Costco construction causes commotion in Collier County communityDr. Cornelius “Pat” Cacho’s impact on education and Southwest Florida
NAPLES Costco construction causes commotion in Collier County community Costco is eyeing a plot of land in Collier County for a new store, but residents are voicing strong opposition.
NAPLES Dr. Cornelius “Pat” Cacho’s impact on education and Southwest Florida Dr. Cornelius “Pat” Cacho, a beloved philanthropist and advocate for education, dedicated his life to empowering others through opportunity and knowledge.
SANIBEL Sanibel cracks down on school zone speeders with new camera system Sanibel is tightening its grip on school zone speeders with newly installed cameras.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers food pantry expands efforts with Harry Chapin support The Harry Chapin Food Bank in Fort Myers plays a crucial role in supporting smaller food banks in the area.
Fort Myers Beach Pier scheduled to be finished a year ahead of schedule The Fort Myers Beach Pier remains a symbol of the destruction caused by Hurricane Ian two years ago. Efforts to rebuild it has taken a lot of time.
FORT MYERS Iconic Fort Myers statue to undergo repairs The iconic “Rachel at the Well” statue on McGregor Boulevard in Fort Myers has been a landmark for 94 years. However, it became a casualty of Hurricane Ian in 2022, and discussions for its repair are ongoing.
Salvation Army Thrift Store closing its doors in Collier County The Salvation Army has announced the permanent closure of the Naples Family Store on Davis Boulevard.
SANIBEL Rebuilding the Sanibel Causeway with a cause Construction crews are hard at work making the Sanibel Causeway more resilient. The bridge is being fortified to withstand future storms.
LEE COUNTY No. 2 prospect in MLB Roman Anthony with Red Sox for Spring Training Roman Anthony, who is ranked as the second best in baseball, is with the Boston Red Sox for his first Spring Training.
MANASOTA KEY Popular Manasota Key restaurant reopens after storm damage Manasota Key is steadily recovering from a challenging hurricane season, and residents are celebrating the reopening of a beloved local spot.
PINE ISLAND Construction to start on hurricane-proof fire station on Pine Island A new hurricane-proof fire station is coming to Pine Island. The current station, over 40 years old, is in dire need of replacement.
NORTH PORT Braves’ Chris Sale on the mound in southwest Florida once again Spring Training is in full swing for the Atlanta Braves, who’s full squad reported on Tuesday, that means Chris Sale is back in SWFL.
NAPLES Denise Brown speaks on domestic violence at Naples fundraiser event A record crowd of 825 people gathered at the Ritz Carlton Tiburon to raise money and awareness to end domestic violence.
NORTH NAPLES Construction on Collier County diverging diamond begins in March Construction on Southwest Florida’s third diverging diamond interchange is set to begin in March.
Charlotte County homeowners consider elevating homes Recent hurricanes and flooding events prompted some Charlotte County homeowners to either demolish or elevate their homes.
NAPLES Costco construction causes commotion in Collier County community Costco is eyeing a plot of land in Collier County for a new store, but residents are voicing strong opposition.
NAPLES Dr. Cornelius “Pat” Cacho’s impact on education and Southwest Florida Dr. Cornelius “Pat” Cacho, a beloved philanthropist and advocate for education, dedicated his life to empowering others through opportunity and knowledge.
SANIBEL Sanibel cracks down on school zone speeders with new camera system Sanibel is tightening its grip on school zone speeders with newly installed cameras.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers food pantry expands efforts with Harry Chapin support The Harry Chapin Food Bank in Fort Myers plays a crucial role in supporting smaller food banks in the area.
Fort Myers Beach Pier scheduled to be finished a year ahead of schedule The Fort Myers Beach Pier remains a symbol of the destruction caused by Hurricane Ian two years ago. Efforts to rebuild it has taken a lot of time.
FORT MYERS Iconic Fort Myers statue to undergo repairs The iconic “Rachel at the Well” statue on McGregor Boulevard in Fort Myers has been a landmark for 94 years. However, it became a casualty of Hurricane Ian in 2022, and discussions for its repair are ongoing.
Salvation Army Thrift Store closing its doors in Collier County The Salvation Army has announced the permanent closure of the Naples Family Store on Davis Boulevard.
SANIBEL Rebuilding the Sanibel Causeway with a cause Construction crews are hard at work making the Sanibel Causeway more resilient. The bridge is being fortified to withstand future storms.
LEE COUNTY No. 2 prospect in MLB Roman Anthony with Red Sox for Spring Training Roman Anthony, who is ranked as the second best in baseball, is with the Boston Red Sox for his first Spring Training.
