Podcasts about fort myers beach

Welcome back to our special two-part series recorded live at the VRMA Executive Summit in Miami Beach. This gathering brought together some of the sharpest minds and boldest voices in vacation rental management, and we made it our mission to capture real-time insights on what's top of mind for the leaders shaping this space. In Part 2, we continue our hot-take conversations with a new lineup of industry experts, diving into the themes of value-driven travel, AI-powered revenue strategy, and the increasing tension between quality and scale. First up, you'll hear from Peter Albert, CEO of Coastal Vacation Properties, who shares what it's been like rebuilding his business—and his entire community—post-hurricane in Fort Myers Beach. Peter opens up about the realities of traveler expectations today (spoiler: it's all about price), and why vacation planners should be treated like VIPs before they even step through the door. Next, we sit down with Richie Khandelwal, co-founder of PriceLabs, for a high-octane look into the future of dynamic pricing. Richie breaks down what AI means for rate strategy, guest personalization, and the precision of future search—and why your brand's niche might be your most powerful weapon in an AI-first world. Then we're joined by Michelle Williams, General Manager at Atlantic Vacation Homes. Michelle challenges the “growth at all costs” mindset and makes a powerful case for quality over quantity. She also offers a long-view perspective on how guest expectations evolve—and why a well-made bed might matter more than that arcade machine. Finally, Scott Leggat of Inhabit shares wisdom from decades in the field. We discuss guest loyalty, building a sense of local ownership, and why regulation—not competition—may be the industry's biggest threat. If you missed Part 1, go back and hear from Steve Trover (Better Talent), Jacob Mueller (Renjoy), and Michelle Marquis on everything from business travel to PMS data ownership and the future of standardization. Behind the Stays is brought to you by Journey — a first-of-its-kind loyalty program that brings together an alliance of the world's top independently owned and operated stays and allows travelers to earn points and perks on boutique hotels, vacation rentals, treehouses, ski chalets, glamping experiences and so much more. Your host is Zach Busekrus, Head of the Journey Alliance. If you are a hospitality entrepreneur who has a stay, or a collection of stays with soul, we'd love for you to apply to join our Alliance at journey.com/alliance. 

Send us a textIn this Special Edition, Sarah Lux discusses the importance of go bags for public information officers (PIOs) and shares her personal experiences and insights on what to include. She emphasizes the need for emergency preparedness and provides practical tips on essential items, balancing technology with traditional tools, and unique, surprisingly valuable items. The conversation also covers power management solutions and personal well-being items for those working during crises. In this conversation, Sarah Lux shares her insights on the essential items for a go bag, the importance of regularly evaluating its contents, and how to customize it for different crises. She emphasizes the need for preparedness in reputational crises and advises new public information officers (PIOs) on building their first go bag. The discussion also touches on the support agencies should provide to PIOs regarding go bags and concludes with key takeaways on the necessity of having a go bag for every PIO.Sarah's BIO: Sarah Lux earned a bachelor's degree in Anthropology from the University of Central Florida and a master's degree in Public Relations from Full Sail University.  Sarah has practiced Public Relations for over 10 years, specifically focusing on community education, government affairs, and crisis communications. She is part of the Florida Association of Public Information Officers' deployment team and a PIO for Florida's Region 5 All-Hazards Incident Management Team. She has been deployed by the state of Florida to aid communications in other counties four times, including Fort Myers Beach after Hurricane Ian. She earned her Master PIO certification in 2024, a federal training program that has accepted and certified less than 175 PIOs in the nation. Lux prides herself on her ability to clearly explain complex governmental matters to citizens in her community. She currently serves as Public Information Manager for the City of Orlando and owns her own communications consulting firm, Lux Communications.SARAH's Go Bag ListSupport the showOur premiere sponsor, Social News Desk, has an exclusive offer for PIO Podcast listeners. Head over to socialnewsdesk.com/pio to get three months free when a qualifying agency signs up.

Ep. 44 | Dana Bronsord: From Soccer Fields to Hurricane Hero – The Ultimate Teamwork Story! Join us for an unforgettable episode of It's All About the Team as we dive into the incredible journey of Dana Bronsord, a Youngstown State soccer star turned physical therapist and hurricane relief leader! From her small-town roots in Wellsburg, WV, to building thriving teams in healthcare and spearheading recovery efforts after Hurricane Ian devastated Fort Myers Beach, Dana's story is proof that pressure makes diamonds! In this episode, Dana shares: How her soccer days at YSU taught her to gel teams under pressure The secrets to leading healthcare teams in a challenging industry Her heroic role in rescuing neighbors after Hurricane Ian's 18ft surge Why embracing change is the key to unstoppable team success “No substitute for time when building relationships” – Dana's lessons will inspire you to level up your teamwork game, whether in sports, business, or life! Don't miss this powerful story of resilience, community, and the unbreakable spirit of a true teammate. Like, Comment, and Subscribe for more stories that prove It's All About the Team! Share your favorite teamwork moment in the comments below! Watch now and discover how Dana turned chaos into triumph! #Teamwork #HurricaneIan #Inspiration #DanaBronsord #YoungstownState #Leadership #Resilience 00:00:00 - 00:00:41 | Welcome & Dana's Inspiring Journey Begins00:01:01 - 00:02:46 | The Power of Family & Community as a Team00:03:09 - 00:04:51 | Choosing Youngstown State: A Game-Changing Decision00:05:10 - 00:07:37 | Building a New Soccer Team from Scratch00:08:02 - 00:09:43 | Adapting to New Leadership & Learning from Mistakes00:11:46 - 00:13:21 | Balancing Soccer and Physical Therapy School00:16:37 - 00:19:55 | Building a Healthcare Team in Maryland00:21:06 - 00:24:05 | Starting Island Fit from Nothing in Fort Myers00:32:31 - 00:36:24 | Heroic Hurricane Ian Rescue Efforts00:38:19 - 00:42:37 | Rebuilding Fort Myers Beach: Embracing Change

In this episode of Pure Life Podcast, we take you inside our unforgettable stay at the brand-new Margaritaville Fort Myers Beach Resort. This ultimate Margaritaville review reveals that from the moment we arrived, we knew we were in for a treat — and we're excited to share every detail with you. We dive into a first-hand review of the resort's incredible amenities, including the lively License to Chill Bar and Grill, the beachfront vibes at La De Dah Beach Bar and Grill, and morning coffee runs to the charming Coconut Telegraph Coffee Shop. This ultimate Margaritaville review also notes that the entire resort is dog-friendly, making it perfect for travelers with furry family members. We also break down everything the beautiful beach has to offer, from relaxing under umbrellas to exciting activities like beach volleyball and more. Plus, this ultimate Margaritaville review ventures beyond the resort to highlight some must-visit local spots, including the Smokin' Oyster Brewery and Snug Harbor Waterfront Restaurant — where we found one of the best grouper sandwiches ever! Tune in for the full review, insider tips, and why Margaritaville Fort Myers Beach deserves a spot on your next vacation list.

In this episode, host Josh Hirsch speaks with Dolly Farrell, Executive Director of the Charitable Foundation of the Islands. Dolly shares her journey from a frontline fundraiser in higher education to leading a community foundation focused on collaborative philanthropy. They explore the importance of personal connections in fundraising, the impact of COVID-19 on nonprofit operations, and the role of cultural competency in program development. Dolly highlights how nonprofits can support one another, especially in times of crisis, and offers insights into innovative ways to amplify their impact. Takeaways Early Start, Mentorship, and Personal Connections: Dolly's journey began at a young age, with mentorship shaping her path and personal connections enhancing fundraising success. Stewardship and Collaboration: Fundraisers act as stewards of donor contributions, and nonprofits thrive by collaborating to amplify their impact, especially during crises. Adapting to Challenges with Innovation: COVID-19 prompted nonprofits to reassess strategies and develop innovative solutions to meet emerging needs. Cultural Competency in Program Development: Cultural awareness plays a vital role in creating programs that effectively serve diverse communities. Community Foundations and Networking: Community foundations drive rapid crisis response, and building strong professional networks is essential for long-term success. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to IMPACTability Podcast 02:53 Dolly Farrell's Nonprofit Journey 08:59 Transitioning from Higher Education to Community Impact 13:52 Collaborative Philanthropy Post-COVID 22:45 Coaches Corner: Cultural Competency in Nonprofits 28:22 Navigating Challenges in Nonprofit Leadership 35:50 The Role of Community Foundations 40:30 Building Collaborative Networks for Nonprofits 46:30 Empowering Local Businesses and Nonprofits Guest Bio Dolly Farrell is a nonprofit executive with over twenty years' experience serving three universities and charitable organizations providing affordable housing, at-risk youth interventions, leadership development programs and environmental protection. Raised on the Jersey Shore, Dolly lived in North Carolina for ten years before moving to Southwest Florida in 2013. She joined the Charitable Foundation of the Islands (CFI) on October 3rd, 2022, as the organization's first Executive Director, after nine years at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) Foundation. Dolly earned a bachelor's degree in Sociology from Loyola University of MD in 1998 and a Master of Public Administration from Appalachian State University in 2006. Dolly's husband Liam was raised on Fort Myers Beach after his parents moved to SWFL 41 years ago. Dolly and Liam were married in Fort Myers on New Years Eve 2005 and spent every winter holiday in Fort Myers thereafter. Each trip included a drive over the Sanibel Causeway for vacation. While celebrating their anniversary at Tween Waters in 2012, Dolly and Liam decided to make the move permanently and relocated to Fort Myers with their two daughters in 2013. Liam has served in various capacities in Lee County Schools since 2013, currently serving his alma mater as Assistant Principal at Cypress Lake High School. Rory (15 years of age) attends Cypress Lake High School as a sophomore; Neeve (13) attends Cypress Lake Middle School and is in 8th grade. Both girls run track, cross country, and play competitive soccer – keeping their parents very busy almost every weekend. Leave a review!Reviews are hugely...

