Rosie, dog lost during I-75 crash, back home with family New information has been released about Rosie, the dog that went missing in a car crash last weekend and was found Wednesday.
Gatorama owner loses fingers at feeding show The owner of Gatorama in Palmdale was bitten by one of his gators during a feeding show over the weekend, losing two fingers.
WWII Veteran hits 100th birthday milestone Hundreds of people came to celebrate WWII veteran Vernon Nelson’s 100th birthday.
FORT MYERS Volunteers boost Harry Chapin Food Bank’s reach The Harry Chapin Food Bank relies heavily on its volunteers to make a significant impact in the community.
SOUTH FORT MYERS Twins’ superfan attends Spring Training for more than two decades Twins’ superfan Neil Pierce lives more than one thousand miles away from Hammond Stadium and never misses a game in Lee County.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers gears up for Edison Festival of Light with safety in focus The parade will begin at Fort Myers High School, travel up U.S. Highway 41, and conclude in downtown Fort Myers.
Byron Donalds accused of voter fraud U.S. Congressman Byron Donalds is being accused of voter fraud. A fellow lawmaker on Capitol Hill is making the allegations.
NAPLES FWC seeks Naples community’s help for derelict boat removal The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is searching for derelict boats in Southwest Florida and is asking for community assistance.
FORT MYERS Red dye ban and Valentine’s Day Red is synonymous with Valentine’s Day, seen in everything from roses to candy. However, some red sweets may not be as appealing this year due to a recent ban on a common dye linked to cancer risks.
FORT MYERS Savannah Bananas at JetBlue Park this weekend Are you heading out to watch the Savannah Bananas this weekend? This is what you need to know.
Punta Gorda Historic District home set for demolition, rebuild When builder T.J. Thornberry was hired by clients to demolish and build two new homes on their Chasteen Street properties within the Punta Gorda Historic District, little did he realize he would be embarking on an odyssey laden with roadblocks lasting nearly three months.
PORT CHARLOTTE Rays begin Spring Training ahead of season away from home The Charlotte Sports Park is home to the Tampa Bay Rays for the next six weeks for, but after that they don’t actually get to go home.
Eligible taxpayers in Florida file for free with IRS Direct File The Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers in Florida they can file their taxes for free with the agency using IRS Direct File.
TALLAHASSEE (AP) DeSantis signs sweeping immigration bills after a feud with Florida Republicans Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis approved a package of sweeping immigration bills.
Registration for Lee County Parks and Recreation Summer Camp to open Lee County Parks and Recreation Summer Camp has announced that registration will open to the public in two weeks.
Rosie, dog lost during I-75 crash, back home with family New information has been released about Rosie, the dog that went missing in a car crash last weekend and was found Wednesday.
Gatorama owner loses fingers at feeding show The owner of Gatorama in Palmdale was bitten by one of his gators during a feeding show over the weekend, losing two fingers.
WWII Veteran hits 100th birthday milestone Hundreds of people came to celebrate WWII veteran Vernon Nelson’s 100th birthday.
FORT MYERS Volunteers boost Harry Chapin Food Bank’s reach The Harry Chapin Food Bank relies heavily on its volunteers to make a significant impact in the community.
SOUTH FORT MYERS Twins’ superfan attends Spring Training for more than two decades Twins’ superfan Neil Pierce lives more than one thousand miles away from Hammond Stadium and never misses a game in Lee County.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers gears up for Edison Festival of Light with safety in focus The parade will begin at Fort Myers High School, travel up U.S. Highway 41, and conclude in downtown Fort Myers.
Byron Donalds accused of voter fraud U.S. Congressman Byron Donalds is being accused of voter fraud. A fellow lawmaker on Capitol Hill is making the allegations.
NAPLES FWC seeks Naples community’s help for derelict boat removal The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is searching for derelict boats in Southwest Florida and is asking for community assistance.
FORT MYERS Red dye ban and Valentine’s Day Red is synonymous with Valentine’s Day, seen in everything from roses to candy. However, some red sweets may not be as appealing this year due to a recent ban on a common dye linked to cancer risks.
FORT MYERS Savannah Bananas at JetBlue Park this weekend Are you heading out to watch the Savannah Bananas this weekend? This is what you need to know.
