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Visitors to the Florida Keys now have a way to experience the underwater ecosystem without getting wet. The six million-dollar Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center opened Saturday. The 6,400-square-foot center showcases the underwater and upland habitats that characterize the Keys, with an emphasis on North America's only living contiguous barrier coral reef that parallels the island chain.
James Connaughton is the chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality and keynote speaker at the opening.

“The eco discovery center is one of the most important ways to introduce the public to some of the nation’s treasures including the Florida keys. By educating the public before they access the resource they can appreciate the resource and assure it’s conservation and availability for future generations.”

Through interactive and touch-screen modules, text and audio/video components, visitors to the center can explore the Keys' hardwood hammock, mangrove, patch reef, seagrass, deep shelf and Dry Tortugas environments.

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The Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center is now open, allowing visitors to experience the underwater ecosystem without getting wet.
The 6,400-square-foot, 6 million dollar center showcases the habitats that characterize the Keys, especially North America's only living contiguous barrier coral reef. Scenes playing on an underwater video camera, allow guests to emulate the work of marine biologists observing the annual coral spawn and monitoring the health of a coral reef. James Connaughton is the chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality and he was keynote speaker at the opening.

“The beauty of the eco-discovery center is you can get under the water without getting wet but it’s going to be an inspiration so that when you do get to the water you’re going to treat it in a sensible way and again make it available for future generations.”

Exhibition highlights include a walk-through version of the Aquarius Undersea Lab, a manned underwater research laboratory located off Key Largo. Visitors can hear actual recordings from the lab, take interactive video tours of the Keys' undersea world and view indigenous fish and sea creatures through video screens shaped like portholes.

Approximately two dozen servicemen and women — many wounded -- cycled across the Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys Friday.
The event, called Soldier Ride, is staged to provide inspiration and raise funds for their injured comrades recovering in American military hospitals. Although many riders are missing one or more limbs after combat injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan, they used bicycles with special adaptive equipment to participate. Project organizer John Melia is the executive director of Wounded Warrior.

“Well the wounded warrior project is really just a national effort to aid wounded service members coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan who suffered grave, severe injuries. We have a sports program where we do 62 events around the country, sporting events. It’s a small part of what we do but it’s a very important part because men and women who get to use their bodies again in a meaningful way seem to rehabilitate quicker than those who don’t.”

His group, The Wounded Warrior Project is a nonprofit, apolitical group whose mission is to raise public awareness and support for the needs of severely injured members of the military. Money raised funds basic comfort items for wounded soldiers upon their return to the U.S., conduct adaptive sporting events and clinics, transport soldiers and their families between home and hospital and develop supportive peer-mentoring programs.

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Wounded servicemen and women cycled across the Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys Friday to raise money to help their injured comrades. Although many riders are missing one or more limbs after combat injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan, they used bicycles with special adaptive equipment to participate in Soldier Ride.
Angel Barceenas is a solider/cyclist from Los Angeles.

“When I first got injured I always told myself I was going to be able to get back up and do the same thing again. Now I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to do that. But coming out here and proving that I could do it, not only to myself but to other injured soldiers, marines, sailors or air force that it can be done, it’s possible. It’s a great feeling to be able to accomplish a run like this.”

The Keys cycling events were organized by the Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit, group whose mission is to raise public awareness and support for the needs of severely injured members of the military. The organization's cross-country and local bicycle trips provide rehabilitative opportunities for injured soldiers.

One of Florida’s largest electric utilities may build a new nuclear power plant in the sunshine state. It says it’s needed to meet a demand for electricity that’s expected to increase 25 percent in the next ten years. Environmentalists say not so fast. WGCU’s Valerie Alker prepared this report.

A film produced for British television with chilling parallels to current events has its North American Premier Saturday on Sanibel. Wendy Humphrey reports.

