Crews on scene of 2.5-acre brush fire near Alico and Eagle Village DriveJake’s story: A mother’s mission to share her son’s story and help other young people
ESTERO Crews on scene of 2.5-acre brush fire near Alico and Eagle Village Drive San Carlos Park Fire District is on the scene fighting a 2.5-acre brushfire near Alico and Eagle Village Drive.
FORT MYERS Jake’s story: A mother’s mission to share her son’s story and help other young people One Fort Myers mom is turning her pain into purpose after her son, who she refers to as her “heavenly Angel,” took his own life.
LEHIGH ACRES Owner bars public from Barefoot Lake, LCSO installs Watch Tower Every weekend, roughly 200 people go to Barefoot Lake in Lehigh Acres to relax, fish, swim and have a good time.
CAPE CORAL Concern over water shortage in Cape Coral Concern is flowing through Cape Coral as neighbors are seeing their canal levels low and their wells run dry.
FORT MYERS FSW softball swinging for success in the postseason Now their focus shifts to states which means the newbies are looking to the experienced sophomores for advice.
BONITA SPRINGS Young SWFL tennis player competing with professionals You may not know her name now, but you might want remember it because 16-year-old Cookie Jarvis-Tredgett is already competing with professionals.
NORTH NAPLES ‘It’s all about connection,’ Statement Peace makes jewelry with sustainability in mind The brand Statement Peace, once started inside founder Jessica Lee’s home, is now in 2,700 stores across the country
Pine Manor 2 arrested for firing gun at birthday party in Pine Manor A party ended with two people behind bars.
FORT MYERS Shooting investigation on busy Fort Myers street Police are conducting a shooting investigation that involves a traffic crash near Michigan Avenue and Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard.
FGCU New FGCU athletic director Colin Hargis ready to build on department’s success New FGCU athletic director Colin Hargis talks about the department’s future amid the age of NIL and the transfer portal.
FORT MYERS More middle-aged women being treated for acne You probably thought you broke up with it after high school, but acne is rearing it’s ugly blackheads in adult women.
Lee County student ran up and hit teacher in head, report shows The report says a 13-year-old student ran up and smacked a teacher in the head because multiple classmates offered him money to do so.
NAPLES Collier Planning Commission continues discussion for apartments near Fiddler’s Creek The developer of Fiddler’s Creek wants to build hundreds of luxury apartments on a slice of a 600 acre-plus property known as section 29.
CAPE CORAL Fatigue sets in for third day of FEMA hearings Flying several hours to come to a FEMA code compliance hearing in Cape Coral is the reality for John Gasparini from Maryland.
Prescription drug shortages lead to higher prices There are currently more than 250 medications on the nation’s drug shortage list, according to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. The organization says 2023 marked the worst year for shortages in about a decade.
ESTERO Crews on scene of 2.5-acre brush fire near Alico and Eagle Village Drive San Carlos Park Fire District is on the scene fighting a 2.5-acre brushfire near Alico and Eagle Village Drive.
FORT MYERS Jake’s story: A mother’s mission to share her son’s story and help other young people One Fort Myers mom is turning her pain into purpose after her son, who she refers to as her “heavenly Angel,” took his own life.
LEHIGH ACRES Owner bars public from Barefoot Lake, LCSO installs Watch Tower Every weekend, roughly 200 people go to Barefoot Lake in Lehigh Acres to relax, fish, swim and have a good time.
CAPE CORAL Concern over water shortage in Cape Coral Concern is flowing through Cape Coral as neighbors are seeing their canal levels low and their wells run dry.
FORT MYERS FSW softball swinging for success in the postseason Now their focus shifts to states which means the newbies are looking to the experienced sophomores for advice.
BONITA SPRINGS Young SWFL tennis player competing with professionals You may not know her name now, but you might want remember it because 16-year-old Cookie Jarvis-Tredgett is already competing with professionals.
NORTH NAPLES ‘It’s all about connection,’ Statement Peace makes jewelry with sustainability in mind The brand Statement Peace, once started inside founder Jessica Lee’s home, is now in 2,700 stores across the country
Pine Manor 2 arrested for firing gun at birthday party in Pine Manor A party ended with two people behind bars.
