Fort Myers first responders stress safety after rollover crashNew program to make life more manageable for Parkinson’s patients
FORT MYERS Fort Myers first responders stress safety after rollover crash Fort Myers fire department officials are pointing to safety and awareness following a recent rollover crash on Palm Beach Blvd. and Oasis Way.
New program to make life more manageable for Parkinson’s patients A new program, backed by research, was created using the power of spin cycling to redefine the fight against Parkinson’s.
Medicaid class action gets go-ahead A federal judge has cleared the way for a class-action lawsuit that alleges Florida did not properly inform people before dropping them from the Medicaid program after a COVID-19 public health emergency ended.
FORT MYERS New downtown Fort Myers parking options coming soon Two new spots are coming for you to park on nights and weekends in downtown Fort Myers, but you’ll still have to pay.
LEHIGH ACRES Caught on Camera: Family ‘sucker-punched’ in Lehigh Acres brawl A woman caught in a conflict she had nothing to do with in Lehigh Acres is speaking out about what happened at Barefoot Lake.
Miracle Moment: Christina Soriero Doctors diagnosed 22-year-old Christina Soriero with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma when she was just 18. A time in her life when the only thing she should have been dealing with was senioritis and getting ready for life after high school.
DeSantis signs bill impacting new mothers and jury duty Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a bill that will impact new mothers and their eligibility to serve on jury duty.
Genesis of Naples breaking ground on new car dealership A genesis—or new beginning—is under way for Genesis of Naples. The local franchise plans to break ground this summer on a new and expanded luxury auto dealership in North Naples.
Emails show beginnings, contradictions of South Seas resort amendment South Seas resort ownership group’s engineer proposed a land-use amendment for Lee County’s government at least six months before the first public discussions and at least seven weeks before the county’s official timeline began, emails between the resort’s representatives and county show.
CAPE CORAL 13-year-old arrested for allegedly getting involved in hit-and-run with stolen car, fleeing from Cape Coral police A teen was arrested on multiple charges after allegedly getting involved in a hit-and-run with a stolen car and then fleeing from police.
NORTH FORT MYERS Caloosahatchee River Bridge to close overnight for construction The Caloosahatchee River Bridge from First Street to North Key Drive in North Fort Myers will close so crews can perform bridge work.
CAPE CORAL Accused Cape Coral double murderer, Wade Wilson, closer to trial Wade Wilson, the man who allegedly murdered two women, went to court Monday to try to persuade a judge to get the death penalty off the table.
Jupiter DeSantis announces funding for developmentally disabled individuals Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke on education for children with developmental disabilities at the Els Center of Excellence in Jupiter.
CHARLOTTE COUNTY Bradenton man arrested after allegedly masturbating inside Charlotte County Walmart A man from Bradenton has been arrested after he was allegedly masturbating inside a Walmart in Charlotte County.
LEHIGH ACRES Lehigh Acres work trailer explosion injures 1 The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District responded to a work trailer explosion that injured one person.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers first responders stress safety after rollover crash Fort Myers fire department officials are pointing to safety and awareness following a recent rollover crash on Palm Beach Blvd. and Oasis Way.
New program to make life more manageable for Parkinson’s patients A new program, backed by research, was created using the power of spin cycling to redefine the fight against Parkinson’s.
Medicaid class action gets go-ahead A federal judge has cleared the way for a class-action lawsuit that alleges Florida did not properly inform people before dropping them from the Medicaid program after a COVID-19 public health emergency ended.
FORT MYERS New downtown Fort Myers parking options coming soon Two new spots are coming for you to park on nights and weekends in downtown Fort Myers, but you’ll still have to pay.
LEHIGH ACRES Caught on Camera: Family ‘sucker-punched’ in Lehigh Acres brawl A woman caught in a conflict she had nothing to do with in Lehigh Acres is speaking out about what happened at Barefoot Lake.
Miracle Moment: Christina Soriero Doctors diagnosed 22-year-old Christina Soriero with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma when she was just 18. A time in her life when the only thing she should have been dealing with was senioritis and getting ready for life after high school.
