Port Charlotte Sun

Please wait....

| Subscribe

| Today's Ads

| Place Ad

| Electronic Edition

| Jobs

| Real Estate

| Port Charlotte Weather

ARCADIAN

ENGLEWOOD

NORTH PORT

PORT CHARLOTTE

PUNTA GORDA

VENICE

DIRECTORY

Website Comments
Business News
Carriers
- Carrier Access
- Carrier Application
Community Calendar
Community
- Charlotte County Airport
- Arts & Humanities Council of Charlotte County
- Babcock Wilderness Adventures
- Chamber of Commerce
- Charlotte Harbor & the Gulf Island Visitors Bureau
Contact Us
Customer Service
Editorial
- Columnists
- Editorials & Letters
- Submit Letter To Editor
Education
- Charlotte County Extension Service
- Charlotte County Public School System
- Charlotte Technical Center
- Edison State College - Charlotte
- Florida Gulf Coast University - Charlotte
- James and Barbara Moore Observatory
- Southwest Florida College
Electronic Edition
- Free Trial
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Login
- Subscribe
Entertainment
- Boating and Fishing
- Charlotte County Motorsports Park
- Charlotte Stone Crabs Baseball team
- Charlotte Sports Park
- Charlotte Symphony Orchestra
- Fishermen's Village
- Florida Lottery
- Let's Go!
- Movie Listings
- Kidstar Park / Sun Flea Market
- Puzzles & Games
- Sea Grape Art Gallery
- The Cultural Center of Charlotte County
- TV Listings
- Visual Arts Center
Florida Public Notices
Fox News
Government
- Charlotte County - Punta Gorda MPO
- Charlotte County
- Charlotte County Extension Service
- Charlotte County School District
- SWF Water Management District
Health
- Charlotte Behavioral Health Care
- Charlotte County Health Department
- Charlotte County Medical Society
- Charlotte County Human Services
- Charlotte County Senior Services
- Charlotte Regional Medical Center
- Fawcett Memorial Hospital
- Florida Blood Centers
- Peace River Regional Medical Center
Manage Subscription
- Access Account
- Create Online Account
- Forgot Password
Obituaries
Points of Interest
- Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center, Inc.
- Cultural Center of Charlotte County
- Florida Military Heritage & Aviation Museum
- Peace River Wildlife Center
- Port Charlotte Town Center Mall
Police Beat
- Charlotte County Sheriff's Office
- Police Beat
RSS
- PortCharlotte News
- PortCharlotte Business
- PortCharlotte Columnists
- PortCharlotte Editorial
- PortCharlotte Obituaries
- PortCharlotte Police Beat
- PortCharlotte Sports
Social Services
Sports
- Latest Sports News
- Professional Sports
  - Charlotte Stone Crabs
  - Tampa Bay Rays
  - Baltimore Orioles
  - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  - Tampa Bay Lightning
  - LPGA
  - MLB
  - NASCAR
  - NBA
  - NFL
  - NHL
  - PGA
Weather

Today's Top Stories

News Alerts:

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Fertilizer bill on tap

The Florida Senate should reject a bill that would require fertilizer applicators to get state licenses but exempt them from following county and city ordinances that ban fertilizing lawns during summer rainy seasons, according to the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program. That’s because the local bans, which have been … Find out how to read more Online.

LATEST LOCAL NEWS

Fair off to blue-ribbon start
Sat Feb 4 2012 07:37PM

MURDOCK — With its contests for critters from rabbits to roosters and rides that vary from a Ferris wheel to the infamous Nitro, the 2012 Charlotte County Fair hasn’t changed … Find out how to read more Online.

New commercial development lags
Sat Feb 4 2012 07:50PM

New commercial development is lagging behind new residential development, but that is not necessarily surprising, a local building official says. North Port, however, may be shining slightly brighter than other … Find out how to read more Online.

STEM education on the rise
Sat Feb 4 2012 07:40PM

Local schools are looking to the future, and the future is STEM. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education has been receiving increasing attention in Florida, where an estimated 120,000 new … Find out how to read more Online.

