Applications for US jobless aid fall, suggests strong hiring

WASHINGTON (AP) – Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, a sign that employers expect ongoing economic growth and the need to hold onto workers. The Labor Department said Thursday that applications for unemployment benefits fell 4,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 294,000. The four-week average, a less volatile measure, slipped 250 to […]

Floridians rally to expand Medicaid to nearly one million

MIAMI (AP) – Patients and health advocates will rally across Florida to urge Gov. Rick Scott and lawmakers to expand Medicaid to nearly 1 million residents. Thursday’s rally is slated to take place in Miami, Tallahassee, Tampa and Orlando and will include a coalition of nearly 100 organizations. They want lawmakers to accept roughly $50 […]

Florida to get $5.6 million in kickback settlement

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – Florida is going to receive $5.6 million from DaVita HealthCare Partners as part of a national settlement. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the settlement on Wednesday. Bondi said the settlement resolves allegations that DaVita paid illegal kickbacks to in order to get patients sent to its dialysis clinics. The referrals caused […]

Lee Memorial breaking ground today on outpatient center

CAPE CORAL, Fla.- Lee Memorial Health System leaders will break ground today on a 27,000 square foot comprehensive outpatient center in Cape Coral. Lee Memorial leaders say as health care providers continue to improve on delivering the right care, in the right place, at the right time, care is moving out of the hospital and […]

Gov. Rick Scott wants $20 million boost for technical centers

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – Florida Gov. Rick Scott wants a $20 million boost for the state’s technical centers. Scott on Thursday will announce he’s seeking extra money for the centers from the Florida Legislature. The $20 million request will be part of Scott’s budget recommendations for 2015. The governor wants the technical centers to use […]

Police officer dies in shooting at Paris’ edge, amid tension

PARIS (AP) – An assailant opened fire on a police officer on the southern edge of Paris early Thursday, killing her and injuring a nearby street sweeper before fleeing, officials and a witness said. France’s interior minister cautioned against jumping to conclusions a day after the deadly assault on a satirical newspaper that killed 12 […]

Dad accused of throwing 5-year-old off bridge in Florida

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – The man accused of throwing his 5-year-old daughter off a bridge early Thursday had been acting strangely hours before, calling his attorney “God” and asking her to translate a Bible in Swedish, according to sheriff’s documents. Attorney Genevieve Torres said she met with John Jonchuck on Wednesday to discuss the […]

Family of Ohio State tight end recaps “insane” season

Ohio State shocked the college football world by beating No.1 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. Paul Heuerman, father of Ohio State Tight End Jeff Heuerman, couldn’t believe it. “Insane,” said Heuerman. “It was like the Alabama game, the Wisconsin game — Are we really winning this?” Jeff Heuerman, a Barron Collier alum, now has a […]

Comcast outage in Naples

NAPLES, Fla. – Comcast customers may be experiencing cable and internet interruptions. A vehicle knocked out three poles carrying a cable lines on Airport Pulling Road. Around 2,000 customers may be affected. Multiple repair crews are at the scene trying to restore Comcast service to the area. A Comcast spokesman said they anticipate the service […]

Speed limit reduced on popular Sanibel shortcut

SANIBEL, Fla.- A driving shortcut on Sanibel will no longer be the fastest route to take. People looking to avoid the traffic on Periwinkle normally cut through The Dunes community. The city, however, agreed to lower the speed limit in that neighborhood from 30 to 20 mph. Neighbors said the traffic was getting too heavy […]