Even as communities struggle to rebuild from the last hurricane season… preparations are underway for the next one… which begins in a little more than 2 months. Ryan Warner reports. (AUDIO)

Five years into the 30-year plan – a multi-billion dollar restoration of the Everglades is apparently off track…that’s according to a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers internal memo.
Written by Gary Hardesty – one of the Corps’ top Everglades managers – the March 7th e-mail expresses concern about CERP… or the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan.
The memo was leaked to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility – or PEER. The group seeks to raise transparency within government agencies like the Corps and the Environmental Protection Agency. Right now, the Corps is preparing its first 5-year Report to Congress on CERP – and this remarkably candid memo details concerns within the agency that the project has gone astray…and is in danger of losing Congressional support. PEER’s Executive Director – Jeff Rook – says it confirms what he’s heard from external critics, only now it’s from the inside.

“The line that struck me was it’s different from what we told the Congress we would do…and it’s not restoration! It’s the first time we’d heard the Corps admit that this is just a water supply project and not an environmental restoration…and it raises questions not only about this project, but the Corps has been pointing to this project as the model for its future work…and in our minds it raises questions as to whether the Army Corps of Engineers should be in the business of environmental restoration at all.”

Rook says the memo appears to indicate the project is less about restoration and more about ensuring water supply for urban populations and agriculture. The memo also points to growing costs. The Corps’ 5-year report is due to Congress later this Spring.

Charlotte County’s director of emergency management calls it “a crushing blow to the recovery effort.” Wayne Sallade refers to the death of the county’s facilities manager, Mike Sheridan.
Just 44 years old, Sheridan died of a heart attack during a camping trip over the weekend. He joined the county about a year and a half ago. Since hurricane Charley struck, Sheridan oversaw repair and replacement of county buildings. Wayne Sallade commented on the death from New Orleans—where he’s attending the National Hurricane Conference.

You’ve got to believe that the stress of this recovery effort had something to do with that. He was an integral part of critical facilities, the analysis after the storm, getting the emergency repairs done to many of the county buildings and whatnot.“

Sheridan is survived by his wife and two children. Meanwhile, hurricane stress may have driven an 86 year old Port Charlotte man to kill himself. Edward Brodziak had apparently been having trouble with a Fort Myers roofing company. He drove to the roofer’s offices Monday and shot himself.

As of today, traffic-related deaths in Lee County outnumber murders 34 to 3…a fact that’s spurred the county’s new Sheriff to institute a zero tolerance policy for reckless driving.
Lee County’s new Sheriff - Mike Scott - has plenty of issues to contend with – in one of the fastest growing counties in the nation. But he says traffic consistently sits atop the list. Sheriff Scott says the recently implemented “zero tolerance” policy is in response to the growing number of traffic-related fatalities – and traffic-related complaints from citizens.

“What we’re saying in Lee County is if the violation is a moving infraction likely to cause a crash, that no longer for our deputies is it an option to give a verbal or written warning. We want them to write the full-blown citation…if they witness the infraction, write the ticket.”

Sheriff Scott says the program’s been in place for about 2 weeks – and that it’s still too early to gauge results. Charlotte County’s new Sheriff – John Davenport – says traffic is also one of his department’s biggest concerns. Sheriff Davenport says motorists who run red lights are their primary focus – but also, older drivers…

“We are looking at these drivers that possibly cannot driver any more and we’re actually filling out a state form to have them retested. Because it comes to a point where…all of us…when we have to just understand that our reflexes are just not there, and our faculties just aren’t as sharp…and they’re causing problems on the roadway.”

Both sheriffs say when it comes to what they hear about from their communities – traffic is the number one complaint.

A new poll suggests most Americans believe Congress should have stayed out of the Terro Schiavo case. An ABC News poll finds about seven in ten of those surveyed say lawmakers inappropriately intervened in the brain-damaged woman's case. According to both the ABC News poll and a CNN-USA Today Gallup poll, about six in ten Americans say they agree with a Florida judge's decision to remove the feeding tube. To gain a young person’s perspective, Janette Janero asked students at Florida Gulf Coast University to share their opinions of the controversy surrounding Terry Schiavo. (AUDIO)

Spring has sprung. Monday was the first full day of spring in the northern hemisphere. More sunlight means warmer temperatures will soon follow. But, the gulf actually lags behind. National Weather Service Forecaster Tom Dockerty says when spring days turn hot inland – the beaches can provide respite.

