|
News Archive Index
10-31-2006
The 82 thousand registered voters in Florida House District 73 get to choose between two political newcomers on Election Day. The district includes much of Lee County, including the city of Ft. Myers. The open seat was vacated by Republican Bruce Kyle – who was term limited out. W-G-C-U’s Valerie Alker has this look at the two candidates vying to replace him.
10-30-2006
An effort launched to try to rescue a manatee spotted on a Mississippi River tributary near downtown Memphis, Tennessee was called off late Friday afternoon. The rescue team searched the area throughout the day on Thursday and Friday using boats, sonar equipment, and a helicopter, but did not have any luck locating the endangered animal. Biologists say it’s an unprecedented journey – at least in modern times. Fossil records show manatees once thrived far up the Mississippi River, well beyond Memphis, Tennessee. But now it’s rare to see them anywhere but Florida…especially during this time of the year. Save the Manatee Club’s Executive Director – Pat Rose – says while a manatee did make it all the way to Rhode Island a few months ago…this trip is far more surprising.
“Swimming that far up the Mississippi River is even more unusual. So its distance isn’t quite as great perhaps but that’s a major journey to go against the current and so forth and to be this far up. We don’t know of any other historical known event when a manatee has swam that far north up the Mississippi.”
Biologists are concerned because it’s in water that’s well-below 68-degrees…the temperature at which manatees begin suffering cold stress, which can kill them. It’s estimated the manatee swam more than 700 miles against the current and dodged busy boat traffic to reach the Memphis destination.
Rescuers have ended their search for a wayward manatee seen swimming in a tributary of the Mississippi River near downtown Memphis Tennessee last week. The Save the Manatee Club says the endangered animal couldn’t be found but that’s not unusual and they’ll be back if anyone see it again. In the winter months, manatees are found primarily in Florida. The club’s director Pat Rose says the semi-tropical species cannot usually tolerate water temperatures much lower than 68 degrees for long periods of time. The river was at 65 degrees Friday.
“When manatees are exposed to water below 68 degrees for an extended period of time they start suffering signs of cold stress and they’ll actually stop eating and their metabolic system and their digestive systems begin to shut down. And if they stay in too cold of water it can actually cause them to die ultimately.”
Water temperatures below 70 degrees usually cause manatees to move into warm water refuge areas such as natural springs or warm water effluents of power plants. A few manatees may range as far west as Texas and as far north as Virginia. One was even sighted as far north as Massachusetts this summer, but these sightings are rare.
10-27-2006
More than 17-thousand Florida families moved into FEMA housing. The deadline to move out is October 31s. But a new program could give them more time.
It allows occupied units to be donated to eligible non-profit groups, or county governments…giving residents more time to find somewhere else to live. So far ownership of all FEMA mobile homes in more than a dozen counties has been transferred to non-profits. In return they provide insurance and let the families stay at least another year.
FEMA Public Affairs Officer Mildred Acevedo says they hope non-profits also take over in Southwest Florida.
“We’ve been working very closely with Charlotte County, and Desoto and Hardee where we have the majority of residents. And there’s still time. There is a plan in progress to work with these families.”
About 100 FEMA trailers remain occupied in Southwest Florida. Residents also have the option to buy the mobile homes directly from FEMA. Acevedo says the price is based on income. And she says many of the remaining families have already made moving plans. Mike Kiniry, WGCU News.
10-25-2006
President George W. Bush was on the stump Tuesday in Sarasota - giving a boost to the campaign of Vern Buchanan who's in a tough race with Democrat Christine Jennings to take over the congressional seat vacated by Katherine Harris.
About a thousand enthusiastic Republicans paid twenty dollars each to hear the President speak. WGCU's Valerie Alker was there and has this report.
10-25-2006
This year’s hurricane season was very peaceful – following two years of dramatic storms that impacted much of the peninsula and traumatized many Floridians. But director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management Craig Fugate says emergency managers must plan for more than just dealing with hurricanes.
In fact people sometimes ask what do you do when you’re not dealing with hurricanes and we remind people that as great as the state of florida is we still face hazards every day from technology, man made to weather and we don’t know when the next disaster is going to strike and often disasters don’t give us warnings like hurricanes do…
Fugate says the conference with emergency operations directors from Florida’s 67 counties gives them the opportunity to face to face and learn to work as a team – no matter what kind of emergency may threaten. Valerie Alker W-G-C-U news.
