North Port Sun

NORTH PORT — ATV enforcement and off-road riding has become a balancing act for the North Port community. The North Port Police Department released a statement that several “enforcement waves” are planned in the near future to stop people from illegal all-terrain vehicle, off-road riding and illegal camping in the … Find out how to read more online.

LATEST LOCAL NEWS

Donations sought to restore firefighting relic
Sun Jan 25 2015 10:42AM

NORTH PORT— Richard Yarnall, a North Port firefighter and commander of the North Port Honor Guard, is heading up an effort to raise $25,000 to restore a 1946 Seagrave Pumper … Find out how to read more online.

Driver seriously injured in I-75 rollover
Sun Jan 25 2015 10:16AM

NORTH PORT — A 47-year-old man was seriously injured Saturday when his SUV rolled over several times on Interstate 75, throwing him from the vehicle. According to a Florida Highway … Find out how to read more online.

Planning Parkside’s Parks
Sun Jan 25 2015 08:30AM

PORT CHARLOTTE — The Parkside Citizens’ Master Plan beholds a glorious future. A livable and walkable neighborhood, where miles of broad pathways, sheltered by an unending canopy of trees, would … Find out how to read more online.

Area jobless rates recede
Sat Jan 24 2015 08:30AM

As an improving economy rolls on, jobless numbers across the region are following suit, dropping significantly in one month and over the past year. The unemployment rate in Charlotte County … Find out how to read more online.

State, National and World News

Japan: Still working to free hostages after unverified video
Sat Jan 24 2015 07:26PM

By MARI YAMAGUCHI and ELAINE KURTENBACH Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — A visibly shaken Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said early Sunday that Japan was working to free two hostages held by the extremist Islamic State group, calling a new online … read more.

Rockets kill 30 in Ukrainian city as rebels launch offensive
Sat Jan 24 2015 07:24PM

By PETER LEONARD Associated Press KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Indiscriminate rocket fire slammed into a market, schools, homes and shops Saturday in Ukraine’s southeastern city of Mariupol, killing at least 30 people, authorities said. The Ukrainian president called the blitz … read more.

Why the crisis in Yemen matters to Americans
Sun Jan 25 2015 01:19AM

WASHINGTON (AP) — Yemen’s U.S.-backed president stepped down this week after Houthi rebels seized the capital of Sanaa, further destabilizing the region and hampering America’s ability to fight al-Qaida and other extremists targeting the West. The country’s parliament will meet … read more.

Dignitaries head to Saudi Arabia after King Abdullah’s death
Sun Jan 25 2015 01:19AM

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — World leaders and top dignitaries began arriving in Saudi Arabia on Saturday to give their condolences following the death of King Abdullah, who died early Friday at age 90 after nearly two decades at the … read more.

Police: Man shot his family, killing 3, then killed himself
Sun Jan 25 2015 01:19AM

NEW YORK (AP) — Police say a father shot his daughters, his girlfriend and her mother in their home and then killed himself after the shooting that left three generations of women dead and a 12-year-old critically injured. New York … read more.

Havana is charming — and complicated city
Sun Jan 25 2015 01:19AM

HAVANA — Everyone warns you Old Havana is a facade, but it’s impossible not to be taken by its charms. In my hotel room, the soft sound of guitars enters from the balcony. In the cobblestone street below, I enjoy … read more.

GOP presses bills limiting gay rights before ruling
Sun Jan 25 2015 01:19AM

ATLANTA (AP) — A Texas lawmaker would strip the salaries from government officials who honor same-sex marriage licenses. Other states would protect government officials who opt out of performing gay nuptials. In Georgia, where lawmakers are considering a bill that … read more.

Experts hunt for Cervantes’ remains
Sun Jan 25 2015 01:19AM

MADRID (AP) — Forensic experts began excavating graves and examining bones Saturday in a tiny chapel in Madrid, hoping to solve the centuries-old mystery of exactly where the great Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes was laid to rest. The author … read more.

Report: ‘Butcher of Hannover’s’ head cremated
Sun Jan 25 2015 01:19AM

BERLIN (AP) — The head of a German serial killer known as the “Butcher of Hannover” has been cremated after lying in storage for 89 years. The Goettinger Tageblatt newspaper reported Saturday that the University of Goettingen’s medical department confirmed … read more.

Woman gets bag full of cash at drive-thru
Sun Jan 25 2015 01:19AM

ROCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — A New Hampshire woman got a surprise at a Burger King drive-thru: a bag full of cash instead of food. Janelle Jones says she discovered on the way home that the bag did not contain the … read more.

