33rd endangered Florida panther death of 2024; killed by vehicle in Hardee CountyCool and breezy for your Thursday afternoon
33rd endangered Florida panther death of 2024; killed by vehicle in Hardee County Another Florida panther was killed by a vehicle, this time in Hardee County, increasing the death toll of the endangered species to 33 for 2024.
the weather authority Cool and breezy for your Thursday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking cold morning conditions before temperatures warm up to the low 70s this Thursday.
Students react to threat made at Florida Gulf Coast University Students at Florida Gulf Coast University said they don’t know the specifics of a threat made last week, but they do know it was taken care of.
Missing and endangered boy found in Lehigh Acres Authorities have found a missing and endangered boy in Lehigh Acres. Police asked for the public’s help in locating Zachariah McKelvin.
School District denies bus service to student despite mother’s measurements When we think of the bus stop, we typically think of it as a safe place for our children, but one mother says the Lee County School District told her they live too close to the school to get a bus route.
MATLACHA 2 stranded dolphins rescued from mangroves near Matlacha Two stranded dolphins were pulled from mangroves near Matlacha.
CAPE CORAL NAACP honors Cape Coral Police Chief after acknowledging hate crime NAACP President, James Muwakkil, was so impressed with Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore that he wanted the entire city to know.
NAPLES Jingled Elves trolley tour underway Breaking out your best dance moves and spreading Christmas cheer. These ‘jingled elves’ are breaking it down with a purpose.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs Elementary School’s demolition plans There’s a new lesson plan at Bonita Springs Elementary School: Demolition 101. The school is set to be knocked down, and there’s good reason.
MARCO ISLAND Marco Island Councilmember’s dogs allegedly attack 13-year-old girl Councilor Tamara Goehler is coming under fire after her dogs allegedly attacked a 13-year-old girl and the girl’s five-month-old puppy.
PUNTA GORDA Gilchrist Park’s future brightens as boat cleanup commences The boats blocking Gilchrist Park are ready to be moved two years after Hurricane Milton.
Lee County Department of Health issues red tide alert for Bowman’s Beach The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a health alert for the presence of red tide near Bowman’s Beach.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral working on project to address canal safety An older Cape Coral couple drove into a canal last year. Neighbors are now saying something needs to be done about canal safety.
NAPLES Collier County mental health center receives $4 million donation A giant donation is dedicated to providing people with better mental health care in southwest Florida.
LABELLE City of LaBelle under precautionary boil water notice A water main break has the City of Labelle under a precautionary boil water notice.
33rd endangered Florida panther death of 2024; killed by vehicle in Hardee County Another Florida panther was killed by a vehicle, this time in Hardee County, increasing the death toll of the endangered species to 33 for 2024.
the weather authority Cool and breezy for your Thursday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking cold morning conditions before temperatures warm up to the low 70s this Thursday.
Students react to threat made at Florida Gulf Coast University Students at Florida Gulf Coast University said they don’t know the specifics of a threat made last week, but they do know it was taken care of.
Missing and endangered boy found in Lehigh Acres Authorities have found a missing and endangered boy in Lehigh Acres. Police asked for the public’s help in locating Zachariah McKelvin.
School District denies bus service to student despite mother’s measurements When we think of the bus stop, we typically think of it as a safe place for our children, but one mother says the Lee County School District told her they live too close to the school to get a bus route.
MATLACHA 2 stranded dolphins rescued from mangroves near Matlacha Two stranded dolphins were pulled from mangroves near Matlacha.
CAPE CORAL NAACP honors Cape Coral Police Chief after acknowledging hate crime NAACP President, James Muwakkil, was so impressed with Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore that he wanted the entire city to know.
NAPLES Jingled Elves trolley tour underway Breaking out your best dance moves and spreading Christmas cheer. These ‘jingled elves’ are breaking it down with a purpose.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs Elementary School’s demolition plans There’s a new lesson plan at Bonita Springs Elementary School: Demolition 101. The school is set to be knocked down, and there’s good reason.
MARCO ISLAND Marco Island Councilmember’s dogs allegedly attack 13-year-old girl Councilor Tamara Goehler is coming under fire after her dogs allegedly attacked a 13-year-old girl and the girl’s five-month-old puppy.
PUNTA GORDA Gilchrist Park’s future brightens as boat cleanup commences The boats blocking Gilchrist Park are ready to be moved two years after Hurricane Milton.
Lee County Department of Health issues red tide alert for Bowman’s Beach The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a health alert for the presence of red tide near Bowman’s Beach.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral working on project to address canal safety An older Cape Coral couple drove into a canal last year. Neighbors are now saying something needs to be done about canal safety.
