North Port Sun

CHARLOTTE HARBOR — Ken McDonald wasn’t having much luck on Friday, fishing off the pier at Sunrise Park. First, he wasn’t getting any nibbles. And then he learned that Edgewater Drive, which he uses regularly to get to the park from his home in South Gulf Cove, will be closed … Find out how to read more online.

LATEST LOCAL NEWS

Historical plaque pays homage to Bailey Cemetery
Sat Feb 28 2015 06:49PM

EAST OF PUNTA GORDA — At a historical marker dedication for Lt. Carl Bailey Cemetery on Friday, re-enactors of the 2nd Infantry, United States Colored Troops, also paid tribute to … Find out how to read more online.

River Road expansion awaits funding
Sat Feb 28 2015 06:40PM

SARASOTA COUNTY — Only two obstacles are standing in the way of widening River Road to four lanes from the Tamiami Trail intersection to the interstate — the land to … Find out how to read more online.

Charlotte Heart Walk: exercise in self-help
Sat Feb 28 2015 07:09PM

PUNTA GORDA — Gary Barker had all the warning signs of heart disease before undergoing a bypass in September. And the precautions he took as a result of this forewarning … Find out how to read more online.

North Port man acquitted in teen rape trial
Sat Feb 28 2015 08:30AM

SARASOTA COUNTY — Twenty-one-year-old Anthony James Jacot quietly shed tears of relief as “not guilty” verdicts were read in court Friday for each of his five charges involving the alleged … Find out how to read more online.

State, National and World News

Florida may lose $1B
Sat Feb 28 2015 07:06PM

MIAMI — Florida is scheduled to lose $1 billion in federal health funds at the end of June, a hole in the state budget the Legislature must fill in its upcoming session if a settlement isn’t reached between the administrations … read more.

Egyptian court declares Hamas a ‘terrorist organization’
Sat Feb 28 2015 07:06PM

CAIRO — An Egyptian court declared Hamas a “terrorist organization” on Saturday, further isolating the blockaded rulers of the Gaza Strip once openly welcomed by the country’s toppled Islamist-dominated government. The ruling is unlikely to have any immediate effect on … read more.

Obama, Netanyahu on collision course
Sat Feb 28 2015 07:06PM

WASHINGTON — For six years, President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have been on a collision course over how to halt Iran’s nuclear ambitions, a high-stakes endeavor both men see as a centerpiece of their legacies. The … read more.

Investigators: Nemtsov killing may be provocation
Sat Feb 28 2015 07:06PM

MOSCOW — Russia’s top investigative body said Saturday it is looking into several possible motives for the killing of prominent opposition figure Boris Nemtsov, including an attempt to destabilize the state, Islamic extremism, the Ukraine conflict and his personal life. … read more.

Families ready to skip school testing
Sat Feb 28 2015 06:10PM

NEW PORT RICHEY (Tampa Bay Times) — Laura Oosse has a tough decision to make in the next few days. Her fifth-grade son gets tics and feels anxiety when facing high-stakes tests. Yet he’s equally nervous about telling his teachers … read more.

Environmental activists disrupt meeting by Olympic officials
Sat Feb 28 2015 06:10PM

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Environmental activists burst into the lobby of a luxury hotel on Rio’s Copacabana Beach where IOC officials were meeting Saturday, protesting against ecological destruction related to the 2016 Rio Olympics. Security guards tried to hem … read more.

Crop herbicides play a role in shrinking monarch population
Sat Feb 28 2015 06:10PM

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A butterfly being considered for federal protection is emblematic of the plight pollinating insects face partially because farmers enticed by ethanol mandates grow more herbicide-resistant crops. Herbicide makers say they’re committed to boosting the population … read more.

Attacks kill 37 people in and north of Iraq’s capital
Sat Feb 28 2015 06:10PM

BAGHDAD (AP) — A series of attacks targeting public places and Shiite militia checkpoints in and north of Iraq’s capital killed 37 people Saturday, authorities said. The first bombs exploded near the market in the town of Balad Ruz, 70 … read more.

Churches, synagogues, mosques bear tough New England winter
Sat Feb 28 2015 06:10PM

BOSTON (AP) — Religious leaders in snowbound New England are beginning to ask themselves how on Earth their houses of worship will make ends meet after all these acts of God. Churches, synagogues and mosques report attendance is down at … read more.

Zimbabwe’s Mugabe celebrates 91st birthday
Sat Feb 28 2015 06:10PM

VICTORIA FALLS, Zimbabwe (AP) — President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe marked his 91st birthday by speaking for more than an hour on his feet Saturday, delivering a characteristically defiant speech in which he threatened to take over land and animal … read more.

