Beautiful Saturday in store with temps in the low to mid 70sNaples falls to Jones in state semifinals
Beautiful Saturday in store with temps in the low to mid 70s The Weather Authority says it will be another beautiful weekend across Southwest Florida.
ORLANDO Naples falls to Jones in state semifinals One win stood in between the Golden Eagles and a trip to the state title as Naples competed in its 12th state semifinal.
ESTERO 1 dead after crashing into tree in Estero According to the Florida Highway Patrol, one person is dead after crashing into a tree in Estero on Friday night.
IMMOKALEE 1 dead after hit-and-run crash in Immokalee Authorities are investigating a fatal hit-and-run crash that occurred Friday night in Immokalee.
NAPLES Vigil held for teen shot and killed at Collier party Family, friends and loved ones gathered at a candlelight vigil to remember and honor the life of 18-year-old D’eisha Arthur.
FORT MYERS Florida Gulf Coast University holds “Night at the Nest” fundraiser FGCU is holding its “Night at the Nest” fundraiser and gala on Friday. The money raised will go toward university scholarships.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda Veterans Village helping veterans during the holidays Residents and businesses at the Punta Gorda Veterans Village are stepping up to make military transitions a little easier this holiday season.
NORTH PORT Family pushes for class action against Heritage Insurance A North Port family is battling against Heritage Insurance over the damage Hurricane Ian did to their home.
Trails End Drive suspected double murder hit man and organizers back in court There are new developments in the murder-for-hire case that made headlines for weeks at the start of the year. The defendants are back in court.
CAPE CORAL 4 arrested on drug-related charges after FBI investigation Some Cape Coral residents woke up in the early morning hours to their neighbors’ homes being raided by federal agents.
Hope Card program protects victims of domestic violence in Lee County Lee County has implemented the Hope Card Program, a new statewide initiative to help victims of domestic violence.
SANIBEL 36th annual Sanibel Luminary Festival begins The Luminary Festival kicked off on Sanibel Island on Friday. This community-wide holiday event puts residents and visitors in the holiday spirit.
FORT MYERS Future unsure for Rachel at the Well During Hurricane Ian, Rachel at the well was uprooted from its spot in front of the Edison Park neighborhood.
NAPLES Naples Yacht Club appoints first woman commodore After 78 years, the Naples Yacht Club has appointed its first woman commodore. Kathy Parks King is her name.
Beautiful Saturday in store with temps in the low to mid 70s The Weather Authority says it will be another beautiful weekend across Southwest Florida.
ORLANDO Naples falls to Jones in state semifinals One win stood in between the Golden Eagles and a trip to the state title as Naples competed in its 12th state semifinal.
ESTERO 1 dead after crashing into tree in Estero According to the Florida Highway Patrol, one person is dead after crashing into a tree in Estero on Friday night.
IMMOKALEE 1 dead after hit-and-run crash in Immokalee Authorities are investigating a fatal hit-and-run crash that occurred Friday night in Immokalee.
NAPLES Vigil held for teen shot and killed at Collier party Family, friends and loved ones gathered at a candlelight vigil to remember and honor the life of 18-year-old D’eisha Arthur.
FORT MYERS Florida Gulf Coast University holds “Night at the Nest” fundraiser FGCU is holding its “Night at the Nest” fundraiser and gala on Friday. The money raised will go toward university scholarships.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda Veterans Village helping veterans during the holidays Residents and businesses at the Punta Gorda Veterans Village are stepping up to make military transitions a little easier this holiday season.
NORTH PORT Family pushes for class action against Heritage Insurance A North Port family is battling against Heritage Insurance over the damage Hurricane Ian did to their home.
Trails End Drive suspected double murder hit man and organizers back in court There are new developments in the murder-for-hire case that made headlines for weeks at the start of the year. The defendants are back in court.
CAPE CORAL 4 arrested on drug-related charges after FBI investigation Some Cape Coral residents woke up in the early morning hours to their neighbors’ homes being raided by federal agents.
Hope Card program protects victims of domestic violence in Lee County Lee County has implemented the Hope Card Program, a new statewide initiative to help victims of domestic violence.
SANIBEL 36th annual Sanibel Luminary Festival begins The Luminary Festival kicked off on Sanibel Island on Friday. This community-wide holiday event puts residents and visitors in the holiday spirit.
FORT MYERS Future unsure for Rachel at the Well During Hurricane Ian, Rachel at the well was uprooted from its spot in front of the Edison Park neighborhood.
NAPLES Naples Yacht Club appoints first woman commodore After 78 years, the Naples Yacht Club has appointed its first woman commodore. Kathy Parks King is her name.
MGN Online GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) – Federal regulators are looking into whether Florida failed to properly investigate if farmworkers sickened in a crop-dusting accident were told not to report it to authorities. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency inspectors are reviewing case files from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services related to the October 2014 accident in Belle Glade, EPA spokesman Nick Conger said Wednesday. The action comes after an investigation by The Associated Press last month showed that officials here and in other states rarely penalize farms for violating chemical-exposure limits. Based on a review of federal and state enforcement data, the investigation found that pesticide safety investigations in the U.S. can take years to complete and rarely result in fines. Most cases end with warning letters. In Florida, the nation’s second-largest agricultural state with 47,000 farms, and most other states, enforcement of the safety laws is conducted by the same agencies that promote the farm industry. The agriculture industry says the number of fines issued is low because farms are doing a good job of protecting workers. In the Florida case, dozens of farmworkers, mostly women, were exposed to Bathyroid XL when a crop duster mistakenly sprayed the agent near them while they were working. Bathyroid XL is a “restricted use” pesticide considered by the EPA to be one of the most toxic. At least 13 were sickened, including a pregnant woman, according to a state health report. The workers told a state health investigator that an official from the farm came to the hospital after their exposure and told them they would have a hard time finding work if they reported the case. Such intimidation is prohibited under the federal rules. But the investigator assigned to the case never followed up on the intimidation allegations, according to case files. Florida’s investigation of the accident took a year, and the agriculture department issued no fine to the farm and only a small fine to the crop dusting contractor. The Florida agriculture department did not return multiple calls or emails seeking comment on the EPA investigation. No one from owner Duda Farms discouraged or threatened workers after the accident, according to Donna Duda. The farm labor contractor Martinez & Sons Trucking also denied talking to the injured workers, according to the firm’s Jose Ojeda. People who work with farmworkers on pesticide exposure safety say the protection system is riddled with problems. “There needs to be trust that (Florida) is doing everything possible to ensure that the workers are working in safe working conditions,” said Jeannie Economos of the Farmworker Association of Florida. “Anti-retaliation is one of the things we advocated for in the new (pesticide safety law), and it is key if workers are going to be able to report pesticide violations and/or pesticide exposures.” President Barack Obama’s administration last year adopted tougher farmworker protections despite resistance from the agriculture and chemical industries. When they take effect in 2017, however, they will still rely on the existing enforcement system. Conger said the law states that, if Florida’s response was inadequate, EPA can require officials to take corrective action, strip the state of its authority to run the program or take over the case.