School officials wary of student prayer bill
Sat Feb 4 2012 08:00AM

Charlotte County School Board Chairwoman Andrea Messina and other educators said they were cautious about a bill passed by the state Senate on Wednesday that would authorize school boards to … Find out how to read more Online.

State, National and World News

Syria action vetoed
Sat Feb 4 2012 09:26PM

UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. Security Council failed again Saturday to take decisive action to stop the escalating violence in Syria as Russia and China blocked a resolution backing an Arab League plan that calls for President Bashar Assad to … Find out how to read more Online.

Romney takes strong lead in Nevada
Sat Feb 4 2012 09:26PM

Find out how to read more Online.

Iran begins military exercises
Sat Feb 4 2012 09:26PM

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran began ground military exercises Saturday and defiantly warned that it could cut off oil exports to “hostile” European nations as tensions rise over suggestions that military strikes are an increasing possibility if sanctions fail to rein … Find out how to read more Online.

Lives intersected on deadly stretch of I-75
Sat Feb 4 2012 09:24PM

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — There was a single mom who loved to dance, in the car with a boyfriend who had moved from Virginia to be with her. A pastor and members of his family, originally from Brazil, returning home to … Find out how to read more Online.

Some former Komen supporters can’t forgive, forget
Sat Feb 4 2012 09:24PM

NEW YORK (AP) — When Dorothy Twinney first saw a Race for the Cure walk for breast cancer — “a sea of pink” traveling through her hometown of Plymouth, Mich. — she was so moved she sat in her car … Find out how to read more Online.

For Facebook ‘Hacker Way’ is way of life
Sat Feb 4 2012 09:22PM

NEW YORK (AP) — Facebook’s billionaire CEO Mark Zuckerberg calls himself a “hacker.” For most people, that word means something malicious — shady criminals who listen in on private voicemails, or anonymous villains who cripple websites and break into email … Find out how to read more Online.

Popular character actor Ben Gazzara dies in New York
Sat Feb 4 2012 09:22PM

NEW YORK (AP) — Ben Gazzara, whose powerful dramatic performances brought an intensity to a variety of roles and made him a memorable presence in such iconic productions over the decades as the original “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” … Find out how to read more Online.

Heavy snow traps Bosnians
Sat Feb 4 2012 09:22PM

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Bosnia’s government declared a state of emergency in its capital on Saturday after Sarajevo was paralyzed by snow, and hundreds of people remained trapped in their homes and vehicles throughout the country. After a weeklong cold … Find out how to read more Online.

200 cruise passengers struck by norovirus
Sat Feb 4 2012 09:22PM

MIAMI (AP) — More than 200 passengers on two cruise ships headed to South Florida have been stricken with a gastrointestinal illness. Officials with Princess Cruise Lines say two of its ships were struck with a norovirus that can cause … Find out how to read more Online.

Fla. House nips casino bill
Fri Feb 3 2012 09:48PM

TALLAHASSEE — The push to transform Florida into an East Coast version of Las Vegas fell apart on Friday after state legislators rejected a plan to bring three major casinos to the state. A House panel postponed a vote on … Find out how to read more Online.

House passes Fla. legislative, congressional maps
Fri Feb 3 2012 09:48PM

TALLAHASSEE — Republicans hailed passage of legislative and congressional redistricting maps Friday in the Florida House as historic because they are the first to be drawn under new anti-gerrymandering standards, but Democrats and other critics said it’s too soon to … Find out how to read more Online.

A few wealthy donors have unprecedented influence this campaign season
Fri Feb 3 2012 09:48PM

WASHINGTON — When it comes to big money in politics, Dallas billionaire Harold Simmons’ influence has long been apparent in Texas, where he has plowed more than $1 million into Rick Perry’s gubernatorial campaigns. Now Simmons has found a new … Find out how to read more Online.

