PUNTA GORDA FEMA to hold news conference in Punta Gorda The Federal Emergency Government Agency (FEMA) administrative director is set to hold a news conference regarding an update on the response to Hurricane Milton.
Several stores reopen on Pine Island The Matlacha/Pine Island Fire District announced several stores have reopened Friday on the island.
FORT MYERS Edison and Ford Estates: Cleaning up debris, re-opening soon The Edison and Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers will remain closed Friday, Oct. 11 due to the impacts of Hurricane Milton, including area power outages.
County by County: How to separate hurricane-related debris before pick up in SWFL Counties around Southwest Florida are reminding residents of the proper way to separate debris after Hurricane Milton.
FORT MYERS City of Fort Myers opens post-storm response hubs City employees and volunteers will be available at these locations to offer information and resources to residents, such as FEMA Individual Assistance.
City of Fort Myers distributing ice at the Skatium The City of Fort Myers staff is distributing ice at the Fort Myers Skatium until 4:00 p.m. Friday for anybody who needs it.
CHARLOTTE COUNTY No casualties found after door-to-door check by Charlotte County deputies following Milton No casualties were discovered following a door-to-door search throughout the barrier islands and other low-lying areas by the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.
PUNTA GORDA Peace River Wildlife Center closes indefinitely after back-to-back hurricanes Forces from major Hurricane Milton overwhelmed the Peace River Wildlife Center, leaving the organization uncertain if they will return to Ponce Park.
Tim Aten Knows: Updates on projects planned along Immokalee Road Local developers are still dealing with generalities rather than specifics when it comes to development plans on property recently cleared on the south side of Immokalee Road between Wilson and Randall boulevards in Golden Gate Estates.
Blind Pass Bridge opens to residents amid cleanup The Lee County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday morning the Blind Pass Bridge is now open but must be crossed using caution due to clean-up crews. The Florida Department of Transportation is currently active in the area, using heavy equipment to move large amounts of sand, so there will be deputies helping direct traffic. Any residents […]
The Naples Zoo: “We are happy to report all animals are safe and secure.” Some good news after Hurricane Milton: the Naples Zoo animals are safe and sound. “Our ride-out team is safe, and we are happy to report that all the animals are safe and secure,” the Naples Zoo said in a Facebook post. “We thank you all for your support and are grateful to our staff who […]
SANIBEL Milton leaves the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation HQ surrounded by water Staff from the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation are evaluating their facilities and areas where they operate in the wake of Hurricane Milton.
Harry Chapin Food Bank to hold emergency food distributions Harry Chapin Food Bank is holding emergency food distributions on Friday and Saturday following Hurricane Milton. When Milton made landfall Wednesday, communities across Southwest Florida were affected by wind, storm surge, tornadoes and flooding. Now Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties are all seeing the devastation. Luckily, the Harry Chapin Food Bank sustained no […]
NORTH PORT North Port police comb the streets after Milton’s mess The North Port Police Department took to the streets on Thursday to clean up around the city after Hurricane Milton.
PUNTA GORDA FEMA to hold news conference in Punta Gorda The Federal Emergency Government Agency (FEMA) administrative director is set to hold a news conference regarding an update on the response to Hurricane Milton.
Several stores reopen on Pine Island The Matlacha/Pine Island Fire District announced several stores have reopened Friday on the island.
FORT MYERS Edison and Ford Estates: Cleaning up debris, re-opening soon The Edison and Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers will remain closed Friday, Oct. 11 due to the impacts of Hurricane Milton, including area power outages.
County by County: How to separate hurricane-related debris before pick up in SWFL Counties around Southwest Florida are reminding residents of the proper way to separate debris after Hurricane Milton.
FORT MYERS City of Fort Myers opens post-storm response hubs City employees and volunteers will be available at these locations to offer information and resources to residents, such as FEMA Individual Assistance.
City of Fort Myers distributing ice at the Skatium The City of Fort Myers staff is distributing ice at the Fort Myers Skatium until 4:00 p.m. Friday for anybody who needs it.
CHARLOTTE COUNTY No casualties found after door-to-door check by Charlotte County deputies following Milton No casualties were discovered following a door-to-door search throughout the barrier islands and other low-lying areas by the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.
PUNTA GORDA Peace River Wildlife Center closes indefinitely after back-to-back hurricanes Forces from major Hurricane Milton overwhelmed the Peace River Wildlife Center, leaving the organization uncertain if they will return to Ponce Park.
Tim Aten Knows: Updates on projects planned along Immokalee Road Local developers are still dealing with generalities rather than specifics when it comes to development plans on property recently cleared on the south side of Immokalee Road between Wilson and Randall boulevards in Golden Gate Estates.