10-24-2006
Early voting for the November 7th General Election got underway yesterday in Florida. It’s aimed at voters looking for flexibility and who are knowledgeable about the candidates. The last two weeks before the general election is the time candidates go into high gear – spending lots of money to get their message to voters – via TV, radio and print ads. Lee County Supervisor of Elections, Sharon Harrington, says early voters need to already be aware of the candidates’ positions on the issues.
“if somebody is hasty in their choices and go to the polls early there’s no way you can take it back because once you vote you’re done – you can’t go back and change your ballot or change your mind. So you have to pretty sure before you actually get into the early voting booth that this is who you actually want to vote for”
The state first made early voting available in 2002 – and it become law in 2003. Other states are now also adding early voting to voter’s options.
-----------
Florida voters who may not be able to cast ballots on Election day – can vote early. Early voting got underway yesterday. Lee County Supervisor of Elections, Sharon Harrington, says it’s aimed at people who need flexibility.
“it’s to provide voters with another option to absentees – if they’re not going to be at the polls on election day because of scheduling – families, kids in school mom and dad working – it can be difficult sometimes to be restricted to one day in a one shot deal if you can’t make it on that day you don’t get to vote.”
Early voters can cast ballots on Saturday and the voting places are open until 6:30 in the evening. Multiple polling places are provided. To find their locations – google your county’s supervisor of elections office.
10-24-2006
A coalition of environmental groups has filed a legal challenge over a proposed controversial golf course community in northern Collier County. The project recently won unanimous approval from the South Florida Water Management District’s governing board.
A coalition of environmental groups has filed a petition against the South Florida Water Management District – and the developer of the proposed Mirasol golf community in Collier County. The Water Management District’s Governing Board unanimously approved the project a week ago. The U-S Army Corps of Engineers denied a federal permit for a nearly identical version of the project last year. That version was also first approved by the South Florida Water Management District. The groups believe the approval was illegal and violated the District’s own criteria for water quality, public interest, flood protection and natural resources protection. Their petition asks for an administrative hearing to review the permit. The group consists of Audubon of Florida, Florida Wildlife Federation, Conservancy of Southwest Florida, Collier County Audubon Society, among others. Besides this new challenge, the Mirasol project also still needs approval from the U-S Army Corps of Engineers, and the Collier County Commission before moving forward.
10-23-2006
In the last decade, Republicans have dominated politics in the Sunshine State...and in Southwest Florida even longer. Right now nearly all the region’s state house representatives and state senators come from the G-O-P. But in Sarasota County – long a Republican stronghold – Democrats may make some inroads on November 7th. W-G-C-U’s Valerie Alker reports.
10-19-2006
A program that aims to increase the successful outcome of pregnancy for Southwest Florida women faces a funding crisis. It’s holding its first major benefit this weekend.
Healthy Start is a non-profit organization for expectant mothers that helps prevent premature births, low-birth weights and infant deaths. Serving eighteen- to twenty-thousand Southwest Florida mothers a year, it runs programs to increase their access to medical care and to improve health and developmental outcomes for their children. These services are not exclusive to the poor or uninsured. Any woman in Lee, Collier, Glades or Hendry counties determined to be "at risk" is eligible. The demand for Healthy Start’s services has grown by more than thirty percent in the last two years. But the group’s director, Cathy Cortez, says funding has failed to meet that need.
"We’ve had a hard time keeping up with the increase in the number of at-risk moms and babies that need help... We’ve had really good partnerships with our prenatal care providers like Family Health Partnerships and Lee OB-GYN, clinics in Naples as well. They continue to insure these moms even when our funding runs out. They’re increasingly hard for those providers to keep doing that, and we really do need to help bring in some financial assistance to keep the program going.”
That's why Healthy Start is throwing its first-ever benefit this weekend. “The White Show” is a contemporary circus and dance extravaganza starring New Vision Cirque, an international troupe of dancers, circus performers and gymnasts. Cortez hopes to raise one-hundred fifty-thousand dollars. The event is Saturday night at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall in Fort Myers.
10-13-2006
A controversial golf course community in northern Collier County won unanimous approval from the South Florida Water Management District’s governing board yesterday. It’s the second time the governing board has approved the proposed 17-hundred-acre development, called Mirasol. The U-S Army Corps of Engineers denied a federal permit for a nearly identical version of the project last year. That version was also first approved by the South Florida Water Management District. Environmental groups and others oppose the project because it would destroy about 650-acres of wetlands, including endangered wood stork habitat.
