Gov. DeSantis to hold news conference in GainsvilleHotter and drier Wednesday with a few inland storms this afternoon
Gainsville Gov. DeSantis to hold news conference in Gainsville Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news conference in Gainsville.
The Weather Authority Hotter and drier Wednesday with a few inland storms this afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a mild and drier Wednesday morning with rain expected inland this afternoon.
Cape Coral City Council to discuss repairs for yacht club pier The Cape Coral City Council will discuss and possibly decide upon three options to repair the damaged yacht club pier.
LEHIGH ACRES Kitchen fire causes substantial damage to a home in Lehigh Acres The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue responded to a kitchen fire at a Sunset Boulevard home on Tuesday night.
FORT MYERS Lee County making changes to fix bus issues In the past, the Lee County School District struggled to find enough bus drivers.
NAPLES Naples man gets original Bob Ross paintings appraised Bob Ross took this blank canvas in a small studio in Muncie, Indiana, and transformed it into a beautiful masterpiece.
Lee Schools board considers full-day phone bans The biggest talking point in a Lee County School District safety presentation wasn’t about violence or drugs, it was about phones
PORT CHARLOTTE Fallen officer ceremony in Charlotte County commemorates those who lost lives in line of duty The emotional ceremony was held at the William R. Gains Veterans Memorial Park in Port Charlotte.
SAN CARLOS PARK Lee County couple suspected of drugging and sexually abusing child Neighbors say a home in San Carlos Park was just another house before Tuesday.
PINE ISLAND FDOT asking you if bike and pedestrian lanes should be added to busy road The Florida Department of Transportation is asking you if bike and pedestrian lanes should be added to the busy road.
Food drive for mental health awareness While someone may look healthy, they may be fighting a real inner battle.
FORT MYERS Overbilled for overflow of water; Residents stuck with hefty water bill The Moore’s make ends meet living at The Cove for almost a year.
ESTERO Scoreless Eagle up for award at NIL Summit FGCU’s Brandon Dwyer is one of the big time performers in NIL despite having never scored a single point in his entire Eagle career.
What happens after a nuisance alligator is captured? For alligators, the month of May means we are in the heart of mating season in the Sunshine State.
Exclusive: Interview with woman who shares hope of recovery on National Fentanyl Awareness Day Lee County Sheriff’s Office said that in 2020 they seized nearly two thousand grams of fentanyl. In 2023, that number jumped to over 8,000.
Gainsville Gov. DeSantis to hold news conference in Gainsville Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news conference in Gainsville.
The Weather Authority Hotter and drier Wednesday with a few inland storms this afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a mild and drier Wednesday morning with rain expected inland this afternoon.
Cape Coral City Council to discuss repairs for yacht club pier The Cape Coral City Council will discuss and possibly decide upon three options to repair the damaged yacht club pier.
LEHIGH ACRES Kitchen fire causes substantial damage to a home in Lehigh Acres The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue responded to a kitchen fire at a Sunset Boulevard home on Tuesday night.
FORT MYERS Lee County making changes to fix bus issues In the past, the Lee County School District struggled to find enough bus drivers.
NAPLES Naples man gets original Bob Ross paintings appraised Bob Ross took this blank canvas in a small studio in Muncie, Indiana, and transformed it into a beautiful masterpiece.
Lee Schools board considers full-day phone bans The biggest talking point in a Lee County School District safety presentation wasn’t about violence or drugs, it was about phones
PORT CHARLOTTE Fallen officer ceremony in Charlotte County commemorates those who lost lives in line of duty The emotional ceremony was held at the William R. Gains Veterans Memorial Park in Port Charlotte.
SAN CARLOS PARK Lee County couple suspected of drugging and sexually abusing child Neighbors say a home in San Carlos Park was just another house before Tuesday.
PINE ISLAND FDOT asking you if bike and pedestrian lanes should be added to busy road The Florida Department of Transportation is asking you if bike and pedestrian lanes should be added to the busy road.
Food drive for mental health awareness While someone may look healthy, they may be fighting a real inner battle.
