Passengers anxious to take advantage of the new terminal at Southwest Florida International will have to wait a little longer. The Lee County Port Authority announced today/Monday it’s delaying the opening. The Midfield Terminal Complex was scheduled to welcome travelers July 20th—or a week from Wednesday. Now it’ll be later… but no word yet on when. Spokeswoman Laska Ryan says it all depends on getting a certificate of occupancy or “C.O.”

“We’ve consulted with the airlines and everyone feels it’s more important to get the terminal done right than to meet a self-imposed deadline. We do plan to announce a date for the new terminal after receiving a C.O.”

Getting that Certificate of Occupancy depends on the project’s completion. The Transportation Security Administration still has to certify the new baggage system, workers still need to install e-ticket kiosks and there’s some last minute training of staff.

The Texas A&M University Hart Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies and the University of Havana are conducting a sea turtle workshop in Cuba this week to help locals improve a 7-year-old novel sea turtle program. Amy Tardif has more. (AUDIO)

Ave Marie University in Naples has established a scholarship – in the name of Terri Schiavo – to benefit young men studying to be priests. Mike Kiniry has more. (Audio)

Forecasters warn residents from Louisiana to Florida to gather their emergency supplies and plan for possible evacuations. Dennis has already been blamed for at least five deaths in Haiti. Governor Jeb Bush cut short his vacation in Maine and declared a state of emergency. Collier County is also under a state of emergency along with its Tropical storm warning. Lee, Charlotte and Sarasota counties are under a tropical storm watch. Amy Tardif has more on preparations for Dennis. (AUDIO)

Sarasota County emergency officials have announced a voluntary evacuation for residents who live on barrier islands, in low-lying areas and in areas prone to flash flooding.

Pineview School, at 501 Old Venice Road in Osprey, will be open as a shelter at 10 a.m. The shelter is pet-friendly for dogs and cats. Pets must be in cages, have current vaccination information and food and supplies.

Residents who are worried about flooding are urged to leave by noon today because the potential for flooding will increase throughout the day. Conditions are expected to worsen late tonight.

Any People with Special Needs who want to request evacuation should contact the Sarasota County Call Center at 941-861-5000.

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Tidal surge on the barrier islands will be between 4 and 6 feet above normal tide with near-shore waves of 10 to 16 feet this afternoon leading to significant beach erosion. There will also be dangerous rip currents through Sunday.

But National Weather Service Forecaster Barry Goldsmith says there might be good news regarding storm surge with the storm tracking farther west.

“If it intensifies again over the Gulf a lot of the wind fields will be wrapping into the storm and will actually help build the seas more out rather than in. Again, this isn’t to guarantee that there won’t be some rise –there definitely will be some rise, there definitely will be some overwash, rip currents and erosion by Sunday but the good news is that the highest of seas that could possibly punch inland are going to be out in the gulf, they’re not going to punch inland.”

He says sea level rise from Sarasota south will be minimal because Dennis is moving quickly. Bigger storm surges will affect Citrus and Levy counties and further up the gulf coast.

Goldsmith says Dennis could intensify over warm gulf waters possibly back into a category four before hitting land anywhere between Florida’s panhandle and Louisiana.

Airlines are announcing some flight cancellations today at Southwest Florida International Airport due to Hurricane Dennis:

AirTran, American/American Eagle, Continental, Delta, Northwest and USAirways have cancelled some flights so far.

Those planning to fly or meet passengers within the next 24 hours are strongly encouraged to confirm the status of their specific flight with their respective airline through the airline 800 numbers or Web site.

Hurricane Dennis is creeping closer to the Florida Keys, and forecasters say the Category Four storm could intensify. The National Hurricane Center in Miami says Dennis is an "extremely dangerous" hurricane. The storm has 135 mile-per-hour winds. At five am its eye was about 320 miles south-southeast of Key West. It's moving northwest at about 16 miles-per-hour.
Dennis is due to enter the Gulf of Mexico late tonight or early tomorrow according to Meterologist Erick Black wit the National Hurricane Center.

"We expect a little weakening as it interacts with Cuba then a re-intensification as it heads in the eastern Gulf."

Forecasters say the storm could drop 4 to 8 inches of rain today over the extreme end of southern Florida. A storm surge of 3 to 6 feet was possible in the lower Keys. Forecasters are warning residents from Louisiana to Florida to get emergency supplies and plan for possible evacuations. They also caution Dennis' damage would range well inland.

The first group of students has arrived at the FSU College of Medicine’s new Sarasota campus.
9 students will be completing their 3rd and 4th years of medical education in Sarasota County - before going on to residency programs. More than 100 local doctors will be involved in their training. School spokeswoman - Nancy Kinnally says the students will “hit the ground running.

“They’re going to start next Monday working hand in hand with local physicians in a variety of specialties – for example on student will be with an OBGYN for the first 4 to 6 weeks and then another student might be with a pediatrician, another student might be with a surgeon. Being a community-based medical school where they’re actually working one on one with local physicians they really do get a front row seat.”

The 9 students have already completed 2 years of classroom training at the school’s main campus in Tallahassee. The Sarasota campus is the FSU College of Medicine’s 3rd community-based campus…joining Orlando and Pensacola. The College - established five years ago by the Florida Legislature - graduated its first class last May.