Woman mauled by black bear at wildlife sanctuary
Sun Jan 25 2015 01:19AM

DADE CITY (AP) — Authorities say a 400-pound black bear mauled a woman’s arm at a Tampa Bay area wildlife sanctuary. The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office reports that the bear — named Abner — was in his cage Friday afternoon … read more.

Winter storm heads toward Northeast corridor
Sat Jan 24 2015 01:19AM

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A fast-moving coastal storm is forecast to blast several major cities in the Northeast with a mix of snow, sleet and rain on Saturday in the season’s first real taste of winter along the busy Interstate … read more.

Stocks on Wall Street slide
Sat Jan 24 2015 01:19AM

NEW YORK (AP) — A batch of mixed earnings reports Friday helped push the stock market to its first day of losses this week. Shares of tissue and diaper maker Kimberly-Clark dropped after the company’s earnings fell short of expectations … read more.

SkyMall files for bankruptcy
Sat Jan 24 2015 01:19AM

NEW YORK (AP) — Apparently, airline passengers aren’t buying enough garden gnomes, superhero pajamas and heated cat shelters. SkyMall has filed for bankruptcy. The quirky in-flight shopping catalog has been a mainstay on airlines for more than three decades. Passengers … read more.

Monthly US rents keep climbing
Sat Jan 24 2015 01:19AM

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. home rental prices continued to climb at a modest pace in December, but rapidly escalating costs in cities such as San Francisco and Denver suggest that apartment dwellers are facing more financial pressure. Prices rose 3.3 … read more.

Showtime for Pluto
Sat Jan 24 2015 01:19AM

CAPE CANAVERAL — It’s showtime for Pluto. NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft has traveled 3 billion miles and is nearing the end of its nine-year journey to Pluto. Sunday, it begins photographing the mysterious, unexplored, icy world once deemed a planet. … read more.

Divers enter crashed AirAsia plane’s fuselage for first time
Sat Jan 24 2015 01:19AM

PANGKALAN BUN, Indonesia (AP) — For the first time, Indonesian divers were able Friday to enter the fuselage of the AirAsia jetliner that crashed last month into the Java Sea and retrieved six bodies, an official said. The operations chief … read more.

Prayers said for Japanese hostages held by Islamic militants
Sat Jan 24 2015 01:19AM

TOKYO (AP) — Prayers were offered Friday at Tokyo’s largest mosque for two Japanese hostages threatened with beheading by Islamic militants who had demanded a $200 million ransom for their release. Militants affiliated with the Islamic State group posted an … read more.

Challenges likely to test new Saudi king
Sat Jan 24 2015 01:19AM

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Saudi Arabia’s new monarch inherits the throne at a moment when the oil-rich kingdom is being buffeted by a plunge in the value of its most valuable commodity, growing challenges by activists at home and … read more.

Pro-Russia rebels launch offensive
Sat Jan 24 2015 01:19AM

DONETSK, Ukraine — Pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine on Friday rejected a previously signed peace deal and announced a new multipronged offensive against Ukrainian government troops, defying diplomatic efforts to end the spiraling crisis. The main separatist leader in the … read more.

Obama idea to trim college savings plans hits GOP opposition
Fri Jan 23 2015 01:19AM

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama’s proposal to scale back the tax benefits of college savings accounts is running into opposition from Republicans in Congress who say they have no intention of raising taxes on families trying to save money … read more.

UN meeting challenges world to stand up to anti-Semitism
Fri Jan 23 2015 01:19AM

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy challenged the world at the first-ever U.N. General Assembly meeting devoted to anti-Semitism to counter the rising hatred of Jews, which he denounced as “radical inhumanity.” In a keynote address on Thursday, … read more.

Ukraine bus attack kills 13, dashes peace hopes for east
Fri Jan 23 2015 01:19AM

SOKILNYKY, Ukraine (AP) — Hours after a new peace initiative for Ukraine began taking shape, mortar shells rained down Thursday on the center of the main rebel-held city in the east, killing at least 13 people at a bus stop. … read more.

Atomic Scientists: We’re getting even closer to doomsday
Fri Jan 23 2015 01:19AM

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists says Earth is now closer to human-caused doomsday than it has been in more than 30 years because of global warming and nuclear weaponry. But other experts say that’s way too … read more.

One dose, then surgery: A new way to test brain tumor drugs
Fri Jan 23 2015 01:19AM

(AP) — Lori Simons took the bright orange pill at 3 a.m. Eight hours later, doctors sliced into her brain, looking for signs that the drug was working. She is taking part in one of the most unusual cancer experiments … read more.