Chris Holman welcomed Fiona Kiesel, Chief Guest Officer, Breeze Airways to the MBN studio at the Capital Region International Airport. Breeze began flights from Lansing to Orlando, FL the evening before and then was heading for their first flight from Lansing to Fort Myers Beach, FL, that afternoon. Fiona is a strategic leader with a focus on achieving results while remaining centered on what matters to Guests and empowering teams to deliver. Proven track record of facilitating cross-organizational strategy execution, utilizing KPI's to bring teams together to achieve common goals and supporting adoption of new standards and technology. Unique background includes 25 years of experience across airline operations, strategy, analytics, and financial planning and analysis. She shares details about the airline, the new service to Lansing, what to expect from their flights and how Breeze got her out of "retirement" back into the airline industry. Breeze Airways now in Lansing with New Service to Orlando and Fort Myers from Just $79* One Way; Lansing, MI (as originally announced in March 2024) – Breeze Airways, the U.S.' only NLCC, or ‘Nice Low Cost Carrier,' is announcing new service to two Florida destinations from Lansing. The new routes will start in early October with twice-weekly service to Orlando and Fort Myers. From Lansing, MI to: Orlando, FL (Wed and Sat, starting Oct 2, one way from $79*); and Fort Myers, FL (Thurs and Sun, starting Oct 3, one way from $79*).  “We are excited to welcome Breeze Airways to LAN and are thankful to be part of their network expansion,” said Nicole Noll-Williams, President and CEO of the Capital Region Airport Authority (CRAA). “Breeze's new nonstop service from LAN to both Orlando and Fort Myers combined with affordable fares offers additional travel options to our region just in time for winter-weather vacations — all with the ease, convenience, and stress-free travel experience of flying Lansing. We look forward to a thriving partnership with Breeze Airways.” “We're thrilled to announce the addition of Lansing to our expanding network as we continue to add great destinations nationwide,” said Breeze Airways' President Tom Doxey. “With Breeze's added convenience and affordability, our business model continues to see success in cities across the country." Breeze and Barclays US Consumer Bank also announced today the debut of the Breeze Easy™ Visa Signature® credit card. Breeze's first co-branded credit card comes less than three years after the airline's launch and offers up to 10X BreezePoints for Breeze purchases including airfare and trip add-ons, such as premium seating, additional checked bags and even inflight snacks and beverages. Other benefits include complimentary inflight Wi-Fi on Breeze's Airbus fleet, priority boarding and accelerated earn on a wide range of everyday purchases, including groceries and restaurants. The card comes with an $89 annual fee. Terms and conditions apply. Visit MyBreezeEasyCard.com for more information. Breeze doesn't charge change or cancellation fees up to 15 minutes prior to departure and offers other benefits such as free family seating and a la carte pricing. With seamless booking, no change or cancellation fees, up to 24-months of reusable flight credit and customized flight features delivered via a sleek and simple app, Breeze makes it easy to buy and easy to fly. Learn more about Breeze's flight offerings via our site or the app. ### » Visit MBN website: www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/ » MBN's YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MichiganbusinessnetworkMBN » Like MBN: www.facebook.com/mibiznetwork » Follow MBN: twitter.com/MIBizNetwork/

Send us a textSarah Lux earned a bachelor's degree in Anthropology from the University of Central Florida and a master's degree in public relations from Full Sail University.  Sarah has practiced Public Relations for ten years, focusing on community education, government affairs, and crisis communications. She is part of the Florida Association of Public Information Officers' deployment team and the Lead PIO for Florida's Region 5 All-Hazards Incident Management Team. The state of Florida has deployed her to aid communications in other counties four times, including Fort Myers Beach, after Hurricane Ian. She is part of the 2024 Master PIO cohort, a federal training program that has accepted and certified less than 170 PIOs nationwide. Lux prides herself on her ability to explain complex governmental matters to citizens in her community clearly.Support the show

Jeff Hauge is head of Public Works and Parks and Rec for Fort Myers Beach. He joined Steve Simpson on The WCCO Morning News.

Jeff Hauge is head of Public Works and Parks and Rec for Fort Myers Beach. He joined Steve Simpson on The WCCO Morning News.

Minnesota native and Mayor of Fort Myers Beach, Dan Allers, talked with Vineeta, live on The WCCO Morning News

Minnesota native and Mayor of Fort Myers Beach, Dan Allers, talked with Vineeta, live on The WCCO Morning News

October 9, 2024 ~ Former WXYZ-Channel 7 anchor Stephen Clark now resides in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, and has evacuated ahead of landfall of Hurricane Milton. Lloyd and Jamie talk with him about the continued cleanup from Hurricane Helene, and preparing for the category 5 storm. Photo: Andrew West ~ USA Today Network

Mel Jacobson started selling light bulbs out of a van in 1951 and in 1955, Paul's Grandfather Don McLellan joined Mel, then bought the company in 1982 when Mel retired. When the internet arrived, teenage Paul built a website and started selling light bulbs online. But vanolite.com just wasn't going to cut it. And so LightBulbs.com was born. Paul and his brother-in-law Jason tell us how they built up the online business and how they continue to keep it successful. Hint - they have a big family. Paul created LightBulbs.com's first website in 1996, and continues to provide all eCommerce development today, focusing on providing a fast, responsive and user-friendly experience. After over 25 years of working in nearly every position at the company, Paul now rests comfortably as President (and Programmer).When he isn't working at LightBulbs.com, he's spending time with his wife Laura and their nine children (five of which are currently employed by LightBulbs.com), enjoying the outdoors, especially their favorite vacation spot of Fort Myers Beach, FL; and in his spare time, Paul really, really enjoys immersing himself in a good movie or video game. Jason has been with LightBulbs.com for 24 years and works directly with: Sales, Distribution, Customer Service, Accounting and Web Content. Fresh out of high school and after one year of doing tech support for a dial-up ISP in Minneapolis, he decided to join the family lighting business of his then girlfriend – who eventually became his wife.Since joining Service Lighting, Inc. / LightBulbs.com in 2000, Jason helped the company develop a pick, pack and ship process that handled a 1500% increase in average daily volume in these 24 years. In 2013, Jason began working with both Commercial and Retail / Utility Sales Managers on various projects and initiatives for their customers. Overseeing the growth of an online sales department that went from 4 reps up to 13 in those 11 years.Jason loves spending time with two kids, playing fantasy sports and having his heart constantly broken by the sports teams in Minnesota, especially the Vikings…

Minnesota native, and Fort Myers Beach Mayors, Dan Allers joined Vineeta Sawkar with the soggy details along the Florida Gulf Coast.

In the late 2000s several local governments in Southwest Florida began implementing ordinances that prohibited the application of lawn fertilizer during the rainy season. Lee County's ordinance, which was passed in 2008, just took effect again. As of June 1, it is prohibited to apply lawn fertilizer containing nitrogen or phosphorus anywhere in unincorporated Lee County until the beginning of November. Most municipalities in southwest Florida have similar ordinances, including Cape Coral, the City of Fort Myers and Fort Myers Beach, and the City of Naples. Charlotte, Sarasota, and Manatee counties have similar rainy season bans. We get an overview of Lee County's ordinance, and the importance of complying with these rules to benefit our ecosystems.

An insightful webinar featuring Keith Laakkonen, Sanctuary Director at Audubon's corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in Southwest Florida.  In this engaging conversation, Keith delves into Corkscrew's unique ecology, focusing on its old-growth cypress, Ghost Orchids, Wood Storks, and the significance of prescribed fire in maintaining the delicate balance of this unique sanctuary. Discover the fascinating history of the Everglades and the impact of development and alteration of this landscape through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.We explore ongoing restoration and conservation efforts in the region and emphasize the crucial role wetlands play in maintaining ecological balance and the health of the entire region. Keith, who grew up in Southwest Florida, also shares his experiences amidst the captivating landscapes, the inspiration that fueled his connection to the land and water, and the journey that led him to his current role.This webinar offers a rare opportunity to connect with the heart of this natural wonder and gain insights into the passion and commitment driving conservation efforts in the area.Keith Laakkonen, as Sanctuary Director of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, oversees the 13,450 acres in the Western Everglades. Leading a dedicated team of 25 people, he focuses on land conservation, research, policy, and public engagement. Laakkonen is Audubon's spokesperson for the Western Everglades. He collaborates closely with Audubon Florida's leadership to reach conservation goals in the region, and he and his team are dedicated to restoring and protecting the Sanctuary's ecology. With over 20 years of environmental management experience, Laakkonen has held distinguished roles, including Director at the 110,000-acre Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and a regional administrator for the Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. His accolades include the Guy Bradley award from Audubon Florida, earned during his tenure as the Environmental Sciences Coordinator for the Town of Fort Myers Beach. A Southwest Florida native and avid birder, Laakkonen's educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in wildlife ecology from the University of Florida and a master's degree from Florida Gulf Coast University with a focus on sea-level rise policy. His diverse interests encompass watershed management, environmental policy, wildlife ecology, prescribed fire management, hydrologic restoration, exotic plant and animal management, as well as environmental education and outreach.Support the Show.

Anything better than grilling and pregaming a beautiful night? Add in the Kentucky Derby and it is a perfect Saturday Night! The boys have had a lot to talk about since last Wednesday and we could not wait to get started!   The podcast starts with two and ends with four, as the boys trickle into the podcast! We discuss last week's trip to Fort Myers Beach, the NFL draft, checking your luggage before flying, the cicadas nightmare about to take over the world, and a whole lot more!  Of course, we go over last week's fun and describe our plans for the evening! At the end of it all, we leave you with some feel-good stories to start your week!   NFL draft and our review of the Chicago Bears' picks Running a half marathon  Day drinking and vacations Kentucky Derby Current Affairs Drink of the week is - Summer Shandy!