Blind Pass Bridge opens to residents amid cleanup The Lee County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday morning the Blind Pass Bridge is now open but must be crossed using caution due to clean-up crews. The Florida Department of Transportation is currently active in the area, using heavy equipment to move large amounts of sand, so there will be deputies helping direct traffic. Any residents […]
The Naples Zoo: “We are happy to report all animals are safe and secure.” Some good news after Hurricane Milton: the Naples Zoo animals are safe and sound. “Our ride-out team is safe, and we are happy to report that all the animals are safe and secure,” the Naples Zoo said in a Facebook post. “We thank you all for your support and are grateful to our staff who […]
SANIBEL Milton leaves the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation HQ surrounded by water Staff from the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation are evaluating their facilities and areas where they operate in the wake of Hurricane Milton.
Harry Chapin Food Bank to hold emergency food distributions Harry Chapin Food Bank is holding emergency food distributions on Friday and Saturday following Hurricane Milton. When Milton made landfall Wednesday, communities across Southwest Florida were affected by wind, storm surge, tornadoes and flooding. Now Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties are all seeing the devastation. Luckily, the Harry Chapin Food Bank sustained no […]
NORTH PORT North Port police comb the streets after Milton’s mess The North Port Police Department took to the streets on Thursday to clean up around the city after Hurricane Milton.
Labs. (Credit: CBS) Labrador retrievers aren’t letting go of their hold on U.S. dog lovers, but German shorthaired pointers are tugging on the top ranks of doggy popularity, according to new American Kennel Club data. Labs topped the list for the 28th year in a row. Yet there’s been plenty of movement over time on the purebred pup-ularity ladder. A look at the 2018 rankings released Wednesday: THE TOP 10 After Labs, the top five breeds nationwide are German shepherds, golden retrievers, French bulldogs and bulldogs. Rounding out the top 10 are beagles, poodles, Rottweilers, German shorthaired pointers and Yorkshire terriers. Labrador retrievers 14-week-old Rummy, left, and 2 1/2-year-old Lincoln pose for photos at the Museum of the Dog, in New York, Wednesday, March 20, 2019. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) Labs smashed the record for longest tenure as top dog back in 2013. Fans credit the Lab’s generally amiable nature and aptitude in many canine roles: bomb-sniffer, service dog, hunters’ helper, dog-sport competitor and patient family pet. At No. 9, the German shorthaired pointer notched its highest ranking since getting AKC recognition in 1930. These strikingly speckled hunting dogs are also versatile — some work as drug- and bomb-detectors — and active companions. “I think people are learning about how fun the breed is,” says AKC spokeswoman Brandi Hunter. The suddenly ubiquitous French bulldog remains the fourth most popular breed for a second year, after surging from 83rd a quarter-century ago. THE NUMBERS: The rankings reflect a breed’s prevalence among the 580,900 puppies and other purebred dogs newly registered in 2018 with the AKC, the country’s oldest such registry. Some 88,175 of these dogs were Labs. AKC says registrations, which are voluntary, have been growing for six years. Estimates of the total number of pet dogs nationwide range from about 70 million to 90 million. Beagles, now No. 6, can boast they’re uniquely beloved. No other breed has made the top 10 in every decade since record-keeping began in the 1880s. Why? “They’re a good general family dog,” lively, friendly, relatively low-maintenance and comfortable with children, says breeder Kevin Shupenia of Dacula, Georgia. Beagles also work sniffing out contraband meat and plants at airports, detecting bedbugs in homes and doing their traditional job: hunting rabbits. “They have a sense of humor, and they’re just characters,” Shupenia says. The most scant breed was the sloughi (pronounced SLOO’-ghee). The greyhound-like dog has a long history in North Africa but garnered AKC recognition only three years ago. It replaces the Norwegian lundehund in the rarest-breed spot. HOW DID DOODLES DO? Wonder where goldendoodles, puggles, or cockapoos stand? You won’t find these and other popular “designer dogs” among the 193 breeds recognized and ranked by the AKC. That’s not to say they never will be, if their fanciers so desire. New breeds join the club periodically, after meeting criteria that include having at least 300 dogs nationwide and three generations. Meanwhile, designer and just plain mixed-breed dogs can sign up with AKC to compete in such sports as agility, dock diving and obedience. Many factors can influence a breed’s popularity: ease of care, exposure from TV and movies, and famous owners, to name a few. Popularity spurts can expand knowledge about a breed, but many people in dogdom rue slipshod breeding by people trying to cash in on sudden cachet. Elaine Albert, a longtime chow chow owner and sometime breeder, is glad the ancient Chinese dog is now 75th in the rankings, after leaping into the top 10 in the 1980s. Albert recalls that she and other chow rescue volunteers were swamped as people gave up dogs with temperament and health problems, which she attributes to careless breeding. “I certainly wouldn’t want (chows) to be number one, ever,” says Albert, of Hauppauge, New York. “They belong where they are…. They’re not for everybody.” On the other hand, aficionados of rare breeds sometimes worry about sustaining them. THE PUREBRED DEBATE Some animal-welfare groups feel the pursuit of purebred dogs puts their looks ahead of their health and diverts people from adopting pets. Critics also say the AKC needs to do more to thwart puppy mills. The club says it encourages responsible breeding of healthy dogs, not as a beauty contest but to preserve traits that have helped dogs do particular jobs.