MANASOTA KEY Popular Manasota Key restaurant reopens after storm damage Manasota Key is steadily recovering from a challenging hurricane season, and residents are celebrating the reopening of a beloved local spot.
PINE ISLAND Construction to start on hurricane-proof fire station on Pine Island A new hurricane-proof fire station is coming to Pine Island. The current station, over 40 years old, is in dire need of replacement.
NORTH PORT Braves’ Chris Sale on the mound in southwest Florida once again Spring Training is in full swing for the Atlanta Braves, who’s full squad reported on Tuesday, that means Chris Sale is back in SWFL.
NAPLES Denise Brown speaks on domestic violence at Naples fundraiser event A record crowd of 825 people gathered at the Ritz Carlton Tiburon to raise money and awareness to end domestic violence.
NORTH NAPLES Construction on Collier County diverging diamond begins in March Construction on Southwest Florida’s third diverging diamond interchange is set to begin in March.
Charlotte County homeowners consider elevating homes Recent hurricanes and flooding events prompted some Charlotte County homeowners to either demolish or elevate their homes.
A man wipes away sweat outdoors. Stock photo by Ketut Subiyanto The intense heat this summer has set records in the U.S., with some regions topping 110 degrees. Utah residents suffered through 16 straight days of triple-digit heat — the longest such stretch in the 125 years that records have been kept. Around the world, extreme temperatures have killed thousands in Asia and Europe. Despite this alarming picture of the present, it is likely just the beginning. By mid-century, nearly one-third of U.S. adults are likely to live in counties that experience hazardous heat, according to a new analysis from the First Street Foundation, which predicts a “heat belt” stretching from the Gulf Coast to Chicago. The nonprofit research firm gathered surface temperature data using a peer-reviewed method that taps publicly available data from satellites and weather stations. It then modeled projected temperatures under a global warming scenario referred to as RCP 4.5, under which fossil-fuel emissions peak around 2040 and then decline. “Lethal heat temperatures” Today, about 50 counties around the U.S. experience one day per year with a heat index above 125 degrees, which is considered extremely dangerous by the National Weather Service. In 30 years, more than a thousand counties — a geographic area encompassing 107 million people — will be in the danger zone, First Street concludes. “We were surprised at the emergence of that heat belt — these are lethal heat temperatures if there’s prolonged exposure,” Jeremy Porter, First Street Foundation’s chief research officer, told CBS MoneyWatch. “At 125 degrees, heat stroke is likely.” The summertime humidity that often builds up in the middle of the continent is a major reason for hazardous heat-index temperatures. When it’s humid, it’s harder to cool off by sweating because the rate of evaporation from the body slows. That’s why the heat index, or how hot a day “feels,” relies on a combination of temperature and humidity. As the climate continues to heat up, the humidity increases because warm air can hold more moisture. For every 1 degree Celsius the temperature rises, the air holds about 7% more water vapor. The geography of the industrial Midwest, located inland east of the Rocky Mountains, makes it especially vulnerable to a buildup of hot air. “That area, in particular, isn’t close to water — it’s not getting any protection from wind running over the water and cooling. And because it’s at a low elevation, the humidity is trapped,” Porter said. The danger zone stretches to Chicago and includes major cities like Louisville, Kentucky; Kansas City, Kansas; Memphis and Nashville in Tennessee; St. Louis, Missouri; and Tulsa, Oklahoma. Cities also suffer from a “heat island effect,” with urban temperatures getting much hotter than surrounding areas due to a lack of plants and the heat-trapping effects of building materials, such as concrete, dark pavement and rooftops. The Inflation Reduction Act that passed the House last week promises to bring the U.S. close, though not all the way, to its goal of halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Even so, lowering global temperatures will take a long time because much of the effects of climate change are “baked in” thanks to historic fossil-fuel emissions. To be sure, humans can adapt and acclimate to hotter weather. But doing so will require many communities and governments that haven’t dealt with severe heat — already the leading cause of weather-related deaths — to consider and plan for it. This more extreme future will likely demand physical adaptation — planting more trees and cooling roofs to lower the temperature, for instance, — as well as planning for emergency heat events, such as checking on residents, creating cooling centers and ensuring people can reach them. “There’s so much that can be done — there’s many hot-weather warning systems around the world, ” Kristie Ebi, a public-health expert at the University of Washington, told CBS MoneyWatch. “You don’t have to start from scratch, but it would be helpful if we had our city and state agencies making it that much easier.”