Punta Gorda News

SUN PHOTO BY CLINTON BURTON, cburton@sun-herald.com Don Aldrich of American Legion Post 113 in Rotonda played taps as the annual Pre-Memorial Day Ceremony at what is now Randy Spence Park draws to an end Saturday morning.

It's Saturday morning and Debbie Jones, owner of A New Beginning Hair Salon, escorts her first customer through the door - which is not to say that all clients receive such service.

SUN FILE PHOTO BY BETSY WILLIAMS Marcella Brown, 16, gave an operatic performance back in April to sing her way to the title of Charlotte Idol.

According to the family, faculty at the school did not give the 6-year old a certificate and left her on stage with all the other students who did.

As summer begins, Rep. Ken Roberson, R-Punta Gorda, appears in excellent shape as he seeks a fourth and final term next year in the Florida House.

Heather Graham says it seems her son, Hunter, has been receiving fewer and fewer physical education classes over the last few years as an elementary school student in Charlotte County.

I have read the Charter and although not an attorney it is clear residency is only addressed for qualifying for Office.

PHOTO PROVIDED The Goodwill Southwest Florida MicroEnterprise program recently graduated 11 students.

Police in Punta Gorda, Florida were surprised this week when a tip off about a reckless driver led to the arrest of a drunk elementary school nurse on her way to work.

When Raffaele Ponti says he's excited about the upcoming season of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, his eyes flash and he can hardly contain himself.

Community Eye Center is offering Free Vision Screenings for students K-12. The screenings are available throughout the year.

Tuesday, the Peace River Wildlife Center released a purple gallinule into the wild at Ollie's Pond in Port Charlotte.

At age 12, the family moved to Tampa, Fla., and, being the oldest of four children, he spent many of his young years helping to provide for the family.

A sharp-eyed Charlotte County deputy noticed someone behind the wheel when he shouldn't have been and made a traffic stop resulting in a drug arrest Tuesday.

A former state corrections officer who hired a prostitute, then secretly recorded them having sex before posting the video online agreed to a plea deal Tuesday.

This week we learned a Miami man caught and killed the longest Burmese python ever captured in Florida .

A school employee was charged with DUI Tuesday after she allegedly showed up to work so intoxicated she could barely get out of her car, according to the Punta Gorda Police Department.

SUN PHOTO BY KRIS STEWART Speakers, vendors and local agencies at Saturday's Hurricane & Business Expo all stressed the same thing A- preparedness, preparedness, preparedness.

Chris Evans is proud that the 4th Fest fireworks display on the Fourth of July in Punta Gorda has grown every year to become what he believes is the biggest and best in Southwest Florida.

Dorothy Carter is a woman on a mission. Taking advantage of Senior Discount Day on a Monday afternoon last month at Bealls Outlet in Punta Gorda, the Gulf Cove resident searched for hard-to-find 95 percent discount items to donate to some charities.