FORT MYERS Overbilled for overflow of water; Residents stuck with hefty water bill The Moore’s make ends meet living at The Cove for almost a year.
ESTERO Scoreless Eagle up for award at NIL Summit FGCU’s Brandon Dwyer is one of the big time performers in NIL despite having never scored a single point in his entire Eagle career.
What happens after a nuisance alligator is captured? For alligators, the month of May means we are in the heart of mating season in the Sunshine State.
Exclusive: Interview with woman who shares hope of recovery on National Fentanyl Awareness Day Lee County Sheriff’s Office said that in 2020 they seized nearly two thousand grams of fentanyl. In 2023, that number jumped to over 8,000.
Florida Keys (CBS Miami) There are troubled waters on the horizon for the Florida Keys. Monroe County made a shocking announcement Wednesday that some roads and homes may be surrendered to the sea. It’s all because of sea-level rise. The county could let roads sink below the surface, cutting off homes or even neighborhoods. The revelation comes from a study to raise some 300 miles of roadway indicated it would come at a very high cost. After seeing the estimate, more than a billion dollars, county leaders said for some neighborhoods it just might not make economic sense to save them. The county is discussing alternatives like replacing roads with boats as well as raising taxes to pay for the roads that are raised. The 51-page report on climate change in Monroe County is alarming. It noted this year’s seasonal tides are setting records. It also indicated sea level rise projections increasing. There is a chart of the most vulnerable counties in the United States, and Monroe County is now holding the undesirable honor of number three in the country. They hold first place in Florida. County Sustainability Director Rhonda Hagg said they face a much more difficult situation than Miami-Dade or Broward County. “We are surrounded by water. We have hundreds and hundreds of shorelines, and it comes in from all sides. You cannot build a seawalls around the islands. No. 1, it would be way too cost prohibitive and it wouldn’t necessarily work,” Hagg said. The county is halfway through a study to save the Keys’ 300-plus miles of roads. These are roads that lead to homes, businesses and the mainland. Many are projected to completely disappear below the surface in just 20 years. Areas like the bayside of Key Largo, Sugarloaf Keys and Big Pine Key all appear to be at greatest risk. Preliminary budgets indicate the price tag to raise roads, install drains and pumps could be a billion, possibly even billions of dollars. County Administrator Roman Gastesi believes the solution is not going to be easy. Some property owners are likely going to lose their homes. “The Keys are not going to save everybody. Your Keys are not going to look like they are today,” Gastesi said. He believes most homeowners, once they see the numbers, will agree that it is more cost-effective to move than to try to build the area up. Gastesi told CBS4 he could see the project funded by increasing sales tax – a resiliency tax. “Right now we are at 7.5 percent sales tax in the Keys. I’ve traveled in some areas that are up to 10 percent,” he said. Gastesi suggests the county could raise rates to 8.5 percent to cover the cost of the project. In general, roughly 60 percent of sales tax in Monroe is paid by tourists. Residents would have the opportunity to vote on it. But even if they find the money, it’s apparent some roads and homes may not be saved. Gastesi explained, “It doesn’t mean that we are going to spend $20 million dollars to go down a small road to get to two or three houses. It just doesn’t make sense. We may be better off buying those two or three houses or letting them know that we are not going to provide them services.” While the county administrator is sending out a warning that residents may need to move or use boats to get home, there is still hope for resolution. Hagg told CBS4 she sees innovation and partnerships drive costs down. If private industry gets involved, the price tag may drop. “It’s not all doom and gloom here. There is a lot of high hope here,” she said. While optimism is high, the county has already hired lawyers for advice. They are asking questions like “Do they legally have to raise your roadway?” and “Can the government plan to let a neighborhood go underwater?” Previous court rulings send mixed signals. As for a timeline, there is still a long way to go. The study is expected to wrap up in late 2020. Decisions on what roads to save will then be debated. One can assume lawsuits from homeowners may be filed as well. Assuming the county finds funding to do all this, the soonest the Keys would see construction to raise roads is likely 2023 – barring no legal fights.