Local:
Former Golden Corral Facing $500K Vandalism Damages
A building that once was a Golden Corral on Pine Island Road is now being looked into by Cape Coral Police after they suffered vandalism adding up to at least $500,000. According to NBC2, the building owner reports that several items, including AC Units, electrical panels, wiring and toilet components, were stolen and damaged. The roof suffered the majority of the damage from the vandalization. Costs are still being estimated on how much damage has been done with DMD Chicken Development LLC not knowing when the crime took place. The crime is estimated to have happened between late December and Jan. 19. Police have submitted evidence as the investigation is ongoing.
Sanibel Lighthouse Beach Parking Lot Temporarily Closed For Beach Maintenance
Starting Jan. 22, the Sanibel Lighthouse beach parking lots will be closed as maintenance to replenish the sand that was swept away from Hurricane Ian will begin. According to WGCU, “The City of Sanibel said contractors will be replacing the temporary wooden support with a permanent cast iron replica of the original support column on the lighthouse. Repairs will also be made to the cast iron ladder and window stops.” As the beach remains closed, both the lighthouse and beach repairs will be worked on simultaneously shortening the time it will need to be closed down. The parking lots to Lighthouse Beach and the Fishing Pier will be closed Monday, Jan. 22 through Friday, Jan. 26.
Construction of Multi-Family Residential Building Facing Appeal By Estero Residents
Residents are appealing the four-story building that is planned to be built along Three Oaks Parkway and Coconut Road. The building is planned to be built over the old Winn Dixie and multi-parking lots within the area. According to NBC2, “Shadow Wood Resident Kathy Wyrofsky and four other Brooks residents expressed their concerns to leaders. They cited density, traffic, and land-use issues.” Wyrofsky states that the building has several code violations and shouldn’t be built. Other residents shared their concern with the build along with Wyrofsky as they appealed the approval of the council.
Installation Ceremony Help For Dr. Aysegul Timur
On Friday, Jan. 12, Dr. Aysegul Timur attended a ceremony officially making her the first permanent female FGCU president. According to WGCU, Her presidency was officially confirmed by the Florida Board of Governors on June 22, 2023. Timur proceeded to give a speech talking about her accomplishments and plans for the future. At FGCU, we have a strong history of building on our successes. We continue pushing the bar on excellence. We see room to be better and we go for it. And challenges – we know they are going to happen, but as Eagles, we see them as an opportunity to get creative.
State:
Engine Problems On SWFL Flight Ends With Safe Landing in Miami
Late Thursday night a cargo plane landed at the Miami International Airport after experiencing engine failure. According to CBS, “Atlas Air stated that the crew followed all standard operating procedures to make sure the aircraft landed safely. According to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, nobody was injured during the engine malfunction and nobody was transported to the hospital.” Just two weeks before the incident, the airline had another event where an emergency landing was needed when a door plug blew off.
Miami-Dade Cop Clear of Rape Charges, Girlfriend States He Thought It Was Roleplay
Multiple charges against a Miami-Dade Police Officer have been dropped by the state after the woman refused to make a statement saying she now thinks the officer thought they were role-playing. According to the Miami Herald, the unnamed woman made statements to the prosecutor saying she was raped against her will. She made another statement that she mistakenly didn’t use the couple’s “safe word” while having sex with her boyfriend, who was in full uniform at the time and carrying a loaded weapon.“We have had sexual encounters like such in the past, and I believe Lomeli (the officer) thought it was another one of those sexual encounter,” the woman told prosecutors. “We have a safe word, and I failed to use the safe word. Which might have caused him to believe we were role-playing. As a result, my conscience is not allowing me to move forward.”
Health Plan Unanimously Passed by Florida Senate
Thursday, the Florida Senate announced they approved a plan that President Kathleen Passidomo hopes expands healthcare as the state’s population expands. According to CBS, Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Chairwoman Gayle Harrell called one of the bills, “probably the most comprehensive health care bill I have ever seen.It is changing the direction of health care.” The plan focuses on increasing the number of doctors and increasing medical residency plans.
DEI Programs Banned In Public Colleges
Governor Desantis has banned public colleges from using state and federal funds for diversity, equity and inclusion programs, as part of the newest bill. According to MSNBC, the State Board of Education announced it will apply to 28 state schools within the Florida College System. The ban consists of “Any program, campus activity, or policy that classifies individuals based on race, color, sex, national origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation and promotes differential or preferential treatment of individuals based on such classification.” Desantis has received backlash for the decision as colleges learn to deal with the new program.
National:
Congress Funding Extension Helps Avert Government Shutdown
Thursday, Congress passed a short-term funding extension to avert a government shutdown with the deadline approaching Friday. The bill has been passed on to President Biden to be signed and approved. According to CNN, The Senate voted first to pass the measure by a tally of 77 to 18. The House passed the bill later in the day, 314 to 108. The government is now facing its second potential government shutdown deadline already this year.“This is what surrender looks like,” the far-right House Freedom Caucus posted on X.” House speaker Mike Johnson has been defending the bill although he has received major backlash.
American Moon Lander Burns Up in Earth’s Atmosphere
Thursday afternoon, a spacecraft heading to the surface of the moon was burned up after entering the Earth’s atmosphere. According to the New York Times, the Astrobotic Technology of Pittsburgh announced they lost connection with the craft at 3:50 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. This served as a sign that something was wrong and that it had re-entered Earth’s atmosphere. The craft later returned to Earth above the South Pacific at 4:04 p.m. The United States Space Command confirmed that the Peregrine had been destroyed on the return. Astrobotic is planning to bring a board together to discuss what went wrong and solutions for the future.
Alec Baldwin Charged Again With Manslaughter On Set of “Rust” Movie Shooting
Friday, Alec Baldwin was charged for the second time with involuntary manslaughter after the tragic shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. The shooting took place on the set of “Rust” and has now reopened the criminal case of Baldwin. According to Reuters, “Baldwin’s attorneys, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, issued a statement on Friday on behalf of their client saying, they look forward to their day in court.” After the case was announced that it would be brought to a grand jury the defence lawyers called it a “terrible tragedy”. Forensic tests concluded that for the rounds to have hit Hutchins Baldwin would have had to pull the trigger on the revolver they were using on the set.
Mark Zuckerberg Pledges to Build Artificial General Intelligence
CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Meta is planning to build their very own artificial general intelligence they hope passes human intelligence. The next step in the plan is to open it up to developers according to Zuckerberg. A video posted on Meta’s social media explained the company’s plan to help extend AI. According to CNN, “It’s become clearer that the next generation of services requires building full general intelligence,” Zuckerberg said. While the company is also focusing on the virtual space metaverse, they believe working on AI comes hand in hand. “By the end of the decade, I think lots of people will talk to AIs frequently throughout the day using smart glasses like what we’re building with Ray Ban Meta.”, Zuckerberg said.
