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Beginning tomorrow, commercial airline passengers should expect some changes in the way they’re screened before boarding.

Officials with the Transportation Security Administration – or TSA - say the changes are necessary to allow screeners to better focus on serious terrorist threats.

Passengers are now allowed to bring scissors with blades no longer than 4 inches…and screwdrivers less than 7 inches. Box cutters, ice picks, lighters, ninja-style throwing stars and tools with long cutting edges are still NOT permitted.

TSA spokeswoman - Lauren Stover – says the rule changes reflect security upgrades put into place since the September 11th terrorist attacks.
“We are now well beyond 911 where we’ve got layers of security in place. All of the cockpit doors have been hardened to protect against anyone gaining access to the cabin area. Scissors under 4 inches don’t pose the threat to us in civil aviation that they may have posed post 911.”

Stover says several recent studies found nearly a quarter of screeners’ time was being spent on these newly excluded items.

She says travelers should expect more additional screenings – like pat downs and shoe inspections…

“With these changes we want the public to know that they may be subject to more random searches and maybe some pat downs…if we find somebody’s wearing something very bulky that may be obscuring something. So just want people to understand that we’ve got new changes in place so our screeners can focus on the bigger threats, which are explosives.”

Some other holiday travel tips to keep in mind…don’t wrap carry-on presents in case they require inspection.

And because explosive detection systems used on checked bags can damage unprocessed film - be sure to pack it in carry-on luggage.

Collier County officials are celebrating a big increase in the rate of recycling. Last month, Collier County residents diverted more than 3-thousand tons of garbage from the landfill. That’s a 77-percent increase over November 2004. County Public Utilities Spokeswoman Margie Hapke says much of the spike is due to new, larger recycling bins. The carts can hold three times as much material as the old bins and every county resident got a new one in October. Hapke says it’s all about preserving the landfill.

“The longer that we can keep the landfill open and accepting just garbage. The longer we’re going to be able to control disposal costs. If we ever lose our landfill, disposal costs are just going to skyrocket.”

Hapke says the landfill is projected to reach capacity in 25 years...that’s far better than a few years ago when it was thought the landfill could only sustain two or three years. She says if Collier residents keep recycling at this rate, the life of the landfill will only get longer

Southwest Florida birders are joining tens of thousands of their colleagues across the nation by participating in the annual Christmas Bird Count.

The count is a long-standing program of the National Audubon Society. Volunteers follow specific routes through designated areas about 15-miles in diameter. They count every bird they see or hear for the entire day.

Data collected over the past century allows researchers and biologists to study long-term trends in bird populations across North America.

Wildlife biologist for the Ten-thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge - Terry Doyle – says in southwest Florida, the count reflects the rapidly changing landscape.

“For instance the Naples Christmas Bird Count has been going on for at least 30 years…and there’s been a lot of changes in that habitat within that count circle. If you just looked at that you’d see some dramatic changes over that 30 year period.”

The Bird Count took place on Christmas Day of 1900 as an alternative to a popular event called the “side hunt” – during which teams spent the day trying to shoot as many birds as possible.

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The Harley Davidson Traveling Museum is touring Florida. The 18 wheel semi is filled with classic Harley Davidson Motorcycles, memorabilia and more. WGCU's Valerie Alker paid a visit and has this report.

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