North Port Sun

Dan and Agnes Long left their familiar lives on land Thursday afternoon to let the current and tradewinds push them around the world for the next 20 months. As the owners of a local charter company in Port Charlotte and captains of a 2005 Robertson and Caine-designed, Leopard 47-foot Catamaran … Find out how to read more online.

LATEST LOCAL NEWS

Arcadia Fall Rodeo ends long run at historic arena
Sun Oct 22 2017 08:30AM

An Arcadia grand-daddy seemed a bit sad on Saturday. While lively in spirit under a cooler October sun, the Arcadia Fall Rodeo this weekend is the last at the historic … Find out how to read more online.

Jobless rates descend to historic lows
Sun Oct 22 2017 10:18AM

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA — Already low unemployment numbers took a steep dive in September across the region, falling to their lowest level in a decade. In Charlotte County, the jobless rate … Find out how to read more online.

Sun Oct 22 2017 08:30AM

‘Secrets of the Cemetery’ Just in time for Halloween, Charlie Bush, one-time custodian for the Lemon Bay Cemetery in Englewood, will share some little-known information about this historic burial ground. … Find out how to read more online.

PGPD: Woman arrested with fake cash, others charged
Sun Oct 22 2017 08:30AM

PUNTA GORDA — A Port Charlotte woman was arrested this week with hundreds of counterfeit bills and the tools to make more, along with drugs. Two other men from Port … Find out how to read more online.

More Local News

Sarasota County set to begin Irma review
Sun Oct 22 2017 08:30AM

SARASOTA — When it comes to getting someone to lead the review of the county’s response to Hurricane Irma, Sarasota County is bringing in the best. Former Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator and Florida Emergency Management Director Craig Fugate has … Find out how to read more online.

Area bands to meet for annual marching festival
Sun Oct 22 2017 08:30AM

NORTH PORT — Woodland Middle School band director David Wing has a full plate, between classes and the Florida Bandmaster’s Association. Wing is the district chair for the Florida Bandmaster’s Association, in District 11. District 11 covers Charlotte, Sarasota, DeSoto, … Find out how to read more online.

Fishery redevelopment draws public interest
Sun Oct 22 2017 08:30AM

PLACIDA — Attorney Robert Berntsson expected public interest in his client’s redevelopment plans for the 20-acre Fishery complex in Placida. Berntsson thought people would meander in and out of The Fishery restaurant Wednesday afternoon to see what’s being proposed. What … Find out how to read more online.

Sales tax projects, revenues accelerating
Sun Oct 22 2017 08:30AM

MURDOCK — Sales tax projects, and the revenue needed to pay for them, are coming to fruition at a brisk pace. Through September, the county has collected 21 percent more revenue than projected since the 2014 sales tax program was … Find out how to read more online.

Palm Island Resort made its mark
Sun Oct 22 2017 08:30AM

PALM ISLAND — Maybe, because he and his brother Gar grew up in a small Canadian prairie town, somewhere north of North Dakota, Dean Beckstead believes he’s living in a paradise. In the 1970s, the Beckstead brothers envisioned what would … Find out how to read more online.

Spanish American Club hosts scholarship dance, fundraiser
Sun Oct 22 2017 08:30AM

T he Spanish American Club held its annual scholarship dance and fundraiser on Oct. 14 at the 24 Twenty One Event Center in Port Charlotte. This year, along with the fundraiser, the Spanish American Club, Keller Williams Realty, Hertz, TJ … Find out how to read more online.

Winners circle
Sun Oct 22 2017 08:30AM

American Legion Post 103 • Sunday Darts winners Oct. 15: Round 1: 1-Pam Kirkaldy, Kim Toney; 2-Christy Buzzell, Fred Wheatley; 3-Pat Seaman, Fran Smith. No Round 2. American Legion Post 110 • Bridge winners Oct. 16: 1-Rick McAdam, 5250; 2-Hilda … Find out how to read more online.

Weekly record
Sun Oct 22 2017 08:30AM

Charlotte County marriage licenses • Sergi Scott Palencia of Englewood, and Nicole Marie Pisterzi of Englewood • Rosa Marie Hayes of Port Charlotte, and Antonio Dominick Pascucci of Port Charlotte • Danielle Ann Mioduszewski of Port Charlotte, and Jordan Daniel … Find out how to read more online.

Manasota Key a shining HGTV star
Sat Oct 21 2017 08:02PM

Editor’s Note: This story about the Lipstein family was published Sept. 15 in the Sun. It contained an incorrect name. We have decided to republish the story with the correct name. ENGLEWOOD — Blake Lipstein co-starred with Manasota Key for … Find out how to read more online.

Sun Oct 22 2017 08:30AM

birthdays

Each week in Sunday’s Sun, we run free birthday announcements, along with a photo. Email your .jpg photo of the birthday boy or girl of any age, along with the person’s name, age, and birthday month and date, to …

Find out how to read more online.

