Venezuela assumes control of Spanish-owned bank

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- President Hugo Chavez's government assumed control of Venezuela's third-largest bank on Friday - making the state the largest player in the nation's banking system....

Online links in today's paper: July 4, 2009

Here are online links for Saturday, July 4, 2009.

Technobuddy: Vacations? Really?

Vacations make no sense at all. A couple of times a year I leave my comfortable home and big screen TV for an average to below-average hotel room. My fancy two-seater sports car stays behind and I rent an economy car that huffs and puffs on most hills. Between home and that hotel room, I squirm for hours in an airline seat designed for midgets.

Living color: Aquariums turn a wall into multicolor, and the mood to relaxation

Fish intrigue Chris Grevengood. Prior to moving to Naples from Detroit 16 years ago, he always kept fresh water aquariums. Scuba diving instilled the desire to have brilliant colorful fish darting in and out of living coral. His 90-gallon salt water aquarium — with bowed front to better view the action — is home to a bright yellow lemonpeel angel fish with sharp blue accents; a royal gramma whose skin begins in dark purple and fades to yellow; a six-line wrasse with neon blue lines overlaying an orange body; and true percula clownfish, the endearing fish with orange with white stripes.

Miracle starter flirts with no-hitter in win over Charlotte

Fort Myers Miracle starter Deolis Guerra took a no-hitter into the eighth Friday night at Hammond Stadium as the Miracle downed the Charlotte Stone Crabs, 2-1.

Cape Tea Party

Economy takes toll on fireworks shows

The Fourth of July is Saturday, but many people are kicking off the holiday tonight. For some communities, this Fourth of July will go on without fireworks.

Fort Myers couple being treated for rabies talks about life or death situation

WINK News talks to a local couple currently being treated for rabies. They did not handle the rabid bat on Fort Myers Beach but did run into one on vacation.

Madonna plans Jackson tribute at London show: report

Malkovich stars as serial killer on Vienna stage

Make it Green: Distilling the essence: What is a garden?

Think about your feet. Humanity: countless feet on real ground for countless thousand years. Look at your life: Where do your feet live? Our feet are neglected, forgotten body parts. Our heads plan and yap and worry, thinking our little world of words and worries is the big world.

Get Growing: Garden calendar beginning July 11, 2009

Here the upcoming garden calendar.

No sunburn here: Dragging flowers will revive -- or you can plant these summer-hardy color plants

It’s 7 in the morning and it’s 80 degrees. By 3 in the afternoon the temperature is in the 90s. Rain chance is 30 percent to 40 percent with a chance of thunderstorms every day. Well, I guess it’s summer in Florida.

Interiors: Quick front-door ‘jewelry’ will give your house more charm

Last week we started brainstorming on how to achieve curb appeal for your home. These ideas are good to use whether you are selling or just sprucing up the home for your own enjoyment. Let’s continue exploring the possibilities.

Miromar event gets area’s Fourth celebration started with a bang

Thousands of Southwest Florida residents packed the Miromar Outlets and Germain Arena in Estero on Friday for the 10th annual Independence Day Celebration. Keeping with tradition, the event was held the night before most Fourth of July festivities in Southwest Florida.

Fourth of July weekend got off to a peaceful start

Collier County residents may have been keeping a low-key with pre-Fourth of July celebrations. The Collier County Sheriff’s Office and Naples Police and Fire Department reported no major crimes or events Friday.

South Lee police beat: Friday, July 3, 2009

South Lee police beat for: Friday, July 3, 2009

Police Beat: Friday, July 3, 2009

Police Beat for Friday, July 3, 2009

Letters to the editor: July 4, 2009

Here are letters to the editor from Daily News editions of July 4, 2009.

Editorials: Starfish, sand dollars, sand spurs & coconuts ... July 4, 2009

Here are editorials from Daily News editions of July 4, 2009.

Next Bill Gates? Lee school offers rare training academy in Microsoft programs

Dunbar High School’s Academy for Technology Excellence handed diplomas to its first four-year graduates this year. It marked a major milestone for the school, which started the program with money from a $3.5 million magnet grant four years ago and earned the informal title of “first Microsoft-certified high school in the country.”

Sounders forward accused in civil lawsuit

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Seattle Sounders forward Nate Jaqua has been accused in a civil lawsuit of sexual assault on a University of Oregon student in 2007....

Nash re-ups with Jackets for 8 years

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Rick Nash and the Columbus Blue Jackets have reached agreement on an eight-year contract extension through the 2017-18 season....

Red Sox pitcher Dice-K's headed to Fort Myers

BOSTON — Boston right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka will head to Fort Myers on Monday to begin a spring training-like strengthening program that the Red...

Lee County ramps up mosquito eradication effort

Planes. Helicopters. Trucks.

Mexico wins praise for swine flu response

CANCUN, Mexico (AP) -- As swine flu runs rampant in the Southern Hemisphere winter, world health experts are concerned that some hard-hit countries have been reluctant to take forceful measures to protect public health....

ABBA's Andersson shoots down London reunion talk

LONDON (AP) -- Forget those reports that Swedish supergroup ABBA will be reuniting to cover Michael Jackson's sold-out concert dates....

Access to swine flu vaccine a 'critical question': WHO

Firefighters schooled in Kickball: Bonita Middle School students victorious

There was a clear winner, but everybody got hosed one way or another. Bonita Springs Middle School’s graduating eighth-graders dominated a group of Bonita and Estero firefighters in a June kickball game and were rewarded with a shower of cool water from the ladder truck at the end of the hot game. The final score was 15 to 9. It was not for a lack of confidence or trash-talking on the part of the firefighters, though.

The Mercato shares its secret as Fourth launches concert series

So far, The Mercato – Italian for “market” and a sprawling residential, restaurant and shopping complex in North Naples – has been one of the area’s better-kept secrets. With the kick-off of its Summer Concert Series on Friday night – an outdoor, festival-style event scheduled for 5 to 8 p.m. on the first Friday of each month through September – employees working at The Mercato hope it doesn’t stay that way for long.