Construction to start on hurricane-proof fire station on Pine IslandBraves’ Chris Sale on the mound in southwest Florida once again
PINE ISLAND Construction to start on hurricane-proof fire station on Pine Island A new hurricane-proof fire station is coming to Pine Island. The current station, over 40 years old, is in dire need of replacement.
NORTH PORT Braves’ Chris Sale on the mound in southwest Florida once again Spring Training is in full swing for the Atlanta Braves, who’s full squad reported on Tuesday, that means Chris Sale is back in SWFL.
NORTH NAPLES FDOT to hold discussion for upcoming Collier diverging diamond Construction on Southwest Florida’s third diverging diamond interchange is set to begin in March.
Charlotte County homeowners consider elevating homes Recent hurricanes and flooding events prompted some Charlotte County homeowners to either demolish or elevate their homes.
CLEWISTON Clewiston man shoots friend over alleged sexual crime against relative There is new information about a murder in Clewiston earlier this month.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Bridge design vote aims to improve traffic flow Residents and drivers in Cape Coral have long shared a common frustration: traffic congestion, particularly on Cape Coral Parkway.
Symptoms and treatment for pleurisy, the inflammation of lungs’ lining This winter season in Southwest Florida has been rampant with illness, from flu to viral infections.
Lee county approves major road projects to improve traffic flow, safety The Lee Board of County Commissioners continued its commitment to improving the county’s transportation network.
NAPLES Young bobcat injured by car; rehabilitated, released into Naples A young bobcat has been released back into the wild after recovering from its injuries through the collaborative efforts of several Florida environmental agencies.
Florida house speaker appoints Charlotte County sheriff to state immigration enforcement council Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez has appointed two sheriffs, one of whom is Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell, to the state immigration enforcement council.
Man sentenced to 15 years for drug trafficking in SWFL A drug dealer has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine in Southwest Florida.
Craft supplier Joann to shutter 3 SWFL stores, 500 nationwide The big box craft chain based in Hudson, Ohio, is closing its North Naples store at 6424 Naples Blvd., the Estero store at Coconut Point and the Fort Myers store in South Plaza on Cleveland Avenue.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda Police Department Chaplain Rev. Bill Klossner passes away The Punta Gorda Police Department announced the passing of their Chaplain, Reverend Bill Klossner.
Car strikes, kills man who tried to pick up trash bag on SR-80 The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a crash involving a pickup truck and a car on State Road 80 in Hendry County that killed a man.
the weather authority Partly cloudy and milder this Tuesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking increased cloud coverage along with milder conditions this Tuesday afternoon.
PINE ISLAND Construction to start on hurricane-proof fire station on Pine Island A new hurricane-proof fire station is coming to Pine Island. The current station, over 40 years old, is in dire need of replacement.
NORTH PORT Braves’ Chris Sale on the mound in southwest Florida once again Spring Training is in full swing for the Atlanta Braves, who’s full squad reported on Tuesday, that means Chris Sale is back in SWFL.
NORTH NAPLES FDOT to hold discussion for upcoming Collier diverging diamond Construction on Southwest Florida’s third diverging diamond interchange is set to begin in March.
Charlotte County homeowners consider elevating homes Recent hurricanes and flooding events prompted some Charlotte County homeowners to either demolish or elevate their homes.
CLEWISTON Clewiston man shoots friend over alleged sexual crime against relative There is new information about a murder in Clewiston earlier this month.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Bridge design vote aims to improve traffic flow Residents and drivers in Cape Coral have long shared a common frustration: traffic congestion, particularly on Cape Coral Parkway.
Symptoms and treatment for pleurisy, the inflammation of lungs’ lining This winter season in Southwest Florida has been rampant with illness, from flu to viral infections.
Lee county approves major road projects to improve traffic flow, safety The Lee Board of County Commissioners continued its commitment to improving the county’s transportation network.
NAPLES Young bobcat injured by car; rehabilitated, released into Naples A young bobcat has been released back into the wild after recovering from its injuries through the collaborative efforts of several Florida environmental agencies.
Florida house speaker appoints Charlotte County sheriff to state immigration enforcement council Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez has appointed two sheriffs, one of whom is Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell, to the state immigration enforcement council.
Man sentenced to 15 years for drug trafficking in SWFL A drug dealer has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine in Southwest Florida.
Craft supplier Joann to shutter 3 SWFL stores, 500 nationwide The big box craft chain based in Hudson, Ohio, is closing its North Naples store at 6424 Naples Blvd., the Estero store at Coconut Point and the Fort Myers store in South Plaza on Cleveland Avenue.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda Police Department Chaplain Rev. Bill Klossner passes away The Punta Gorda Police Department announced the passing of their Chaplain, Reverend Bill Klossner.
