Few showers this Monday afternoon after a pleasant and dry morning1 dead, and 2 detained after North Fort Myers shooting
The Weather Authority Few showers this Monday afternoon after a pleasant and dry morning The Weather Authority is tracking a cool and pleasant Monday morning start with the possibility of afternoon rain showers.
NORTH FORT MYERS 1 dead, and 2 detained after North Fort Myers shooting A shooting investigation is underway in North Fort Myers.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Bishop of the Diocese of Venice releases statement following sexual abuse allegations by SWFL priest The Bishop of the Diocese of Venice is speaking out after Charlotte County Reverend Leo Riley was arrested on five counts of sexual battery stemming from his past work as a priest in Iowa.
NEW YORK (AP) Biden officials indefinitely postpone ban on menthol cigarettes amid election-year pushback President Joe Biden’s administration is indefinitely delaying a long-awaited menthol cigarette ban, a decision that infuriated anti-smoking advocates but could avoid a political backlash from Black voters in November.
FORT MYERS Gone but not forgotten: Traveling Vietnam Memorial pays tribute to veterans A powerful symbol of honor and remembrance is standing proudly here in Southwest Florida. The Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall is open to the public, a reminder of those we lost who served our country.
LEE COUNTY Two arrested for street racing in Lee County Two people have been arrested for street racing in Lee County according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
CAPE CORAL Boaters with rifles seen in Cape Coral canal On an average day, it’s pretty common to see people fishing or swimming in a canal. One neighbor in Cape Coral saw something unusual in his backyard Friday afternoon.
FORT MYERS Car flips, one sent to hospital after two car crash in Fort Myers A crash involving at least two vehicles sent one person to the hospital.
The Weather Authority: Clouds, sunshine, wind, and the possibility of a brief shower for your Sunday Clouds and occasional sunshine this Sunday. A few brief showers are possible late in the afternoon and this evening.
TALLAHASSEE (CBS) Governor DeSantis signs AI and vape bills Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed 28 bills, including a measure requiring disclaimers on certain political ads created using artificial intelligence and a bill about regulation of vape products.
ESTERO Gold Star Golf Tournament honors fallen veteran Behind each putt and swing of a golf club at the Gold Star Golf Tournament is someone who knew John Wirka Junior.
NEW YORK (AP) How TikTok grew from a fun app for teens into a potential national security threat If it feels like TikTok has been around forever, that’s probably because it has, at least if you’re measuring via internet time. What’s now in question is whether it will be around much longer and, if so, in what form?
FORT MYERS Man wanted for armed robbery at Fort Myers convenience store Crime Stoppers is asking the public for help identifying an armed robber who held up a convenience store Saturday morning.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Rifles, inappropriate texts and Donut shop debacle This week’s segment of WINK Neighborhood Watch features a scary mall trip, an inappropriate coach, and a Dunkin Donuts assault.
The Weather Authority: Sunny Saturday with a nice breeze; fire danger increases Warm temperatures for your Saturday with a nice breeze into the afternoon.
The Weather Authority Few showers this Monday afternoon after a pleasant and dry morning The Weather Authority is tracking a cool and pleasant Monday morning start with the possibility of afternoon rain showers.
NORTH FORT MYERS 1 dead, and 2 detained after North Fort Myers shooting A shooting investigation is underway in North Fort Myers.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Bishop of the Diocese of Venice releases statement following sexual abuse allegations by SWFL priest The Bishop of the Diocese of Venice is speaking out after Charlotte County Reverend Leo Riley was arrested on five counts of sexual battery stemming from his past work as a priest in Iowa.
NEW YORK (AP) Biden officials indefinitely postpone ban on menthol cigarettes amid election-year pushback President Joe Biden’s administration is indefinitely delaying a long-awaited menthol cigarette ban, a decision that infuriated anti-smoking advocates but could avoid a political backlash from Black voters in November.
FORT MYERS Gone but not forgotten: Traveling Vietnam Memorial pays tribute to veterans A powerful symbol of honor and remembrance is standing proudly here in Southwest Florida. The Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall is open to the public, a reminder of those we lost who served our country.
LEE COUNTY Two arrested for street racing in Lee County Two people have been arrested for street racing in Lee County according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
CAPE CORAL Boaters with rifles seen in Cape Coral canal On an average day, it’s pretty common to see people fishing or swimming in a canal. One neighbor in Cape Coral saw something unusual in his backyard Friday afternoon.
FORT MYERS Car flips, one sent to hospital after two car crash in Fort Myers A crash involving at least two vehicles sent one person to the hospital.
The Weather Authority: Clouds, sunshine, wind, and the possibility of a brief shower for your Sunday Clouds and occasional sunshine this Sunday. A few brief showers are possible late in the afternoon and this evening.
TALLAHASSEE (CBS) Governor DeSantis signs AI and vape bills Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed 28 bills, including a measure requiring disclaimers on certain political ads created using artificial intelligence and a bill about regulation of vape products.
ESTERO Gold Star Golf Tournament honors fallen veteran Behind each putt and swing of a golf club at the Gold Star Golf Tournament is someone who knew John Wirka Junior.
NEW YORK (AP) How TikTok grew from a fun app for teens into a potential national security threat If it feels like TikTok has been around forever, that’s probably because it has, at least if you’re measuring via internet time. What’s now in question is whether it will be around much longer and, if so, in what form?