NAPLES Collier County mental health center receives $4 million donation A giant donation is dedicated to providing people with better mental health care in southwest Florida.
LABELLE City of LaBelle under precautionary boil water notice A water main break has the City of Labelle under a precautionary boil water notice.
MGN WASHINGTON (AP) – From the United States to Asia to Europe, a global economy that many had feared was faltering appears poised for a resurgence on the strength of cheap oil and falling interest rates. That’s the strikingly upbeat view of economists surveyed by The Associated Press, who no longer see Europe’s financial crisis, the U.S. housing market or congressional gridlock as the threats they appeared to be last year. “The U.S. is doing well, you’re getting a lot of good news in Europe,” said Nariman Behravesh, chief economist at IHS Global Insight. “The global economy is gaining traction.” U.S. consumers are feeling flusher, thanks to lower gas prices, a burst of hiring and long-awaited if still-modest pay raises for many. Their spending is expected to boost growth this year in the United States and overseas. The brighter outlook marks a turnaround from last fall, when a looming war in Ukraine, the rise of the Islamic State terror group and a reluctance by the European Central Bank to expand its stimulus efforts led analysts to downgrade their view of the global economy. Weaker growth in China has also hurt exporting countries from Latin America to Australia that had long benefited from China’s appetite for farm products, copper, iron ore and other commodities. China’s growth decelerated last year to its slowest pace in a quarter-century. Still, most economists expect China to avoid a further slowdown. Its central bank cut rates last weekend for the second time in three months to try to accelerate growth. The AP surveyed nearly three dozen corporate, Wall Street and academic economists from Feb. 19 to 25. A majority said they thought struggling economies in Europe and Japan would benefit from lower-priced energy and ultra-low loan rates engineered by central banks. Behravesh predicted that freer-spending U.S. consumers would provide help. He noted that their collective spending represents a bigger force than any other nation’s economy. American consumers have benefited from the 1 million-plus jobs U.S. employers have added in the past three months. More than 3.2 million more Americans are earning paychecks than were 12 months ago. In January, U.S. gas prices reached a five-year low, though they’ve since rebounded. A gallon cost an average of $2.44 nationwide Tuesday, more than a dollar cheaper than it did 12 months ago, according to AAA. So far, many Americans have saved the extra cash from lower gas prices. But even that’s a hopeful sign: It means consumers – who fuel about 70 percent of the U.S. economy – have more money to spend in coming months. The U.S. savings rate reached a two-year high in January. Among the other views the AP’s survey of economists revealed: __ The Federal Reserve will likely start raising its key short-term rate from record lows in September. That’s a shift from the AP’s previous survey last fall, when most of the economists predicted a rate hike in June. The plunge in energy prices, which has helped cut inflation further below the Fed’s 2 percent target, has led many economists to push back their forecast for a rate increase. __ The outlook for broad-based U.S. pay increases is brightening. A majority think the average hourly wage will begin growing at least 3 percent a year sometime between the middle of this year and mid-2016. __ Republican control of both chambers of Congress, arrayed against Democratic President Barack Obama, means political gridlock will persist. Yet the economists don’t think a congressional standoff will hurt the economy. __ With a rise in the number of Americans forming households, home construction should accelerate this year and help stimulate economic growth. __The Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade deal the Obama administration is negotiating with Pacific Rim countries, would accelerate job growth without widening the U.S. trade deficit. The economists’ rosier outlook for a still-ailing European economy is based in part on the benefits of cheaper oil. Further help will come from a lower-valued euro, which boosts exports, particularly for an export powerhouse like Germany. Banks in the 19 countries that share the euro currency are also lending a bit more. And the ECB has launched a stimulus program intended to lower borrowing rates and boost growth. All those moves contrast with Europe’s budget-cutting and tax increases of previous years, which held back growth. Consumer confidence in the eurozone reached a seven-year high last month, according to JPMorgan Chase. “The eurozone is recovering, and oil price declines and a weak currency are a bonus,” said Mike Englund, chief economist at Action Economics. A sign of resiliency was visible last month when Greek and European officials wrangled over the terms of Greece’s financial bailout. The negotiations raised long-dormant concerns that Greece might exit the euro. But Behravesh, the IHS economist, noted that other troubled European countries, such as Italy and Portugal, didn’t experience a jump in bond yields. That’s a sign that Greece’s troubles didn’t spill beyond its borders, a shift from four years ago. Europe and Japan are expected to accelerate this year, though at less-than-healthy speed. Economists think both will grow about 1.5 percent, up from zero last year for Japan and less than 1 percent for Europe. “It doesn’t take much to accelerate from near zero,” said Dean Baker, an economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research. “The austerity is largely in the past, and the oil price declines are equivalent to big tax cuts.”