keep workers from leaving. He says there’s plenty of competition for good workers in Florida.
06-26-2006
Members of Southwest Florida’s Islamic Community are concerned about a backlash following Thursday’s arrests of six young men in Miami – and a 7th in Atlanta – with alleged ties to al-Qaida.
Following the 9-11 attacks the Islamic Community of Southwest Florida’s Port Charlotte mosque was defaced with obscene graffiti.
Mosque Member Samar Jarrah is an author and public speaker. As an American she says her first reaction to the arrests was concern about the safety of her country. But she’s also worried about the safety of her community.
“Our mosques or places of worship. Our safety – some muslims, some women wear the hair cover, so we’re always of afraid of a back-lash. And I hope that authorities will stress that we as American muslims have nothing to do with what might be going on out there.”
Jarrah says she hopes the news media accurately reports the facts and does not jump to conclusions.
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