Charlie Crist is the first Florida governor to talk about global climate change in his State of the State address.

He told lawmakers it's "one of the most important issues we will face this century"…especially in low-lying Florida.

“With almost 12-hundred miles of coastlines, and a majority of our citizens living near that coastline, Florida is more vulnerable to rising ocean levels and violent weather patterns than any other state. Yet we’ve done little to understand and address the root causes of this problem, or frankly even acknowledge that the problem even exists. No longer.”

Crist said he would call a special summit of experts after the legislative session to study how Florida can respond to what he called this "monumental challenge."

He also greatly expanded the call to make alternative energy a priority, asking the Legislature for 68-million-dollars in incentives for ethanol and bio-diesel projects.

A Key West bicycle tour guide tooted Sabre Dance on a conch shell to win the men's division of the annual Conch Shell Blowing in Key West this weekend.

53-year-old Lloyd Mager, who began blowing the conch shell on his tours about 10 years ago, successfully blew the 1942 classical arrangement, crediting his win to his experience as a junior high school saxophone player and intense recent conch shell blowing training.

“I’ve been concentrating and focusing on getting out clearer and concise loud, crisp notes. I played saxophone and trumpet in junior high school in NJ about 45 years ago so it helps to have a little bit of the right ambiture.”

The contest was a highlight of the annual Old Island Days Festival that ends in May and celebrates Key West's cultural heritage.

Blowing the fluted, pink-lined shell has been a Florida Keys tradition since the early 1800s, when seafaring settlers used it as a signaling device. Key West natives are called "Conchs".

“Ordinary people are the weapons of genocide”. That single idea was the underlying principle behind a presentation at Florida Gulf Coast University Friday.

Dr. James Waller is a social psychologist, and a professor in the field of Genocide Studies at Whitworth College in Spokane Washington. He’s also author of the book Becoming Evil: How Ordinary People Commit Mass Killings and Genocide.

He says he hopes people leave his lectures with more questions than answers…and an understanding of one fact: ordinary people are the ones who commit genocide.

“I think when we realize that…that’s part of the antidote to also realizing that we can be the end of genocide. I mean, it’s not something out of our control. We’re the ones doing it. We’re the ones committing the killing. And we can be the ones to stop that and to structure a society where…not that it’s never going to happen again, but that it’s less likely to happen than it’s been over the past.”

Waller ways during the 20th century an estimated 60 million people died through acts of genocide.

Waller’s presentation is one of several events surrounding a photography exhibit currently on display at the Holocaust Museum of Southwest Florida in Naples called Sudan: The Cost of Silence. The exhibit runs through March 9th.

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An author and professor of Genocide Studies spoke at Florida Gulf Coast University today – as part of a series of events organized by the Holocaust Museum of Southwest Florida hoping to draw attention to the current genocide in the Sudan.

He told a packed house that it’s people…just like you and me…who are the killers in every genocide. And until that fact is understood, he says, unthinkable acts of mass murder will continue happening around the world.

Education Director at the Holocaust Museum - Amy Macera (Mass-air-uh) - says while her job can be emotionally difficult…being around the young people who visit helps balance that out.

“Working with students is fantastic, particularly middle school students. They’re really starting to grapple with these questions of what is there place in this world…and what they should be doing to make meaning…and they hook onto this issue of the Holocaust and genocide and it’s really inspiring to see them get fired up about it and say, you know what, this is something I’m going to do something about in my life.”

The Holocaust Museum of Southwest Florida in Naples began as a student art exhibit called Out of the Ashes. Today’s lecture coincides with an exhibit of black & white photography at the museum called: Sudan, the cost of silence. It runs through March 9th.

An almost seven-year void will be filled Thursday when commercial air service returns to the middle Florida Keys.

Delta Connection’s daily, nonstop roundtrip service from Atlanta to Florida Keys Marathon Airport will begin. For almost four years, businesses and residents of the Keys worked with Monroe County officials to attract airlines back to the Marathon airport terminal. The last regularly scheduled commercial flight departed Marathon in April 2000.