Jobs report lifts Dow to highest mark since ’08
Fri Feb 3 2012 09:48PM

NEW YORK (AP) — A drop in the unemployment rate to its lowest in three years propelled the Dow Jones industrial average Friday to its highest close since before the 2008 financial crisis. The Nasdaq composite index hit an 11-year … Find out how to read more Online.

Hiring surges
Fri Feb 3 2012 09:48PM

WASHINGTON — In a long-awaited surge of hiring, companies added 243,000 jobs in January — across the economy, up and down the pay scale and far more than just about anyone expected. Unemployment fell to 8.3 percent, the lowest in … Find out how to read more Online.

Kobayashi downs record 337 wings
Fri Feb 3 2012 09:48PM

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Competitive-eating champ Takeru Kobayashi conquered Philadelphia’s annual gustatory gorge-fest by eating 337 chicken wings in a half-hour before a crowd of nearly 20,000 at Wing Bowl XX. The Japanese phenom demolished the record of 255 set last … Find out how to read more Online.

House approves Florida water pollution rules
Fri Feb 3 2012 09:46PM

TALLAHASSEE (AP) — The House has unanimously passed legislation that would clear the way for a pair of state water pollution rules supported by business, agriculture and utility interests. The rules voted out Friday, though, are considered too weak by … Find out how to read more Online.

Komen drops plans to cut Planned Parenthood grants
Fri Feb 3 2012 09:46PM

NEW YORK — The Susan G. Komen for the Cure breast-cancer charity on Friday abandoned plans to deny funding to Planned Parenthood. The startling decision came after three days of virulent criticism that resounded across the Internet, jeopardizing Komen’s iconic … Find out how to read more Online.

Real-life action figures go at it
Fri Feb 3 2012 09:46PM

LOS ANGELES (LA Times) — A brawl between several people dressed as action figures erupted in front of the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on Thursday evening, resulting in a Jack Sparrow character being pepper-sprayed by an attacker, police said. Jack … Find out how to read more Online.

Iranian leader warns US, Israel against strikes
Fri Feb 3 2012 09:44PM

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s supreme leader pledged Friday to aid any nation or group that challenges Israel and said any military strikes over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program would damage U.S. interests in the Middle East “10 times over.” … Find out how to read more Online.

Hyundai struggles to raise production
Fri Feb 3 2012 09:44PM

LAS VEGAS (LA Times) — Hyundai Motor America is squeezing as much production as possible out of its facilities in the United States, but it will not be enough to meet demand, CEO John Krafcik told dealers at a J.D. … Find out how to read more Online.

Hackers attack law enforcement websites
Fri Feb 3 2012 09:44PM

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Saboteurs have hacked into the websites of several law enforcement agencies worldwide in attacks attributed to the collective called Anonymous, including in Boston and in Salt Lake City, where police say personal information of confidential … Find out how to read more Online.

Man guilty in case of girl in landfill
Fri Feb 3 2012 09:44PM

GREEN COVE SPRINGS (AP) — An unemployed restaurant worker pleaded guilty Friday in the abduction, sexual battery and slaying of a 7-year-old Florida girl who was found in a landfill, as dozens of her family and friends packed a crowded … Find out how to read more Online.

Seminole Tribe says state could forfeit millions
Fri Feb 3 2012 09:44PM

TALLAHASSEE (AP) — The Seminole Tribe of Florida could stop paying tens of millions to the state if legislators move ahead with a bill to regulate sweepstakes operations known as Internet cafes. There are as many as 1,000 of the … Find out how to read more Online.

2 Fla. boys, 9, arrested in acid bomb plot
Fri Feb 3 2012 09:24AM

ORLANDO. (AP) — Police say their investigation into acid bombs left on the campus of Valencia College’s west campus has resulted in the arrest of two 9-year-old boys. Orlando police arrested the boys Thursday. A day earlier, they arrested three … Find out how to read more Online.

Man accused of killing girl to appear in court
Fri Feb 3 2012 09:24AM

GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. (AP) — The man accused of killing a 7-year-old Florida girl whose body was found in a Georgia landfill is scheduled for a court appearance Friday and a court spokeswoman says there’s potential for a “significant … Find out how to read more Online.