Oregon considers bill banning most vaccine exemptions
Sat Feb 28 2015 06:10PM

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Parents who want to maintain the right to refuse vaccinations for their children are mounting a strong fight against an Oregon bill that takes aim at the state’s highest-in-the-nation rate of nonmedical vaccine exemptions. The measure … read more.

Ukrainian photojournalist killed in shelling
Sat Feb 28 2015 06:10PM

ARTEMIVSK, Ukraine (AP) — A Ukrainian photojournalist was killed in shelling in eastern Ukraine on Saturday as the cease-fire deal brokered by Western leaders seems to have failed to silence the guns completely. Fighting between Russia-backed separatists and Ukrainian troops … read more.

Authorities seize 15 tons of marijuana on US-Mexico border
Sat Feb 28 2015 06:10PM

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Federal authorities have seized more than 15 tons of marijuana in a near-record bust at a border crossing in Southern California. The Los Angeles Times reports Saturday that more than 1,200 packages of marijuana valued at … read more.

Antarctica’s retreating ice may reshape Earth
Sat Feb 28 2015 01:19AM

CAPE LEGOUPIL, Antarctica (AP) — From the ground in this extreme northern part of Antarctica, spectacularly white and blinding ice seems to extend forever. What can’t be seen is the battle raging thousands of feet below to reshape Earth. Water … read more.

Stocks slip after weaker growth
Sat Feb 28 2015 01:19AM

NEW YORK (AP) — February proved to be a strong month for U.S. stocks, even though it ended in downbeat fashion. Major stock indexes closed lower on Friday, capping a week of subdued trading that still delivered a couple of … read more.

Sat Feb 28 2015 01:19AM

WASHINGTON — Bordering on dysfunction, Congress passed a one-week bill late Friday night to avert a partial shutdown of the Homeland Security Department, as leaders in both political parties quelled a revolt by House conservatives furious that the measure left … read more.

Leonard Nimoy dies at 83
Sat Feb 28 2015 01:19AM

LOS ANGELES — In 1975, Leonard Nimoy published an autobiography with the defiant title, “I Am Not Spock” — an attempt to show the world he had many more facets than the pointy-eared character that had come to define him. … read more.

Kurdish fighters rout ISIS militants from stronghold
Sat Feb 28 2015 01:19AM

BEIRUT (AP) — Backed by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes, Kurdish fighters fought their way Friday into a northeastern Syrian town that was a key stronghold of Islamic State militants, only days after the group abducted dozens of Christians in the volatile … read more.

Ukraine forces, rebels withdraw heavy weapons
Sat Feb 28 2015 01:19AM

NOVOAMVROSIIVSKE, Ukraine (AP) — The piecemeal pullback of heavy weapons Friday from the line separating government and rebel forces in Ukraine has boosted the prospects for peace, although both sides are warning of their readiness to resume fighting if necessary. … read more.

Attackers in Bangladesh hack to death American blogger
Sat Feb 28 2015 01:19AM

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — A prominent Bangladeshi-American blogger known for speaking out against religious extremism was hacked to death as he walked through Bangladesh’s capital with his wife, police said Friday. The attack Thursday night on Avijit Roy, a Bangladesh-born … read more.

Well-educated ‘Jihadi John’ no surprise to experts
Sat Feb 28 2015 01:19AM

PARIS (AP) — The profile of “Jihadi John,” the university-educated Londoner whose masked face is emblematic of the grisly executions by the Islamic State group, is vastly different from that of the marginalized men who carried out terror attacks in … read more.

Economy grew at 2.2 percent in 4Q
Sat Feb 28 2015 01:19AM

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy slowed more sharply in the final three months of the year than previously believed, reflecting weaker business stockpiling and a bigger trade deficit. The slowdown is expected to be temporary. The Commerce Department says … read more.

8 die in house-to-house rampage
Sat Feb 28 2015 01:19AM

TYRONE, Mo. — A man who authorities say may have been unhinged by the death of his ailing mother killed seven people and then took his own life in a house-to-house shooting rampage that wiped out a swath of this … read more.

Susan Rice, Samantha Power to address AIPAC meeting
Fri Feb 27 2015 01:19AM

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a move that may ease — or exacerbate — spiraling tensions with Israel over a potential Iran nuclear deal, the White House has decided against snubbing America’s leading pro-Israel lobby and will send President Barack Obama’s … read more.

Chile government rejects 14 year-old’s plea for euthanasia
Fri Feb 27 2015 01:19AM

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Chile’s government on Thursday rejected an ailing 14-year-old girl’s plea to let her “sleep forever.” Cystic fibrosis sufferer Valentina Maureira posted a YouTube video shot from what appeared to be a hospital bed asking President Michelle … read more.

