Bishop of the Diocese of Venice releases statement following sexual abuse allegations of SWFL priestGone but not forgotten: Traveling Vietnam Memorial pays tribute to veterans
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Bishop of the Diocese of Venice releases statement following sexual abuse allegations of SWFL priest The Bishop of the Diocese of Venice is speaking out after Charlotte County Reverend Leo Riley was arrested on five counts of sexual battery stemming from his past work as a priest in Iowa.
NEW YORK (AP) Biden officials indefinitely postpone ban on menthol cigarettes amid election-year pushback President Joe Biden’s administration is indefinitely delaying a long-awaited menthol cigarette ban, a decision that infuriated anti-smoking advocates but could avoid a political backlash from Black voters in November.
FORT MYERS Gone but not forgotten: Traveling Vietnam Memorial pays tribute to veterans A powerful symbol of honor and remembrance is standing proudly here in Southwest Florida. The Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall is open to the public, a reminder of those we lost who served our country.
LEE COUNTY Two arrested for street racing in Lee County Two people have been arrested for street racing in Lee County according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
CAPE CORAL Boaters with rifles seen in Cape Coral canal On an average day, it’s pretty common to see people fishing or swimming in a canal. One neighbor in Cape Coral saw something unusual in his backyard Friday afternoon.
FORT MYERS Car flips, one sent to hospital after two car crash in Fort Myers A crash involving at least two vehicles sent one person to the hospital.
The Weather Authority: Clouds, sunshine, wind, and the possibility of a brief shower for your Sunday Clouds and occasional sunshine this Sunday. A few brief showers are possible late in the afternoon and this evening.
TALLAHASSEE (CBS) Governor DeSantis signs AI and vape bills Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed 28 bills, including a measure requiring disclaimers on certain political ads created using artificial intelligence and a bill about regulation of vape products.
ESTERO Gold Star Golf Tournament honors fallen veteran Behind each putt and swing of a golf club at the Gold Star Golf Tournament is someone who knew John Wirka Junior.
NEW YORK (AP) How TikTok grew from a fun app for teens into a potential national security threat If it feels like TikTok has been around forever, that’s probably because it has, at least if you’re measuring via internet time. What’s now in question is whether it will be around much longer and, if so, in what form?
FORT MYERS Man wanted for armed robbery at Fort Myers convenience store Crime Stoppers is asking the public for help identifying an armed robber who held up a convenience store Saturday morning.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Rifles, inappropriate texts and Donut shop debacle This week’s segment of WINK Neighborhood Watch features a scary mall trip, an inappropriate coach, and a Dunkin Donuts assault.
The Weather Authority: Sunny Saturday with a nice breeze; fire danger increases Warm temperatures for your Saturday with a nice breeze into the afternoon.
NORTH NAPLES Senior Airman surprises cousin on Aubrey Rogers softball senior night Aubrey Rogers senior pitcher and infielder McKenzie Vargas was surprised by her Air Force cousin for Senior Night.
BONITA SPRINGS Police: 15-year-old injured after accidentally shot in the leg Lee County deputies say the teen was accidentally shot in the leg.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Bishop of the Diocese of Venice releases statement following sexual abuse allegations of SWFL priest The Bishop of the Diocese of Venice is speaking out after Charlotte County Reverend Leo Riley was arrested on five counts of sexual battery stemming from his past work as a priest in Iowa.
NEW YORK (AP) Biden officials indefinitely postpone ban on menthol cigarettes amid election-year pushback President Joe Biden’s administration is indefinitely delaying a long-awaited menthol cigarette ban, a decision that infuriated anti-smoking advocates but could avoid a political backlash from Black voters in November.
FORT MYERS Gone but not forgotten: Traveling Vietnam Memorial pays tribute to veterans A powerful symbol of honor and remembrance is standing proudly here in Southwest Florida. The Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall is open to the public, a reminder of those we lost who served our country.
LEE COUNTY Two arrested for street racing in Lee County Two people have been arrested for street racing in Lee County according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
CAPE CORAL Boaters with rifles seen in Cape Coral canal On an average day, it’s pretty common to see people fishing or swimming in a canal. One neighbor in Cape Coral saw something unusual in his backyard Friday afternoon.
FORT MYERS Car flips, one sent to hospital after two car crash in Fort Myers A crash involving at least two vehicles sent one person to the hospital.
The Weather Authority: Clouds, sunshine, wind, and the possibility of a brief shower for your Sunday Clouds and occasional sunshine this Sunday. A few brief showers are possible late in the afternoon and this evening.
TALLAHASSEE (CBS) Governor DeSantis signs AI and vape bills Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed 28 bills, including a measure requiring disclaimers on certain political ads created using artificial intelligence and a bill about regulation of vape products.
