http://naplesnews.com/news/bonita_news/?partner=RSSnaplesnews.com Stories: Bonitaen-usbonita_newshttp://naplesnews.com/news/2009/jan/07/bonita-may-start-confirming-city-employees-can-leg/?partner=RSSThe city of Bonita Springs is going to give E-Verify a try, as is Mayor Ben Nelson and Councilman John Spear. The city and the two City Council members’ businesses will explore the use of E-Verify in determining whether their employees are eligible for work in the United States. tlaten@naplesnews.com (Naples Daily News staff report)Thu, 08 Jan 2009 02:11:00 -0000urn:publicid:naplesnews.com:news-Story-190225-733414bonita_newsNaples Daily News staff reportBonita Springs, FLBonita may start confirming city employees can legally work herenaplesnews.combonita-may-start-confirming-city-employees-can-legurn:publicid:naplesnews.com:news-Story-190225-733414Change0Usablehttp://naplesnews.com/news/2009/jan/07/whats-name-bonita-council-may-seek-new-slogan-city/?partner=RSSA majority of Bonita Springs City Council members agreed Wednesday that pursuing a brand for the city is a good idea. Though an exact brand would not be determined for some time, Mayor Ben Nelson suggested the city should become a place people crave by selling itself as an environmentally-friendly community where nature lovers would want to congregate. In short, an ecotourism destination. mclark@bonitanews.com (MATT CLARK)Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:59:00 -0000urn:publicid:naplesnews.com:news-Story-190215-733414bonita_newsMATT CLARKBONITA SPRINGSWhat’s in a name? Bonita council may seek new slogan for citynaplesnews.comwhats-name-bonita-council-may-seek-new-slogan-cityurn:publicid:naplesnews.com:news-Story-190215-733414Change733414Usablehttp://naplesnews.com/news/2009/jan/07/bonita-council-asks-state-lawmakers-regulate-plast/?partner=RSSA majority of the Bonita Springs City Council has agreed to add two recommendations to its legislative platform. The council would like Tallahassee to consider regulating the use of plastic shopping bags and placing a deposit on plastic bottles, which could then be turned in for a return of the deposit. tlaten@naplesnews.com (Naples Daily News staff report)Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:03:00 -0000urn:publicid:naplesnews.com:news-Story-190212-733414bonita_newsNaples Daily News staff reportBonita Springs, FLBonita council asks state lawmakers to regulate plastic bags, bottlesnaplesnews.combonita-council-asks-state-lawmakers-regulate-plasturn:publicid:naplesnews.com:news-Story-190212-733414Change0Usablehttp://naplesnews.com/news/2009/jan/07/give-obama-your-thoughts-health-care-upcoming-boni/?partner=RSSA chance for the public to share their views on the country’s health care future with President-elect Barack Obama’s administration is coming to Bonita Springs. The forum is scheduled for 10 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2008, in the Community Hall on Old 41 Road across from Riverside Park. tlaten@naplesnews.com (Naples Daily News staff report)Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:02:00 -0000urn:publicid:naplesnews.com:news-Story-190211-733414bonita_newsNaples Daily News staff reportBonita Springs, FLGive Obama your thoughts on health care at upcoming Bonita forum naplesnews.comgive-obama-your-thoughts-health-care-upcoming-boniurn:publicid:naplesnews.com:news-Story-190211-733414Change0Usablehttp://naplesnews.com/news/2009/jan/07/fort-myers-beach-asks-lee-least-patch-its-main-roa/?partner=RSSEstero Boulevard is the only road to run the entire length of Fort Myers Beach, the Southwest Florida playground where many of the 2 million annual Lee County tourists come to visit. It’s also a 7-mile parking lot with an average of 14 potholes for every mile. The town council of Fort Myers Beach and the Lee County Commission both agree the road needs some serious work. The question of how to pay the estimated $8 million per mile cost of rebuilding the road, and who will