Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) have announced several new forms of housing assistance for survivors of Hurricane Ian, including the first ever state-led housing assistance program. This comes two weeks after DeSantis launched the Unite Florida Hurricane Recovery Portal, which FDEM Director Kevin Guthrie …
Read More »911 dispatchers overlooked, miss out on $1,000 bonuses from DeSantis
As Hurricane Ian swept across the beachfront towns of southwest Florida, when panicked callers to 911 reported they were crouched in attics or standing in high water and fearful they would drown as floodwaters rose, Christine Hodges was a reassuring voice on the other end of the line. Find a …
Read More »Students returning to school after Hurricane Ian may face long-term challenges, say education experts
Most of the public schools in Charlotte and Lee Counties finally opened last week.
Read More »The Point, Oct. 20, 2022: Florida State Board of Education adopts new rules
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Chuck Clemons and Brandon Peters battle for House District 22 Seat “The Florida House of Representatives recently redistricted, which means the new representative will represent Levy, Gilchrist and the western portion …
Read More »The Point, Oct. 14, 2022: Parkland parents upset after school shooter receives life sentence instead of death penalty
“What is the death penalty for if not for the murder and killing of 17 people?” asked one parent.
Read More »DeSantis extends early voting by up to 2 days in hurricane-ravaged counties
PUNTA GORDA, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday extended early in-person voting by up to two days for next month’s midterm elections in three largely Republican counties in southwest Florida ravaged by Hurricane Ian. DeSantis also allowed officials there to open “super” voting centers, made it easier to request …
Read More »Rough times ahead: Hurricane Ian batters SW Florida economy
FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Hurricane Ian might have come and gone but it could deliver prolonged blows to the local economy, walloping small businesses heavily dependent on tourists and seasonal residents. The scenes of destruction in southwestern Florida will keep many winter tourists and snowbirds away as well as tasking local residents with rebuilding …
Read More »Sanibel residents return to hurricane-ravaged island by boat, await bridge repair
With Sanibel’s causeway bridge still out of commission from damage during Hurricane Ian, many islanders in southwest Florida scrambled to secure transport by boat this weekend, the first time they were allowed home.
Read More »When a hurricane brings scammers knocking, ‘you are the best protection against fraud’
Hurricane Ian brought the deadliest destruction Florida has seen in years, and with it, likely billions of dollars in damages. Florida officials and property insurers are warning people left vulnerable after the storm to not become victims twice and fall prey to common scams.
Read More »In attempt to better reach devasted Sanibel Island, state awards contract to immediately repair causeway
Sanibel officials have measured 3 million vehicles traveling annually over the Sanibel Causeway, with residents, tourists and employees drawn to the island’s pristine beaches and resorts.
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