ESTERO Gold Star Golf Tournament honors fallen veteran Behind each putt and swing of a golf club at the Gold Star Golf Tournament is someone who knew John Wirka Junior.
NEW YORK (AP) How TikTok grew from a fun app for teens into a potential national security threat If it feels like TikTok has been around forever, that’s probably because it has, at least if you’re measuring via internet time. What’s now in question is whether it will be around much longer and, if so, in what form?
FORT MYERS Man wanted for armed robbery at Fort Myers convenience store Crime Stoppers is asking the public for help identifying an armed robber who held up a convenience store Saturday morning.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Rifles, inappropriate texts and Donut shop debacle This week’s segment of WINK Neighborhood Watch features a scary mall trip, an inappropriate coach, and a Dunkin Donuts assault.
The Weather Authority: Sunny Saturday with a nice breeze; fire danger increases Warm temperatures for your Saturday with a nice breeze into the afternoon.
NORTH NAPLES Senior Airman surprises cousin on Aubrey Rogers softball senior night Aubrey Rogers senior pitcher and infielder McKenzie Vargas was surprised by her Air Force cousin for Senior Night.
BONITA SPRINGS Police: 15-year-old injured after accidentally shot in the leg Lee County deputies say the teen was accidentally shot in the leg.
Bill Cosby/ Twitter/ MGN BOSTON (AP) – Four more women joined a federal lawsuit against Bill Cosby Friday, claiming the comedian sexually abused them and later defamed them by letting his representatives publicly label their stories lies. Barbara Bowman, Joan Tarshis, Louisa Moritz and Angela Leslie join three women already named in the civil suit -Tamara Green, Therese Serignese, and Linda Traitz. The women say they want compensation after they say Cosby and his representatives tarnished their reputations and made it hard for them to lead normal lives. They are among dozens of women who have alleged that Cosby, now 78, molested them decades ago. Cosby has denied some of the allegations and has never been charged with a crime. “There’s no reason that any of the victims of this situation should have to live with a scarlet letter in their lives,” Bowman, an Arizona resident, said in a conference call Friday. “I am not a liar. I am a truth-teller.” Bowman alleges Cosby won her trust when she was a 17-year-old aspiring actress in 1985, then sexually assaulted her multiple times. Tarshis, who alleges Cosby drugged and assaulted her in 1969 when she was 19 years old, agreed, adding that she’s been publicly ridiculed for coming forward. This past spring, she says, a woman drove by in car and spat at her and called her a liar. “I was incredibly shaken by that,” Tarshis, a New York resident, said Friday. “I don’t want to sound like Richard Nixon, but I’m not a liar. Why would anybody lie about something like this? This is not my legacy.” Bowman, for her part, said she’s never suffered any direct physical or verbal abuse since stepping forward, though she’s changed her shopping habits to avoid crowds and has had trouble finding employment because of her notoriety. Moritz, of California, is an actress who alleges Cosby sexually assaulted her in a dressing room for “The Tonight Show” in 1969. Leslie, of Michigan, claims Cosby assaulted her while she met with him in his Las Vegas suite in 1992. Friday’s development comes after a New Hampshire woman filed a separate defamation lawsuit against Cosby earlier this week in federal court in Springfield, Mass., where the seven women’s lawsuit is also playing out. Marshall Searcy III, who is listed as Cosby’s attorney in the suit by the seven women, declined to comment. Another Cosby attorney, Monique Pressley, did not respond to a request for comment. Kristina Ruehli says Cosby, who has a home in western Massachusetts, falsely accused her of lying when she came forward last year and said he raped her in 1965 at his Los Angeles home. And Thursday, in a separate defamation lawsuit filed in California by model Janice Dickinson, an appeals court temporarily halted an order requiring Bill Cosby and his former attorney to give sworn testimony. The order put plans to depose Cosby and his longtime attorney on hold for now. Cosby has so far been named in six separate civil lawsuits. Separately, prosecutors in Pennsylvania and California could still bring criminal charges against him Joseph Cammarata, who represents the seven women but not Ruehli, says he does not expect any other alleged victims to come forward with defamation lawsuits. The statute of limitations expires Nov. 21, he noted. The seven women in Cammarata’s suit say Cosby defamed them when his representatives – including the comedian’s longtime attorney, Martin Singer, who he recently fired – issued public statements in 2014 denouncing their stories as absurd and untrue. “These people were held up to public ridicule and a character assassination when they came forward to tell their story of abuse or assault at the hands of Mr. Cosby,” Cammarata said. “This is their opportunity to have their day in court and to attempt to restore their good name and reputation.”