Fort Myers gears up for Edison Festival of Light with safety in focusByron Donalds accused of voter fraud
FORT MYERS Fort Myers gears up for Edison Festival of Light with safety in focus The parade will begin at Fort Myers High School, travel up U.S. Highway 41, and conclude in downtown Fort Myers.
Byron Donalds accused of voter fraud U.S. Congressman Byron Donalds is being accused of voter fraud. A fellow lawmaker on Capitol Hill is making the allegations.
NAPLES FWC seeks Naples community’s help for derelict boat removal The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is searching for derelict boats in Southwest Florida and is asking for community assistance.
FORT MYERS Red dye ban and Valentine’s Day Red is synonymous with Valentine’s Day, seen in everything from roses to candy. However, some red sweets may not be as appealing this year due to a recent ban on a common dye linked to cancer risks.
FORT MYERS Savannah Bananas at JetBlue Park this weekend Are you heading out to watch the Savannah Bananas this weekend? This is what you need to know.
Punta Gorda Historic District home set for demolition, rebuild When builder T.J. Thornberry was hired by clients to demolish and build two new homes on their Chasteen Street properties within the Punta Gorda Historic District, little did he realize he would be embarking on an odyssey laden with roadblocks lasting nearly three months.
PORT CHARLOTTE Rays begin Spring Training ahead of season away from home The Charlotte Sports Park is home to the Tampa Bay Rays for the next six weeks for, but after that they don’t actually get to go home.
Eligible taxpayers in Florida file for free with IRS Direct File The Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers in Florida they can file their taxes for free with the agency using IRS Direct File.
TALLAHASSEE (AP) DeSantis signs sweeping immigration bills after a feud with Florida Republicans Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis approved a package of sweeping immigration bills.
Registration for Lee County Parks and Recreation Summer Camp to open Lee County Parks and Recreation Summer Camp has announced that registration will open to the public in two weeks.
Collier Sheriff speaks on high-tech tools stopping criminals before they act According to Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk, Southwest Florida is seen as an easy target for criminals; however, law enforcement has begun to incorporate cutting-edge technology to prevent future crimes from happening.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral to host two German Culture Biergarten The German American Social Club of Cape Coral will host the first of two Biergarten in the Bavarian Garden to celebrate its German heritage.
Execution of Charlotte County killer James Ford set for tonight A convicted killer on death row since 1999 is scheduled to be executed tonight for the murder of a couple in Charlotte County.
NORTH PORT Citywide burn ban in effect for North Port The North Port Fire Rescue has enacted a citywide outdoor burn ban due to extreme drought conditions and an increased wildfire threat.
cape coral Minor hospitalized with gunshot wound; 2 people in custody The Cape Coral Police Department is actively investigating a scene located on Skyline Boulevard.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers gears up for Edison Festival of Light with safety in focus The parade will begin at Fort Myers High School, travel up U.S. Highway 41, and conclude in downtown Fort Myers.
Byron Donalds accused of voter fraud U.S. Congressman Byron Donalds is being accused of voter fraud. A fellow lawmaker on Capitol Hill is making the allegations.
NAPLES FWC seeks Naples community’s help for derelict boat removal The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is searching for derelict boats in Southwest Florida and is asking for community assistance.
FORT MYERS Red dye ban and Valentine’s Day Red is synonymous with Valentine’s Day, seen in everything from roses to candy. However, some red sweets may not be as appealing this year due to a recent ban on a common dye linked to cancer risks.
FORT MYERS Savannah Bananas at JetBlue Park this weekend Are you heading out to watch the Savannah Bananas this weekend? This is what you need to know.
Punta Gorda Historic District home set for demolition, rebuild When builder T.J. Thornberry was hired by clients to demolish and build two new homes on their Chasteen Street properties within the Punta Gorda Historic District, little did he realize he would be embarking on an odyssey laden with roadblocks lasting nearly three months.
PORT CHARLOTTE Rays begin Spring Training ahead of season away from home The Charlotte Sports Park is home to the Tampa Bay Rays for the next six weeks for, but after that they don’t actually get to go home.
