Collier County Salvation Army Thrift Store closing its doorsRebuilding the Sanibel Causeway with a cause
Collier County Salvation Army Thrift Store closing its doors The Salvation Army has announced the permanent closure of the Naples Family Store on Davis Boulevard.
SANIBEL Rebuilding the Sanibel Causeway with a cause Construction crews are hard at work making the Sanibel Causeway more resilient. The bridge is being fortified to withstand future storms.
LEE COUNTY No. 2 prospect in MLB Roman Anthony with Red Sox for Spring Training Roman Anthony, who is ranked as the second best in baseball, is with the Boston Red Sox for his first Spring Training.
MANASOTA KEY Popular Manasota Key restaurant reopens after storm damage Manasota Key is steadily recovering from a challenging hurricane season, and residents are celebrating the reopening of a beloved local spot.
PINE ISLAND Construction to start on hurricane-proof fire station on Pine Island A new hurricane-proof fire station is coming to Pine Island. The current station, over 40 years old, is in dire need of replacement.
NORTH PORT Braves’ Chris Sale on the mound in southwest Florida once again Spring Training is in full swing for the Atlanta Braves, who’s full squad reported on Tuesday, that means Chris Sale is back in SWFL.
NORTH NAPLES Construction on Collier County diverging diamond begins March Construction on Southwest Florida’s third diverging diamond interchange is set to begin in March.
Charlotte County homeowners consider elevating homes Recent hurricanes and flooding events prompted some Charlotte County homeowners to either demolish or elevate their homes.
CLEWISTON Clewiston man shoots friend over alleged sexual crime against relative There is new information about a murder in Clewiston earlier this month.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Bridge design vote aims to improve traffic flow Residents and drivers in Cape Coral have long shared a common frustration: traffic congestion, particularly on Cape Coral Parkway.
Symptoms and treatment for pleurisy, the inflammation of lungs’ lining This winter season in Southwest Florida has been rampant with illness, from flu to viral infections.
Lee county approves major road projects to improve traffic flow, safety The Lee Board of County Commissioners continued its commitment to improving the county’s transportation network.
NAPLES Young bobcat injured by car; rehabilitated, released into Naples A young bobcat has been released back into the wild after recovering from its injuries through the collaborative efforts of several Florida environmental agencies.
Florida house speaker appoints Charlotte County sheriff to state immigration enforcement council Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez has appointed two sheriffs, one of whom is Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell, to the state immigration enforcement council.
Man sentenced to 15 years for drug trafficking in SWFL A drug dealer has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine in Southwest Florida.
Collier County Salvation Army Thrift Store closing its doors The Salvation Army has announced the permanent closure of the Naples Family Store on Davis Boulevard.
SANIBEL Rebuilding the Sanibel Causeway with a cause Construction crews are hard at work making the Sanibel Causeway more resilient. The bridge is being fortified to withstand future storms.
LEE COUNTY No. 2 prospect in MLB Roman Anthony with Red Sox for Spring Training Roman Anthony, who is ranked as the second best in baseball, is with the Boston Red Sox for his first Spring Training.
MANASOTA KEY Popular Manasota Key restaurant reopens after storm damage Manasota Key is steadily recovering from a challenging hurricane season, and residents are celebrating the reopening of a beloved local spot.
PINE ISLAND Construction to start on hurricane-proof fire station on Pine Island A new hurricane-proof fire station is coming to Pine Island. The current station, over 40 years old, is in dire need of replacement.
NORTH PORT Braves’ Chris Sale on the mound in southwest Florida once again Spring Training is in full swing for the Atlanta Braves, who’s full squad reported on Tuesday, that means Chris Sale is back in SWFL.
NORTH NAPLES Construction on Collier County diverging diamond begins March Construction on Southwest Florida’s third diverging diamond interchange is set to begin in March.
Charlotte County homeowners consider elevating homes Recent hurricanes and flooding events prompted some Charlotte County homeowners to either demolish or elevate their homes.
