Crews battle 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 battle 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.
CAPE CORAL New renderings for the Cape Coral Yacht Club promise a bright future The Cape Coral Yacht Club, which has been part of this community since the 1960s, will now have a new look after Hurricane Ian’s devastating effects.
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.
ESTERO Crews battle 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.
CAPE CORAL New renderings for the Cape Coral Yacht Club promise a bright future The Cape Coral Yacht Club, which has been part of this community since the 1960s, will now have a new look after Hurricane Ian’s devastating effects.
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.
FILE Photo of Mark Sievers mugshot from 2016 – Photo courtesy of Lee County Sheriff’s Office. FORT MYERS, Fla. – Mark Sievers can continue to have contact with his two daughters as officials decide where they will be permanently placed, a Lee County judge determined Monday morning. “At the heart of the matter is parental judgement and decision making, and the court must intervene and make a judgement in the best interest of the children,” Judge Lee A. Schreiber said. The children, ages 9 and 11, were taken into the custody of the state Department of Children and Families following Sievers’ arrest on Friday. They are currently with a non-relative caregiver in Collier County. A number of permanent placement options were discussed during Monday’s hearing, including maternal relatives who are planning to relocate to the area from Connecticut and a paternal grandparent currently in the region. A maternal grandmother is planning to request custody, DCF officials said. The paternal grandparent was part of Sievers’ original care arrangements, but that person would require further investigation before determining if she would be a good fit, DCF officials said. “There are many reasons, some foreseeable and some are not, that placement is disrupted,” Schreiber said. “I believe it is incumbent for us to look at all options.” Mark Sievers, who attended the hearing in handcuffs while sporting a red jumpsuit, only whispered to a court-appointed attorney during the proceedings. He requested a court-appointed attorney for the duration of the custody hearings. The children’s schooling was also discussed during the hearing. They were being homeschooled by a tutor before Sievers’ arrest, but their current caregiver wants to enroll them in a public school, DCF officials said. The children may have a religious exception to being placed in public school, said DCF officials, who added that they have not been vaccinated. Officials hope to reconnect the children with their tutor, and for the tutor to be able to provide a full-day of schooling. After Monday’s hearing, Annie Lisa, Teresa Sievers’ sister, said the girls “are doing good.” “So many people in their lives who love them,” she said. “So for now it’s a long process, there’s a lot of circumstances. We are just going to have to sit and be patient, and trust the process is going to put the girls where they need to be. It’s a very emotional time and for everybody, for everybody. We just ask that everybody keeps everyone under these circumstances right now in their prayers.” Monday’s custody hearing comes two days after Sievers received a $4.45 million bond in his first court appearance on Saturday. He is facing second-degree murder charges for his alleged involvement in the planning and execution of a murder-for-hire plot against his wife, Dr. Teresa Sievers. It is also the second time DCF has been involved in the murder case. The agency tried to take custody of the children in December after released court documents detailed detectives’ suspicion of Mark Sievers’ involvement. State officials feared the children were in “impending danger” due to concerns regarding Sievers’ reaction if he is arrested. They expressed worry over the children’s lack of contact with Teresa Sievers’ family, saying he “controls who they talk to and when.” Mark Sievers’ attorney argued that any assumption of an arrest was speculative and questioned the validity of the documents because they were not signed or dated. Schreiber then ruled in favor of Mark Sievers, describing the state’s case as one based on “probability and speculation.”