The Homeland Security Act of 2002 made FEMA part of the Department of Homeland Security. Florida Lawmakers say this was a mistake – and they’re pushing to make agency independent again. Benjamin Shaw Reports from Capitol Hill. (AUDIO)

A national association fighting the progressive neuro-degenerative disease, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is opening a chapter in Southwest Florida. Amy Tardif has more. (AUDIO)

Southwest Florida schools are absorbing students displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Amy Tardif reports. (AUDIO)

At a special meeting of the Lee County School Board Wednesday, Superintendent, James Browder, discussed how hurricane Katrina could affect his district. Ryan Warner reports. (AUDIO)

A federal grand jury has RE-indicted a former Lee County school bus driver—on charges he traveled to the Philippines to create child pornography. 59-year-old Donald J. Deverso—of Cape Coral—was arrested in April, after Customs agents found more than a hundred photos of young girls on his digital camera. A search of his home turned up more images. He’s been in jail since April 14th. Deverso now faces additional charges… that he went to the Philippines in October of 2004 to take pornographic images of children. According to investigators, he also visited Japan, Guam and South Korea. Deverso’s trial is scheduled for September. If convicted, he faces a minimum of 15 years in prison.

Around the world, an estimated 2-million children are forced into the commercial sex trade – according to officials at World Vision…a global child advocacy group. It’s been illegal since the mid 1990s for U-S citizens to engage in sex with underage children abroad… but prosecutors had to prove that men traveled out of the country with the intent to have sex with kids. Head of World Vision’s “Child Sex Tourism Prevention Project” - Joe Metamonno says a law – passed in 2000 – makes it easier to prosecute violators, and doubles the maximum penalty to 30 years in prison.

“The U-S Government is actively going after these guys now. U-S Immigration and Customs Enforcement – otherwise known as ICE – is aggressively going after these men, both overseas while their committing the act, and here in the United States. They’ve had over 20 arrests already in just the past 2 years of Americans who’ve committed this crime.”

It’s estimated that a quarter of sex tourists who seek out children hail from the U-S. Metamonno says the problem mostly takes place in developing countries. People who know someone who’s had sex with a child abroad should contact Immigration & Customs Enforcement – or visit World Vision’s website at stopchildtourism-dot-org.

The Homeland Security Act of 2002 made FEMA part of the Department of Homeland Security. Florida Lawmakers say this was a mistake – and they’re pushing to make agency independent again. Benjamin Shaw Reports from Capitol Hill. (AUDIO)

Lee Memorial Health System is in the top ten of a nationwide list of best employers for older workers released Wednesday. It’s number 10 on the American Association of Retired Persons’ list of Best Employers for Employees over 50. The AARP list recognizes employers who demonstrate outstanding policies and practices for recruiting, engaging, and retaining older workers. Doug Heinlen is a volunteer spokesman for AARP from Sarasota. He says Lee Memorial Hospital ranks high for its groundbreaking employment strategies:

“They seem to have been very innovative in recruiting and handling older workers in several areas from what I know. They use some senior placement agencies that actually seek out and recruit older workers, and they seem to have created a culture there that respects older workers and kind of enhances their value really.”

Lee Memorial won a place among the top ten for its willingness to provide older workers with flexible schedules, tuition assistance, six months off with benefits for winter residents, and phased retirement. One other employer was selected for the list from Florida – Brevard Public Schools.

240 residents of Tallevast - a small community midway between Sarasota and Bradenton - are suing Lockheed Martin over the effects of groundwater contamination, from the company’s weapons plant. Tallevast has claimed a connection for years between contamination from the plant - and symptoms among its residents—including seizures, migraines, and even cancer.
Two studies are currently underway – one by Lockheed Martin, the other by the Florida Department of Health – to determine what effect, if any, the contamination’s had on residents.
St. Petersburg attorney - Bruce Denson – says the suit makes two claims…that contamination made people sick, and devalued their property.

“Both of them are very serious claims – I think that probably the property value claims are more extensive than the injury, but the injury claims are more severe than the property value claims. So there’s a lot at stake for this community.”

Denson says there’s no dispute over the fact that groundwater is contaminated… but there IS over whether a link exists between contamination and illness. The plant operated for nearly 40 years in Tallevast—before Lockheed bought it in 1996. The company then discovered the grounds were contaminated with arsenic and other potentially dangerous chemicals - and then sold the property to another company. Besides Lockheed Martin, the suit also names several other companies, including Wire-Pro – the current owners of the site – and Loral Corp, which first owned the plant.

Red Cross Volunteers from across the nation—and southwest Florida—are heading into the destruction zone—left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina… and new volunteers are signing on. Valerie Alker has more. (AUDIO)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is out with a new plan to restore fresh water flow to Everglades National Park and Florida Bay. Amy Tardif describes the decade-long, controversial effort to redesign the Tamiami Trail. (AUDIO)