Dunbar’s Southward Village set for affordable housing transformationBabcock Ranch showcases cutting-edge robot in home construction
dunbar Dunbar’s Southward Village set for affordable housing transformation Southward Village is set to become a new hub for affordable housing as companies prepare to build on the now-empty site.
BABCOCK RANCH Babcock Ranch showcases cutting-edge robot in home construction Neighbors, friends, and students gathered Wednesday morning to witness a groundbreaking event in their community.
FORT MYERS Lee County schools expand garden program to 14 schools The Lee County School District is expanding its farm-to-school garden program to 14 schools, providing fresh ingredients for cafeteria meals.
SANIBEL Sanibel dredging raises questions about red tide and beach conditions The beaches of Southwest Florida are a major attraction and a key reason why many visit or move to the area. However, a recent look at the Gulf waters shows a concerning change.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for February 12, 2025 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for Wednesday, February 12, 2025.
Charlotte County faces drought, Punta Gorda limits lawn watering Charlotte County is feeling the heat as it grapples with a significant drought.
LEE COUNTY Red Sox pitchers and catchers return to SWFL Boston Red Sox pitchers and catchers report to JetBlue Park for the first workout of the Spring Training season.
FORT MYERS Man arrested for prowling and enticing a child in Fort Myers A concerned citizen flagged down Florida Highway Patrol state troopers in Fort Myers to report an adult man was harassing his daughter, according to authorities.
Exclusive: Collier County sheriff explains how immigration crackdown helps residents There is concern over illegal immigration in Southwest Florida and its impact on safety and money.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers man pleads guilty following Papa Johns armed robbery A Fort Myers man has pled guilty to multiple charges following a robbery at a Fort Myers Papa Johns in September.
Proton therapy center advances in SWFL Proton therapy is taking a significant step forward in Southwest Florida with the addition of a new medical director to the team.
Pitbull located after getting lost in Lee County crash A missing pitbull has been located after being lost for days.
FORT MYERS US Marshal shoots suspect at Mel’s Diner in Fort Myers The Fort Myers Police Department has confirmed that a U.S. Marshal shot a suspect at Mel’s Diner on Cleveland Avenue.
Commerce Bank economist discusses Trump tariffs, economic outlook Scott Colbert, chief economist for Commerce Bank and Trust, visited Naples this week from his home in St. Louis, where he works for one of the nation’s top 50 banks, one with $32 billion in assets, $25.3 billion in deposits and $74.8 billion in total trust assets.
Homes, hotel, commercial development planned for Murdock Village area Kolter Group LLC got the green light to move forward with its development plans for 670 residential units, a 150-room hotel, 250,000 square feet of regional commercial space and another 150,000 square feet of commercial and governmental space.
dunbar Dunbar’s Southward Village set for affordable housing transformation Southward Village is set to become a new hub for affordable housing as companies prepare to build on the now-empty site.
BABCOCK RANCH Babcock Ranch showcases cutting-edge robot in home construction Neighbors, friends, and students gathered Wednesday morning to witness a groundbreaking event in their community.
FORT MYERS Lee County schools expand garden program to 14 schools The Lee County School District is expanding its farm-to-school garden program to 14 schools, providing fresh ingredients for cafeteria meals.
SANIBEL Sanibel dredging raises questions about red tide and beach conditions The beaches of Southwest Florida are a major attraction and a key reason why many visit or move to the area. However, a recent look at the Gulf waters shows a concerning change.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for February 12, 2025 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for Wednesday, February 12, 2025.
Charlotte County faces drought, Punta Gorda limits lawn watering Charlotte County is feeling the heat as it grapples with a significant drought.
LEE COUNTY Red Sox pitchers and catchers return to SWFL Boston Red Sox pitchers and catchers report to JetBlue Park for the first workout of the Spring Training season.
FORT MYERS Man arrested for prowling and enticing a child in Fort Myers A concerned citizen flagged down Florida Highway Patrol state troopers in Fort Myers to report an adult man was harassing his daughter, according to authorities.
Exclusive: Collier County sheriff explains how immigration crackdown helps residents There is concern over illegal immigration in Southwest Florida and its impact on safety and money.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers man pleads guilty following Papa Johns armed robbery A Fort Myers man has pled guilty to multiple charges following a robbery at a Fort Myers Papa Johns in September.
Proton therapy center advances in SWFL Proton therapy is taking a significant step forward in Southwest Florida with the addition of a new medical director to the team.