The boys are pregaming Island Time! A Wednesday night pregame as the boys are preparing for a trip to Fort Myers Beach. Been awhile since the boys have taken a vacation, so they go over some of their tips for flying and what movies/entertainment they have planned.   After a little banter about traveling, the boys jump into the week and go over the NFL Draft (who should the Bears pick), Chicago funding a new Stadium for the Bears and our thoughts, greed, inflation, and the economy.  Of course, we go over last week's fun and describe our plans for the evening! At the end of it all, we leave you with some feel-good stories to start your week!   NFL draft and our predictions  Cities funding new stadiums  Greed Inflation Fort Myers Beach  Current Affairs Drink of the week is - First Summer Shandy Half and Half!

Vineeta caught up with the a couple of Minnesota natives while walking the beaches of Fort Myers - mayor of Fort Myers Beach Dan Allers and Jeff Hauge, the Director of Parks and Recreation for Fort Myers Beach and they gave us an update on where Fort Myers is now after the recovery efforts since Hurricane Ian impacted the area and the role Margaritaville plays in the rebuild. 

Tom Torgerson and John Dammerman, the minds behind Margaritaville in Fort Myers Beach joins Jason from the beach to talk about the Fort Myers community, Margaritaville and hospitality in general.

Jason and Dan are headed back to Fort Myers next week for Twins Spring Training. They'll be staying on Fort Myers Beach, which was devastated by Hurricane Ian 16 months ago. How is the recovery going, and what's available for Twins fans to see and do? Tamara Pigott from the Lee County Convention & Visitors Bureau joins Jason.

December 26, 2023115. After You've Lost Everything the story of Trixie ParkesHear the heartbreaking story of Trixie Parkes, a Fort Myers Beach, Florida resident, who lost everything during Hurricane Ian.  Trixie vividly recounts the devastation, revealing the emotional toll and challenges she faced after her home, possessions, and even insurance were swept away.  As Trixie navigates the aftermath, she discusses the unpreparedness of communities for such disasters and shares her profound insights on the true cost of living in paradise. Join George Siegal and Trixie Parkes for a poignant 30-minute conversation that sheds light on the harsh realities homeowners may face. Here's how you can follow Trixie: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamtrix_xoxo  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hurricanewarriorwoman/ Website: https://trixieparkes.com/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/baymarvacationrentals Important information from Homeowners Be Aware:We are excited to be listed in Feedspots 40 best Homeowner podcasts : https://podcasts.feedspot.com/homeowner_podcasts/ Here are ways you can follow me on line:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homeownersbeaware/ Website: https://homeownersbeaware.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-siegal/ If you'd like to reach me for any reason, here's the link to my contact form: https://homeownersbeaware.com/contactHere's the link to the documentary film I'm making Built to Last: Buyer Beware.

December 12, 2023113. Built to Last, Not in Southwest FloridaToday we take a closer look into the eye-opening world of homeownership risks, particularly in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Southwest Florida.  My guest is Aris Papadopoulos, a construction expert and my partner in our documentary film, Built to Last: Buyer Beware. As we witness the extensive aftermath of Hurricane Ian, we discuss the shocking disparities in recovery rates between affluent areas like Naples and less fortunate ones like Fort Myers Beach.  Aris shares insights on construction materials, resilience, and the urgent need for education in hurricane-prone regions. This is a critical episode for anyone considering homeownership in vulnerable areas. Stay tuned for eye-opening revelations and valuable advice.Important information from Homeowners Be Aware:We are excited to be listed in Feedspots 40 best Homeowner podcasts : https://podcasts.feedspot.com/homeowner_podcasts/ Here are ways you can follow me on line:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homeownersbeaware/ Website: https://homeownersbeaware.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-siegal/ If you'd like to reach me for any reason, here's the link to my contact form: https://homeownersbeaware.com/contactHere's the link to the documentary film I'm making Built to Last: Buyer Beware.

Day 1: Beach Bliss and RelaxationKick off your bachelorette weekend with a relaxing day at one of Fort Myers' pristine beaches. Whether you choose the iconic Fort Myers Beach or the more secluded Lovers Key State Park, you're in for a day of sun, sand, and surf. Rent a beach cabana, sip on tropical cocktails, and soak up the Florida sunshine with your besties. Consider organizing a beachside yoga session or a paddle boarding adventure for a healthy and fun start to the day.Day 2: Explore the Edison and Ford Winter EstatesFor a touch of history and culture, spend your second day exploring the Edison and Ford Winter Estates. The beautiful botanical gardens, historic homes, and Edison's laboratory provide a unique glimpse into the lives of two American innovators. Take a guided tour to learn about their inventions and enjoy the lush surroundings. Consider packing a picnic and enjoying it in the picturesque gardens for a delightful afternoon.Day 3: Sunset Cruise and Nightlife ExtravaganzaAs the sun begins to set, embark on a memorable sunset cruise along the Caloosahatchee River. Many tour operators offer private charters with sunset views, light bites, and refreshing beverages. It's the perfect opportunity for some pre-dinner festivities with your bridal party. After the cruise, head to the vibrant downtown River District for an evening filled with eclectic dining options, live music, and dancing. From trendy rooftop bars to lively nightclubs, Fort Myers' nightlife scene has something for everyone.Day 4: Spa Day and ShoppingAfter a night of revelry, treat yourselves to a relaxing spa day to unwind and rejuvenate. Fort Myers boasts several luxury spas offering a range of pampering treatments, from massages to facials. Once you're feeling refreshed, indulge in some retail therapy at the Bell Tower Shops or the Edison Mall. Pick up matching souvenirs or find the perfect accessories for the bachelorette party outfits.Day 5: Adventure and AdrenalineFor the adventurous bride-to-be, Fort Myers offers thrilling activities like parasailing, jet skiing, or even a group kayak tour through the mangroves. Break a sweat and create lasting memories as you embark on a high-energy adventure together. Alternatively, consider a group cooking class or a wine tasting experience for a more relaxed yet entertaining afternoon.Fort Myers, with its mix of natural beauty, historic charm, and lively entertainment, is a fantastic destination for a bachelorette party. Whether you're basking in the sun on the beach, exploring cultural landmarks, or dancing the night away in the downtown district, Fort Myers has all the ingredients for a perfect celebration with your favorite ladies. So, pack your bags, gather your squad, and get ready for an unforgettable bachelorette bash in the Sunshine State!

Joshua 1:5-95 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest.8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

If you're looking for a fantastic theater experience in Southwest Florida, the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall in Fort Myers is the place to go. As one of Southwest Florida's most popular and well-known performance halls, the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall is an impressive 2,700-seat venue. The Mann Hall is a premier performing arts venue from Broadway musicals to iconic musicians. The Mann Hall opened its doors in 1990, quickly becoming vital to Fort Myers' cultural scene. Since then, some of the biggest names in the entertainment world have come to grace its stage. From Cher to Bob Dylan, Mann Hall has welcomed them all. It's also known for hosting Broadway Musical series that have included some of the most beloved shows, like The Lion King, Wicked, and The Book of Mormon. The Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall has something for everyone, no matter what type of show you're into. Concerts, comedy, dance, opera, and the symphony are all regular fixtures of the Mann Hall lineup. There's also a variety of educational programs designed to engage the community's youth through the power of performing arts. Additionally, the theatre offers a lobby atrium, VIP seating, and other cozy, intimate seating sections, and access to the backstage VIP greenroom where artists can relax and prepare for their shows. The Mann Hall is also a popular venue for larger events. From corporate gatherings to elaborate weddings, the theater is known for providing an elegant and sophisticated atmosphere. With an experienced staff dedicated to providing a memorable experience, Mann Hall has cemented its place as one of Southwest Florida's premier performing arts venues. Whether you're planning a night out with friends or family while on vacation, the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall is the perfect place to enjoy a musical and theatrical performance. With its modern features and excellent shows, you can have an unforgettable experience that you won't forget.Upcoming shows: https://www.bbmannpah.com/eventsBroadway Series: https://www.bbmannpah.com/events/23-24-fifth-third-bank-broadway-series

Fried ChickenFancy's - Fort MyersChocolateNorman Love - Naples and all over Southwest FloridaOlde Naples Chocolate - NaplesKilwins - All OverBurgersJimmy P's - Bonita & NaplesFat Katz Sports Bistro - Fort MyersHot DogsSchnapper's Hots - SanibelMatt's Red Hots - Fort Myers Get their hot dogs from Buffalo NYGreat Bratwurst as wellGreat Smash Burgers tooThe Wurst Schnitzel Truck - Pop-Up Food TruckAt Shift Coffee every second Sunday of the month Crazy FlavorsKorean Hot Dog Pad Thai Hot DogKorean BBQ Hot Dog

What would you do if you found yourself in the eye of a devastating hurricane? This week, our guest and Becker Shareholder, Joseph E. Adams, sits down with Donna DiMaggio Berger and relives this very question when he rode out Hurricane Ian in his home on Fort Myers Beach. In this gripping episode, Joe shares his harrowing experience and provides valuable insights into preparing for and recovering from such catastrophic events.  From the chaos of managing a team of 30 lawyers during the hurricane to navigating the insurance crisis, Joe's story is one of resilience and determination. We dive into the challenges of obtaining insurance coverage, the problem of overcharging for remediation services, and the importance of being part of a larger team in times of personal tragedy. Joe also sheds light on the role of technology in the legal profession and the increasing presence of lawyers in the US.  But how does one embrace life's uncertainties and survive multiple disasters? Joe's incredible experiences, including surviving lightning strikes, a massive car pile-up, and a horseback riding accident remind us all of the importance of being prepared for the unexpected. Join us for this thought-provoking and inspiring episode that will change the way you view the world around you.Conversation highlights include:A Birdseye description of Hurricane Ian's destructive path. ​Lessons learned when riding out a storm at home.Steps needed to get back up and running after the stormThe challenges that community associations face when preparing for and recovering from a major catastrophe Why some communities have decided to terminate and sellThe one thing Joe wishes more boards would do.How being part of a large legal team helps not only the clients but the lawyersWhat the next generation of community association attorneys should expect