Eligible taxpayers in Florida file for free with IRS Direct File The Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers in Florida they can file their taxes for free with the agency using IRS Direct File.
TALLAHASSEE (AP) DeSantis signs sweeping immigration bills after a feud with Florida Republicans Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis approved a package of sweeping immigration bills.
Registration for Lee County Parks and Recreation Summer Camp to open Lee County Parks and Recreation Summer Camp has announced that registration will open to the public in two weeks.
Collier Sheriff speaks on high-tech tools stopping criminals before they act According to Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk, Southwest Florida is seen as an easy target for criminals; however, law enforcement has begun to incorporate cutting-edge technology to prevent future crimes from happening.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral to host two German Culture Biergarten The German American Social Club of Cape Coral will host the first of two Biergarten in the Bavarian Garden to celebrate its German heritage.
Execution of Charlotte County killer James Ford set for tonight A convicted killer on death row since 1999 is scheduled to be executed tonight for the murder of a couple in Charlotte County.
NORTH PORT Citywide burn ban in effect for North Port The North Port Fire Rescue has enacted a citywide outdoor burn ban due to extreme drought conditions and an increased wildfire threat.
cape coral Minor hospitalized with gunshot wound; 2 people in custody The Cape Coral Police Department is actively investigating a scene located on Skyline Boulevard.
MGN MARYVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A car on a CSX train carrying a flammable and toxic substance derailed and caught fire in eastern Tennessee, prompting the evacuation of thousands of people within a 2-mile radius. Blount County Fire Department Lt. Johnny Leatherwood said a call about the train derailment came in Wednesday night at 11:50 p.m. EDT in Maryville. The fire was still burning at 8:15 a.m. Thursday, Blount County firefighter Kermit Easterling said. About 5,000 people in the area were being evacuated along with several businesses, Leatherwood said. Also, a manufacturing plant, Denso Manufacturing, closed down Thursday morning because of its proximity to the derailment, Easterling said. In a written statement, CSX said the train car that derailed was carrying acrylonitrile, a hazardous material used in multiple industrial processes including making plastics. The substance is flammable and is dangerous if inhaled, CSX said. According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s website, some effects of breathing acrylonitrile include headaches, dizziness, irritability and rapid heartbeat. Ten law enforcement officers had to be taken to the hospital because they breathed in fumes, Blount County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Marian O’Briant said. Blount County Memorial Hospital spokesman Josh West said the first responders were given oxygen, which is standard procedure for the chemical they were exposed to. He said they were not injured but were being held for observation. He also said no local residents underwent treatment due to fumes. He said two people were evacuated so quickly they weren’t able to get their regular medicines and so they went to the hospital to get needed medication. Craig Camuso, CSX regional vice president for state government affairs, said the company is placing evacuees in hotels, will provide reimbursement when it sets up its outreach center and will provide gift cards for food and essentials to those who need them. The train was traveling from Cincinnati to Waycross, Georgia, CSX said. A statement from the Federal Railroad Administration said the agency had investigators and hazmat inspectors at the scene. “Once it is safe, FRA will begin a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the derailment,” the statement said. On its Facebook page, the Blount County Sheriff’s Office said early Thursday that the evacuations could last from 24 to 48 hours. A shelter for residents was set up at a local high school. Several residents there said they were not aware of the train derailment until they got a call or someone knocked on their door early in the morning. “We saw police going back and forth and emergency vehicles going back and forth on our road, but we didn’t know why until about 3 to 3:30,” Maryville resident John Trull said. “That’s when they told us. We didn’t hear anything (beforehand). We just saw some emergency vehicles go by and kind of wondered what was going on, and that’s about it.” Trull said he heard from a sheriff’s deputy who knocked on his door. “He just knocked on our door and told us there’d been an issue with one of the trains and they were evacuating the area,” he said. Brittany Parrott said she was awakened by a knock on her apartment door at about 4:30 a.m. Although she didn’t hear the derailment, she said she noticed the effects of it as she went outside. “You could smell it in the air,” Parrott said. “I had a headache, I was feeling nauseated and lightheaded, all the symptoms.” Maryville is a town of nearly 30,000 people located about 20 miles south of Knoxville and just outside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.