News

On May 20, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement will present San Carlos Park Elementary fifth-grader Meaghan Bowman with a certificate recognizing her as the regional winner of the 2008 Florida Missing Children’s Day Statewide Fifth Grade Essay Contest.

As part of our Campaign for Alcohol Free youth, The Coalition for a Drug-Free Southwest Florida has designated May as "Think Before You Drink" month.

Families can enjoy a fun evening out and benefit Autism Speaks through the month of June. Every Monday in June from 4pm – 11pm, all Beef O'Brady's restaurants in Lee and Collier counties will donate 10% of all food sales to Autism Speaks.

The Collier County School District has announced the 2007-08 PRIDE (Program to Recognize Initiative and Distinction in Education) Award winners.

Weekend events include the third annual Summer Boat Show at Bayfront in Naples.

The season closes today for the harvest, possession and sale of stone crab claws in Florida, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced.

The Collier County School Board voted 4-1 Thursday evening to accept a $555,000 settlement in the Baker lawsuit. Board Vice Chairwoman Pat Carroll was the lone dissenter. Under the terms of the agreement, the school district will pay Baker $555,000 and Baker will acknowledge that the district did not violate Florida’s open records law. School Board Attorney Richard Withers said continuing the lawsuit was not in the best interest of the public.

Collier County School Board member Kathleen Curatolo surprised her fellow Board members Thursday afternoon by proposing that the district add two members to the School Board. The two members would be considered at-large.

Monday will be a hectic first day for Marco Island’s newest City Manager Steve Thompson. Thompson, the city’s second ever city manager will begin with a budget workshop Monday morning, followed by meetings with the council, department heads and community. Then, he will cap the evening off with his first regular City Council meeting in Marco. That doesn’t intimidate Thompson who will be arriving at his new island home this Saturday.

Budget workshops begin Monday and the first session will focus on funds that do not use property tax as a funding source. These funds are self-supporting and are not subject to the spending cap, which limits the amount the city can spend by 3 percent plus the cost of living adjustment which is 2.3 percent.

Raising a child is a precious gift, but it also is a great challenge. Here are 10 tips to help ease the burden of getting your children to adulthood.

This weeks’ CERT (Citizen Emergency Response Team) session, taught by Team Leader Russ Rainey introduced us to Light Search and Rescue Operations. This consists of a systematic size up of the task and developing a safe, well-orchestrated rescue plan to achieve the most possible in the shortest amount of time.

On Friday, May 16, 2008 Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens and the Friends of the Florida Panther Refuge are celebrating the country’s third annual Endangered Species Day.

They’re throwing a farewell party for teachers Esther Scuderi and Debbie Schlinder May 28 at Tommie Barfield Elementary School, but neither really wants to be there. They will attend, though, no question about that.

Nico de Vries and Ana Segura met in Colorado in the summer of 2002. It was one of many running camps that Lely High cross country and track coach Mark McGarity has run over the years to improve his runners and to do a little bonding. Both worked for Nico and Ana who married this year on Feb. 9.

Often people hope a temp job becomes permanent. That isn’t the case for Interim City Manager Dana Souza. Souza said he’s ready to return to his job as director of Parks and Recreation and leave his other temporary title, interim city manager, behind.

Local art aficionados gathered at Marco Island’s Orion Bank on Wednesday night to mingle and be inspired by local talent Malenda Trick. Trick displayed many of her paintings, examples of her licensed products and even created an original painting during “An Evening with Malenda Trick,” which is part of the Artist Appreciation Series.

Marco attorney Donald “Dusty” Rhodes starts his first day in a seven month term to the Florida Elections Commission Monday. Rhodes, 67 is one of six members recently appointed by Governor Charlie Crist to the Florida Elections Commission.

The daughter of Palestinian immigrants, and one of five children in the family, Hawa Itayem chose summer study to cut a year of high school and recently graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University magna cum laude in secondary education. Now, at 19 and about to embark on her master’s degree, Itayem talks about her background, her multi-cultural approach to life and her hopes for her own future as well as that of America.

Even though it’s just a couple of minutes before going live, it’s quiet and orderly in the Tommie Barfield Elementary television studio. Some of the news team of eight fifth-grade students make final adjustments to their cameras and mixing equipment, while those who will appear on-camera silently practice some of their lines. Yet others ensure the power point scripts for the various presenters are ready to roll, and the sound man does his necessary checks.