Irma aftermath: Our love/hate relationship with trees
Fri Oct 20 2017 08:30AM

After Hurricane Irma blew through the area last month, there were thousands of downed trees, some of which wreaked havoc with power, phone and cable lines. Hurricane-force winds can be responsible for damage to homes, sometimes utilizing trees to spread … Find out how to read more online.

Hurricane Irma stalls home sales
Sat Oct 21 2017 05:36PM

Hurricane Irma flattened the local real estate market last month, slashing home sales and just about every other housing indicator, except prices. But the storm that struck Southwest Florida on Sept. 10 signaled just a short-term setback in activity amid … Find out how to read more online.

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State, National and World News

Study: Pollution kills 9 million a year, costs $4.6 trillion
Sat Oct 21 2017 01:19AM

NEW DELHI — Environmental pollution — from filthy air to contaminated water — is killing more people every year than all war and violence in the world. More than smoking, hunger or natural disasters. More than AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria … read more.

Q&A on the GOP effort to overhaul the tax system
Sat Oct 21 2017 01:19AM

WASHINGTON — Divided Republicans in Congress are tackling an ambitious overhaul of the nation’s tax system that would deeply cut levies for corporations and double the standard deduction used by most average Americans. Despite controlling Congress and the White House, … read more.

US stocks end higher
Sat Oct 21 2017 01:19AM

Wall Street capped a week with no shortage of milestones with a few more Friday. U.S. stocks closed modestly higher, lifting the Standard & Poor’s 500 index to its fifth record close in a row. The Dow Jones industrial average, … read more.

Spacewalking astronaut copes with frayed tether, bad jetpack
Sat Oct 21 2017 01:19AM

CAPE CANAVERAL — A spacewalking astronaut successfully replaced a blurry camera outside the International Space Station on Friday, but had to contend with a balky jetpack and a frayed safety tether. Both jetpacks and safety ties are crucial for saving … read more.

Dems struggle to avoid discord for unified counter to Trump
Sat Oct 21 2017 01:19AM

LAS VEGAS — Nine months into the Donald Trump era, Democrats are still searching for a standard-bearer and a crisp message to corral widespread opposition to an unpopular president and a Republican-led Congress. The minority party has put that struggle … read more.

German prosecutors charge former Majdanek death camp guard
Sat Oct 21 2017 01:19AM

BERLIN — A former guard at the Majdanek death camp in Nazi-occupied Poland has been charged in Germany with being an accessory to murder for allegedly serving there during a period when at least 17,000 Jews were killed, prosecutors said … read more.

Suicide bombings in Afghanistan hit mosques, killing 63
Sat Oct 21 2017 01:19AM

KABUL, Afghanistan — Suicide bombers struck two mosques in Afghanistan during Friday prayers, a Shiite mosque in Kabul and a Sunni mosque in western Ghor province, killing at least 63 people at the end of a particularly deadly week for … read more.

3 arrested after shooting following white nationalist speech
Sat Oct 21 2017 01:19AM

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A man who fired a shot at anti-Nazi protesters following a speech at the University of Florida by a white nationalist has been charged with attempted murder, police in Gainesville said Friday. Two men who allegedly urged … read more.

Police investigate 3rd suspicious death in Florida community
Sat Oct 21 2017 01:19AM

TAMPA, Fla. — Police believe the fatal shooting of a 20-year-old autistic man who took the wrong bus home from work on Thursday night is linked to two other suspicious deaths in a Florida neighborhood. The deaths, which took place … read more.

What Puerto Rico is doing to get the power back after storm
Sat Oct 21 2017 01:19AM

BARCELONETA, Puerto Rico — Electrical linemen descend from helicopters, balancing on steel girders 90 feet high on transmission towers in the mountains of central Puerto Rico, far from any road. At the same time, crews fan out across the battered … read more.

Puerto Rico still stumbles in the dark a month after ‘Maria’
Fri Oct 20 2017 01:19AM

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — One man climbs 24 flights of stairs several times a day alongside dormant elevators. Street vendors hawk plastic washboards for $20. And families outstretch their hands as crews in helicopters drop supplies in communities that … read more.

Target sees new smaller Manhattan store as where it’s headed
Fri Oct 20 2017 01:19AM

NEW YORK — Target sees its new smaller stores in mainly urban areas as a symbol of its future, hoping that shoppers will step away from online buying for trips to stores tailored to the neighborhood. The two-level store in … read more.

Last-minute rebound lifts S&P 500
Fri Oct 20 2017 01:19AM

A last-minute surge nudged U.S. stock indexes mostly higher Thursday, barely extending the market’s winning streak and milestone-setting run. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index and Dow Jones industrial average closed higher for the fifth straight day, each posting new … read more.