LunchIndustry BBQ - Naples, FLBrunchSweet Bean Cafe - Fort Myers, FLFancy's - Fort Myers, FLMountain man omelet Chicken and wafflesDinner Flemings - North Naples, FLCapital Grill - Naples, FLDeRomos - Bonita Springs, FLSaigon Paris - Fort Myers, FLLobsterMason's Lobster - Fort Myers, FLMain Shack - Naples, FLZiggy D'amico's Whiskey Bar - Naples, FLDrinks  The Vine Room - Cocktail Bar - Naples, FLBest Drink order: Cherry Blossom Old Fashioned with Japanese WhiskeyChartreuse - Cocktail Bar - Bonita Springs, FLDrink order: King Kong (Rum Old Fashioned)Bar Tulia - Naples, FLEspresso MartiniThe Beacon - Cocktail Bar - Fort Myers, FL86 Room - Cocktail Bar - Fort Myers, FLOld Fashioned The Luminary's Beacon Social Drinkery - Fort Myers, FLGo on a weeknightDowntown Coffee and Wine, Bonita Springs, FLFort Myers Brewery - Fort Myers, FLRuth Chris - Estero, FLDuffy's - SWFLSeaside - Bonita, FLCity Tavern - Fort Myers, FLLansdowne Street - Bonita Springs, FLLa Santa Tacos and Tequila - Naples, FLGreat date night spotFelipe's - Naples, FLLive music and outdoor seatingTacos & Tequila - University Village, FLFriday Margs - two for the price of oneCantina 109 - Fort Myers, FLGood poblano pepperDon't go late unless you wanna PARTY!Cabos Cantina Taco & Tequila Bar - Fort Myers,FLLocal Alcohols Rivi Gin - Naples, FLAlligator Bay Rum - Naples, FLWicked Dolphin Rum - Cape Coral, FLCraft BrewersBrookside Market - Naples, FLWineRebecca's Wine Bar - Naples, FLCooper's Hawk - Naples, FLDoughnuts Trackside Donuts & Cafe - Bonita Springs, FL

An interim report submitted to the Florida Building Commission says that Southwest Florida coastal communities impacted by last September's Hurricane Ian were “ill-prepared” for the storm surge and flooding, despite lessons on wind mitigation learned from Hurricane Charley 18 years earlier.  Ian was the costliest storm in Florida history, killing 156 people and causing an estimated $109.5 billion in damage in Florida.  Only an estimated half of that will be covered by insurance.Former Florida Deputy Insurance Commissioner Lisa Miller sat down with the report's co-author and another extreme events scientist who produced early catastrophic models on Ian for insurance companies.  They discussed how this new research shows some of the same patterns of destruction seen in prior storms, that Florida hurricanes are not getting stronger or more frequent, how elderly and poor residents are disproportionately hurt, potential changes to the state building code, and why a new approach to mitigation is needed.    Show Notes New lessons are emerging from Hurricane Ian, the high-end Category 4 hurricane that made landfall near Fort Myers Beach on September 28, 2022.  An interim report by a team of scientists supported by the Florida Building Commission showed Ian's tropical storm-force wind field was 2.3 times the diameter of 2004's Hurricane Charley.  The greater resulting storm surge of 13 feet impacted high population areas living in both elevated and on-grade homes along hundreds of miles of canals and coastal frontage.  (For full Show Notes, visit https://lisamillerassociates.com/episode-44-dynamic-duo-ian-hit-hard/) Findings: The report evaluates specific building code-related impacts to structural performance, including breakaway walls relative to code provisions, placement of the coastal construction control line, evidence for surge-induced floor slab uplift forces, and performance of common roof cover and wall cladding elements. Dr. David O. Prevatt, one of the report's co-authors, is a Professor of Civil & Coastal Engineering at the University of Florida's Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering.  He is part of the Structural Extreme Events Reconnaissance (StEER) Network of researchers and product engineers that conducts surveys to assess building performance after each hurricane.  Its evaluation was used in the interim report and captured Hurricane Ian's damage patterns and storm surge.  Dr. Prevatt said Ian was not a design level wind-event, meaning its wind speed on land of about 120 mph was below the building code standards of 154-160 mph for Lee County, where it made landfall on September 28, 2022.“The severe damage we saw was really the flooding, in particular the manufactured homes on Fort Myers Beach and mostly older slab-on-grade homes,” said Dr. Prevatt.  “The good news, if there is any that we can draw from this, is that recent construction built to the recent Florida Building Code standards performed well, even in areas where they were impacted by the 13-foot high storm surge.”Yet, Ian destroyed or severely damaged about 20,000 homes in a wide path from Lee County on the Gulf Coast and inland across central Florida to Daytona Beach on Florida's Atlantic Coast.    Dr. Prevatt said he saw the same patterns of damage in Ian that he saw in the previous six years from Hurricanes Matthew, Irma, and Michael.  “It's one of the saddest parts for me.  If we don't harden our communities or retreat and move them away from these intense events, we will repeat what we've seen here five, 10, 20 years down the road,” said Dr. Prevatt.    Dr. Karthik Ramanathan is Vice President of Research at Verisk, the worldwide data analytics and risk assessment firm.  He led the catastrophe modeling team that estimated Hurricane Ian's initial insurance and reinsurance losses at between $42 billion to $57 billion, not including federal flood insurance losses.  The firm's catastrophe or extreme event models not only help insurance companies determine adequate insurance premiums to the assessed value of risk and speed adjusters to the hardest hit areas right after the storm but “can also act as excellent platforms for you to test out the impact of mitigation measures,” said Dr. Ramanathan.  “As David said, the performance of manufactured homes or mobile homes continues to be a major issue, even 30 years after Hurricane Andrew, although a lot has been done to strengthen them,” said Dr. Ramanathan.  “We saw a colossal amount of damage to manufactured homes.  Older and middle aged homes also saw significant damage.”  He and his team spent a week in South Florida after Hurricane Ian made landfall, surveying damage in both coastal and inland counties.  Some inland counties he noted had “pretty staggering” claim losses similar to coastal counties near Ian's landfall.“Even on the wind side, some of these inland counties saw a significant amount of claims, primarily coming in from roof damage.  And to me, it's mind boggling, seeing the same state which sort of pioneered wind design, not just in the United States, but across the world, is seeing some of the same issues 30 years on in an event like Ian,” said Dr. Ramanathan.  New Approaches to Mitigation: Host Miller noted that mitigation often poses a quandary for homeowners and policymakers.  “We're looking at construction costs going through the roof if we build stronger.  We're looking at property insurance premiums rising because perhaps we haven't,” she said.   Less than two weeks after Hurricane Ian, Hurricane Nicole made landfall on Florida's east coast with modest winds but a large storm surge, creating additional flooding and tremendous coastal erosion.  Nearly 50 oceanfront homes, condominium buildings, and hotels in Volusia County either collapsed into the surf or suffered severe erosion damage.Dr. Prevatt said the same conditions have actually existed for thousands of years in Florida.  “We have the same hurricanes today.  They are no more intense.  They're not larger, nor are they more frequent than the hurricanes that have moved over the last 5,000 years.  So what is happening?  We have more construction.  We have more people building on barrier islands.  Barrier islands are called barrier islands, I think, because they were meant to protect the mainland shoreline from the storm surge, from these damages.  And they're meant to move the sand with the wind.  Hurricanes are natural hazards.  This is just how things are,” said Dr. Prevatt.Florida's population, he points out, is four times what it was in the 1970's.  “We really have to stop and ask ourselves, ‘How much further?  How much money?  How much federal effort should we put into securing and holding on with our own biting nails, to small pieces of land, as opposed to leaving and understanding what is happening on a natural basis?',” Dr. Prevatt asked.“We are building in areas where we are not supposed to build,” Dr. Ramanathan agreed, noting a Florida Department of Environmental Protection report on designated critically eroded beaches.  “And further, we are building in a manner that is not necessarily resilient by putting homes on slab foundations.  It is what led to a disaster that, according to my humble opinion, could have been 100% mitigated.”Part of the mitigation challenge is that 65% of Florida's homes were built prior to Hurricane Andrew.  “New construction may be adding 2% or 3% to our housing inventory per year.  So we're just not at scale to really impact future changes in our mitigation,” said Dr. Prevatt.  He said what's needed is “research that will actually retrofit houses at scale, not one house at a time, (but) one neighborhood at a time, one town at a time.”  Doing so will involve looking beyond the Bell Curve of statistics and instead disaggregating the data.“And what you're going to find is that the majority of this damage, disproportionately high percentages, are going to fall on the least able in our society.  The poorest, the minorities, the black communities, and the tribal communities.  These are the people who have been wiped out.  And the retirees.  Did you know that over 65% of the fatalities in Ian were over 60 years of age?” Dr. Prevatt pointed out.Recommended Building Code Changes: The interim report will be updated to address questions by the Florida Building Commission that will lead to a final report, which can inform future code changes.  Dr. Ramanathan believes the commission can make additional changes to the Florida Building Code beyond those mandated in recent sessions of the Florida Legislature.    He said he would like to see more durable screened enclosures on homes “because if you have to replace a screened enclosure, you're looking at a claim to the magnitude of about $5,000 or $6,000 or probably higher with inflation.”  He said he'd also like to see required window protection across Florida, regardless of whether the home is in a designated wind-borne debris region, “which don't cost a lot to install.”  Finally, although manufactured homes fall under federal HUD standards, he said states can add local amendments.    “I hope, as David said, if the foundation designed for manufactured homes can be looked at closely and even more importantly, if they can be enforced to the same degree as some of the other regular single family home enforcements take place in Florida, I think it will go a long way in mitigating damage following such events,” said Dr. Ramanathan.  Dr. Prevatt said he wouldn't look to the Florida Building Code for short-term changes, but rather a bigger picture of how to create a resilient community born in the 22nd Century.  “I would spend my time in the interdisciplinary research between the economics, urban planning, and engineering analysis that will be necessary for us to re-site our coastal residential communities inland on a macro level.“  Included in that would be converting coastal land to other uses, finding ways to buy-out private properties, and moving entire communities to safer areas, he said. “If we engineers continue to do the same type of research for the next 20 years in the same type of way, we will still end up with the same result.  We have to think way bigger, we have to be grand, we have to be bold, and we have to go out there and do this.  This is a moonshot moment.  This is the time that Florida needs to step up and change it all,” said Dr. Prevatt.Dr. Ramathan said Verisk does a lot of community outreach, through its work with extreme event models.  “In fact, one of our missions is to promote global resilience.  Because insurance, the way I look at it, is the best form of mitigation if used properly,” said Dr. Ramanathan.Host Miller pledged to work with the “dynamic duo” of guests and the listening audience to expand the outreach of this critical scientific research to better educate local, regional, and state policymakers, as well as federal officials.Links and Resources Mentioned in this EpisodeInterim Report: Survey and Investigation of Buildings Damaged by Hurricane Ian (University of Florida Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment, April 17, 2023)Dr. Prevatt slide presentation of Interim Report to the Florida Building Commission (May 10, 2023)Preliminary Virtual Reconnaissance Report (Structural Extreme Events Reconnaissance Network, November 17, 2022) (Scroll down to the “Documents” section and click “View Data” to reveal the three PVRR PDF reports)Priority Research Areas: Hurricane Ian (StEER Network, November 16, 2022)Estimated Industry Insured Losses to Onshore Property for Hurricane Ian (Verisk, October 2, 2022)Florida Senate Community Affairs Committee meeting on the Champlain Towers South Condominium collapse in Surfside, Florida |video of meeting | Florida Building Commission meeting materials (The Florida Channel, January 24, 2023)Critically Eroded Beaches in Florida (Florida Department of Environmental Protection, June 2022)Florida Designated Wind-borne Debris Regions (Florida Building Commission, as of December 2020)Early Lessons from Ian's Damage (LMA Newsletter of 12-5-22)Safeguarding Tomorrow Revolving Loan Fund Program (FEMA, December 21, 2022)Ian Was Costliest Florida Hurricane (LMA Newsletter of 4-10-23)All of Florida is at risk of hurricanes. So why aren't impact windows or shutters required statewide? (Sun Sentinel, February 5, 2023)Florida Building Commission** The Listener Call-In Line for your recorded questions and comments to air in future episodes is 850-388-8002 or you may send email to LisaMiller@LisaMillerAssociates.com **The Florida Insurance Roundup from Lisa Miller & Associates, brings you the latest developments in Property & Casualty, Healthcare, Workers' Compensation, and Surplus Lines insurance from around the Sunshine State.  Based in the state capital of Tallahassee, Lisa Miller & Associates provides its clients with focused, intelligent, and cost conscious solutions to their business development, government consulting, and public relations needs.  On the web at www.LisaMillerAssociates.com or call 850-222-1041.  Your questions, comments, and suggestions are welcome!  Date of Recording 2/18/2023. Email via info@LisaMillerAssociates.com   Composer: www.TeleDirections.com  © Copyright 2017-2023 Lisa Miller & Associates, All Rights Reserved

