An internationally recognized composer and pianist with ties to Southwest Florida has passed away. WGCU’s Valerie Alker reports.

The Southwest Florida Chapter of Mensa is thriving, meeting every two weeks – discussing brainy topics. The Mensa Society formed in 1946 when two strangers on a train travelling through the English countryside, a lawyer and a medical researcher, struck up a conversation. They enjoyed themselves so much they decided to start a club. The social organization for smart people now claims more than 100 thousand members in 100 countries. WGCU’s Valerie Alker recently attended a local Mensa meeting and has this report.

Settlement negotiations are underway between Florida officials and the family of Franklin Weekley. The 18-year-old Weekley disappeared in 2002 from the state-run Sunland hospital in rural Jackson County. Skeletal remains were found in 2004 near the facility, but despite overwhelming evidence remains were his, for almost three years the state refused to acknowledge he’d even died. Now the family’s suing; the state is apologizing; and Governor Charlie Crist has told the family there will be a full investigation. Meanwhile, there has been little said about who Franklin Weekley was, and how he ended up in state care. WUSF’s John Sepulvado has that story.

The woman who founded Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota celebrated her 85th birthday in a big way Friday night. Dr. Eugenie Clark has inspired countless young women to follow her lead making landmark contributions to marine science for the past 50 years. And she used the party at Mote as a send-off – she’s headed back to New Guinea Monday for yet another exploration. WGCU’s Amy Tardif reports.

A part-time Sanibel resident who was the first women in the U.S. to a fly commercial jumbo jet is working on another feat - the expansion of her African wildlife sanctuary. Wendy Humphrey reports.

A local clergyman travels to Washington DC Saturday to take part in a march protesting the United States invasion of Iraq four years ago.

Reverend Wayne Robinson of the All Faiths Unitarian Congregation in Ft. Myers will take part in the action organized by the group “Christian Peace Witness”. It begins with a 7 PM service at the National Cathedral followed by a candlelight procession to the White House. Robinson says about four thousand people will take part….and some, including him, will risk arrest.

“we will have a candle light prayer vigil encircling the white house and around 10:30 or so there are 700 clergy who will be in clergy attire who in waves of 100 are going to engage in civil disobedience. the part of Pennsylvania avenue that they no longer allow you to be on after 9-11 we’re going to go in there to kneel to pray and when ordered to leave we’re not going to leave”

Robinson, who is also an adjunct faculty member at Florida Gulf Coast University – in civil engagement – says marches take place all the time and often go nearly unreported. He says civil-disobedience “creates tension by direct action” thus raising the profile of the event.
Robinson plans to be back in his pulpit in Ft. Myers Sunday morning.

Florida Gulf Coast University hosted a speaker Thursday night who related his struggle for justice and human rights at the U.S. detainee camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

James Yee is a former U. S. Army Captain and Muslim chaplain at Guantanamo Bay. He’s also the author of the recently published “For God and Country: Faith and Patriotism Under Fire”.

Yee talks about the prisoners and his own ordeal, in which he was falsely imprisoned for being a terrorist spy for Guantanamo prisoners after raising concerns about abuses. The third-generation Chinese American and West Point graduate who converted to Islam says his life changed after serving 76 days in a naval brig accused of espionage.

“After suffering through this harrowing ordeal, being falsely accused, threatened with the death penalty and being treated like an enemy combatant. I was put under a tremendous amount of surveillance and I even learned recently that my banking records, my credit and financial records were probed into by the Pentagon’s use of what they call the National Security letter. So I suspect that I will be under some type of government surveillance for the rest of my life.”

All criminal charges were eventually dropped. Yee’s speech is tonight at 7 in the Student Union ballroom at FGCU.

The father of the Wall Street Journal reporter killed in Pakistan in 2002 by terrorists while working to track Al-Quaida operatives after 9/11, spoke in Naples Sunday night.

Judea Pearl was the keynote speaker at a fundraiser for The Holocaust Museum of Southwest Florida. Following his son’s death, Judea Pearl formed the Daniel Pearl Foundation. He says it’s committed to promoting cross-cultural understanding using the three vocations in which Daniel excelled: journalism, music and dialogue.

“We bring Muslim journalists on fellowships to work in US newsrooms. We train hundreds of high school students in the art of balanced and objective international reporting and we bring together hundreds of musicians in musical concerts worldwide to promote intercultural respect. And we also sponsor public dialogue between Jews and Muslims to explore common ground and to air grievances.”

The music day is in October around Daniel’s birthday. 400 concerts are planned in 39 countries around the world dedicated to the ideals of tolerance and humanity.

Judea Pearl, and his wife, Ruth, are co-editors of the book, “I am Jewish: Personal Reflections Inspired by the Last Words of Daniel Pearl,” winner of the 2004 National Jewish Book Award for Anthologies.

Click these links to hear the Ken Farmer interview in its entirety.

The Marco Island Historical Society hosts its Spring Appraisal Fair Saturday. Along with local experts – three appraisers from PBS’s Antiques Road Show will be on hand to examine heirlooms and treasures. We spoke to Ken Farmer who’s been with the program since 1997. He gave us gave a glimpse of what goes on off-camera at the Road Show.