pay it, creates less agreement. ckwhitehead@naplesnews.com (CHARLIE WHITEHEAD)Wed, 07 Jan 2009 23:20:00 -0000urn:publicid:naplesnews.com:news-Story-190203-733414bonita_newsCHARLIE WHITEHEADBonita Springs, FLFort Myers Beach asks Lee to at least patch up its main roadnaplesnews.comfort-myers-beach-asks-lee-least-patch-its-main-roaurn:publicid:naplesnews.com:news-Story-190203-733414Change0Usablehttp://naplesnews.com/news/2009/jan/07/debate-heats-over-where-cut-tourist-taxes-make-roo/?partner=RSSThere’s no agreement on exactly how much it will cost to build the Boston Red Sox a new spring training home in south Lee County. The official county estimate is from $50 million to $70 million. Officials with the city of Fort Myers — who are losing the team — have speculated the cost could exceed $100 million. There is agreement on where the money will come from, however. ckwhitehead@naplesnews.com (CHARLIE WHITEHEAD)Wed, 07 Jan 2009 22:47:00 -0000urn:publicid:naplesnews.com:news-Story-190198-733414sports/mlbCHARLIE WHITEHEADBONITA SPRINGSPOLL: Debate heats up over division of Lee’s tourist taxes to make room for Red Sox stadiumnaplesnews.comdebate-heats-over-where-cut-tourist-taxes-make-roourn:publicid:naplesnews.com:news-Story-190198-733414Change733414Usablehttp://naplesnews.com/news/2009/jan/07/lee-county-man-awakened-boulder-through-bedroom-wi/?partner=RSSA Lehigh Acres man laying in his bed saw an object – later described as a boulder -- fly through his bedroom window before it smashed into a wall. tlaten@naplesnews.com (Naples Daily News staff report)Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:58:00 -0000urn:publicid:naplesnews.com:news-Story-190166-733414crimeNaples Daily News staff reportLEHIGH ACRESLee County man awakened by 'boulder' through bedroom windownaplesnews.comlee-county-man-awakened-boulder-through-bedroom-wiurn:publicid:naplesnews.com:news-Story-190166-733414Change733414Usablehttp://naplesnews.com/news/2009/jan/07/cabrera-trial-truck-stop-waitress-testifies-she-lo/?partner=RSSIn the thick binder handed to potential investors, one figure jumped out — a projected 234 percent cash-on-cash return. The profit that real estate agent Samir Cabrera promised investors in a pair of south Fort Myers land deals sounds ridiculous now, but in the fevered development market of early 2006, anything seemed possible. On Wednesday, six investors who lost their money — including a truck stop waitress, a landscaper and a plumbing business owner — told jurors in a federal courtroom they never would have invested had they known Cabrera marked-up the price of their land for a $900,000 gain. sbeardsley@bonitanews.com (STEVEN BEARDSLEY)Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:47:00 -0000urn:publicid:naplesnews.com:news-Story-190164-733414bonita_newsSTEVEN BEARDSLEYFORT MYERSCabrera’s defense attorney: ‘He was a bad businessman, not a crook’naplesnews.comcabrera-trial-truck-stop-waitress-testifies-she-lourn:publicid:naplesnews.com:news-Story-190164-733414Change733414Usablehttp://naplesnews.com/news/2009/jan/07/lee-county-murder-suspect-caught-clewiston/?partner=RSSLee County officials arrested a wanted murder suspect this morning in Clewiston. Ignacio Rebollar, 29, is charged with first degree murder, kidnapping and home invasion robbery in the slaying of a 36-year-old Fort Myers man. tlaten@naplesnews.com (Naples Daily News staff report)Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:42:00 -0000urn:publicid:naplesnews.com:news-Story-190163-733414crimeNaples Daily News staff reportCLEWISTONLee County murder suspect caught in Clewistonnaplesnews.comlee-county-murder-suspect-caught-clewistonurn:publicid:naplesnews.com:news-Story-190163-733414Change733414Usablehttp://naplesnews.com/news/2009/jan/06/powerball-jackpot-draws-interest-southwest-florida/?partner=RSSIt’s a high jackpot. Just like the odds of winning it. At $105 million, the first Florida drawing for the 32-state Powerball jackpot at 10:59 tonight in