Conservancy of Southwest Florida President - Andrew McElwaine – attended the meeting. He says the board approved the project in spite of public outcry against it.
“What one governing board member said was ‘all these emails and letters I got all said this is a bad development, you know we don’t need another golf course in Collier County’ – and he said it’s not up to the water management district to decide whether to approve a golf course or whether it’s a good or bad development. All we can do is apply our standards, and we’re not a zoning commission.”
McElwaine says the case will likely wind up in court…although there are still several key approvals to be won. The U-S Army Corps of Engineers must give its nod…as well as the Collier County Commission…before the project can move forward.
10-13-2006
The political back-and-forth over Florida’s soaring homeowner’s insurance rates reached new heights this week. On Tuesday, Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jim Davis unveiled a series of hurricane insurance reforms. On Wednesday, Republican Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty decided one of those ideas had merit when he allowed Citizens, the state-run insurer of last resort, to take back former policyholders that left for private insurers. On Thursday, Democrat candidate for lieutenant governor Daryl Jones stopped in Fort Myers to boast about it.
“The Office of Insurance Regulation has decided to follow our policy and they made an immediate change. And this goes to what we talk about all the time: you can benefit the citizens of Florida simply by making some good decisions. And a lot of the time, the current administration wasn’t willing to make those good decisions for the people of the state.”
Republican Charlie Crist still leads in the polls for the November 7th election. But political analysts say Democrats have gained because they’ve made hurricane insurance a central issue in their campaign.
---------
Florida’s Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor swung through Fort Myers Thursday to talk about hurricane insurance reforms. Daryl Jones has criss-crossed the state since Tuesday when his running mate, Jim Davis, unveiled a series of proposals they claim will cut insurance premiums by 40-percent. Jones says their plan is the right one to deal with the state’s insurance crisis.
“We’re also going to require that hurricane insurance executives sign statements under oath when they apply for increases in their rates. We’re not going to allow insurance companies to increase their rates without state approval first. Right now they can increase their rates up to ten percent.”
Yesterday Republicans implemented one of Davis’s proposals. State Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty decided to allow the state’s insurer of last resort, Citizens, to take back former policyholders who opted for private insurers.
10-12-2006
Business leaders announced a new public/private initiative Wednesday to help provide affordable housing for teachers in Lee County – right away. It comes as developers are finding fewer condo buyers at present prices. At least fifty new condominiums at a development called “Osprey Cove” will be sold soon -- to educators only. Qualified teachers from the Lee County School System as well as Edison Community College and Florida Gulf Coast University – can buy the 2-bedroom two-bath condos for about 100-thousand dollars BELOW their appraised value. Lee County School Superintendent James Browder says it’s a great start to addressing the affordable housing shortage.
“Iits one of the two or three things we struggle with because teachers can’t afford to come here and live and this will at least start that thinking in our community – we need to do things to attract the best and brightes.t”
Lee County recruits about five hundred new teachers every year. Funds to help reduce mortgages were provided by a number of local businesses – with a million dollars coming from developer ‘Bonita Bay Group’. Osprey Cove will be ready for occupants by December.
---------
Lee County business leaders are taking a proactive stance to provide affordable housing for educators. Wednesday they announced a public-private initiative called “Homes for Teachers”. Businesses are putting up money to help educators buy homes at a soon to be completed condominium complex in South Lee County.
Scott Edmonds, President of Chicos, says the clothing retailer is delighted to participate.
“One of the toughest issues we face when recruiting executives from places like new york city and Chicago is the quality of our education system in lee county. teachers are the cornerstone of our education system and in order to provide the best educational opportunities for children in our community we need to start with the best teachers and in order to attract the best teachers we must be able to provide affordable housing for them and their families.”
Fifty condominium units at Osprey Cove will held for qualified teachers only – from the Lee County School System, Edison Community College and Florida Gulf Coast University. The condos will be ready in December and sell for about 180 thousand dollars.
10-12-2006
If you’re a coffee drinker and your cup of choice is decaf, you might be surprised to learn there’s probably caffeine in that java. W-G-C-U’s Russell Lewis reports on the latest findings by University of Florida researchers. The U-F study found low-levels of caffeine in virtually all decaf coffees they analyzed. This included drinks purchased at Starbucks and brands you can buy at the supermarket. U-F Toxicology Director Bruce Goldberger co-authored the study. He says doctors order many people to limit their caffeine because of health reasons like high-blood pressure.