Monroe County Airports Director Peter Horton says the route is already very popular for a new market.

“Delta told me that February is booked at 63% and March is booked at 67%. That’s absolutely outstanding for a new market and most importantly the bookings in Key West remain strong showing that we’re not siphoning passengers from Key West to Marathon. It’s a totally new market.”

Almost 4 million dollars was raised to refurbish the airport. County officials agreed to waive ramp fees, provide rent-free counter space and free parking.

The event almost didn’t happen after the Transportation Security Administration first said it wouldn’t staff the refurbished airport. It later reversed the decision after the community protested and enlisted the help of local Congressmen and women.

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Commercial airline service returns to Marathon in the Florida Keys Thursday after a 7 year absence.

In 2000 some small Florida airports including in Vero Beach, Daytona and Marathon lost their commercial air service. Marathon tried 3 times before succeeding in 2005 in getting federal money to entice an airline to come back. Now Delta Connection begins daily non-stop service to Atlanta.

Monroe County Airports Director Peter Horton says he had to work out a deal to get the Transportation Security Administration to allow it.

“So that we could have legacy carriers or first line carriers serve us and not become an economic burden to the TSA and we did that through a program called the SPP or the screening partnership program.”

The Marathon airport is in the center of the Florida Keys which means that virtually all of the Keys are within an hour-and-a-half in any direction.

Delta's new service is to be operated by a regional jet that accommodates 40 passengers.

Testers from Consumer Reports Magazine are in Ft. Myers this month, checking out lawn-mowers. They’re compiling information for the non-profit magazine’s May Issue. Peter Sawchuck is a program leader for consumer reports, specializing in testing outdoor equipment and power tools.

"this year we’ll be testing ten different lawn tractors – but we will also test about thirty walk behind mowers. Every year we vary it – one year we’ll do more lawn tractors – last year I did 25 lawn tractors and about 15 walk behind mowers – this year I’m doing more walk behind mowers and fewer lawn tractors."

Fort Myers has been the test site for years – selected because, thanks to irrigation, the grass is always green. The May editon of Consumer Reports Magazine in April – just in time spring showers and the mowing season.

Representatives from Consumer Reports are in Ft. Myers this month – testing lawn-mowers. They’re compiling information for magazine’s May issue. WGCU’s Valerie Alker reports.

Lee County Library patrons can now download audio books and videos directly to their portable media players… over the Internet.

Library officials say it’s another step in a trend toward more digital libraries. Actual audio books – what used to be called ‘books on tape’ – are available for download to MP3 devices, PDA’s and even some newer cell phones.

All it takes is a high speed Internet connection, a library card… and a bit of technical knowledge.

Heather O’Connell is community relations coordinator for the Lee County Library System.

“Right from the front page of the library website you’ll see Download Library. Once you click on that you’ve got very clear instructions on where to go from there. And you can see the different types of audio books and videos that we have available. And we also have some help to get you started.”

O’Connell says it does require a quick software download – but that it’s really quite simple. There’s one caveat - it only works on PC’s – not MAC’s, which includes iPods.

Right now about 4-thousand titles are available for download. Or patrons can come into the Lakes Regional Library in south Fort Myers and plug in their device and download it directly. O’Connell says one of the best parts of this service…no late fees. The downloaded files automatically deactivate once they’re due back.

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The Lee County public library system has joined the growing number of libraries offering audio book downloads directly across the Internet.

All it takes is a high speed connection and library card.

Community relations coordinator – Heather O’Connell – says the rate of audio books and videos being checked out has been on the rise in recent years…and now with new technologies like MP3 players becoming more popular…

“Our patrons have been telling us that they’ve been using mp3 players and that they wanted to start getting their audio books to their mp3 players and their PDA’s. So this is a good way to catch up on those recent titles, and do it in a format that’s very easy for you, and very convenient.”