ECB launches bond-buying program to try to revive economy
Fri Jan 23 2015 01:19AM

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The European Central Bank on Thursday launched its most aggressive effort to date to revive the region’s ailing economy — a program to buy 1.1 trillion euros in government and private bonds starting in March. The … read more.

Tsarnaev lawyers ask again to move trial outside Boston
Fri Jan 23 2015 01:19AM

BOSTON (AP) — Lawyers for Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev are making a third push to move his trial outside Massachusetts, citing a large number of prospective jurors who already believe he’s guilty and the personal connections many have … read more.

Japan faces deadline to free Islamic State hostages
Fri Jan 23 2015 01:19AM

TOKYO (AP) — The deadline for paying ransom for two Japanese hostages held by the Islamic State group was fast approaching early Friday with no signs of a breakthrough. Lacking clout and diplomatic reach in the Middle East, Japan has … read more.

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More Local News

Committee: School district in good financial shape
Sun Jan 25 2015 10:44AM

SARASOTA COUNTY — The Sarasota County School District is in a healthy financial situation and is using voted referendum money to effectively help students succeed, according to the district’s Financial Oversite Committee, which gave its annual report to the School … Find out how to read more online.

North Port reinstates impact fees
Sat Jan 24 2015 08:30AM

NORTH PORT — Construction fees for builders will rise in North Port once a moratorium on city impact fees expires on Jan. 31. A unanimous vote in favor of taking no action on the two-year ordinance that halted the collection … Find out how to read more online.

NPHS Key Club holding jeans drive
Sat Jan 24 2015 08:30AM

NORTH PORT — Beginning Tuesday, the North Port High School Key Club will begin collecting gently worn jeans to help the homeless. Members also hope to earn money for their school. According to NPHS Key Club president Lindsey Gill, the … Find out how to read more online.

Police: Animal blood found outside Health Dept.
Sat Jan 24 2015 08:30AM

NORTH PORT — Blood found outside the Sarasota County Health Department building in North Port Friday morning closed the facility to clients while police investigated. North Port Police Capt. Chris Morales said Friday afternoon the blood was from an animal, … Find out how to read more online.

Murder charge filed in Calif. after local man’s death
Fri Jan 23 2015 08:30AM

PUNTA GORDA — A murder charge has been filed in California against a man accused of killing Ricky Platt, 34, who left Punta Gorda four years ago without telling his relatives where he was going. Now, the victim’s family is … Find out how to read more online.

Missing North Port teen found under bridge
Fri Jan 23 2015 08:30AM

Christine Wurst was grocery shopping Tuesday night when she got a phone call from a woman in Atlanta, Ga., who said she had found Wurst’s 15-year-old daughter, who had been missing for nearly a week. “I was at a store … Find out how to read more online.

North Port Huskys begin spring signups
Fri Jan 23 2015 08:30AM

NORTH PORT — North Port Huskys youth football finished off an outstanding fall season in December, with a third-place finish in the 14-year-old-and-under division game in the national tournament in the Orlando area. Now, the spring football season is just … Find out how to read more online.

Report: Student pulled gun in school parking lot
Fri Jan 23 2015 08:30AM

PUNTA GORDA — A North Port High School senior was arrested Wednesday after he allegedly pulled out a handgun in the parking lot of Charlotte High School following a basketball game last week. He also has been charged with aggravated … Find out how to read more online.

Advocates push to have killer’s case reheard
Thu Jan 22 2015 08:30AM

ENGLEWOOD — At 17, Steven Castanedo of Gulf Cove was arrested and charged with the second-degree murder of his friend Juan Tavares. When he gets out of prison, he will be 53 years old, unless he gets another day in court. … Find out how to read more online.

Sarasota School District planning for future growth
Fri Jan 23 2015 11:20AM

SARASOTA COUNTY — This week, Sarasota County School District Deputy Superintendent Scott Lempe and Director of Long Range Planning Kathie Ebaugh planted seeds in School Board members’ minds about goals and strategies pertaining to the district’s capital improvement plan, in … Find out how to read more online.

North Port Chorale to go ‘Into the Night’
Fri Jan 23 2015 11:20AM

NORTH PORT — The North Port Chorale, under the direction of Jeffrey Herbert, will present “Into the Night” at 7 p.m. Feb. 21 at the North Port Performing Arts Center, on the campus of North Port High School. The 70-member community chorus … Find out how to read more online.

Cops: No charges in child drowning
Thu Jan 22 2015 08:30AM

PORT CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday it will not charge the woman who was caring for her 6-year-old special-needs grandson when he fell in the swimming pool and drowned at her house on Rome Street last … Find out how to read more online.

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