US government: Inspections show Lake Okeechobee’s dike sound
Fri Oct 20 2017 01:19AM

CLEWISTON — For the thousands of Floridians who live in the shadow of the 80-year-old dike that surrounds Lake Okeechobee, there is always a back-of-the-mind fear that the earthen barrier might fail — a twitch that gets ticked up a … read more.

Senators push for more online transparency in elections
Fri Oct 20 2017 01:19AM

WASHINGTON — Senators are moving to boost transparency for online political ads, unveiling on Thursday what could be the first of several pieces of legislation to try to lessen influence from Russia or other foreign actors on U.S. elections. The … read more.

Widow of shooting victim says he feared co-worker
Fri Oct 20 2017 01:19AM

WILMINGTON, Del. — The widow of a man killed in a workplace shooting in Maryland said Thursday that her husband was so concerned about the gunman’s explosive temper that he brought it up in church prayer sessions. Bayarsaikhan Tudev was … read more.

Tourist killed by falling masonry in famous Florence church
Fri Oct 20 2017 01:19AM

MILAN — A 52-year-old tourist from Spain was killed Thursday by falling masonry in one of Florence’s most famous churches, the Basilica of Santa Croce. The church, a top tourist attraction, is where Italian luminaries Michelangelo, Galileo Galilei and Niccolo … read more.

Taliban attacks kill 58, nearly wipe out Afghan army camp
Fri Oct 20 2017 01:19AM

KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban have killed at least 58 Afghan security forces in a wave of attacks across the country overnight, including an assault that nearly wiped out an army camp in southern Kandahar province, officials said Thursday. The … read more.

Freedom of Speech
Fri Oct 20 2017 01:19AM

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Students and other audience members heavily booed white nationalist Richard Spencer on Thursday as he gave a speech at the University of Florida, where the atmosphere was tense but mostly peaceful as police in riot gear kept … read more.

’Murder insurance’ or protection in self-defense cases?
Fri Oct 20 2017 01:19AM

ATLANTA — The National Rifle Association is offering insurance for people who shoot someone, stirring criticism from gun-control advocates who say it could foster more violence and give gun owners a false sense of security to shoot first and ask … read more.

Bush condemns Trump-era America: ‘Bigotry seems emboldened’
Fri Oct 20 2017 01:19AM

NEW YORK — Former President George W. Bush on Thursday denounced bigotry in Trump-era American politics, warning that the rise of “nativism,” isolationism and conspiracy theories have clouded the nation’s true identity. The comments, delivered at a New York City … read more.

Trump’s border wall models take shape in San Diego
Fri Oct 20 2017 01:19AM

SAN DIEGO — The last two of eight prototypes for President Donald Trump’s proposed border wall took shape Thursday at a construction site in San Diego. The prototypes form a tightly packed row of imposing concrete and metal panels, including … read more.

Big question for US cities: Is Amazon’s HQ2 worth the price?
Thu Oct 19 2017 01:19AM

WASHINGTON — Dozens of cities are working frantically to land Amazon’s second headquarters, raising a weighty question with no easy answer: Is it worth it? Amazon is promising $5 billion of investment and 50,000 jobs over the next decade and … read more.

University chief: Security cost for Spencer speech ‘unfair’
Thu Oct 19 2017 01:19AM

GAINESVILLE — A day before white nationalist Richard Spencer is scheduled to speak at the University of Florida, its president affirmed his belief in free speech but said the security costs of holding such an event at a public university … read more.

Judge asks group in Trump lawsuit to justify right to sue
Thu Oct 19 2017 01:19AM

NEW YORK — A federal judge on Wednesday pressed government lawyers to explain why President Donald Trump’s ownership of hotels patronized by foreign government officials didn’t violate the Constitution, a key question that could shed light on Trump’s finances if … read more.

US urges UN to adopt Trump’s comprehensive approach to Iran
Thu Oct 19 2017 01:19AM

UNITED NATIONS — U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley urged the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday to adopt the Trump administration’s comprehensive approach to Iran and address all aspects of its “destructive conduct” — not just the 2015 nuclear deal. She told … read more.

Former hostage says his American wife was rushed to hospital
Thu Oct 19 2017 01:19AM

SMITHS FALLS, Ontario — An American woman who was rescued with her family last week after five years held by a Taliban-linked group has been hospitalized, her Canadian husband said. Joshua Boyle told The Associated Press in an email that … read more.

GOP, Dem senators push health deal as Trump keeps his distance
Thu Oct 19 2017 01:19AM

WASHINGTON — The authors of a bipartisan plan to calm health insurance markets said Wednesday they’ll push the proposal forward, even as President Donald Trump’s stance ricocheted from supportive to disdainful to arm’s-length and the plan’s fate teetered. “If something … read more.

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