Edison Festival parade lights up Fort Myers with floats and bandsCharlotte County Sheriff’s Office investigating shooting in Punta Gorda
FORT MYERS Edison Festival parade lights up Fort Myers with floats and bands The Edison Festival parade was a spectacle of lights and sounds, drawing crowds to celebrate the legacy of Thomas Edison.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office investigating shooting in Punta Gorda The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a road rage/shooting in the Punta Gorda area on Saturday night.
CAPE CORAL Goth Gala for the Forlorn; How the alt scene honored Valentine’s Day Love Your Rebellion hosted the Goth Gala for the Forlorn at Nice Guys Pizza in Cape Coral on Friday night.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers gears up for Edison Festival parade; road closures in place Downtown Fort Myers is buzzing with excitement as the Edison Festival of Light Parade is set to begin.
the weather authority Near-record heat with sun and clouds for your Saturday The Weather Authority says the above-normal temperatures that Southwest Florida has been experiencing will stick around yet again for Saturday.
LEE COUNTY Savannah Bananas bring fun on the diamond at JetBlue Park The Savannah Bananas amazed and entertained a sold out JetBlue Park Friday night for the first time in Southwest Florida.
CAPE CORAL Caught on Camera: Cape Coral mailbox hit by drifting car A Cape Coral homeowner was left in shock after a car sent her mailbox flying through the air and left tire tracks next to her home.
ARCADIA DeSoto County man sentenced for deadly DUI crash Justice for a mother and son killed by a man driving under the influence.
NAPLES Oldest Black-owned business in SWFL continues to serve community Cleveland Bass Movers, founded in 1969, stands as the oldest Black-owned business in Southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS BEACH Broken gate on Lovers Key Beach Resort frustrating residents Residents of Lover’s Key Beach Club in Fort Myers Beach are frustrated with a gate that remains wide open, despite “No Trespassing” signs, since Hurricane Ian struck two years ago.
St. James City Church plans $700k flood-proofing project for future safety Hurricanes have caused flood after flood, and one island church, The First Baptist Church of Saint James City, wants to build higher.
Romance scams rise in the US, AARP warns residents to beware Romance scams are on the rise, with the Federal Trade Commission reporting over 64,000 cases in the U.S. in 2023.
Fort Myers Savannah Bananas make their way to Fort Myers for first time The Savannah Bananas have made their way to JetBlue Park for Friday’s sold-out game in Fort Myers to watch “the greatest show in sports.”
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Yacht Club receives key permit Cape Coral received a key permit for a Yacht Club Community Park. This permit opens up the necessary steps for the park to be built.
PORT CHARLOTTE Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church holds 31st annual Greek Fest The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of Port Charlotte kicked off its 31st annual Greek Fest on Friday.
FORT MYERS Edison Festival parade lights up Fort Myers with floats and bands The Edison Festival parade was a spectacle of lights and sounds, drawing crowds to celebrate the legacy of Thomas Edison.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office investigating shooting in Punta Gorda The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a road rage/shooting in the Punta Gorda area on Saturday night.
CAPE CORAL Goth Gala for the Forlorn; How the alt scene honored Valentine’s Day Love Your Rebellion hosted the Goth Gala for the Forlorn at Nice Guys Pizza in Cape Coral on Friday night.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers gears up for Edison Festival parade; road closures in place Downtown Fort Myers is buzzing with excitement as the Edison Festival of Light Parade is set to begin.
the weather authority Near-record heat with sun and clouds for your Saturday The Weather Authority says the above-normal temperatures that Southwest Florida has been experiencing will stick around yet again for Saturday.
LEE COUNTY Savannah Bananas bring fun on the diamond at JetBlue Park The Savannah Bananas amazed and entertained a sold out JetBlue Park Friday night for the first time in Southwest Florida.
CAPE CORAL Caught on Camera: Cape Coral mailbox hit by drifting car A Cape Coral homeowner was left in shock after a car sent her mailbox flying through the air and left tire tracks next to her home.
ARCADIA DeSoto County man sentenced for deadly DUI crash Justice for a mother and son killed by a man driving under the influence.
NAPLES Oldest Black-owned business in SWFL continues to serve community Cleveland Bass Movers, founded in 1969, stands as the oldest Black-owned business in Southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS BEACH Broken gate on Lovers Key Beach Resort frustrating residents Residents of Lover’s Key Beach Club in Fort Myers Beach are frustrated with a gate that remains wide open, despite “No Trespassing” signs, since Hurricane Ian struck two years ago.
St. James City Church plans $700k flood-proofing project for future safety Hurricanes have caused flood after flood, and one island church, The First Baptist Church of Saint James City, wants to build higher.
Romance scams rise in the US, AARP warns residents to beware Romance scams are on the rise, with the Federal Trade Commission reporting over 64,000 cases in the U.S. in 2023.
Fort Myers Savannah Bananas make their way to Fort Myers for first time The Savannah Bananas have made their way to JetBlue Park for Friday’s sold-out game in Fort Myers to watch “the greatest show in sports.”
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Yacht Club receives key permit Cape Coral received a key permit for a Yacht Club Community Park. This permit opens up the necessary steps for the park to be built.
PORT CHARLOTTE Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church holds 31st annual Greek Fest The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of Port Charlotte kicked off its 31st annual Greek Fest on Friday.
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.