“There are people out there that do drink five and ten cups of decaf coffee a day. So that amount of caffeine can add up even to be the same as say as a pill of no-doze or equivalent to one, or two or maybe three cups of regular coffee depending on the strength of the caffeine in those coffees.”
And while decaffeinated drinks are permitted to have some caffeine, Goldberger was surprised to learn that even low-doses of it became habit-forming. The findings are published in this month’s Journal of Analytical Toxicology.
-------
Decaf drinkers beware! A new University of Florida study finds there’s enough caffeine in that cup of java to be habit-forming. U-F Toxicology Director Bruce Goldberger says he and his researchers analyzed decaf brews purchased at coffee shops and supermarkets. And what they found was surprising: decaffeinated coffees are not caffeine-free.
“We know that caffeine in regular coffee can be addictive. But we hadn’t done much work in the area of looking at low-dose caffeine exposure. But the literature is fairly firm and supports the notion that even low-doses of caffeine is addictive.”
Goldberger says it’s particularly difficult for people whose doctors order them to limit caffeine because of high blood pressure and other heart conditions. The U-F researchers tested coffee from nine national chains and coffee houses. Only one – Folgers Crystals – contained no caffeine. The findings are published in this month’s Journal of Analytical Toxicology.
10-11-2006
The Charlotte County School District is hosting 3 ground breaking ceremonies today. They reflect the district’s continued recovery from Hurricane Charley which devastated the county in 2004. Hurricane Charley damaged 10 schools in Charlotte County – six of them beyond repair. Now plans to rebuild three of them are complete. School and Community relations officer Mike Riley says the triple groundbreakings mark a milestone.
“We have reached a settlement with fema and our insurance and then received a guaranteed maximum price from the architects, engineers and builders so we were able to go ahead with those three schools so we thought we’d go ahead and make a it a great day and do all three at one time.”
The price tag for rebuilding the 3 schools is about 112 million dollars.
A rebuilt Neil Armstrong Elementary and Baker Head Start Center will welcome back students in mid 2007. Punta Gorda Middle School’s new campus should be ready by early 2008.
------
Charlotte County School officials have a busy morning planned. They’re attending groundbreaking ceremonies for three schools being rebuilt following destruction by Hurricane Charley in 2004. Students from Neil Armstrong Elementary, the Baker Center and Punta Gorda Middle School have attended class in portables since then. Community Relations Officer Mike Riley says the new schools represent a wide-ranging collaboration.
“one of the things that’s unique about the planning and building of this school is the children have been involved – school staff – cafeteria folks – teachers – parents have been involved – and what we’ve done is built the school to fits the needs of our community”
The price tag for the three rebuilt schools is about 112 million dollars. The new campuses should all be up and running by early 2008. The student population in Charlotte County declined by 11-hundred following Hurricane Charley – but enrollment is once again on the rise.
10-11-2006
New poll numbers find Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist leading Democrat Jim Davis by 10 points with just under a month before the election. 3-percent of those polled by Quinnipiac University say they’re still undecided, and another 28-percent say they could still change their minds. It’s the first major poll to look at the two main candidates side by side. Quinnipiac’s Peter Brown says Crist is doing better among Democrats than Davis is with Republicans…
“Davis is only getting 74-percent of the Democratic vote while Crist is getting 22-percent…by comparison Davis is only getting 7-percent of the Republican vote. And to top things off Crist is winning Independent voters by 7 points. And all of that adds up to a pretty solid lead a month from the election.”
Brown says the poll also found 57-percent of likely voters hadn’t heard enough about Davis to form an opinion yet. And most who support him do so because he’s a Democrat. And he says when asked which issue was most important, property taxes won by a landslide.
-------
The first major poll comparing Florida’s two main gubernatorial candidates finds Republican Charlie Crist with a 10 point lead over Democrat Jim Davis. Quinnipiac University conducted the poll of likely voters last week. Pollster Peter Brown says while there are only 10 points or so between them…Davis has significantly less name recognition than Crist does.
“Almost 6 in 10 voters – 57-percent – said they hadn’t heard enough about Davis to form an opinion, and we’re only a month from the election. In fact fully half of Davis voters say the reason they’re for him is because of his political party. In other words, they really don’t know that much about Davis.”
Brown says Davis has a tough job ahead of him to get his name out there before the November 7th election. The poll also asked which issue was most important to voters. Brown says property taxes got the most votes in that race…
1 2 Next >
|