DeSantis signs bill impacting new mothers and jury duty Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a bill that will impact new mothers and their eligibility to serve on jury duty.
Genesis of Naples breaking ground on new car dealership A genesis—or new beginning—is under way for Genesis of Naples. The local franchise plans to break ground this summer on a new and expanded luxury auto dealership in North Naples.
Emails show beginnings, contradictions of South Seas resort amendment South Seas resort ownership group’s engineer proposed a land-use amendment for Lee County’s government at least six months before the first public discussions and at least seven weeks before the county’s official timeline began, emails between the resort’s representatives and county show.
CAPE CORAL 13-year-old arrested for allegedly getting involved in hit-and-run with stolen car, fleeing from Cape Coral police A teen was arrested on multiple charges after allegedly getting involved in a hit-and-run with a stolen car and then fleeing from police.
NORTH FORT MYERS Caloosahatchee River Bridge to close overnight for construction The Caloosahatchee River Bridge from First Street to North Key Drive in North Fort Myers will close so crews can perform bridge work.
CAPE CORAL Accused Cape Coral double murderer, Wade Wilson, closer to trial Wade Wilson, the man who allegedly murdered two women, went to court Monday to try to persuade a judge to get the death penalty off the table.
Jupiter DeSantis announces funding for developmentally disabled individuals Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke on education for children with developmental disabilities at the Els Center of Excellence in Jupiter.
CHARLOTTE COUNTY Bradenton man arrested after allegedly masturbating inside Charlotte County Walmart A man from Bradenton has been arrested after he was allegedly masturbating inside a Walmart in Charlotte County.
LEHIGH ACRES Lehigh Acres work trailer explosion injures 1 The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District responded to a work trailer explosion that injured one person.
For millions of Americans, solid economic growth and low unemployment hasn’t cured a festering financial problem: skyrocketing student loans. College debt has hit a new milestone, surpassing $1.5 trillion for the first time. At the same time, experts are scratching their heads over why these loans continue to pile up even as the number of people applying for loans declines. During the past six years loan applications have dropped 20 percent, and yet total student debt has jumped by about $500 billion. One theory is that the cost of higher education continues to rise an average of 3 percent per year. But another explanation is that a federal remedy that’s supposed to help students pay their loans is actually making the problem worse. A poorly designed payment plan The U.S. Department of Education has developed so-called income-driven payment plans as a way of offering immediate financial relief to borrowers whose monthly student loan payments were too high relative to their income. Yet while these plans reduce monthly loan payments, they generally don’t come with a corresponding reduction in interest rates. The result: Borrowers are able to make their monthly payments, but often without paying down the loan principal. That means the loan amount continues to increase as interest accrues. As a result, a borrower would likely see their debt increase over time, even as they made the required monthly payments. “The way some of these loan modifications are designed is that you can be current by paying zero,” said John Anglim, an S&P credit analyst and author of a report that examined income-driven payment plans. “That may be a good thing now, but your loan balance increases by 5 to 6 percent a year depending on the interest rate.” Around the time of the 2008 financial crisis, the Department of Education pressured student loan servicers to identify borrowers who were struggling and offer help. And that approach has proved effective in lowering default rates. What it hasn’t done, by contrast, is help shrink the mountain of student debt into a more manageable pile. “If borrowers can’t pay down their student loan debt now in a time of relative economic prosperity, what will happen during the next economic downturn?” Anglim asked. The cost of forgiveness Another reason student loan levels have continued to surge stems from a program developed during the Obama administration. If borrowers stay current on their loan payments over the course of 20 to 25 years, the federal government pays off the remaining debt. For borrowers, however, the provides an incentive to make the smallest possible monthly payments. The General Accounting Office calculated in 2016 that the federal government would need to pay about $74 billion as a result of the forgiveness program. More current estimates put the amount at an even more staggering $90 billion, according to S&P. “Now government officials are wondering where the money will come from for the loan forgiveness programs,” Anglim said.