FORT MYERS Man wanted for armed robbery at Fort Myers convenience store Crime Stoppers is asking the public for help identifying an armed robber who held up a convenience store Saturday morning.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Rifles, inappropriate texts and Donut shop debacle This week’s segment of WINK Neighborhood Watch features a scary mall trip, an inappropriate coach, and a Dunkin Donuts assault.
The Weather Authority: Sunny Saturday with a nice breeze; fire danger increases Warm temperatures for your Saturday with a nice breeze into the afternoon.
MGN VELYKI PRYTSKY, Ukraine (AP) — Looking on from her vegetable patch at the motorcade of U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, Ukrainian villager Olha Voloshchenko says she’d seen the lady on the TV news the night before, but “then the lights went off at our place.” The U.S. hopes agriculture in places like this dilapidated village will help rebuild Ukraine’s shattered economy as it severs its centuries-old trade relations with Russia and tries to integrate with the West. The economic reality, however, suggests that dream is a long way off. A lack of jobs often drives young people away from the rural areas that are meant to drive the agricultural renaissance. Outages are common as the electricity grid crumbles from a lack of investment and bribery is still rampant. It is clear Ukraine will depend on U.S. and European financial support for years to come. Pritzker’s visit coincided with the U.S. announcement that it would give Ukraine another $1 billion in loan guarantees on condition the country makes a series of reforms. That comes on top of a $17.5 billion aid program from the International Monetary Fund. The U.S. official was in Ukraine to help the government push through judicial and anti-corruption measures that would, hopefully, attract the investment needed to wean the country off Western aid. In an interview with The Associated Press, Pritzker called the U.S. administration’s decision to give the loan guarantee “a vote of confidence.” She said the Ukrainian government’s progress on reforms over the last six to nine months was “extraordinary.” For Pritzker, her visit mixed old-fashioned commercial diplomacy — bringing a group of U.S. business executives along — and the personal. Until the late 19th century, long before the family built the Hyatt brand into a global hotel chain, the Pritzkers lived south of Kiev and took their name from Voloshchenko’s village of Velyki Prytsky. During her stay in Ukraine she would have gotten a taste of the challenges facing Ukraine, whose economy is expected to shrink by about a tenth this year. Though the conflict in the rebel-held east has quietened down in recent months, much of the country’s industrial heartland is either in the hands of Russia-backed rebel or has seen its supply chains disrupted. An anti-corruption push has yet to claim any prominent scalps and Sunday’s regional elections saw the resurgence of regional oligarchs that often challenge the government in Kiev. Meanwhile, trade with Russia, which has long been the country’s biggest commercial partner, is in freefall as political relations soured over the conflict. Goods exports to Russia in January-August this year were less than half what they were a year earlier, and replacing that lost trade will be hard. Since Sunday, there are no longer any direct flights between the two countries. Despite a frantic schedule of trade missions from the Ukrainian government, exports to the U.S. and EU are falling too, with increased Chinese investment in agriculture a rare bright spot. Instead of restoring Russian trade to pre-conflict levels, the goal is an economy close to that of neighboring Poland, with greater European and global integration, says Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko. “I don’t think those levels of trade with Russia will ever come to be again,” she says. “We are building our exports into Asia, into Europe and into the Middle East and North Africa.” Also on the horizon is the repayment of a $3 billion debt to Russia dating from the final days of the last pro-Russian Ukrainian president, Viktor Yanukovych. Russia has refused to write off a part of the loan, as Ukraine’s other bondholders agreed to do this year to help the country avoid default. If Ukraine fails to pay the loan at the end of the year, Russia could try to obstruct future aid to Ukraine from the IMF, of which it is a member. With a heavily devalued currency and the government making aggressive spending cuts, there is also the danger of public discontent. Outside the cabinet building in Kiev where Pritzker held talks Monday, is a small protest camp organized by the populist Radical Party under the same “Maidan” name as the protests which led to the ouster of Yanukovych in 2014. While the camp shows little indication it could spark a mass movement, Jaresko admits that public discontent is a concern. “I worry about it all the time but I think instead of worrying about it, what we need to do is to respond to it,” she said, speaking with the AP in a room overlooking the camp. “We need to provide the population with not only austerity measures, which are critical for restoring the stability of the economy, but also a return of quality public services.” Jaresko argues that efforts to reduce government bureaucracy and fighting tax evasion have seen progress but flown under the radar in terms of public opinion. An IRI poll conducted in July found 51 percent of Ukrainians thought corruption was worse than before Yanukovych’s fall from power, with only 11 percent saying the situation had improved. Reducing corruption is also a key factor in attracting foreign investment. Reforms and changes of personnel have broken down old hierarchies of bribery but corruption is still rampant across society, argues Balazs Jarabik, an analyst with the Carnegie Endowment. “Corruption is much more decentralized,” he says. “When you ask businesses … everybody who is kind of directly engaged is very much dissatisfied.” Still, the international support for Ukraine is broadly welcome. In Velyky Prytsky, some locals saw Pritzker as a potential savior, her very presence a sign of jobs and investment to come. “If people like this have come to us, then we’re in seventh heaven,” said Natalia Foyalo, who has worked in the village school for 33 years as cook, cleaner and general factotum and greeted Pritzker in Ukrainian national costume. “We hope that we can be helped in some way and that we’ll be worth something, so that we can bloom.”