Sanibel vacation packages; pastel paintings; pot holders; even bags full of shells supposedly from Sanibel’s beaches…all items up for sale at the online auction site eBay. But a Port St. Lucie Man found out the hard way that selling SAND from the barrier island is against the law.

While it is legal to take shell casings from Sanibel’s beaches…it’s illegal to remove living shells, starfish. It’s also illegal to remove the sand.

The City of Sanibel got a tip through their online comment form about a man in Port St. Lucie who was offering up ‘Genuine Sanibel Sand’ for 7-dollars a package on eBay.

Judy Zimomra is City Manager.

“Sanibel is one of the top 2 shelling destinations in the world. We have a very unique ecosystem on the beach. And if people decide to come up and harvest our sand and take it to other locations to use in construction material or to use in their homes as landscaping, etc. you’d be disrupting that entire ecosystem on the beach.”

Zimomra says they contacted eBay, which immediately took down the posting. Sanibel Chief of Police Bill Tomlinson then sent the seller a letter warning him that failure to cease and desist could result in fines or even jail time.

Removing sand, or live shells or animals, from any Florida beach can result in penalties up to 60 days in jail - and up to a 500-dollar fine per occurrence, per day.

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A Port St. Lucie man is on notice with Sanibel authorities…after trying to sell sand from the barrier island on the online auction site eBay.

The City of Sanibel was tipped off through its online comment form the day after Christmas.

City Manager Judy Zimomra says they issued a warning, this time…

“The penalty is up to 60 days in jail and up to a $500 fine per occurrence per day. So he’s now on written warning, and if for some reason he chose to ignore that warning we would be prepared to prosecute. It would be up to a judge to convict him and determine a sentence.”

Zimomra says eBay took down the posting immediately – once its illegality was explained.

And she says it didn’t really surprise her because Sanibel has such a recognized name around the world – and lots of people are looking for ways to make a buck.

It’s illegal to remove live shells or sand from all of Florida’s beaches.

Expect near record warm temperatures this weekend across Southwest Florida – ahead of a cold front meteorologists say will blow through on Monday.

Forecasters at the National Weather Service in Ruskin say there’s a front on its way – and that it’s bringing cold temperatures with it. But don’t get out your sweaters until Tuesday or so. And between now and then, keep your shorts on.

Meteorologist - Jennifer Colson – says the chance the front will stall is slim.

“It really looks like it’s going to move well through the state and actually make it into Cuba and that far south with pretty strong pressure building in behind it. So at this point and time it looks like it’s a pretty good bet. We’ll also probably be getting near record temperatures over the weekend ahead of the front, so the warm weather will continue.”

Southwest Florida saw the 3rd warmest December on record – with average temperatures nearly 4 degrees above normal.

Colson says that’s thanks to the El Nino weather pattern – which typically translates to milder…and wetter…winters. And she says although it will cool off next week, that doesn’t mean an end to this winter’s unseasonably warm weather.

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Last month was one of the warmest on record in Southwest Florida.

Forecasters say the so-called El Nino weather pattern is behind the warm, wet weather. When El Nino is occurring Florida typically sees milder winters, and less active hurricane seasons.

Jennifer Colson is a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Ruskin.

“It was the 3rd warmest December with a temperature of 70.9 degrees. The normal average temperature for December is 66.4 – so it was about 4 degrees above normal.”

Colson says a cool change is on the way, though. A cold front is expected to move through Monday and Monday night. .

She says Southwest Florida should see highs around 70 – and overnight lows in the upper 40’s – starting Tuesday.

The City of North Port is poised to start fining residents who illegally water their lawns.

Most of North Port’s water comes from the Peace River. Dry conditions have reduced the river’s average flow by two thirds. The largest residential use of water is for lawn irrigation. So North Port Public Utilities officials are enforcing water use restrictions – with warnings and fines. Cindy Mic is North Port’s utility director.

