Nicole Kidman won the AFI Life Achievement Award with a film career that Meryl Streep said is all about love. Streep, who presented the award to her co-star from “The Hours” and “Big Little Lies,” says Kidman's excellence comes not from her willingness to bare her soul, but because she loves acting so much. The 56-year-old, Oscar-winning Australian received the award Saturday night at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Others who praised Kidman during a show that will air in June on TNT included Reese Witherspoon, Morgan Freeman, Zac Efron, Naomi Watts and Kidman's husband, Keith Urban.

WELLEN PARK — Hospital officials and the city of North Port are preparing to celebrate the construction of a state-of-the-art emergency center in Wellen Park.

Taylor Swift isn’t just a billionaire songwriter and performer. She’s also a philosopher.

New weight loss drugs are reshaping a dieting industry built on eating less and exercising more. The arsenal of drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, has proven successful in eliminating unwanted pounds more quickly and easily than weight loss methods based only on consuming fewer and burning more calories. Such is their disruptive power that even established diet companies like WeightWatchers and brands like Lean Cuisine are trying to keep up. But some health experts worry about traditional diet companies and gyms getting in the medication business and believe the drugs will cater to society’s need for quick fixes.

VENICE — Area Realtors are still selling homes by the hundreds, but statistics shared by the Venice Area Board of Realtors suggest the market has cooled a bit.

ENGLEWOOD — The Democratic Women’s Club of Charlotte County announced the recipient of its 2024 Betty Gissendanner Memorial Scholarship is Lemon Bay High School senior Madeleine Googins, of Placida.

Creativity has always been a loaded idea for me. Several areas where I feel creatively confident are in photography and I simply love the art of writing, wishing I had more time for it. When it comes to art, drawing and using that part of my brain, I frankly get a little anxious. Who can relate? One of the most special memories of being intentional with art was when my daughter was little. She and I would select greeting cards we had received with butterflies on it and then draw them hands-free and color them with glitter markers. Oh, the time we had.

NORTH PORT — As Southwest Florida slips further into the dry season, brush fire threats thrive.

An annual flowering bedding plant that you might try this summer is the celosia.

The number of U.S. births fell last year. It was the lowest count in more than 40 years. A little under 3.6 million babies were born in the U.S. in 2023, about 76,000 fewer than the year before. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the provisional statistics on Thursday. Birth rates have long been falling for teenagers and younger women, but rising for women in their 30s and 40s. But last year, birth rates fell for all women younger than 40, and were flat for women in their 40s.

VENICE — One Christ Won City, a Florida-based nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring Jesus with word and deed, will host the second annual Baptism In The Gulf on Saturday, May 4, at Maxine Barritt Park on Venice Island, Manasota Beach and Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island.

There are many reasons travelers choose train travel over other modes of transportation — and there are many reasons why they don’t.

Today in History

Philadelphia 76ers All-Star center Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy. A facial nerve gets inflamed or injured and suddenly muscles on one side of the face become weak or paralyzed. It can distort expression or keep an eyelid from closing. The cause isn't known although it's linked to factors including high blood pressure, diabetes, certain viral infections and autoimmune disorders. Treatments often consist of steroid medications to fight inflammation and keeping eyes moist and protected. Fortunately most people recover within about six months.

The U.S. flu season appears to be over. It was long, but federal health officials and doctors say it was a moderate one. Last week, for the third straight week, medical visits for flu-like illnesses dipped below the threshold for what’s counted as an active flu season. Springtime upticks in flu are possible. But other indicators, like hospitalizations and patient testing, also show low and declining activity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there have been at least 34 million illnesses and 24,000 deaths from flu since the beginning of October.

PORT CHARLOTTE — South Port Square is taking center stage in a new report from U.S. News & World Report.

OSPREY — Pine View School beat out 647 schools for the No. 1 in Florida, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 rankings released Tuesday.

Estimated insured losses from 2022’s Hurricane Ian have neared $21.4 billion, with about 6 percent of claims remaining open, according to data posted this week on the state Office of insurance Regulation website.

April 19-25, 2024