NAPLES Veterans hit the water in Naples Every September, a local group of captains and anglers hosts an event to take soldiers on the water. More than 130 troops and 65 captains were at the Naples Take a Soldier Fishing event.
Collier County teachers reach contract agreement Collier County teachers have come to an agreement with the school district in their contract negotiations.
NORTH PORT North Port Police searching for man who struck officer with car The North Port Police Department is on the search for a man who committed battery on an officer, among other charges.
FORT MYERS Victim of childhood sexual abuse speaks out after abuser receives 3 life sentences A survivor of childhood sexual abuse finally feels free after her abuser receives three life sentences.
No bond for Tice man accused of kidnaping and sexual assault A man accused of kidnapping and sexual assault will be held without bond.
CAPE CORAL 13th annual 239 Fest to showcase 16 local punk, ska and reggae bands The 13th edition of 239 Fest is coming next month and will feature 16 local punk, ska and reggae bands.
FORT MYERS BEACH Witnesses react to boat getting stuck under Matanzas Pass Bridge While the boat has since gotten out from underneath the bridge, it’s raised some questions about safety for onlookers.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Splash the otter, the unlikely hero bringing families closure Mike Hadsell has trained many animals in his lifetime, but the newest member of Peace River K9 Search and Rescue dive team, Splash the Asian small-clawed otter, is a first, even for him.
FORT MYERS Scrolling on your cell phone may be bad for your health; FGCU professor weighs in Scrolling through your phone might seem like a fun way to pass the time, but new research shows it can actually make you feel even more bored and unhappy.
WEST PALM BEACH DeSantis launches investigation into 2nd assassination attempt on Trump Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he will personally oversee the investigation into the second assassination attempt on former President Trump.
FHP reveals details behind crash that killed 4 young people A mangled car is all that remains from a crash that took the lives of four young people.
FORT MYERS 2 fires in 24 hours displace families in Fort Myers Two vicious fires left families’ homes and lives in ruins. Now, we are learning what help they are getting until their lives can be put back together.
Trump assassination attempt suspect removed serial number from gun Law enforcement is holding a press conference on the attempt of former President Donald Trump’s life at his West Palm Beach golf course.
FORT MYERS BEACH Matanzas Pass Bridge reopens after boat crashes into it, closing it for hours The Matanzas Pass Bridge has reopened to traffic after it was shut down for hours when a boat crashed into it.
MATLACHA Little Pine Island Bridge in Matlacha to temporarily close The Florida Department of Transportation has announced the temporary closure of the Little Pine Island Bridge.
NAPLES Veterans hit the water in Naples Every September, a local group of captains and anglers hosts an event to take soldiers on the water. More than 130 troops and 65 captains were at the Naples Take a Soldier Fishing event.
Collier County teachers reach contract agreement Collier County teachers have come to an agreement with the school district in their contract negotiations.
NORTH PORT North Port Police searching for man who struck officer with car The North Port Police Department is on the search for a man who committed battery on an officer, among other charges.
FORT MYERS Victim of childhood sexual abuse speaks out after abuser receives 3 life sentences A survivor of childhood sexual abuse finally feels free after her abuser receives three life sentences.
No bond for Tice man accused of kidnaping and sexual assault A man accused of kidnapping and sexual assault will be held without bond.
CAPE CORAL 13th annual 239 Fest to showcase 16 local punk, ska and reggae bands The 13th edition of 239 Fest is coming next month and will feature 16 local punk, ska and reggae bands.
FORT MYERS BEACH Witnesses react to boat getting stuck under Matanzas Pass Bridge While the boat has since gotten out from underneath the bridge, it’s raised some questions about safety for onlookers.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Splash the otter, the unlikely hero bringing families closure Mike Hadsell has trained many animals in his lifetime, but the newest member of Peace River K9 Search and Rescue dive team, Splash the Asian small-clawed otter, is a first, even for him.
FORT MYERS Scrolling on your cell phone may be bad for your health; FGCU professor weighs in Scrolling through your phone might seem like a fun way to pass the time, but new research shows it can actually make you feel even more bored and unhappy.