“Even though it can be warmer like right now with temperatures in the seventies and eighties, water in the Gulf of Mexico right now is still down in the and 60’s. When you get along the coast or the intra-coastal waterways and get a little bit of breeze off the water at this time of the year even though it’s warm it's still cool at the beaches.

By mid summer, the impact of long days will have warmed the water in the Gulf considerably ---into the upper eighties. The warm Gulf waters help fuel hurricanes. Hurricane Season begins June 1st.

Lee County observes Juvenile Justice week starting Monday, March 21. Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott says juvenile justice week is a time to bring positive attention to the community’s new resources and efforts concerning Juvenile Justice. . .such as the Juvenile Assessment Center.

“Some of the more traditional sentences which many times are more costly than preventing, in other words we wait until then its too late and then we incarcerate them in some kind of a half way house or detention center and that’s just the opposite of what we are tying to accomplish in the juvenile assessment center.”

Sheriff Scott believes not many community members know about the Center . . .

“We are able to offer different alternatives more varied alternatives when a juvenile comes into the assessment center in fact that is by nature the terminology assessment that is exactly what it’s for. Assets exactly what the individual needs and then try to make those resources if not immediately available, available on quick referral.”

The event at the assessment center Monday features speeches from Sheriff Scott, the region’s Chief Probation Officer and the manager of the Florida Addiction Service Adolescent program.
In addition, the Department of Juvenile Justice will display youth essays and posters on crime prevention. The week culminates March 24th with Juvenile Justice day at the state Capital.

The director of the United States Mint was in Southwest Florida today, introducing the nation’s newest coin – the American Bison Nickel. Henrietta Holsman Fore says the image on the new coin is bold and strong – an American Bison on one side – and a new image of Thomas Jefferson on the other. The original “Buffalo” nickel was minted from 1913 and 1938. Fore says this is a limited edition nickel - aimed in part at collectors and commemorating the bi-centennial of the Louisiana Purchase and Louise and Clark Expedition. Fore says since the introduction of the State quarters two years ago – there’s been a renaissance in coin collecting.

“The 50 state quarters and nickels has created millions of new collectors – 130 million Americans are collecting – almost one in every household – it’s a really really popular family activity. They they are educational, you learn about American history and they are multigenerational – parents do it with children and grandparents do it too.”

The American Bison Nickel is the third of four nickels in the Lewis and Clark series. 31 of the 50 states have commemorated in quarters. A new one is minted every ten weeks – and for ten weeks only. They will be coined for two more years. Mint Director Henrietta Holsman Fore says lessons plans – for teachers and parents are available at the website – U.S. mint.gov.

FLORIDA LAWMAKERS HAD JUST BEGUN TWO-WEEK EASTER BREAK LATE LAST WEEK. BUT OVER THE WEEKEND THEY SCRAMBLED BACK TO WASHINGTON TO PASS LEGISLATION AIMED AT EXTENDING TERRI SHIAVO’S LIFE. BENJAMIN SHAW FOLLOWED THE EVENTS FROM CAPITOL HILL. (AUDIO)

Former President George H.W. Bush and former first lady, Barbara Bush joined Governor Jeb Bush in Naples Friday night… for the fifth annual celebration of reading. The event raised $1.5 million for the Governor’s Family Literacy Initiative. Florida’s Celebration of reading has funded 115 family literacy programs throughout the state since 2001. Lieutenant Governor Toni Jennings says more than 9000 Floridians have learned to read in that time, thanks to the program. Jennings, who’s also attending the event, says 92% of the people in the program are parents who wanted to improve their own reading skills, so they can help their children.

“There can’t be anything more frustrating to a parent than a child come home from school and say mom or dad can you help me read this, can you help me with this problem and the parent themselves not be able to do that. Most of the participants in this program live in this country and average of only 8 years before they become participants. More than half of them do not have English as their first language and only about 25% of the parents speak English at home. We’re trying to make sure that Florida families assimilate into our culture and yet keep their own.”

The governor and his family have been outspoken advocates of literacy nationwide… as has the current first lady, Laura Bush, a former librarian. A new grant will provide businesses with matching funds to offer six-month paid internships to 16 adult students in Southwest Florida. The initiative will also form a committee to compile the best practices of grass-roots programs, including the Immokalee Foundation, to develop a pilot for program curriculum, assessment, teacher training, recruitment and retention.