FORT MYERS Shooting investigation on busy Fort Myers street Police are conducting a shooting investigation that involves a traffic crash near Michigan Avenue and Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard.
FGCU New FGCU athletic director Colin Hargis ready to build on department’s success New FGCU athletic director Colin Hargis talks about the department’s future amid the age of NIL and the transfer portal.
FORT MYERS More middle-aged women being treated for acne You probably thought you broke up with it after high school, but acne is rearing it’s ugly blackheads in adult women.
Lee County student ran up and hit teacher in head, report shows The report says a 13-year-old student ran up and smacked a teacher in the head because multiple classmates offered him money to do so.
NAPLES Collier Planning Commission continues discussion for apartments near Fiddler’s Creek The developer of Fiddler’s Creek wants to build hundreds of luxury apartments on a slice of a 600 acre-plus property known as section 29.
CAPE CORAL Fatigue sets in for third day of FEMA hearings Flying several hours to come to a FEMA code compliance hearing in Cape Coral is the reality for John Gasparini from Maryland.
Prescription drug shortages lead to higher prices There are currently more than 250 medications on the nation’s drug shortage list, according to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. The organization says 2023 marked the worst year for shortages in about a decade.
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) — Kaden Peifer and his Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, teammates use the same word over and over when describing what it’s like to be playing two hours from home in front of 35,000 fans at the Little League World Series. “Crazy,” the 12-year-old catcher said while taking a break Thursday from signing autographs outside Lamade Stadium. “It’s just hard to believe that so many people are coming out just to see us,” he said. About 40,000 people are expected on Saturday to watch undefeated Lewisberry take on Pearland, Texas, for the United States championship. Officials say the crowd could challenge the stadium’s single-game record of 44,800 set in 2001. Fans are expected to fill the large hill behind the outfield fence, which is normally empty enough for younger fans to use as an alpine slide with cardboard sheets. Pearland lost 3-0 to Lewisberry on Wednesday, but beat Bonita, California, 9-7 in extra innings Thursday night to earn a rematch with the Pennsylvania team. The winner will play the international champion, either undefeated Tokyo or Mexicali Baja California, Mexico, on Sunday for the World Series title. Many believe the home-field advantage makes Lewisberry the favorite. “Obviously it’s not easy to play before 35,000 people when 34,900 are rooting for Pennsylvania,” said Pearland manager Andrew Solomon. And Pearland players said the fans were doing more than just rooting for Lewisberry, describing some of them as downright hostile. Thirteen-year-old Ben Gottfried said they sounded like “my mother when she’s mad.” “They’re mean, they were really rude,” added pitcher/first baseman Zack Mack. “They complained a lot.” But Peifer said playing in front of that crowd is not easy for the home team either. The 12- and 13-year-olds have tried to block out the distractions and just focus on baseball, he said. But, they know a Pennsylvania team has not won the World Series title since Levittown in 1960 or the U.S. title since Shippensburg in 1990. “At some points, I think it can be a little harder on us, because the fans expect us to beat everybody,” Peifer said. “But we’re not going to mercy-rule every team.” Their opponent hails from just outside Houston and has the advantage of getting to practice outside year-round. The Lewisberry players had to deal with about 40 inches of snow between November and March, according to the National Weather Service. They stayed sharp, the players said, by going to an indoor baseball training facility owned by pitcher Cole Wagner’s uncle. “We did a lot of batting practice, fielding practice, lifting and stuff,” said outfielder Jarrett Wisman. “We train a lot.” Texas has been embracing the underdog role throughout the series. Solomon has said his team felt a bit slighted by the attention given to Pennsylvania and California, which hit 15 home runs in its five games here, but lost twice to Pearland. “We have a really good team,” he said. “We might not hit the most home runs or have a kid that throws 82 mph, but we are a very good, fundamentally sound team.” And while Texas doesn’t have the home field, it has plenty of motivation. This is the organization’s third trip to the Little League World Series in the last five years. In both 2010 and 2014, Pearland lost to the eventual U.S. champions. Solomon, who sports long dreadlocks, has told his players that if they win the World Series this year, they can cut his hair. ___ AP freelance writer Cody Butler contributed to this report.