WEST PALM BEACH DeSantis launches investigation into 2nd assassination attempt on Trump Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he will personally oversee the investigation into the second assassination attempt on former President Trump.
FHP reveals details behind crash that killed 4 young people A mangled car is all that remains from a crash that took the lives of four young people.
FORT MYERS 2 fires in 24 hours displace families in Fort Myers Two vicious fires left families’ homes and lives in ruins. Now, we are learning what help they are getting until their lives can be put back together.
Trump assassination attempt suspect removed serial number from gun Law enforcement is holding a press conference on the attempt of former President Donald Trump’s life at his West Palm Beach golf course.
FORT MYERS BEACH Matanzas Pass Bridge reopens after boat crashes into it, closing it for hours The Matanzas Pass Bridge has reopened to traffic after it was shut down for hours when a boat crashed into it.
MATLACHA Little Pine Island Bridge in Matlacha to temporarily close The Florida Department of Transportation has announced the temporary closure of the Little Pine Island Bridge.
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) – Colombians celebrated for a little more than two minutes what appeared to be an unprecedented feat for this beauty pageant-obsessed South American nation: back-to-back Miss Universe titles. From President Juan Manuel Santos to Miss Colombia’s relatives in the Caribbean port city of Barranquilla, millions of Colombians who tuned in for Sunday’s pageant screamed joyously when it was announced that Ariadna Gutierrez Arevalo had won this year’s crown. But the celebrating turned to shouts of fraud seconds later as host Steve Harvey announced on live television from Las Vegas that he had mistakenly read from the cue card. The contestant from the Philippines was the new Miss Universe, not Miss Colombia. “They took away her crown,” and “the shortest reign in history” was the sentiment expressed almost universally on Twitter, where the hashtag “Respect the Crown” was the country’s top trending topic. “The entire country, and our family, was overcome with emotion,” Alvaro Arevalo, the Colombian runner-up’s cousin, told Blu Radio in an interview Monday. “The truth is we’re a little shocked.” The sudden reversal even caught by the president by surprise, forcing him to reverse his initial celebratory tweet. “I was watching Miss Universe with my family. We started a huge celebration when they said Colombia had won the Miss Universe title for the second straight year,” Santos told Radio Nacional on Monday. “They put the crown on her head. The photos are there to prove it. To me, as a Colombian, she is still Miss Universe,” he said. Colombians are obsessed with beauty and pageants are a major draw across social classes. But unlike neighboring Venezuela, which has won seven Miss Universe titles, Colombians are accustomed to falling short of the crown, with five runner-up appearances since 1992 including Sunday’s. Before last year’s crowning of Paulina Vega, only one other Colombian had won the Miss Universe title, in 1958. In the aftermath of Sunday’s shocking finale, Colombians were at a loss to explain the mistake. Newscasts devoted almost 20 minutes to dissecting every detail of the pageant’s confusing end – from the tweets by a member of the jury celebrating Gutierrez’s win to a front-row audience member’s alleged slipping of a cue card to Harvey – as reporters looked for clues of what many Colombians believe was a scripted ending to rob their country of its rightful crown and produce higher TV ratings. Some journalists blamed Donald Trump, saying they could find no financial record confirming that he had indeed sold the rights to the pageant as he said he did in September. Many Colombians were outraged months ago when Trump on the campaign trail accused Mexico of sending rapists and drug traffickers to the U.S. On Sunday, some said they believed the Republican presidential candidate was somehow still pulling the strings to prevent another Latina from being crowned. Trump said Monday that he regretted the mixup, adding that it would never have happened under his watch. “Mafias are everywhere. They stole the title,” said Efrain Salinas, a doorman in a Bogota apartment building. “After winning last year’s Miss Universe we’re a beauty pageant powerhouse and nobody wants us to win again.” For her part, Gutierrez in her initial remarks seemed saddened but resigned to her fate. “Everything happens for a reason,” she said, wiping back a tear, in a backstage video posted on the organizer’s website in which she also thanked the judges who voted for her. (Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)