CLEWISTON Clewiston man shoots friend over alleged sexual crime against relative There is new information about a murder in Clewiston earlier this month.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Bridge design vote aims to improve traffic flow Residents and drivers in Cape Coral have long shared a common frustration: traffic congestion, particularly on Cape Coral Parkway.
Symptoms and treatment for pleurisy, the inflammation of lungs’ lining This winter season in Southwest Florida has been rampant with illness, from flu to viral infections.
Lee county approves major road projects to improve traffic flow, safety The Lee Board of County Commissioners continued its commitment to improving the county’s transportation network.
NAPLES Young bobcat injured by car; rehabilitated, released into Naples A young bobcat has been released back into the wild after recovering from its injuries through the collaborative efforts of several Florida environmental agencies.
Florida house speaker appoints Charlotte County sheriff to state immigration enforcement council Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez has appointed two sheriffs, one of whom is Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell, to the state immigration enforcement council.
Man sentenced to 15 years for drug trafficking in SWFL A drug dealer has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine in Southwest Florida.
WASHINGTON (AP) – An Army captain who shoved a suicide bomber to the ground and away from his security detail became the nation’s newest Medal of Honor recipient Thursday as President Barack Obama credited his actions with preventing a greater catastrophe from occurring. Florent Groberg, 32, is the 10th living service member awarded the nation’s highest honor for battlefield bravery in Iraq or Afghanistan. Four people were killed in the attack, and several others were wounded. As families of the victims and some of his former Army colleagues watched, Obama draped the medal around Groberg’s neck at a White House ceremony. Groberg fought to keep his emotions in check as he faced the crowd and cameras. Afterward, he dedicated the medal to those killed and their families, saying they were the true heroes. “I am blessed and just grateful to have been given the opportunity to serve my country,” Groberg said. Obama recounted the details of the August 2012 attack, which left Groberg badly wounded and requiring nearly three years of recovery at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Groberg was helping to lead a military escort in Afghanistan’s Kunar Province when his unit approached a bridge. As two motorcyclists caused a diversion, a man dressed in dark clothing spun toward him some 10 feet away. Groberg grabbed the bomber by the vest and kept pushing him backward, with help from fellow soldier, Sgt. Andrew Mahoney. The attacker fell to ground and the bomb detonated. That explosion also caused a second, unseen bomb to detonate before it could be placed closer to the unit. “Had both bombs gone off as planned, who knows how many could have been killed,” Obama said. Groberg suffered significant nerve damage and about half the calf muscle in his left leg was blown off. He needed 33 surgeries to save his leg. Obama noted that he had met Groberg about three years ago at Walter Reed. Obama recalled that Groberg likes the Chicago Bears, “so I liked him right away.” The Medal of Honor ceremony was somber, but Obama also recounted how Groberg first came to consciousness after the bombing. He thought he was in Germany and that the lead singer from the heavy metal band Korn was at his bedside and talking to him, Obama said. “Flo thought, ‘What’s going on? Am I hallucinating?” Obama said. “But he wasn’t. It was all real. And so, today, Flo, I want to assure you you are not hallucinating. You are actually in the White House. Those cameras are on. I am not the lead singer from Korn,” Obama joked. Born in Poissy, France, Groberg became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2001, the same year he graduated from high school in Maryland. He also competed in track and cross country at the University of Maryland before entering the Army in 2008. Obama said that what helped make Groberg a great runner during his student days at the University of Maryland, “training, guts, teamwork,” also made him a great soldier. Obama and Groberg worked to ensure that those killed in the attack are also remembered. Obama cited them by name during the ceremony: Command Sgt. Maj. Kevin Griffin, Maj. Tom Kennedy, Major David Gray, and a USAID foreign service officer who had volunteered for a second tour in Afghanistan, Ragaei Abdelfattah. “These four men believed in America. They dedicated their lives to our country. They died serving it. Their families, loving wives and children, parents and siblings, bear that sacrifice most of all,” Obama said. After the ceremony, Groberg gave a statement, saying, “this medal is the greatest honor you could ever receive.” He added that the medal belonged to the true heroes who died in the attack. For the families of the victims, he said he would work to become the “right carrier for them and better myself as a human being for the rest of my life.”