Lee County health officials Thursday identified a rabid bat in Estero and warn residents to keep caution. For the Healthy State Collaborative, WGCU’s Farah Dosani reports.

Collier County Commissioners voted against raising property taxes as a way to raise funds for Jackson Laboratory to move into the county.  WGCU’s John Davis reports.

The Charlotte County Health Department recently celebrated the grand opening of its new clinic in Port Charlotte – and it couldn’t have come at a better time.  As the unemployment rate increases, so does the number of people without health insurance.  With no job and no insurance more people are turning to public health clinics as their only alternative.  For the Healthy State Collaborative, WGCU’s Farah Dosani reports.

Collier County is looking to diversify its economic base by becoming a bio-medical research hub.  It wants to start by bringing a new branch of Bar Harbor Maine based Jackson Laboratory to the county.  But to do so, it must come up with 130 million dollars to help launch the project.  And with county coffers low – there’s continued debate over the wisdom of putting so much money into one basket.  WGCU’s Valerie Alker has more.

Why is there so much anti-Americanism in the Muslim world? What do Muslims like and dislike about the West? What do Muslim women really want? A new film being screened in Fort Myers on Saturday evening will address these questions, and more. It’s called “Inside Islam: What a Billion Muslims Really Think.” It’s based on the results of a 5-year study by the Gallup Organization, which interviewed Muslims in 35 countries, as well as in Europe & America. WGCU’s Mike Kiniry spoke to Mohamed Al-Darsani, he’s Imam at the Islamic Center for PEACE in Fort Myers, about the film and its findings. Al-Darsani says there IS a conflict between the West and East, but it’s based almost entirely on misperceptions…

To learn more about the film or the Islamic Center for PEACE, or to register for Saturday’s screening, go to www.ic-peace.com. The event starts at 6:00. There will be a panel discussion after the film.

Maine-based biomedical company, Jackson Laboratory, announced Tuesday that the University of South Florida will be their first medical partner in an effort to expand into Collier County. WGCU’s John Davis reports.

The Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice is funding an education initiative for middle and high school students aimed at helping kids meet rigorous new standards set by the state and that officials say could transform southwest Florida into the next Silicon valley.  WGCU’s John Davis reports.

Despite some legislators attempts, immigration reform won’t be on  the agenda for this week’s special session of the Florida legislature.  But passage of Arizona’s controversial immigration law has prompted mixed reaction from Florida lawmakers and political candidates.  While some accuse the law of being discriminatory, others are pushing for a similar policy in Florida.  WGCU’s John Davis reports.

On a sweltering summer day in Fort Myers a group of about 20 people gather at a tennis court, not to play tennis…but bike polo.  That’s right, polo on bicycles.  The mainly ‘Do It Yourself’ sport has a growing, and enthusiastic following in Southwest Florida, and around the world.  WGCU’s Mike Kiniry has more…

A new report by the Nature Conservancy says restoring the Gulf of Mexico to its pre-spill state won’t be enough to reverse decades of degradation.  WGCU’s Mike Kiniry reports.