“the first time will be a warning – giving everybody a chance with the literature and an explanation of why its important to conserve and abide by the water restrictions and the second time would be a hundred dollars fine and the third offense can range between 200 and five hundred dollars…”

Resident in North Port, Venice and unincorporated areas Sarasota county can water their lawns once a week - before 10:00 AM and after 4 PM.

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Low water levels in the Peace River are leading officials to step-up enforcement of water use restrictions in the City of North Port. North Port Utility Director Cindy Mic says first time offenders will get warnings and some education about the need to conserve water during Florida’s dry season.

“a lot of times we’ll just knock on their door and explain the watering restrictions and give them the opportunity to choose the right day to water correctly. the main push for this is education. we want to educate the public on the importance of water conservation and conserving water for environmental reasons, and their pocketbooks”

Residents caught watering after they’ve received a warning will be fined. Fines start at 100 dollars and increase with subsequent violations. Lawn irrigation is limited to once a week in Sarasota County, except in communities using reclaimed water. The rules do apply to residents who irrigate with their own well water.

Charley Crist became Florida’s 44th Governor yesterday. In an Inaugural address that lasted about twenty minutes, the Republican career politician said as governor of the nation’s fourth most populous state, he wants to put politics aside.

“put the common good above partisan politics. We will work together to do what is right and reject labels, red, blue, liberal, conservative, democrat, republican. There’s only one label that really matters – it’s Floridian.”

Crist says one of his first acts of Governor will be to create the Office of Open Government to ensure that the people have access to their leaders and the workings of their elected officials. And he says property insurance and property tax reforms are his top priorities.

“Our state cannot be a place of opportunity if we cannot fulfill the American promise of owning an affordable home. We need action and our people deserve relief. And most of all we need comprehensive reform. Not stop-gap measures. No band-aids, no finger in the dike. We need permanent real solutions for the people.”

Governor Crist will have the opportunity to take a leadership role in adopting those reforms when the state legislature meets in special session in two weeks. But House minority leader Dan Gelber of Miami Beach says finding real solutions to the property tax and insurance issues will be tricky…

“The devil’s going to be in the details, and that’s not going to be an overused phrase when it comes to how you solve the property tax problem. You can’t do something that merely cements in inequities, and I think what he came out with on the campaign trail really wasn’t a solution. But I suspect he’s going to come up with different alternatives…as will the Democrats and Republicans in the legislature.”

Before being elected governor, Charley Crist served as state Senator…state education commissioner…and later as attorney general.

Florida will have a new Governor tomorrow. But with the changing of the guard may come a change in the state's status. On Tuesday, Charlie Crist will take the oath of office, succeeding Republican Jeb Bush, who has served as governor of Florida for eight years. But his departure may mean less clout for the state with the President's office according to U-S-F Political Scientist Dr. Darryl Paulson.

“You know when Jeb went to Washington, he didn't stay at the Holiday Inn, he stayed at the White House. And when he asked his brother, it was pretty well assured he would get what he asked for, so I think that close personal relationship is gone.”

Paulson also says Crist's decision not to appear with the President in Tallahassee during the general election created a quote "testy" relationship between Crist and the president. But Paulson doesn't expect that to cause long term problems.

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Early on in the Republican gubernatorial primary, Charlie Crist and his rival debated over who was more like Governor Jeb Bush. But when he takes the oath of office tomorrow, Crist is expected to be a very different kind of leader. U-S-F political scientist Dr. Darryl Paulson says part of the reason is that Bush has been such a dominating governor, by controlling the Legislature, setting the agenda and determining how to acheive it.

“To me it seems like Charlie Crist is going to be much more of a consensus governor, that he's going to try to involve the Legislature to a much greater extent in whatever plans he wants to incorporate. And not only that I think he'll be the kind of governor who will probably reach out to a broader spectrum of people, including Democrats in order to achieve the objectives of his administration.”

Crist has already suprised some by selecting Democrat Bob Butterworth to lead the Department of Children and Families. Paulson says if Crist can resolve the state's problems with property taxes and property insurance, he almost assure his re-election four years from now.