"Brooklyn Mike" of TBMSRadio.com (WBMS-db Radio Geneva, New York) and the entire TBMSRadio.com crew  would like to welcome our newest On-Air Personality during the  "Corona Friday House Party" "PITA"! Additionally, one of our dedicated listeners sent us a picture of a billboard in Missouri.  That picture was of a restaurant called. "Big Dick's Halfway Inn" located at  1038 Cup Tree Road Gravois Mills MO 65037.   Check out Big Dicks other  establishment "Big Dick's Salty Seaman" located at 318 Old San Carlos Blvd. Fort Myers Beach, FL 33931.   Make sure you pick up a souvenir from their fun shop they call "Big Dick's Damn Near Inn" located next door to either of their locations.  We had a great time talking to Dick so, we  strongly encourage you to stop in and have a bite to eat or do one of their famous minnow shots.  When you get there tell them "Brooklyn Mike" of TBMSRadio.com says HELLO and have a minnow shot for us!  "Brooklyn Mike" was grateful and honored to have a staff member from "Big Dick's Halfway Inn" chat with us on-air so, listen to the podcast to share in the fun we had on TBMSRadio.com together during the "Corona Friday House Party" LIVE Show every Friday Night!"Brooklyn Mike" of TBMSRadio.com transmits across the Globe on Internet Free Radio all your favorite Classic Hits from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, & Classic Rock all week long. Tune-In to "The Brooklyn Mike Show" to the Special LIVE Show with "Brooklyn Mike" with all your Italian/American Classic Hits such as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Andrea Bocelli, Jimmy Roselli, Lou Monte and many many more!  Also checkout our schedules for the Tribute to "The Mystics" and the Doo-Wop era every Sunday and Monday on TBMSRadio.com.Support the showSupport the show

https://www.mokecabana.com/ Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thesancapguide.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for all things Sanibel & Captiva Email us at thesancapguide@gmail.com for questions and comments  Support our channel:  Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/sancapguide⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Us A Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/sanibel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Etsy: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.etsy.com/shop/SheSellsSan...⁠⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nick-adams19/support

It's a two-part show tonight.  Tonight's first Guest WeatherBrain is a meteorologist at the Central Pennsylvania NWS Weather Forecast Office in State College. John Banghoff, welcome!  Our second guest WeatherBrain is the Science and Operations Officer at the NWS in Phoenix, AZ. He's been with the NWS since 2002. Paul Iniquez, thanks for joining us!  We also welcome several special guests tonight.  Loyal listener Rusty Griffith has an incredible story to share.  Justin Smith and his newlywed rode out Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers Beach, Florida and he is here with us tonight to share his story.  Thanks for being on the show tonight!

The team from Dry Air Restoration joined us to discuss how to remove mold from the homes on Fort Myers Beach that were severely damaged by the storm surge from the Gulf of Mexico and Back Bay waters caused by Hurricane Ian. We also announced our Hard Rock Casino and Hotel County Concert giveaway planned for our Live Happy Hour show at Bucketts.

The latest on Georgia and Pennsylvania's campaign as midterm elections are just a few weeks away. Also, Al Roker is in Fort Myers Beach to land a hand after one month of Hurricane Ian. Plus, Hoda Kotb plays ball with the legendary Harlem Globetrotters. And, Steals and Deals—Jill Martin shares some fan favorites fashion and beauty products.

Jessica Nolan and Erin Harrel Talk to KT about the work they and their community have been doing since the hurricane hit Fort Myers, Florida. In the episode, they talk about how you can help with the rebuild, and links to support are below.Hurricane Ian Relief Fund: Venmo @OFDTFoundation Website: https://www.oldfloridadreamteam.com/Social MediaFacebook: @OldFloridaDreamTeam Instagram: @OldFloridaDreamTeam Twitter: @OldFLDreamTeamYoutube: Old Florida Dream Teamhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSErWvpyHqkrv2IPAUNde3QJessica Weathers Nolan 239-462-6885jessica.nolan@oldfloridadreamteam.com Jessica Weathers Nolan is a Fort Myers/Alva native. She and her husband, John, have twochildren: Maggie, who is a Freshman at UF and Jack, who is a Junior at Bishop Verot HighSchool. Jessica has been in the Real Estate industry since 1996. She started off working forRE/MAX Realty North in Tallahassee for just over 2 years. Then in the Mortgage Loan industry for 6 years before becoming a stay-at-home mom. She returned to the Real Estate market in 2004 whileworking for her father Boots Weathers, who was in the Real Estate Industry for 35+ years. Jessica isa founding Team Leader at Old Florida Dream Team at Keller Williams Fort Myers and the Islands.Jessica is able to assist in all your real estate needs. Jessica prides herself on honesty, loyal andhardworking ethics. Along with her business partner, Erin Harrel, she feels strongly in giving back tothe community she was born in raised in by Serving and Strengthening Our Community...Looking For Unparalleled, Old-Fashioned Service?Let Jessica Nolan Give You The Service You Deserve.Erin Harrel 239-470-1395erin.harrel@oldfloridadreamteam.com Dr. Erin Harrel has held many positions but her most noted and respected position is that of serving as a mother to three successful young adults.  Erin  started her career in education teaching both middle and high school. After several years of teaching, she moved into higher education where she has led a successful career for thepast twelve years.  After leaving the college,  she started JRM Transforming Education working withorganizations, schools and higher education institutions on strategic planning,organizational development  and accreditation. Expanding her careers goals, she decided to follow in her mother's footsteps andventure into Real Estate. Capitalizing on her research background and strong network of friends andfamily, Erin joined the Keller Williams  in December of 2015. She specializes in residential,luxury and commercial properties.Erin believes that selling real estate is more than just focusing on the sale but provides the perfectplatform to give back to our community. As a foster parent for at risk kids in Lee, Collier andCharlotte, she gives a portion of her commission from every sale back to at risk kids. In 2021, she co-founded the Old Florida Dream Team Foundation that supports homeless and foster middle and high school students.  She believes it is our duty to always pay it forward by Serving and Strengthening our community! 

Since Hurricane Ian devastated southwestern Florida last month, residents have filed a record number of insurance claims for the damage caused by the storm.Today, Chris Flavelle, a climate reporter for The Times, discusses whether the insurance companies can survive. And if they can't, what will the effect be on Florida's housing market, the cornerstone of its economy?Guest: Christopher Flavelle, a climate reporter for The New York Times.Background reading: The hurricane's record-breaking cost will make it even harder for many to get insurance, experts say — threatening home sales, mortgages and construction.Aerial videos and photos show the destruction caused by Hurricane Ian on Fort Myers Beach, Fla.For more information on today's episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

Residents return to Fort Myers Beach for the first time since hurricane, Home heating costs expected to skyrocket this winter and a Former Nigerian scam artist speaks out.