Pitbull located after getting lost in Lee County crash A missing pitbull has been located after being lost for days.
FORT MYERS US Marshal shoots suspect at Mel’s Diner in Fort Myers The Fort Myers Police Department has confirmed that a U.S. Marshal shot a suspect at Mel’s Diner on Cleveland Avenue.
Commerce Bank economist discusses Trump tariffs, economic outlook Scott Colbert, chief economist for Commerce Bank and Trust, visited Naples this week from his home in St. Louis, where he works for one of the nation’s top 50 banks, one with $32 billion in assets, $25.3 billion in deposits and $74.8 billion in total trust assets.
Homes, hotel, commercial development planned for Murdock Village area Kolter Group LLC got the green light to move forward with its development plans for 670 residential units, a 150-room hotel, 250,000 square feet of regional commercial space and another 150,000 square feet of commercial and governmental space.
MGN A treasure hunter locked in a legal battle over one of the greatest undersea hauls in American history has been arrested in Florida after more than two years on the lam, authorities said Wednesday. The U.S. Marshals Service tracked Tommy Thompson to a Hilton hotel in West Boca Raton and arrested him Tuesday, said Brian Babtist, a senior inspector in the agency’s office in Columbus, Ohio, where a federal civil arrest warrant was issued for him in 2012 for failing to show up to a key court hearing. Authorities didn’t immediately explain how they were finally able to track down Thompson, whom they called “one of the most intelligent fugitives ever sought by the U.S. Marshals.” Thompson made history in 1988 when he found the sunken S.S. Central America, also known as the Ship of Gold. In what was a technological feat at the time, Thompson and his crew brought up thousands of gold bars and coins from the shipwreck. Much of that was later sold to a gold marketing group in 2000 for about $50 million. The 161 investors who paid Thompson $12.7 million to find the ship never saw returns from the sale. Two of them sued – a now-deceased investment firm president and the Dispatch Printing Company, which publishes The Columbus Dispatch newspaper and had invested about $1 million. That legal battle is ongoing, and those close to Thompson say it was his undoing. Gil Kirk, who heads a Columbus real estate firm and is a former director of one of Thompson’s companies, told The Associated Press last year that Thompson never cheated anyone. Kirk said proceeds from the 2000 sale of the gold all went to legal fees and bank loans. “He was a genius, and they’ve stolen his life,” Kirk said of those who sued. Thompson went into seclusion in 2006, moving into a mansion called Gracewood in Vero Beach, Florida. Six years later, after the arrest warrant was issued, Thompson vanished. When the property’s caretakers searched the mansion, they found prepaid disposable cellphones and bank wraps for $10,000 scattered about, along with a bank statement in the name of Harvey Thompson showing a $1 million balance, court records said. Harvey, according to friends, was Thompson’s nickname in college. Also found was a book called “How to Live Your Life Invisible.” One marked page was titled: “Live your life on a cash-only basis.” Columbus attorney Rick Robol, who at one time defended Thompson’s company, has said there’s no proof Thompson stole anything. He said he’s been concerned about Thompson’s health, which is why he called the arrest “the best thing that can happen for everybody.” Babtist said Thompson was arrested along with his longtime companion, Alison Anteiker, and the couple had been staying in a two-person suite at the Hilton for two years. The hotel is in an upscale suburban area surrounded by golf courses, country clubs and gated communities. It’s less than 10 miles from the beach, and it has a pool and a running track. “The couple offered no resistance at the time of the arrest and readily admitted to being the targets of the extensive investigation,” the Marshals Service said in a news release. Thompson was set for an initial appearance in federal court Thursday in West Palm Beach, while Anteiker was scheduled for an extradition hearing Feb. 4. It’s unclear whether she was ordered to remain in custody until the hearing. No criminal charges have been filed against Thompson, but Babtist said the treasure hunter will likely be ordered held in custody until he appears before an Ohio judge to give an accounting for the gold’s sale and his actions. “I don’t imagine he’s going to get any bond because he’s already been a fugitive and knowingly evaded law enforcement,” Babtist said. “I don’t know what kind of means he has as far as money goes, but I’m sure they don’t want to take any chances with him leaving the country or absconding again.” In one of the worst shipping disasters in American history, the S.S. Central America sank in a monster hurricane about 200 miles off the South Carolina coast in September 1857; 425 people drowned and thousands of pounds of California gold were lost, contributing to an economic panic.