Power Women 2014



WHETHER SHE’S STRATEGIZING A CORPORATE INITIAtive, raising money for a charity, entertaining an audience or responding to her constituents, a power woman’s work is never done. Just ask any of the CEOs, executive directors, philanthropists and public servants who’ve been selected as Florida Weekly’s 2014 Power Women. They come from a variety of backgrounds and fill myriad positions of importance. […]

Remembering Edna Jane Peeples: A life of love, letters and loyalty




This seven-decade love story began on a Punta Gorda street around 2 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 2, 1945, when two youngsters met, changing their lives forevermore. A 15-year-old Charlotte High School sophomore named Vernon Peeples was introduced that day to a girl named Edna Jane. She would become his girlfriend of six years, then his wife of 63 years and […]

Riding that gridiron rocket



If you were to do a biopsy on the culture of the United States, you could do worse than snip your tissue sample from the body of professional football. You’d probably collect “Fourth Down In Dunbar,” now out from the University Press of Florida. It’s a 200-page chunk of the American Dream as throbbing and bloody as the pump itself […]

The insipid War On Women 2.0



The “war on women” is back, and more tendentious than ever. Democrats are replaying one of their greatest hits of 2012 in their furious battle to minimize their midterm losses in a political environment defined by an unpopular president and general unease. And why not? The war on women has a proven record of success — in mobilizing Democratic women […]

A force more powerful in Jefferson County, Colo.



“Don’t make history a mystery” read one of the signs at a rally in Jefferson County, Colo. High-school students in this suburban district, referred to locally as “JeffCo,” have been walking out of class en masse this past week, protesting the planned censorship of the district’s Advanced Placement (AP) United States history curriculum by the local school board. The board […]

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS EVENTS



Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 8 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 18 Tanger Factory Outlets, Fort Myers 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 11 Cambier Park, Naples Gather pledges and step out to join the American Cancer Society’s fight to end breast cancer. Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is a non-competitive 5K run/walk that unites the community in honoring breast cancer survivors and raising […]

Feline diabetes

How to recognize and manage this common disease in cats


When my cat Peter the Gray was diagnosed with diabetes some 25 years ago, the only treatment for the disease was regular insulin injections. Although Peter lived for another 10 years, it was difficult to regulate his condition. We’d have an easier time of it these days. Veterinarians now know a lot more about how to treat the disease. New […]

Pets of the Week



THIS WEEK ON WGCU-TV



¦ THURSDAY, OCT. 9, 9 P.M. Doc Martin Season 2, The Family Way Dr. Ellingham’s parents, to whom he hasn’t spoken in seven years, make a surprise visit to Cornwall. Louisa’s beau Danny collapses, barely able to breathe. Louisa calls Martin who carries out emergency surgery to save his life. ¦ FRIDAY, OCT. 10, 9 P.M. Live from Lincoln Center […]

Bicycle Center presents Breast Cancer Awareness Ride



Bicycle Center in Port Charlotte is partnering with Trek Women and The Breast Cancer Foundation again to support breast cancer awareness. On Sunday, Oct. 12, Bicycle Center will host its seventh annual event to raise awareness and funds for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. One in eight women in the United States develops breast cancer in her lifetime. Most Americans […]