In our news wrap Sunday, Russian missile strikes reduced more Ukrainian apartments to rubble in the city of Zaporizhzhia, killing 12 and wounding dozens, some residents of Fort Myers Beach in Florida were allowed to return home to assess damage after Hurricane Ian, and the NFL and NFL Players Association announced changes to the league's concussion protocols. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In our news wrap Sunday, Russian missile strikes reduced more Ukrainian apartments to rubble in the city of Zaporizhzhia, killing 12 and wounding dozens, some residents of Fort Myers Beach in Florida were allowed to return home to assess damage after Hurricane Ian, and the NFL and NFL Players Association announced changes to the league's concussion protocols. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The U.S. economy added 263,000 jobs in September, matching a nearly 50-year low from before the pandemic. We have the latest on the markets, and the fear that another big Fed rate hike is coming. Plus, crews in Fort Myers Beach, Florida could finish up search-and-rescue operations as soon as this weekend. We're live from Fort Myers as some people are just now returning home to the devastation from Hurricane Ian. Also, Elon Musk has three weeks to close his deal with Twitter if he wants to avoid a trial with the social media company. What does Twitter want to see from him before it considers dropping the lawsuit?

Korea24 – 2022.10.06 (Thursday) News Briefing: The United Nations Security Council failed to reach an agreement on a response to North Korea’s recent intermediate ballistic missile launch, with China and Russia defending the regime’s actions. (Koo Hee-jin) In-Depth News Analysis (Korean Politics Digest): The Yoon administration this week announced plans to abolish the gender equality ministry and transfer its functions to a division under the health and welfare ministry. Meanwhile, the government also said it will look to establish new government agencies for Korean nationals abroad and immigration issues. Law Professor Song Se-ryun from Kyunghee University and Affiliate Professor Kim Byoung-joo from the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies joins us to discuss these plans. Korea Trending with Jenny Suh: 1. A woman was stabbed to death by her husband in broad daylight earlier this week, despite being under protective measures by the police. (가정폭력 4차례 신고한 아내, 대낮 거리서 남편에 피살) 2. A missing child was found and rescued, after a driver spotted the child standing on the shoulder of a highway and reported it to the Korea Expressway Corporation. ("고속도로 갓길에 초등학생 있음"…실종아이 구한 문자 한 통) 3. U.S. President Joe Biden was caught swearing on a hot mic during a visit to Fort Myers Beach, Florida, in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. (바이든 핫마이크 구설) Explore Korea: The biggest performing arts festival in Korea has begun! The 2022 Welcome Daehakro Festival promises hundreds of performances for people of all ages throughout October, including plays, concerts, musicals, and dance performances. Our travel Explorer Hannah Roberts joins us to tell us all about the event, as well as how the Daehakro district became the mecca of theater and performing arts in Korea. Morning Edition Preview with Richard Larkin: - In tomorrow’s Korea Times, Kwak Yeon-soo reports on Hong Kong actor Tony Leung’s press conference after he was awarded the Asian Filmmaker of the Year award at the Busan International Film Festival. - Tomorrow’s Korea Herald has a feature by Kim Hae-yeon on the Gangneung Coffee Festival which kicks off this week.

The grim death toll stands at more than 100 people dead in Florida after Hurricane Ian devastated the state last week. CNBC's Perry Russom met up with a rescue team in Fort Myers Beach. Plus, an October surprise is rocking the crucial Senate race in Georgia. The GOP's pro-life candidate Herschel Walker is denying a bombshell report from “The Daily Beast” that he urged his girlfriend to get an abortion back in 2009 and paid for the procedure. Also, Elon Musk has a sudden change of heart, sticking to his original $44 billion bid in a proposal to buy Twitter. Could there be another twist to this saga?

We recorded this episode hours before Hurricane Ian hit Florida.We were in full preparation mode - in our home, as our multi-generational hurricane "party" was about to commence (with 7 adults, 12 kids, 2 dogs, and 2 reptiles) - and in our business, as our team came together to serve our clients, prepare their own families, and navigate uncertain times with our community.We discuss evacuations (and why we decided not to leave before the storm hit), what we think may come next, and more.The next episode will cover what we found out shortly "After Ian"... that our home would make it through the storm unscathed, but that our community and the surrounding areas (specifically, Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel) would be completely devastated - without power and water indefinitely as search and rescue efforts are in full effect and the clean up/rebuild begins.Our hearts are with each and every person affected by Hurricane Ian. We will be feeling the effects indefinitely.As of Monday, October 3rd, we made the difficult decision to cancel Training Day. We *will* reschedule as our community rebuilds.Get on the GROW Comm winter waitlist: https://bit.ly/3usVsXbWatch us on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3JJXJDYFind us on Instagram:https://instagram.com/jacobgodarhttps://instagram.com/nichollegodar

Marc is joined by Gale Bloomingcamp, the Assistant Chief of the Boone County Fire Protection District, about Missouri Task Force 1's assignment to Fort Myers Beach to help after the devastation left by Hurricane Ian. 

The search for survivors in Florida continues after Hurricane Ian decimated coastal towns. At least 104 people have died after the Category 4 storm made landfall and Lee County officials have warned that Fort Myers residents may not see their power turned back on for another 30 days. CNN National Correspondent Randi Kaye gives AC360 an update on the search and rescue efforts in Fort Myers Beach, which was one of the hardest hit areas. Plus, Maggie Haberman is a New York Times Senior Political Correspondent and is the author of the new book, “Confidence Man.” She joins AC360 to discuss the difference between interviewing Donald Trump before he was President, while he was President and now after.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

The latest on Hurricane Ian as it leaves a path of destruction through Fort Myers beach. Also, Ukraine retakes control over cities-- Including a key area in the East. Plus, doctor who examined Tua Tagovailoa is fired as quarterback's head injury prompts changes to NFL concussion protocols. And, Katie Couric is back in studio 1A.

