NORTH FORT MYERS Lee County residents wait hours for D-SNAP assistance The supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) is at the Lee Civic Center all weekend, ready to help southwest Florida.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA First eaglet hatches in famous SWFL eagle nest Welcome E24! The third eaglet from the nest of M15 and F23 has hatched according to the Southwest Florida eagle camera.
lehigh acres LCSO: Lehigh Acres shooting investigation underway The Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting in Lehigh Acres early Saturday morning.
Rock for Equality: SWFL non-profit hosts benefit concert for Palestine A Southwest Florida non-profit hosted a benefit concert on Friday night to help with humanitarian aid in Palestine.
Warm, breezy Saturday with a few showers possible The Weather Authority is forecasting a breezy, warm weekend in store across Southwest Florida, with the chance of a few showers, particularly on Saturday.
CAPE CORAL Active investigation underway in South Cape Coral Cape Coral police are investigating at a home on Southwest 49th Terrace in South Cape Coral early Saturday morning.
16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier County According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, two airboats crashed south of U.S. 41 east between mile markers 74 and 75, leaving well over a dozen people injured.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashes There could be new detectives on the block, located in your nearest auto shop. A new state bill aims at trying to stop hit-and-run drivers from getting away.
CAPE CORAL New leash on life; Cape Coral shelter dog beats cancer with drug being tested for humans A drug now being studied in human trials to kill cancerous tumors, is already approved and helping animals.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral planning a new interchange with I-75 The city of Cape Coral is in the early stages of planning a new interchange with I-75, an idea that has been discussed for more than a decade.
Tracking invasive species after hurricanes Hurricanes Helene and Milton didn’t just bring wind and rain, they brought new threats to southwest Florida’s ecosystem.
PUNTA GORDA Woman in Punta Gorda shooting charged with 2nd degree murder A woman in a homicide investigation on Nasturtium Drive in Punta Gorda has been charged with 2nd-degree murder.
Lee County mother continuing fight to get children a bus stop The school district already told her she lives too close to the school to qualify for a bus route but she has not given up.
NORTH NAPLES Grant Thornton Invitational returns to Tiburon Golf Club Stars on the PGA and LPGA Tours are back in Southwest Florida for the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club.
FORT MYERS Black Flag brings classic punk energy to The Ranch in Fort Myers Legendary punk band Black Flag made their mark in Southwest Florida during the Fort Myers stop of their “First Four Years” tour.
NORTH FORT MYERS Lee County residents wait hours for D-SNAP assistance The supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) is at the Lee Civic Center all weekend, ready to help southwest Florida.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA First eaglet hatches in famous SWFL eagle nest Welcome E24! The third eaglet from the nest of M15 and F23 has hatched according to the Southwest Florida eagle camera.
lehigh acres LCSO: Lehigh Acres shooting investigation underway The Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting in Lehigh Acres early Saturday morning.
Rock for Equality: SWFL non-profit hosts benefit concert for Palestine A Southwest Florida non-profit hosted a benefit concert on Friday night to help with humanitarian aid in Palestine.
Warm, breezy Saturday with a few showers possible The Weather Authority is forecasting a breezy, warm weekend in store across Southwest Florida, with the chance of a few showers, particularly on Saturday.
CAPE CORAL Active investigation underway in South Cape Coral Cape Coral police are investigating at a home on Southwest 49th Terrace in South Cape Coral early Saturday morning.
16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier County According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, two airboats crashed south of U.S. 41 east between mile markers 74 and 75, leaving well over a dozen people injured.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashes There could be new detectives on the block, located in your nearest auto shop. A new state bill aims at trying to stop hit-and-run drivers from getting away.
CAPE CORAL New leash on life; Cape Coral shelter dog beats cancer with drug being tested for humans A drug now being studied in human trials to kill cancerous tumors, is already approved and helping animals.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral planning a new interchange with I-75 The city of Cape Coral is in the early stages of planning a new interchange with I-75, an idea that has been discussed for more than a decade.
Tracking invasive species after hurricanes Hurricanes Helene and Milton didn’t just bring wind and rain, they brought new threats to southwest Florida’s ecosystem.