Punta Gorda Historic District home set for demolition, rebuild When builder T.J. Thornberry was hired by clients to demolish and build two new homes on their Chasteen Street properties within the Punta Gorda Historic District, little did he realize he would be embarking on an odyssey laden with roadblocks lasting nearly three months.
PORT CHARLOTTE Rays begin Spring Training ahead of season away from home The Charlotte Sports Park is home to the Tampa Bay Rays for the next six weeks for, but after that they don’t actually get to go home.
Eligible taxpayers in Florida file for free with IRS Direct File The Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers in Florida they can file their taxes for free with the agency using IRS Direct File.
TALLAHASSEE (AP) DeSantis signs sweeping immigration bills after a feud with Florida Republicans Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis approved a package of sweeping immigration bills.
Registration for Lee County Parks and Recreation Summer Camp to open Lee County Parks and Recreation Summer Camp has announced that registration will open to the public in two weeks.
(NBC News / MGN) MANTA, Ecuador (AP) – Rescuers in Ecuador pulled three people out alive on Monday after being trapped for more than 32 hours in the rubble of a shopping center that was flattened by this weekend’s powerful earthquake. Televised images of the dramatic pre-dawn rescue in this port city gave Ecuadoreans hope that some of the scores of people still unaccounted for may yet be found even as the death toll from Saturday’s 7.8-magnitude quake, the worst to hit Ecuador in decades, climbed over 350. An American and two Canadians were among those confirmed dead. To reach the survivors trapped between the floor and roof of the collapsed shopping center in Manta, firefighters cut a nearly 2 ½-foot (70-centimeter) hole through concrete then pulled a woman out head first. A group of firefighters applauded as she emerged from the debris, disoriented, caked in dust and complaining of pain but otherwise in good health. Later, at the same site, a group of 50 rescuers working with sniffer dogs, hydraulic jacks and drill managed to free another woman and a young man. All three were rushed in ambulances to a nearby hospital. Authorities said another woman remained trapped and was being given water and other supplies while rescuers attempt to remove a heavy concrete slab pinning down her legs. Christian Rivera, the head of emergency services for the capital, Quito, said that depending on the circumstances a person without serious injuries can survive up to a week under the rubble. “After that, there’s a quick decline … and the rescuers’ work becomes very difficult,” he said. Still, there are good reasons to believe more people will be found alive in the coming hours as some 450 rescue workers from Spain, Peru, Cuba, Bolivia, Venezuela, and elsewhere reached the most-affected areas along the Pacific coast. The U.S. has also offered assistance but so far President Rafael Correa, a strong critic of U.S. foreign policy in Latin America, has yet to respond publicly. Correa, upon arriving in Manta late Sunday, said that the priority remains finding survivors. “Our grief is very large, the tragedy is very large, but we’ll find the way to move forward,” the Ecuadorean leader said, adding that the quake was the worst to hit the country since a 1949 earthquake in the Andean city of Ambato that took more than 5,000 lives. “If our pain is immense, still larger is the spirt of our people.” Manta, a thriving port city, was among the hardest-hit areas. Power cables were strewn across city streets as electricity in many neighborhoods remained down. Among the many building that were flattened was a control tower at the airport that was home to U.S. anti-narcotics missions in South America until Correa kicked the Americans out. As rescuers scrambled through the ruins near the epicenter, in some cases digging with their hands to look for survivors, humanitarian aid began trickling in. More than 3,000 packages of food and nearly 8,000 sleeping kits were delivered Sunday. The quake knocked out power in many areas along the coast and some who fled to higher ground fearing a tsunami had no home to return to or feared structures still standing might collapse. The country’s Geophysics Institute said it recorded 230 aftershocks as of Sunday night. Spain’s Red Cross said as many as 5,000 people may need temporary housing after the quake destroyed homes, and 100,000 may need some sort of aid. State Department spokesman John Kirby didn’t identify the American who was killed but said the U.S. government will work with Ecuadorean authorities to locate and ensure the well-being of all Americans. The area of pristine beaches where the quake struck is popular with American tourists and expat retirees. Aggravating matters were reports of looting, including in Manta, where 180 prisoners from a nearby prison escaped amid the tumult. Authorities said some 20 inmates were recaptured and others returned voluntarily.