Ed Ryan is the Editor at Radio Ink Magazine. Him and his wife host “Beach Talk Radio” from a local restaurant on Fort Myers Beach. That restaurant has been decimated from Hurricane Ian. “Beach Talk Radio” is a Facebook Live/YouTube/Radio Show Podcast every Saturday morning at 9AM. Ed Ryan joins Mike to discuss how Hurricane Ian has destroyed much of Fort Myers Beach & Fort Myers, Florida. There are several ways that Americans can contribute to getting Florida back up on it's feet including donating to The Mike Gallagher Show's campaign with Food For The Poor for Hurricane Ian Relief.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dime Payments Dime Payments is a Christian owned processing payment business. Every business needs a payment process system, so please go to https://dimepayments.com/flf and sign your business up. Working with them supports us. They wont cancel you, like Stripe canceled President Trump. They wont cancel you, like Mailchimp canceled the Babylon Bee. Check them out. At least have a phone call and tell them that CrossPolitic sent you. Go to https://dimepayments.com/flf. This is Toby Sumpter, and today is Friday, September 30th, and this is your CrossPolitic Daily Newsbrief. https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-ian-impact-path-d4db93bcac5af1134e31a3b7f2f694f0 PUNTA GORDA, Fla. (AP) — Rescue crews piloted boats and waded through inundated streets Thursday to save thousands of Floridians trapped amid flooded homes and shattered buildings left by Hurricane Ian, which crossed into the Atlantic Ocean and churned toward another landfall in South Carolina. Hours after weakening to a tropical storm while crossing the Florida peninsula, Ian regained hurricane strength Thursday evening after emerging over the Atlantic Ocean. The National Hurricane Center predicted it would make landfall in South Carolina as a Category 1 hurricane Friday. The devastation inflicted on Florida began to come into focus a day after Ian struck as a monstrous Category 4 hurricane and one of the strongest storms ever to hit the U.S. It flooded homes on both the state’s coasts, cut off the only bridge to a barrier island, destroyed a historic waterfront pier and knocked out electricity to 2.67 million Florida homes and businesses — nearly a quarter of utility customers. At least one man was confirmed dead in Florida, while two other people were reported killed in Cuba after the hurricane struck the island Tuesday. Aerial photos from the Fort Myers area, a few miles west of where Ian struck land, showed homes ripped from their slabs and deposited among shredded wreckage. Businesses near the beach were completely razed, leaving twisted debris. Broken docks floated at odd angles beside damaged boats and fires smoldered on lots where houses once stood. “I don’t know how anyone could have survived in there,” William Goodson said amid the wreckage of the mobile home park in Fort Myers Beach where he’d lived for 11 years. The hurricane tore through the park of about 60 homes, many of them, including Goodson’s single-wide home destroyed or mangled beyond repair. Wading through waist-deep water, Goodson and his son wheeled two trash cans containing what little he could salvage of his belongings — a portable air conditioner, some tools and a baseball bat. The road into Fort Myers was littered with broken trees, boat trailers and other debris. Cars were left abandoned in the roadway, having stalled when the storm surge flooded their engines. “We’ve never seen storm surge of this magnitude,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told a news conference. “The amount of water that’s been rising, and will likely continue to rise today even as the storm is passing, is basically a 500-year flooding event.” After leaving Florida as a tropical storm Thursday and entering the Atlantic Ocean north of Cape Canaveral, Ian spun up into a hurricane again with winds of 75 mph (120 kph). The hurricane center predicted it would continue to strengthen before hitting South Carolina on Friday, but still remain a Category 1 storm. A hurricane warning was issued for the South Carolina coast and extended to Cape Fear on the southeastern coast of North Carolina. With tropical-storm force winds reaching 415 miles (667 kilometers) from its center, Ian was forecast to shove storm surge of 5 feet (1.5 meters) into coastal areas in Georgia and the Carolinas. Rainfall of up to 8 inches (20.32 centimeters) threatened flooding from South Carolina to Virginia. Sheriffs in southwest Florida said 911 centers were inundated by thousands of stranded callers, some with life-threatening emergencies. The U.S. Coast Guard began rescue efforts hours before daybreak on barrier islands near where Ian struck, DeSantis said. More than 800 members of federal urban search-and-rescue teams were also in the area. In the Orlando area, Orange County firefighters used boats to reach people in a flooded neighborhood. A photo the department posted on Twitter showed one firefighter carrying someone in his arms through knee-deep water. At an area nursing home, patients were carried on stretchers across floodwaters to a waiting bus. Among those rescued was Joseph Agboona. “We were happy to get out,” he said after grabbing two bags of possessions when water rose to the windows in his Orlando home. “It was very, very bad.” In Fort Myers, Valerie Bartley’s family spent desperate hours holding a dining room table against their patio door, fearing the storm raging outside “was tearing our house apart.” “I was terrified,” Bartley said. “What we heard was the shingles and debris from everything in the neighborhood hitting our house.” The storm ripped away patio screens and snapped a palm tree in the yard, Bartley said, but left the roof intact and her family unharmed. In Fort Myers, some people left shelters to return home Thursday afternoon. Long lines formed at gas stations and a Home Depot opened, letting in a few customers at a time. Frank Pino was near the back of the line, with about 100 people in front of him. “I hope they leave something,” Pino said, “because I need almost everything.” Authorities confirmed at least one Florida death — a 72-year-old man in Deltona who fell into a canal while using a hose to drain his pool in the heavy rain, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said. Two other storm deaths were reported in Cuba. Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said his office was scrambling to respond to thousands of 911 calls in the Fort Myers area, but many roads and bridges were impassable. Emergency crews sawed through toppled trees to reach stranded people. Many in the hardest-hit areas were unable to call for help because of electrical and cellular outages. A chunk of the Sanibel Causeway fell into the sea, cutting off access to the barrier island where 6,300 people live. It was unknown how many heeded orders to evacuate, but Charlotte County Emergency Management Director Patrick Fuller expressed cautious optimism. No deaths or injuries have been confirmed in the county, and flyovers of barrier islands show “the integrity of the homes is far better than we anticipated,” Fuller said. South of Sanibel Island, the historic beachfront pier in Naples was destroyed, with even the pilings underneath torn out. “Right now, there is no pier,” said Penny Taylor, a Collier County commissioner. In Port Charlotte, a hospital’s emergency room flooded and fierce winds ripped away part of the roof, sending water gushing into the intensive care unit. The sickest patients — some on ventilators — were crowded into the middle two floors as the staff prepared for storm victims to arrive, said Dr. Birgit Bodine of HCA Florida Fawcett Hospital.Ian struck Florida with 150 mph (241 kph) winds that tied it for the fifth-strongest hurricane ever to hit the U.S. While scientists generally avoid blaming climate change for specific storms without detailed analysis, Ian’s watery destruction fits what scientists have predicted for a warmer world: stronger and wetter hurricanes, though not necessarily more of them. “This business about very, very heavy rain is something we’ve expected to see because of climate change,” said MIT atmospheric scientist Kerry Emanuel. “We’ll see more storms like Ian.” Club Membership Plug: Let’s stop and take a moment to talk about Fight Laugh Feast Club membership. By joining the Fight Laugh Feast Army, not only will you be supporting our work, and helping us take down legacy media, you will also receive access to the content placed in our Club Portal, such as past shows, all of our conference talks, and EXCLUSIVE content for club members that you won’t be able to find anywhere else. Lastly, you’ll also get discounts for our conferences… so if you’ve got $10 bucks a month to kick over our way, you can sign up now at fightlaughfeast.com. https://www.theblaze.com/news/first-trans-army-officer-doctor-wife-indicted-for-attempting-to-give-russia-compromising-medical-information-about-members-of-us-military-spouses-report/ The first transgender officer in the U.S. Army and wife have both been indicted for allegedly attempting to communicate with Russian officials in the hopes of giving them kompromat on some members of the military and their spouses. Over the summer, Major Jamie Lee Henry, 39, and wife Dr. Anna Gabrielian, 36, had reportedly made contact with someone whom they thought worked at the Russian embassy but who was actually an undercover FBI agent. Henry, an internist, is a medical doctor with security clearance at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, one of the largest military installations in the entire world. Gabrielian, an anesthesiology and critical care instructor at Johns Hopkins, allegedly expressed hope to the FBI agent that they could use her husband's security clearance to obtain the private medical records of some strategic members of the military and/or their spouses and relatives that Russian officials could then "exploit." According to the indictment, which was unsealed on Thursday, Gabrielian said she was motivated to help Russia because of her Russian patriotism, and her profile at Johns Hopkins does indicate that Gabrielian speaks fluent Russian. However, it is unclear whether she is a Russian national or somehow otherwise affiliated with the country. Though Henry was not said to be motivated by Russian patriotism, the indictment does suggest the Army officer expressed some sympathy for Russian interests. "My point of view is until the United States actually declares war against Russia," Henry allegedly told the agent, "I'm able to help as much as I want." Henry also told the agent that Henry had attempted to enlist in the Russian army to fight against Ukraine but had been rejected for a lack of combat experience. "The way I am viewing what is going on in Ukraine now, is that the United States is using Ukrainians as a proxy for their own hatred toward Russia," Henry allegedly said. Gabrielian also allegedly called Henry a "coward" when the Army officer expressed misgivings about violating HIPPA regulations in service to Russia. During a meeting with the agent at a hotel last month, Gabrielian reportedly gave the agent private medical information belonging to the spouse of a service member in the Office of Naval Intelligence, as well as the information of a relative from an Air Force veteran. Henry likewise handed the agent the medical records of five Fort Bragg patients, according to the filing. It is unclear whether Henry had treated those patients personally. During that meeting, the couple also supposedly attempted to establish a contingency plan, in the event they were ever arrested. Gabrielian allegedly requested that the Russian embassy help find her children "a nice flight to Turkey to go on vacation" so that they couldn't be used as "hostages" against her if she were ever incarcerated. Both Henry and Gabrielian have been charged with conspiracy and wrongful disclosure of individually identifiable health information. They face up to 15 years in prison each, if convicted. The couple were married in 2015, the same year Henry came out as transgender. At the time, Henry gave an interview with Brightest Young Things. "My passion is service member health," Henry said in the interview. "...The biggest part in supporting the health of service members is listening to them. Trauma has to be handled on an individual’s timeline and in a way that is unique to that individual." Brightest Young Things has since changed its name to Exactly. It claims to be an "award-winning Design, Strategy, and Events agency for brands who want to stay relevant with today's beautifully diverse audience." https://www.gty.org/library/blog/B220928 Almighty God says in His Word, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). Scripture also teaches that it is the chief duty of any civic leader to reward those who do well and to punish evildoers (Romans 13:1–7). You have not only failed in that responsibility; you routinely turn it on its head, rewarding evildoers and punishing the righteous. The Word of God pronounces judgment on those who call evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20), and yet many of your policies reflect this unholy, upside-down view of honor and morality. The diabolical effects of your worldview are evident in the statistics of California’s epidemics of crime, homelessness, sexual perversions (like homosexuality and transgenderism), and other malignant expressions of human misery that stem directly from corrupt public policy. I don’t need to itemize or elaborate on the many immoral decisions you have perpetrated against God and the people of our state, which have only exacerbated these problems. Nevertheless, my goal in writing is not to contend with your politics, but rather to plead with you to hear and heed what the Word of God says to men in your position. “Let all kings bow down before Him, all nations serve Him” (Psalm 72:11). “He who rules over men righteously, who rules in the fear of God, is as the light of the morning when the sun rises” (2 Samuel 23:3–4). “It is an abomination for kings to commit wicked acts, for a throne is established on righteousness” (Proverbs 16:12). The Psalm of the Day: Psalm 103 https://open.spotify.com/track/24Ej0kqdU8sjppEDhSpeD4?si=a6a17d7c563f483e Play: 0:05-2:12 Amen! This is Toby Sumpter with CrossPolitic News. Remember you can always find the links to our news stories and these psalms at crosspolitic dot com – just click on the daily news brief and follow the links. Or find them on our App: just search “Fight Laugh Feast” in your favorite app store and never miss a show. We are now doing a daily show, with daily backstage content for Fight Laugh Feast Club Member. Join today and get access as well as a $100 discount at the Fight Laugh Feast conference in Knoxville, TN Oct. 6-8, and have a great day.

