New ovarian cancer treatmentsLargest Lee County land deal closes, $100M for 1,745 acres in northwest Cape Coral
New ovarian cancer treatments Ovarian cancer is a problematic disease because of symptoms such as nausea, bloating and diarrhea.
Largest Lee County land deal closes, $100M for 1,745 acres in northwest Cape Coral The most lucrative land deal in Lee County history just closed at a price of $100 million for 1,745 acres in northwest Cape Coral, where building up to 3,500 homes and commercial property to support it has been in the planning stages for almost two years.
CHARLOTTE HARBOR Major 2 vehicle crash shuts down NB lanes of U.S. 41 in Charlotte After a major traffic accident near Sunseeker Resort in Charlotte County, all Northbound lanes of U.S. 41 were closed.
FORT MYERS Apple AirPods lead LCSO to an arrest ; over $100,000 worth of stolen items recovered Through the use of Apple Airpods, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office was able to locate nearly $100,000 worth of stolen items, leading to an arrest.
LABELLE Hendry County rolls out cameras for school speed zones The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office has rolled out a new way of enforcing school zone speed limits by using cameras that will target drivers traveling over a certain speed in a school zone.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral officials approve replacement funding for hurricane-damaged stop signs The Cape Coral City Council has approved funding to replace stop signs damaged during Hurricane Milton, resulting in an emergency purchase.
Holiday events happening in Southwest Florida Southwest Florida is embracing the holiday spirit with a variety of festive events this Christmas season.
Collier man accused of supplying fentanyl-laced pills, enough to kill 531,500 people The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of supplying more than 10,000 fentanyl-laced pills disguised as prescription painkillers.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral council supports construction of I-75 interchange into city The Cape Coral City Council has approved a resolution requesting support from Lee and Charlotte counties to prioritize state and federal funding for the Interstate 75 Interchange at Slater Road.
PUNTA GORDA Crews removing derelict boats from Gilchrist Park Crews are working to remove derelict boats from Gilchrist Park after several of them washed ashore during Hurricane Milton in October.
33rd endangered Florida panther death of 2024; killed by vehicle in Hardee County Another Florida panther has been killed by a vehicle, this time in Hardee County, increasing the death toll of the endangered species to 33 for 2024.
the weather authority Cool and breezy for your Thursday afternoon After waking up to a cold morning, the Weather Authority is tracking warming conditions to the low 70s this Thursday.
Police release threat made at Florida Gulf Coast University Students at Florida Gulf Coast University said they don’t know the specifics of a threat made last week, but they do know it was taken care of.
Missing and endangered boy found in Lehigh Acres Authorities have found a missing and endangered boy in Lehigh Acres. Police asked for the public’s help in locating Zachariah McKelvin.
School District denies bus service to student despite mother’s measurements When we think of the bus stop, we typically think of it as a safe place for our children, but one mother says the Lee County School District told her they live too close to the school to get a bus route.
New ovarian cancer treatments Ovarian cancer is a problematic disease because of symptoms such as nausea, bloating and diarrhea.
Largest Lee County land deal closes, $100M for 1,745 acres in northwest Cape Coral The most lucrative land deal in Lee County history just closed at a price of $100 million for 1,745 acres in northwest Cape Coral, where building up to 3,500 homes and commercial property to support it has been in the planning stages for almost two years.
CHARLOTTE HARBOR Major 2 vehicle crash shuts down NB lanes of U.S. 41 in Charlotte After a major traffic accident near Sunseeker Resort in Charlotte County, all Northbound lanes of U.S. 41 were closed.
FORT MYERS Apple AirPods lead LCSO to an arrest ; over $100,000 worth of stolen items recovered Through the use of Apple Airpods, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office was able to locate nearly $100,000 worth of stolen items, leading to an arrest.
LABELLE Hendry County rolls out cameras for school speed zones The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office has rolled out a new way of enforcing school zone speed limits by using cameras that will target drivers traveling over a certain speed in a school zone.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral officials approve replacement funding for hurricane-damaged stop signs The Cape Coral City Council has approved funding to replace stop signs damaged during Hurricane Milton, resulting in an emergency purchase.
Holiday events happening in Southwest Florida Southwest Florida is embracing the holiday spirit with a variety of festive events this Christmas season.
Collier man accused of supplying fentanyl-laced pills, enough to kill 531,500 people The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of supplying more than 10,000 fentanyl-laced pills disguised as prescription painkillers.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral council supports construction of I-75 interchange into city The Cape Coral City Council has approved a resolution requesting support from Lee and Charlotte counties to prioritize state and federal funding for the Interstate 75 Interchange at Slater Road.
PUNTA GORDA Crews removing derelict boats from Gilchrist Park Crews are working to remove derelict boats from Gilchrist Park after several of them washed ashore during Hurricane Milton in October.
33rd endangered Florida panther death of 2024; killed by vehicle in Hardee County Another Florida panther has been killed by a vehicle, this time in Hardee County, increasing the death toll of the endangered species to 33 for 2024.
the weather authority Cool and breezy for your Thursday afternoon After waking up to a cold morning, the Weather Authority is tracking warming conditions to the low 70s this Thursday.
Police release threat made at Florida Gulf Coast University Students at Florida Gulf Coast University said they don’t know the specifics of a threat made last week, but they do know it was taken care of.
Missing and endangered boy found in Lehigh Acres Authorities have found a missing and endangered boy in Lehigh Acres. Police asked for the public’s help in locating Zachariah McKelvin.
School District denies bus service to student despite mother’s measurements When we think of the bus stop, we typically think of it as a safe place for our children, but one mother says the Lee County School District told her they live too close to the school to get a bus route.
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.”