Nonprofit raising money to build safe haven for trafficking victims

NAPLES, Fla.- A nonprofit is raising money to build a safe haven in Southwest Florida for victims of human trafficking. “Ninety-percent of human trafficking victims, prostituted individuals, were sexually violated as children, and I was one of them,” said Dr. Brook Parker Bello. “This issue does not care whether you’re rich, poor, black, white, Latin, or whatever status your family comes from. It is […]

Wife of Illinois officer who staged suicide indicted

FOX LAKE, Ill. (AP) – The wife of an Illinois policeman who staged his suicide to look like homicide and prompted an intense manhunt for suspects was indicted Wednesday for assisting her husband in embezzling money from a youth program. Melodie Gliniewicz turned herself in at the Lake County Sheriff’s Office when she learned of […]

Study hints at biology of schizophrenia, may aid treatment

NEW YORK (AP) – Scientists pursuing the biological roots of schizophrenia have zeroed in on a potential factor – a normal brain process that gets kicked into overdrive. The finding could someday lead to ways to treat the disease or even prevent it. The result – accomplished by analysis of genetics, autopsy brain tissue and […]

Justice Dept. targeting collusion in heir-tracing industry

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Justice Department is investigating an industry that seeks out heirs to the recently deceased and is looking into whether price-fixing and other anti-competitive practices have ripped off relatives who have enlisted the companies’ services, law enforcement officials said. Federal prosecutors have announced plea agreements in the last month with two industry […]

Man caught smuggling live birds in pants

(CNN)- U.S. Customs arrested a man they say tried smuggling live birds in his pants. The man was a passenger on a flight from Cuba to Florida. Customs and Border Patrol agents took the man into custody on January 9 at Miami International Airport. Officials say the passenger was concealing six exotic birds in a fanny pack […]

Billy the bear helps develop better bear-resistant trashcan

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) – A black bear named Billy is helping Florida’s efforts to reduce the number of human-bear interactions. The Florida Times-Union (http://bit.ly/1K9fufa) reports that the bear at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens spent 25 minutes scratching and tossing a newly designed bear-resistant trashcan. Billy couldn’t get it open. The container designed by North Carolina-based […]

Another death reported in crash involving Takata air bags

DETROIT (AP) – Another driver has died in a crash that involved an exploding Takata air bag inflator, but it’s unclear whether the inflator killed the person. The driver of a 2007 Honda Civic died last year in India, according to Takata documents posted Wednesday by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. An inflator […]

Clinton presses for debate before New Hampshire primary

ADEL, Iowa (AP) – Hillary Clinton pressed the Democratic National Committee on Wednesday to add a presidential debate before next month’s New Hampshire primary, seeking another high-profile exchange with rival Bernie Sanders. The push by Clinton for more debates – and Sanders’ resistance to adding another forum – underscores his strength in Iowa and New […]

New IRS pilot program offers extra protection for taxpayers

FORT MYERS, Fla.- Florida taxpayers are eligible for a new pilot program offered by the IRS aimed at preventing tax-related identity theft. Florida continually ranks as one of the top states in the United States for tax identity fraud. The new IRS program allows residents in Florida, Georgia or the District of Columbia to register for an Identity Protection PIN (IP […]

Man steals LeeTran bus passes from Cape Coral Publix

CAPE CORAL, Fla.- A man is accused of stealing more than $600 worth of LeeTran bus passes from a Cape Coral Publix. The theft happened just before 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday at the Publix located at 127 Cape Coral Parkway W. The suspect is described as being 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing about 220 pounds. If you […]