Students react to threat made at Florida Gulf Coast UniversityMissing and endangered boy found in Lehigh Acres
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 Ian.
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.
ESTERO FGCU student wins ice dancing national championship FGCU sophomore Lucas Appel wins his second US Senior Solo Dance National Championship in three years.
Lee County Sheriff’s Office: Parent brings weapon to Lehigh Acres school According to a Lee County Sheriff’s Office report, there is probable cause to believe a woman unintentionally brought a firearm to school.
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 Ian.
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.
ESTERO FGCU student wins ice dancing national championship FGCU sophomore Lucas Appel wins his second US Senior Solo Dance National Championship in three years.
Lee County Sheriff’s Office: Parent brings weapon to Lehigh Acres school According to a Lee County Sheriff’s Office report, there is probable cause to believe a woman unintentionally brought a firearm to school.
NAPLES, Fla.- Southwest Florida school districts are facing a teacher hiring crisis with hundreds of openings and few people available to fill them. The situation has grown so dire, representatives from local schools are travelling thousands of miles, looking for recent graduates who are willing to make the move to Florida for their first teaching job. Ian Dean, executive director of Human Resources for the Collier County School District, recently traveled to Pennsylvania to recruit teachers. “That’s an area of the country where there’s a huge number of colleges with teacher prep programs, but very few teacher openings. So, it’s a prime location for us to identify candidates and recruit those candidates,” Dean said. Collier County needs 300 teachers before school starts in August. Lee County is looking to hire 500 teachers, and Charlotte County has 80 open teaching positions for the 2016-2017 school year. One of the biggest challenges in getting teachers to take jobs in the area is the cost of living. Rachel Elliot, who’s in her first year of teaching at Manatee Elementary School in Collier County, says she loves her job but she admits the cost of living in Collier County is a tough hurdle for new teachers. “I think the lowest rent I could find, in a neighborhood where I would feel secure, was probably around $1,000 a month,” Elliot said. “That’s definitely not doable, even with my second job coaching.” The Collier County School District says the cost of living is the number one deterrent for getting teachers to commit to a teaching position in the area. “We have some examples of people that accepted offers, and then had to come back to us and rescinded that offer, based on their assessment of the cost of living,” Dean said. “They go online, they try to look for other housing options and they can’t find anything to rent and when they look to buy, it’s out of their price range on a teacher’s salary.” New teachers in Collier County are among the best paid in the state, starting at about $40,400 per year. New teachers in Lee County will make $40,000 next year and in Charlotte County they’ll make around $38,000. Some new teachers say that’s just not enough to make ends meet. Many, like speech language pathologist Alyssa Hayes, have second jobs to bring in more money. “It is extremely difficult. I needed to rely on family to help me with housing,” Hayes said. “I’ve actually picked up an after school job this year… working here at Manatee Elementary through our club program.” Both Hayes and Elliot love teaching and love the kids they serve at Manatee Elementary. They understand the positive impact they can have on students, but they hope for more resources to make their jobs more about education, and less about the financial struggle many teachers face. “We have outstanding teachers,” Dean said. “We want to make sure they continue to receive the support that they need, that they have the tools they need to be successful and we are doing everything in our power to make sure that’s the case and that we continue to have outstanding teachers in the classroom.”