PUNTA GORDA Woman in Punta Gorda shooting charged with 2nd degree murder A woman in a homicide investigation on Nasturtium Drive in Punta Gorda has been charged with 2nd-degree murder.
Lee County mother continuing fight to get children a bus stop The school district already told her she lives too close to the school to qualify for a bus route but she has not given up.
NORTH NAPLES Grant Thornton Invitational returns to Tiburon Golf Club Stars on the PGA and LPGA Tours are back in Southwest Florida for the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club.
FORT MYERS Black Flag brings classic punk energy to The Ranch in Fort Myers Legendary punk band Black Flag made their mark in Southwest Florida during the Fort Myers stop of their “First Four Years” tour.
MGN Online WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) – Florida’s race for governor has focused on the candidates’ integrity and their credit or blame for the economy. But an issue seldom mentioned on the campaign trail could play the spoiler in the razor-thin contest. Medical marijuana, up for legalization under the Amendment 2 initiative, is supported by Democrat Charlie Crist and opposed by Republican Rick Scott. Though neither candidate has made the issue a campaign centerpiece, its presence on the ballot could help decide who takes the governor’s mansion. “I don’t think that there’s anyone out there that doesn’t think this race isn’t going to be won or lost by a couple of percentage points,” said Erik Williams, a longtime Democratic political consultant who now coordinates government relations for beMindful, which operates marijuana dispensaries in Colorado. “Driving turnout on an issue such as this it absolutely could play a major role in determining who’s the next governor.” Experts disagree on how much a ballot question such as Amendment 2 increases turnout, but most agree Crist will get any extra votes. Medical marijuana has wide support nationally and, unlike other social issues that often show up in ballot initiatives like abortion or gay marriage, it is less likely to drive opponents to the polls solely to voice their disapproval. “With marijuana, there’s no backlash. There aren’t people that turn out to vote just to vote against it,” said Celinda Lake, a pollster who has conducted surveys on marijuana ballot measures. Amendment 2 requires 60 percent approval to pass. Polls have consistently shown Democrats and younger voters showing more support for it than Republicans and older voters. Voters in Alaska, Oregon and the District of Columbia also have marijuana questions before them – to legalize recreational use – but Florida’s initiative has attracted more money and attention. Outside Florida, the race for Senate in Alaska is the closest, most high-profile race, but it seems much less likely to be affected by the marijuana vote because neither candidate has endorsed it. Mason Tvert of the Marijuana Policy Project downplayed the role marijuana initiatives play in political races, but conceded in very close races like Florida’s, it could be the decider. Still, Tvert said ballot questions don’t inherently benefit Democrats unless a candidate has vocally supported it. “A race that’s coming down to just thousands or even hundreds of votes, it could play a big role,” he said. Earlier this year, Scott signed legislation legalizing a single strain of low-potency medical marijuana known as Charlotte’s Web, but he has spoken against the broader initiative. “I’ve watched family members deal with drug abuse, so it scares the living daylights out of me,” Scott said when questioned about it at a debate earlier this month. John Morgan, an Orlando-based personal injury attorney, chairs United for Care, the pro-Amendment 2 campaign. But because he’s also a supporter, and employer, of Crist, it has raised suspicions among some voters about the amendment’s true purpose. Crist says he supports the measure “out of compassion” for the suffering, but also suggests it could help him politically. “I’m going to vote for it. My opponent does not support it and that may be a big difference maker, especially to younger voters, but I think also to seniors,” he told The Associated Press. Still, even in Colorado, where marijuana has been on statewide ballots three times since 2000, the wider political impact of such initiatives isn’t clear. President Barack Obama won the state in 2012, but with less support than the marijuana initiative, meaning some in the pro-pot camp cast ballots for the Republican candidate, Mitt Romney. Meanwhile, exit polls showed more young voters there than four years earlier, when marijuana wasn’t on ballots. Some remain convinced, though, that the increased turnout had a spillover effect. “Of course it played a role,” said Rick Enstrom, a Republican who lost a state House race by about 1,500 votes. “It energized a portion of the voting populace that does not ordinarily vote. I think it helped motivate the college students, and I think that’s partially what it was designed to do.”