Couple married 67 years dies holding hands
Fri Feb 27 2015 01:19AM

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — Floyd and Violet Hartwig’s marriage spanned 67 years, but their love for one another appears timeless. Sensing that the couple was close to death, their children pushed their two hospice beds together and gently placed their … read more.

Minnesota teen pleads guilty to trying to support terrorism
Fri Feb 27 2015 01:19AM

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota teenager who had been stopped at the airport as he was trying to travel to Syria pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. Abdullahi Mohamud … read more.

More than 2,000 pedestrians killed in first half of 2014
Fri Feb 27 2015 01:19AM

WASHINGTON (CQ Roll Call) — There were 2,082 pedestrians killed by cars and trucks in the United States in the first half of last year, the Governors Highway Safety Association reported Thursday, which was a 2.8 percent decrease from the … read more.

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More Local News

Four charged in Springs drug bust
Sat Feb 28 2015 08:30AM

WARM MINERAL SPRINGS — The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office arrested four people this week on drug charges following the execution of a search warrant at a home in the 200 block of Granada Blvd., in the Warm Mineral Springs community … Find out how to read more online.

Legislature proposes $16M in county water projects
Sat Feb 28 2015 08:30AM

SARASOTA COUNTY — Members of the Florida House of Representatives have filed budgetary requests for 13 water projects in Sarasota County, totaling $15.8 million. Approximately 475 projects have been proposed around the state, totaling about $1.2 billion in funding. The Sarasota … Find out how to read more online.

SCAT rolls on
Sat Feb 28 2015 08:30AM

SARASOTA COUNTY — New Sarasota County Transit Authority Director Rocky Burke says the future looks bright for the county’s public transportation system. Burke took over the post in December after serving as general manager of Lextran, in Lexington, Ky., for … Find out how to read more online.

Injured baseball player begins road to recovery
Sat Feb 28 2015 08:30AM

There may be six weeks left in the local high school baseball season, but the Port Charlotte Pirates already have suffered its worst loss of the year. Senior outfielder Brad Baker remained in intensive care Friday at Lee Memorial Hospital … Find out how to read more online.

County considers paratransit privatization
Sat Feb 28 2015 08:30AM

SARASOTA COUNTY — Sarasota County is moving forward with plans to privatize the county’s public transportation service for persons with disabilities, according to Sarasota County Area Transit Director Rocky Burke. Last year, the Sarasota County commissioners directed county administration to … Find out how to read more online.

Teen testifies about alleged sexual abuse
Fri Feb 27 2015 08:30AM

SARASOTA COUNTY — A 16-year-old girl took the stand Thursday in the sexual battery trial of Anthony James Jacot, revealing three incidents in which he allegedly raped the teen, once in a hotel room bathroom the night of her birthday. … Find out how to read more online.

Detert to champion bill for elder guardianship
Sat Feb 28 2015 08:30AM

State Sen. Nancy Detert plans to push for a bill in the next legislative session — which gets underway next week — that will reform Florida’s elder guardianship system. Detert’s bill, SB 1226, would create an Office of Public and … Find out how to read more online.

Aldi area hiring events set
Fri Feb 27 2015 08:30AM

NORTH PORT — The value grocery chain Aldi, under construction in North Port at the corner of Salford Boulevard and U.S. 41 near Perkins Restaurant, has scheduled regional hiring fairs for prospective employees. The discount supermarket chain will open its … Find out how to read more online.

Man struck, killed by vehicle on U.S. 41
Wed Feb 25 2015 03:51PM

SOUTH VENICE — A 55-year-old Sarasota man was killed while standing in the northbound lane of U.S. 41 south of Jacaranda Boulevard Tuesday night, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The FHP is withholding identification of the victim pending notification … Find out how to read more online.

City tightens commercial zoning
Thu Feb 26 2015 07:51PM

NORTH PORT — City staffers were drilled with questions regarding the Unified Land Development Code Monday night when Commissioner Linda Yates sought to perfect the ever-changing document. The amended ordinance is an attempt to avoid future incidents between property owners … Find out how to read more online.

Sarasota County ranked highest for sustainability
Wed Feb 25 2015 08:30AM

SARASOTA COUNTY — The Florida Green Building Coalition has ranked Sarasota County tops in the state for environmental sustainability practices. The coalition, which administers green certification standards in Florida, recertified Sarasota County as a Florida Green Local Government. “We are … Find out how to read more online.

Fisheries forum wants your input
Tue Feb 24 2015 03:46PM

What do you know about our local waters? Whether it’s a lot or a little, someone would like to pick your brain. The Charlotte Harbor Fisheries Forum is a fledgling program of the University of Florida. Although it’s intended to … Find out how to read more online.

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