New bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashesNew leash on life; Cape Coral shelter dog beats cancer with drug being tested for humans
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashes There could be new detectives on the block, located in your nearest auto shop. A new state bill aims at trying to stop hit-and-run drivers from getting away.
CAPE CORAL New leash on life; Cape Coral shelter dog beats cancer with drug being tested for humans A drug now being studied in human trials to kill cancerous tumors, is already approved and helping animals.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral planning a new interchange with I-75 The city of Cape Coral is in the early stages of planning a new interchange with I-75, an idea that has been discussed for more than a decade.
Tracking invasive species after hurricanes Hurricanes Helene and Milton didn’t just bring wind and rain, they brought new threats to southwest Florida’s ecosystem.
PUNTA GORDA Woman in Punta Gorda shooting charged with 2nd degree murder A woman in a homicide investigation on Nasturtium Drive in Punta Gorda has been charged with 2nd-degree murder.
Lee County mother continuing fight to get children a bus stop The school district already told her she lives too close to the school to qualify for a bus route but she has not given up.
NORTH NAPLES Grant Thornton Invitational returns to Tiburon Golf Club Stars on the PGA and LPGA Tours are back in Southwest Florida for the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club.
FORT MYERS Black Flag brings classic punk energy to The Ranch in Fort Myers Legendary punk band Black Flag made their mark in Southwest Florida during the Fort Myers stop of their “First Four Years” tour.
Charlotte Technical College breaks ground on aviation facility The Charlotte County School District is flying high and keeping its “Space Academy” designation with a new aviation training facility for students.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested in connection with Cape Coral home invasion The Cape Coral Police Department has announced the arrest of one of three men suspected in a home invasion that took place earlier this month.
16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier County According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, two airboats crashed south of U.S. 41 east between mile markers 74 and 75, leaving well over a dozen people injured.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral residents react to $100M North Cape land deal The city of Cape Coral is seeing two projects that will change the city. One is called one of the most lucrative deals in county history.
Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association breaks ground on new Fort Myers headquarters As Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association’s president pointed out, about 1,000 people are still moving to Florida every day, and many of them are finding their way to Southwest Florida.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County drug trafficker sentenced to 10 years A Charlotte County man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug trafficking.
lehigh acres ‘How to sign away parental rights?’; Lehigh Acres woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashes There could be new detectives on the block, located in your nearest auto shop. A new state bill aims at trying to stop hit-and-run drivers from getting away.
CAPE CORAL New leash on life; Cape Coral shelter dog beats cancer with drug being tested for humans A drug now being studied in human trials to kill cancerous tumors, is already approved and helping animals.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral planning a new interchange with I-75 The city of Cape Coral is in the early stages of planning a new interchange with I-75, an idea that has been discussed for more than a decade.
Tracking invasive species after hurricanes Hurricanes Helene and Milton didn’t just bring wind and rain, they brought new threats to southwest Florida’s ecosystem.
PUNTA GORDA Woman in Punta Gorda shooting charged with 2nd degree murder A woman in a homicide investigation on Nasturtium Drive in Punta Gorda has been charged with 2nd-degree murder.
Lee County mother continuing fight to get children a bus stop The school district already told her she lives too close to the school to qualify for a bus route but she has not given up.
NORTH NAPLES Grant Thornton Invitational returns to Tiburon Golf Club Stars on the PGA and LPGA Tours are back in Southwest Florida for the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club.
FORT MYERS Black Flag brings classic punk energy to The Ranch in Fort Myers Legendary punk band Black Flag made their mark in Southwest Florida during the Fort Myers stop of their “First Four Years” tour.
Charlotte Technical College breaks ground on aviation facility The Charlotte County School District is flying high and keeping its “Space Academy” designation with a new aviation training facility for students.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested in connection with Cape Coral home invasion The Cape Coral Police Department has announced the arrest of one of three men suspected in a home invasion that took place earlier this month.
16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier County According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, two airboats crashed south of U.S. 41 east between mile markers 74 and 75, leaving well over a dozen people injured.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral residents react to $100M North Cape land deal The city of Cape Coral is seeing two projects that will change the city. One is called one of the most lucrative deals in county history.
Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association breaks ground on new Fort Myers headquarters As Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association’s president pointed out, about 1,000 people are still moving to Florida every day, and many of them are finding their way to Southwest Florida.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County drug trafficker sentenced to 10 years A Charlotte County man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug trafficking.
lehigh acres ‘How to sign away parental rights?’; Lehigh Acres woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby.
Kinoy Miller prepares food at the Love Life Cafe Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020, in the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami. Florida voters decide Tuesday whether to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour over six years, which advocates say will benefit hundreds of thousands of workers in the Sunshine State’s service-heavy economy but which opponents say will stifle industry growth. Joseph Gourgue wishes he could help out his children and grandchildren financially, but his $9 an hour wage as a wheelchair attendant at Orlando International Airport doesn’t let him. Gourgue, 61, is hoping a gradual increase in Florida’s minimum wage paves the way for him to be able to help his children pay for weddings or buy gifts for his two grandchildren. Florida voters this election cycle are deciding whether to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour over the next six years. “I would save up money. I want to be able to help out my grandkids before I go,” Gourgue said. “I can put the money back into the economy.” Business groups are vehemently opposed to the proposal known as Amendment 2, saying businesses can’t afford the wage increases, especially as tourism-dependent Florida recovers from the effects of the new coronavirus. The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association says it will cost Florida an estimated 158,000 jobs across the state. The Florida Chamber of Commerce is telling voters it will force layoffs at small businesses and cause them to raise prices on food and clothing. Jerry Parrish, chief economist for The Florida Chamber of Commerce, puts the number of job losses at up to 500,000. “Unfortunately, it’s going to hurt the people they say they want to help,” Parrish said. “This really penalizes low skill people, and that is exactly what will happen if this thing passes.” But the Florida Policy Institute estimates that as many as 2.5 million workers — a quarter of Florida’s labor force — would see their wages increase if the amendment passes, especially in the food service, lodging and retail industries. The minimum wage increase “would bring individuals and couples without children and smaller families to a living wage, while lifting struggling working families closer to a sustainable income,” the Orlando-based public policy research group wrote in a recent paper. Like all amendments to the Florida Constitution, Amendment 2 must be approved by 60% of voters. Florida voters also are considering five other amendments that range from changing the state’s primary elections to expanding the tax benefits to homeowners. The effort to get Amendment 2 on the ballot was initiated by Orlando attorney John Morgan, a big fundraiser in Democratic circles. “Income inequality is the issue of our day,” Morgan tweeted recently. If the amendment is approved, Florida’s minimum wage would increase on a gradual basis over the next six years for nontipped workers. Under the plan, starting next year, it would go up to $10 an hour, followed by a $1 per hour increase each year, until it reached $15 an hour in 2026. Future increases would then return to being adjusted for inflation starting in 2027. For tipped workers, employers would have to make sure that their workers’ tips combined with the current tipped minimum wage of $5.54 an hour met or exceeded the new minimum wage. The last time Florida residents voted to approve a minimum wage increase was in 2005, when they raised it from $5.15 to $6.15 an hour. If voters approve Amendment 2, Florida will be joining a wave of states that have recently increased their minimum wages, including 22 states last year. The federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour hasn’t increased since 2009. A study last year by Massachusetts Institute of Technology researcher and two researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston said that both prices and spending increase modestly following increases in minimum wages. It reduced debt in households with low credit scores and increased access to credit, but it also was associated with higher auto debt, the researchers said. Economist Cristian Alonso, now with the International Monetary Fund, said in a paper four years ago that a 10% increase in the minimum wage increases sales by 1.1%. The Congressional Budget Office said in a study last year that raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025 would directly boost the wages of 17 million workers and indirectly increase wages for another 10 million workers, but it would also cost 1.3 million jobs, as a median estimate. Having workers earn a good wage makes them more productive and willing to stay, especially in an industry like the restaurant business, which has high turnover, said Diego Tosoni, a Miami restauranteur who supports Amendment 2. Tosoni, who with his partner owns two Love Life Café locations in Miami and is planning a new one in Orlando, already pays his workers close to what the minimum wage would be in 2026 if the amendment passes. Starting salary for dishwasher is $11 an hour but with shared tips, that can get up to $14 an hour. “It’s important to have our staff happy and productive,” Tosoni said.