O’Connell says there’s no chance for late fees – because at the end of the loan period, titles will expire and be automatically 'returned' to the library.

There are about 4-thousand titles so far, but O’Connell says the list will grow. The same service is also available from the Collier and Charlotte County Library systems.

Approximately two dozen servicemen and women — many wounded -- cycled across the Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys Friday.
The event, called Soldier Ride, is staged to provide inspiration and raise funds for their injured comrades recovering in American military hospitals. Although many riders are missing one or more limbs after combat injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan, they used bicycles with special adaptive equipment to participate. Project organizer John Melia is the executive director of Wounded Warrior.

“Well the wounded warrior project is really just a national effort to aid wounded service members coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan who suffered grave, severe injuries. We have a sports program where we do 62 events around the country, sporting events. It’s a small part of what we do but it’s a very important part because men and women who get to use their bodies again in a meaningful way seem to rehabilitate quicker than those who don’t.”

His group, The Wounded Warrior Project is a nonprofit, apolitical group whose mission is to raise public awareness and support for the needs of severely injured members of the military. Money raised funds basic comfort items for wounded soldiers upon their return to the U.S., conduct adaptive sporting events and clinics, transport soldiers and their families between home and hospital and develop supportive peer-mentoring programs.

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Wounded servicemen and women cycled across the Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys Friday to raise money to help their injured comrades. Although many riders are missing one or more limbs after combat injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan, they used bicycles with special adaptive equipment to participate in Soldier Ride.
Angel Barceenas is a solider/cyclist from Los Angeles.

“When I first got injured I always told myself I was going to be able to get back up and do the same thing again. Now I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to do that. But coming out here and proving that I could do it, not only to myself but to other injured soldiers, marines, sailors or air force that it can be done, it’s possible. It’s a great feeling to be able to accomplish a run like this.”

The Keys cycling events were organized by the Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit, group whose mission is to raise public awareness and support for the needs of severely injured members of the military. The organization's cross-country and local bicycle trips provide rehabilitative opportunities for injured soldiers.

Please bear with us as we try to diagnose our on-air signal problems.
You can listen to a clear signal live on line but clicking on ListenLive on our home page.

The Tamiami Trail was once considered a Scenic Highway but it may not stay that way. Now advocates are trying to keep the designation.
The League of Women Voters of Collier County holds a public session today on the need to have the Tamiami Trail remain a Florida Scenic Highway. It was first designated in 1998 from Collier Seminole State Park to the Miami Dade county line. Since then more than nine million dollars of improvements have been brought in. But in 2005 the designation was put in jeopardy, says Ellee Kreir, executive director of the Southwest Florida land preservation trust. She says if those who want the designation dropped win, there will be ramifications.

“The roadway per say will not change but we will cease to have a local voice that can comment on plans. We will cease to have the ability to use the designation to get higher rankings for grant applications. The designation will not allow us to form what is called a corridor management entity and it is that entity that provides a voice for citizens as to what happens in that corridor.”

Kreir has been in the forefront of the effort to try to get the designation reconsidered by the county’s Metropolitan Planning Organization this winter. The luncheon about the highway is at the Norris Center in Naples today at 12:30.


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There’s an effort to save the Florida Scenic Highway designation for the Tamiami Trail. Some folks want to do away with the label and the county’s Metropolitan planning organization is about to agree. Now people like Ellee Kreir, executive director of the Southwest Florida land preservation trust, hope to reverse that. The road was given the title in 1998 and has since seen more than 9 million dollars in improvements.

“The Kirby Storter roadside pull out, which is on the south side used to be just sort of a pull out for cars. It now is an absolutely beautiful facility with parking, simple restrooms and then a beautiful elevated boardwalk that goes down a long a slough to the south. It’s a gorgeous walk”

There have also been improvements at Turner River Road canal, a popular alligator viewing spot. Kreir speaks to the League of Women Voters of Collier County today at noon about the Scenic Highway issue. The public event is at the Norris Center in Naples.