Orlando is bound to make someone happy, area retailers included. On Sunday, when the new tickets were first issued, sales topped $1.5 million. mclark@bonitanews.com (MATT CLARK)Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:57:00 -0000urn:publicid:naplesnews.com:news-Story-190118-733413localMATT CLARKBONITA SPRINGSPOLL: Powerball jackpot draws interest in Southwest Floridanaplesnews.compowerball-jackpot-draws-interest-southwest-floridaurn:publicid:naplesnews.com:news-Story-190118-733413Change733413Usablehttp://naplesnews.com/news/2009/jan/06/former-colleagues-line-discredit-cabrera/?partner=RSSThe rise and fall of Frank D’Alessandro's fortunes were visited in a Fort Myers federal courtroom on Tuesday, when one of his real estate agents testified against his colleague, a man who was supposed to be D’Alessandro’s protege: Samir Cabrera, a 31-year-old real estate agent on trial for 12 counts of fraud and money laundering. Cabrera was to blame for many of the failed projects, said Don Turner Jr., who worked with Cabrera at real estate brokerage D’Alessandro & Woodyard. sbeardsley@bonitanews.com (STEVEN BEARDSLEY)Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:36:00 -0000urn:publicid:naplesnews.com:news-Story-190114-733413bonita_newsSTEVEN BEARDSLEYBONITA SPRINGSFormer colleague blames Cabrera for failed projectsnaplesnews.comformer-colleagues-line-discredit-cabreraurn:publicid:naplesnews.com:news-Story-190114-733413Change733413Usablehttp://naplesnews.com/news/2009/jan/06/lee-county-narrows-list-companies-vying-build-new-/?partner=RSSThe firm that built the Lee County Sports Complex and the company that’s building the new Yankee Stadium both made the short list of teams competing for the opportunity to oversee building the new Red Sox stadium in south Lee County. A selection committee eliminated four of the 10 companies that applied to run the job, a project expected to cost anywhere from $50 million up. Those that made the cut will make their pitches to the committee Jan. 14. ckwhitehead@naplesnews.com (CHARLIE WHITEHEAD)Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:33:00 -0000urn:publicid:naplesnews.com:news-Story-190109-733413sports/mlbCHARLIE WHITEHEADBONITA SPRINGSPOLL: Lee County narrows list of companies vying to build new Red Sox homenaplesnews.comlee-county-narrows-list-companies-vying-build-new-urn:publicid:naplesnews.com:news-Story-190109-733413Change733413Usablehttp://naplesnews.com/news/2009/jan/06/lee-school-district-braces-50-million-cut-coming-f/?partner=RSSThe Lee County School Board heard the grim forecast for the coming fiscal year Tuesday, as they entered the homestretch of a year marked by a budget $80 million slimmer than the previous. District Budget Director Ami Desamours painted a picture for the board of the possible $40 million to $50 million in reductions the district would be forced to make given the current financial situation surrounding reduced property tax revenue and declining enrollment. LWilliams@marconews.com (LESLIE WILLIAMS)Tue, 06 Jan 2009 23:48:00 -0000urn:publicid:naplesnews.com:news-Story-190099-733413educationLESLIE WILLIAMSNAPLESLee school district braces for up to $50 million cut in coming fiscal yearnaplesnews.comlee-school-district-braces-50-million-cut-coming-furn:publicid:naplesnews.com:news-Story-190099-733413Change0Usablehttp://naplesnews.com/news/2009/jan/06/so-lee-police-blotter-01-06-09/?partner=RSSTo report a crime or any suspicious activity in your neighborhood, call the Lee County Sheriff’s Office at 477-1000 or you can remain anonymous and call Crime Stoppers at 332-5555 or 1-800-780-TIPS. tlaten@naplesnews.com (Naples Daily News staff report)Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:29:00 -0000urn:publicid:naplesnews.com:news-Story-190044-733413crimeNaples Daily News staff reportBonita Springs, FLSo. Lee police blotter: 01-06-09naplesnews.comso-lee-police-blotter-01-06-09urn:publicid:naplesnews.com:news-Story-190044-733413Change733413Usable