Dime Payments Dime Payments is a Christian owned processing payment business. Every business needs a payment process system, so please go to https://dimepayments.com/flf and sign your business up. Working with them supports us. They wont cancel you, like Stripe canceled President Trump. They wont cancel you, like Mailchimp canceled the Babylon Bee. Check them out. At least have a phone call and tell them that CrossPolitic sent you. Go to https://dimepayments.com/flf. This is Toby Sumpter, and today is Friday, September 30th, and this is your CrossPolitic Daily Newsbrief. https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-ian-impact-path-d4db93bcac5af1134e31a3b7f2f694f0 PUNTA GORDA, Fla. (AP) — Rescue crews piloted boats and waded through inundated streets Thursday to save thousands of Floridians trapped amid flooded homes and shattered buildings left by Hurricane Ian, which crossed into the Atlantic Ocean and churned toward another landfall in South Carolina. Hours after weakening to a tropical storm while crossing the Florida peninsula, Ian regained hurricane strength Thursday evening after emerging over the Atlantic Ocean. The National Hurricane Center predicted it would make landfall in South Carolina as a Category 1 hurricane Friday. The devastation inflicted on Florida began to come into focus a day after Ian struck as a monstrous Category 4 hurricane and one of the strongest storms ever to hit the U.S. It flooded homes on both the state’s coasts, cut off the only bridge to a barrier island, destroyed a historic waterfront pier and knocked out electricity to 2.67 million Florida homes and businesses — nearly a quarter of utility customers. At least one man was confirmed dead in Florida, while two other people were reported killed in Cuba after the hurricane struck the island Tuesday. Aerial photos from the Fort Myers area, a few miles west of where Ian struck land, showed homes ripped from their slabs and deposited among shredded wreckage. Businesses near the beach were completely razed, leaving twisted debris. Broken docks floated at odd angles beside damaged boats and fires smoldered on lots where houses once stood. “I don’t know how anyone could have survived in there,” William Goodson said amid the wreckage of the mobile home park in Fort Myers Beach where he’d lived for 11 years. The hurricane tore through the park of about 60 homes, many of them, including Goodson’s single-wide home destroyed or mangled beyond repair. Wading through waist-deep water, Goodson and his son wheeled two trash cans containing what little he could salvage of his belongings — a portable air conditioner, some tools and a baseball bat. The road into Fort Myers was littered with broken trees, boat trailers and other debris. Cars were left abandoned in the roadway, having stalled when the storm surge flooded their engines. “We’ve never seen storm surge of this magnitude,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told a news conference. “The amount of water that’s been rising, and will likely continue to rise today even as the storm is passing, is basically a 500-year flooding event.” After leaving Florida as a tropical storm Thursday and entering the Atlantic Ocean north of Cape Canaveral, Ian spun up into a hurricane again with winds of 75 mph (120 kph). The hurricane center predicted it would continue to strengthen before hitting South Carolina on Friday, but still remain a Category 1 storm. A hurricane warning was issued for the South Carolina coast and extended to Cape Fear on the southeastern coast of North Carolina. With tropical-storm force winds reaching 415 miles (667 kilometers) from its center, Ian was forecast to shove storm surge of 5 feet (1.5 meters) into coastal areas in Georgia and the Carolinas. Rainfall of up to 8 inches (20.32 centimeters) threatened flooding from South Carolina to Virginia. Sheriffs in southwest Florida said 911 centers were inundated by thousands of stranded callers, some with life-threatening emergencies. The U.S. Coast Guard began rescue efforts hours before daybreak on barrier islands near where Ian struck, DeSantis said. More than 800 members of federal urban search-and-rescue teams were also in the area. In the Orlando area, Orange County firefighters used boats to reach people in a flooded neighborhood. A photo the department posted on Twitter showed one firefighter carrying someone in his arms through knee-deep water. At an area nursing home, patients were carried on stretchers across floodwaters to a waiting bus. Among those rescued was Joseph Agboona. “We were happy to get out,” he said after grabbing two bags of possessions when water rose to the windows in his Orlando home. “It was very, very bad.” In Fort Myers, Valerie Bartley’s family spent desperate hours holding a dining room table against their patio door, fearing the storm raging outside “was tearing our house apart.” “I was terrified,” Bartley said. “What we heard was the shingles and debris from everything in the neighborhood hitting our house.” The storm ripped away patio screens and snapped a palm tree in the yard, Bartley said, but left the roof intact and her family unharmed. In Fort Myers, some people left shelters to return home Thursday afternoon. Long lines formed at gas stations and a Home Depot opened, letting in a few customers at a time. Frank Pino was near the back of the line, with about 100 people in front of him. “I hope they leave something,” Pino said, “because I need almost everything.” Authorities confirmed at least one Florida death — a 72-year-old man in Deltona who fell into a canal while using a hose to drain his pool in the heavy rain, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said. Two other storm deaths were reported in Cuba. Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said his office was scrambling to respond to thousands of 911 calls in the Fort Myers area, but many roads and bridges were impassable. Emergency crews sawed through toppled trees to reach stranded people. Many in the hardest-hit areas were unable to call for help because of electrical and cellular outages. A chunk of the Sanibel Causeway fell into the sea, cutting off access to the barrier island where 6,300 people live. It was unknown how many heeded orders to evacuate, but Charlotte County Emergency Management Director Patrick Fuller expressed cautious optimism. No deaths or injuries have been confirmed in the county, and flyovers of barrier islands show “the integrity of the homes is far better than we anticipated,” Fuller said. South of Sanibel Island, the historic beachfront pier in Naples was destroyed, with even the pilings underneath torn out. “Right now, there is no pier,” said Penny Taylor, a Collier County commissioner. In Port Charlotte, a hospital’s emergency room flooded and fierce winds ripped away part of the roof, sending water gushing into the intensive care unit. The sickest patients — some on ventilators — were crowded into the middle two floors as the staff prepared for storm victims to arrive, said Dr. Birgit Bodine of HCA Florida Fawcett Hospital.Ian struck Florida with 150 mph (241 kph) winds that tied it for the fifth-strongest hurricane ever to hit the U.S. While scientists generally avoid blaming climate change for specific storms without detailed analysis, Ian’s watery destruction fits what scientists have predicted for a warmer world: stronger and wetter hurricanes, though not necessarily more of them. “This business about very, very heavy rain is something we’ve expected to see because of climate change,” said MIT atmospheric scientist Kerry Emanuel. “We’ll see more storms like Ian.” Club Membership Plug: Let’s stop and take a moment to talk about Fight Laugh Feast Club membership. By joining the Fight Laugh Feast Army, not only will you be supporting our work, and helping us take down legacy media, you will also receive access to the content placed in our Club Portal, such as past shows, all of our conference talks, and EXCLUSIVE content for club members that you won’t be able to find anywhere else. Lastly, you’ll also get discounts for our conferences… so if you’ve got $10 bucks a month to kick over our way, you can sign up now at fightlaughfeast.com. https://www.theblaze.com/news/first-trans-army-officer-doctor-wife-indicted-for-attempting-to-give-russia-compromising-medical-information-about-members-of-us-military-spouses-report/ The first transgender officer in the U.S. Army and wife have both been indicted for allegedly attempting to communicate with Russian officials in the hopes of giving them kompromat on some members of the military and their spouses. Over the summer, Major Jamie Lee Henry, 39, and wife Dr. Anna Gabrielian, 36, had reportedly made contact with someone whom they thought worked at the Russian embassy but who was actually an undercover FBI agent. Henry, an internist, is a medical doctor with security clearance at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, one of the largest military installations in the entire world. Gabrielian, an anesthesiology and critical care instructor at Johns Hopkins, allegedly expressed hope to the FBI agent that they could use her husband's security clearance to obtain the private medical records of some strategic members of the military and/or their spouses and relatives that Russian officials could then "exploit." According to the indictment, which was unsealed on Thursday, Gabrielian said she was motivated to help Russia because of her Russian patriotism, and her profile at Johns Hopkins does indicate that Gabrielian speaks fluent Russian. However, it is unclear whether she is a Russian national or somehow otherwise affiliated with the country. Though Henry was not said to be motivated by Russian patriotism, the indictment does suggest the Army officer expressed some sympathy for Russian interests. "My point of view is until the United States actually declares war against Russia," Henry allegedly told the agent, "I'm able to help as much as I want." Henry also told the agent that Henry had attempted to enlist in the Russian army to fight against Ukraine but had been rejected for a lack of combat experience. "The way I am viewing what is going on in Ukraine now, is that the United States is using Ukrainians as a proxy for their own hatred toward Russia," Henry allegedly said. Gabrielian also allegedly called Henry a "coward" when the Army officer expressed misgivings about violating HIPPA regulations in service to Russia. During a meeting with the agent at a hotel last month, Gabrielian reportedly gave the agent private medical information belonging to the spouse of a service member in the Office of Naval Intelligence, as well as the information of a relative from an Air Force veteran. Henry likewise handed the agent the medical records of five Fort Bragg patients, according to the filing. It is unclear whether Henry had treated those patients personally. During that meeting, the couple also supposedly attempted to establish a contingency plan, in the event they were ever arrested. Gabrielian allegedly requested that the Russian embassy help find her children "a nice flight to Turkey to go on vacation" so that they couldn't be used as "hostages" against her if she were ever incarcerated. Both Henry and Gabrielian have been charged with conspiracy and wrongful disclosure of individually identifiable health information. They face up to 15 years in prison each, if convicted. The couple were married in 2015, the same year Henry came out as transgender. At the time, Henry gave an interview with Brightest Young Things. "My passion is service member health," Henry said in the interview. "...The biggest part in supporting the health of service members is listening to them. Trauma has to be handled on an individual’s timeline and in a way that is unique to that individual." Brightest Young Things has since changed its name to Exactly. It claims to be an "award-winning Design, Strategy, and Events agency for brands who want to stay relevant with today's beautifully diverse audience." https://www.gty.org/library/blog/B220928 Almighty God says in His Word, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). Scripture also teaches that it is the chief duty of any civic leader to reward those who do well and to punish evildoers (Romans 13:1–7). You have not only failed in that responsibility; you routinely turn it on its head, rewarding evildoers and punishing the righteous. The Word of God pronounces judgment on those who call evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20), and yet many of your policies reflect this unholy, upside-down view of honor and morality. The diabolical effects of your worldview are evident in the statistics of California’s epidemics of crime, homelessness, sexual perversions (like homosexuality and transgenderism), and other malignant expressions of human misery that stem directly from corrupt public policy. I don’t need to itemize or elaborate on the many immoral decisions you have perpetrated against God and the people of our state, which have only exacerbated these problems. Nevertheless, my goal in writing is not to contend with your politics, but rather to plead with you to hear and heed what the Word of God says to men in your position. “Let all kings bow down before Him, all nations serve Him” (Psalm 72:11). “He who rules over men righteously, who rules in the fear of God, is as the light of the morning when the sun rises” (2 Samuel 23:3–4). “It is an abomination for kings to commit wicked acts, for a throne is established on righteousness” (Proverbs 16:12). The Psalm of the Day: Psalm 103 https://open.spotify.com/track/24Ej0kqdU8sjppEDhSpeD4?si=a6a17d7c563f483e Play: 0:05-2:12 Amen! This is Toby Sumpter with CrossPolitic News. Remember you can always find the links to our news stories and these psalms at crosspolitic dot com – just click on the daily news brief and follow the links. Or find them on our App: just search “Fight Laugh Feast” in your favorite app store and never miss a show. We are now doing a daily show, with daily backstage content for Fight Laugh Feast Club Member. Join today and get access as well as a $100 discount at the Fight Laugh Feast conference in Knoxville, TN Oct. 6-8, and have a great day.