Car strikes, kills man who tried to pick up trash bag on SR-80 The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a crash involving a pickup truck and a car on State Road 80 in Hendry County that killed a man.
the weather authority Partly cloudy and milder this Tuesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking increased cloud coverage along with milder conditions this Tuesday afternoon.
MGN CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – The Charlotte Hornets and Portland Trail Blazers are hoping a change in venue will provide some mojo in the NBA playoffs, while the Oklahoma City Thunder and Toronto Raptors look to take 3-1 leads in their first-round series Saturday. Behind the revitalized play of Dwyane Wade, the Miami Heat swept the first two games from the Hornets by an average of 22 points – Wade’s scoring average in the series. The series shifts to Charlotte, where the Hornets were 31-10 this season. Charlotte will be without small forward Nicolas Batum, the team’s second-leading scorer, because of a strained foot. Either Frank Kaminsky or Jeremy Lin will start in Batum’s place. “Nic is a huge part of what we do,” point guard Kemba Walker said. “But we have been doing it all year – when one guy goes down the next guy steps up.” The poor-shooting Trail Blazers also find themselves down 2-0 heading back to Portland. The Hornets and Trail Blazers face long odds. Since 2008, only two of 55 teams have come back from a 2-0 deficit to advance. The Raptors lead the Pacers, and the Thunder bounced back with road wins and lead their series against Mavericks, both 2-1. A look at the four games Saturday: ___ Raptors at Pacers, Raptors lead series 2-1, 3 p.m. EDT, TNT The Raptors have regained control of the series against the Pacers. While DeMar DeRozan had his top offensive game of the series with 21 points in Game 3 at Indiana, the unsung hero was DeMarre Carroll. Not only did he score 17 points, but was the primary defender on Paul George, and limited the Pacers star to 6-of-19-shooting in the 101-85 win. Carroll missed 42 games this season following knee surgery and didn’t return until April 7. He’s seen limited playing time the last two weeks until playing 35 minutes on Thursday night. Carroll l said it is the best he’s felt since surgery. “He’s just now probably getting his sea legs, the rhythm of the game, the speed of the game,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. “When you go from the regular season to playoff intensity, that’s a huge step.” ___ Heat at Hornets, Heat lead series 2-0, 5:30 p.m. EDT, TNT The Heat have lived up to their moniker, shooting 58 percent in the first two games of the playoffs. Miami has ripped apart Charlotte’s top-10 ranked defense, scoring 238 points on just 176 possessions, a rate of 1.35 points per possession. “Their size is problem,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. “Wade and (Joe) Johnson, they’re so big and such good passers, we are really having trouble with that. That’s the biggest issue. … They’re able to see over us and they’re make passes into the interior or crosscourt and it puts more pressure on our defense.” Luol Deng, Hassan Whiteside and Goran Dragic have also stepped up for the Heat. Clifford said despite the lopsided losses, he wants his team to stick its game plan. “You can’t overreact,” Clifford said afterward. “You got to stay disciplined to what you’re doing. So Dragic makes three threes against the under and then all of a sudden, we’re overextending, we’re opening up driving gaps.” Losing Batum is a huge loss for the Hornets. He’s averaging 16.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in the playoffs. ___ Thunder at Mavericks, Thunder lead series 2-1, 8 p.m. EDT, ESPN The Mavericks have been outscored by an average of 34 points in the two losses after Kevin Durant bounced back from the worst shooting game of his playoff career. Oklahoma City shot 56 percent from 3-point range (15 of 27) to 26 percent for the Mavericks (6 of 23). Thunder coach Billy Donovan said it hasn’t been easy, and won’t be in Game 4. “We’ve been in some close situations with them,” Donovan said. “When you make 15 3-point shots to their six, the score can look lopsided. We know coming in here it’s going to be a hard-fought, physical game when we come back in here and play again.” Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki said the right knee he bruised in Game 2 felt fine after he scored 16 points and matched the team high with six rebounds in 33 minutes. J.J. Barea is hopeful as well following a solid showing in his return after missing a game with a right groin strain. Deron Williams, battling a sports hernia, sat out Game 3 and his status for Saturday night remains uncertain. “We didn’t lose the game because D-Will didn’t play,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. “He’s a great player and he would help us. We didn’t play well enough and we didn’t play with enough grit.” ___ Clippers at Trail Blazers, Clippers lead series 2-0, 10:30 p.m. EDT, ESPN The Blazers need their explosive backcourt of CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard to start hitting shots if they hope to bounce back at home. McCollum, who was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player on Friday, is 9 of 29 from the field so far in the series. Lillard is 13 of 39. “We’re not the first team to lose the first two on the road,” Lillard said. “They took of their home court and now we have the same opportunity.” Said McCollum: “We have had lapses and allowed them to get on runs. … Those type of runs change the complexion of the game.”