Pakistani Taliban kill 7 soldiers, abduct 4
Fri Feb 3 2012 09:24AM

PARACHINAR, Pakistan (AP) — A large group of Islamist militants attacked a Pakistani army checkpoint near the Afghan border on Friday, killing seven paramilitary soldiers and abducting four, a government official and a spokesman for the insurgents said. Up to … Find out how to read more Online.

Unemployment rate hits 8.3 pct. after hiring burst
Fri Feb 3 2012 09:24AM

WASHINGTON (AP) — Employers went on a hiring spree in January and drove down the unemployment rate for a fifth straight month to 8.3 percent, its lowest point in nearly three years. The result pointed to a resurgent job market, … Find out how to read more Online.

Senate passes insider trading ban
Fri Feb 3 2012 04:07PM

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sagging approval ratings brought Democrats and Republicans together Thursday, as the Senate passed a bill to explicitly prevent members of Congress, their top aides and administration officials from using non-public information for insider trading. New disclosure requirements … Find out how to read more Online.

Page: [1] 2 3 4 5 6 7

More Local News

Rinkard House to be demolished
Fri Feb 3 2012 04:07PM

ENGLEWOOD — The historic Rinkard House will not be a phoenix rising from its ashes. A Sarasota County demolition permit now is working its way through process. The request for the permit was filed Jan. 18 by Graber Excavating & … Find out how to read more Online.

Three teens suspected of burglary spree
Fri Feb 3 2012 04:07PM

EAST OF PUNTA GORDA — Authorities suspect three Punta Gorda teens could be responsible for as many as 24 burglaries over a two-week span. Nathanial Davis Kruger, 19, of the 4300 block of Knollwood Drive, and Jeremy Cole Jackson, 18, … Find out how to read more Online.

Kitten with two faces dies
Sat Feb 4 2012 07:50PM

PORT CHARLOTTE — The kitten born with one body and two faces has died. Owners Nash Hand and his wife Amanda Forsythe of Port Charlotte told ABC-7 this week that the kitten, named Harvey Dent after the fictional Batman character … Find out how to read more Online.

A day for the ladies
Sat Feb 4 2012 07:50PM

Peace River Regional Medical Center held its fourth annual Pantyhose Free Zone Women’s Expo Saturday at the Cultural Center of Charlotte County in Port Charlotte. … Find out how to read more Online.

More arrests made in burglary cases
Thu Feb 2 2012 01:20PM

Charlotte County Sheriff’s detectives continue their lengthy and detailed investigation into a burglary crime spree east of Punta Gorda. More charges have been filed on Jeremy Cole Jackson, 18, 4600 block of LaGroce Drive, Punta Gorda; he is now charged … Find out how to read more Online.

Winners Circle
Sat Feb 4 2012 07:38PM

Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club • Ladies Bridge winners Jan. 31: 1-Cleta Clark; 2-Shirley Bua; 3-Lila Jameson. • Slam Bridge winners Feb. 1: 1-LaQuita Morris, 6430; 2-Frank Chulay, 4940; 3-Chuck Florama, 4640; 4-Horst Schlinghofft, 4050. Chubbyz Tavern • Big Dog’s … Find out how to read more Online.

Weekly Record
Sat Feb 4 2012 07:37PM

Charlotte County births • Cayden Joseph White, to Cassandra Ann Chrzanowski and Donald Joseph White Jr. of Punta Gorda, at 3 p.m. Dec. 29. He weighed 7 pounds, 10.2 ounces. • Dylan Scott Stewart, to Angela and Christopher Stewart … Find out how to read more Online.

Community’s efforts help Wounded Warriors
Sat Feb 4 2012 08:00AM

PUNTA GORDA — The residents of Windmill Village are serious about helping others. Their social club’s Wednesday night dinners are well-attended by residents who come to eat, socialize with their neighbors, and donate to individuals or organizations in need of … Find out how to read more Online.