Road rage leads to gunfire near US 41 bridge in Punta GordaWarm, breezy day with evening rain ahead of a slight cold front
PUNTA GORDA Road rage leads to gunfire near US 41 bridge in Punta Gorda A road rage incident near the Gilchrist Bridge in Punta Gorda led to shots being fired, according to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.
the weather authority Warm, breezy day with evening rain ahead of a slight cold front The Weather Authority says Sunday is starting off warm across Southwest Florida with overnight lows in the upper 60s and 70s, staying warm throughout the day before a cold front sweeps south later this evening.
FORT MYERS Edison Festival parade lights up Fort Myers with floats and bands The Edison Festival parade was a spectacle of lights and sounds, drawing crowds to celebrate the legacy of Thomas Edison.
CAPE CORAL Goth Gala for the Forlorn; How the alt scene honored Valentine’s Day Love Your Rebellion hosted the Goth Gala for the Forlorn at Nice Guys Pizza in Cape Coral on Friday night.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers gears up for Edison Festival parade; road closures in place Downtown Fort Myers is buzzing with excitement as the Edison Festival of Light Parade is set to begin.
the weather authority Near-record heat with sun and clouds for your Saturday The Weather Authority says the above-normal temperatures that Southwest Florida has been experiencing will stick around yet again for Saturday.
LEE COUNTY Savannah Bananas bring fun on the diamond at JetBlue Park The Savannah Bananas amazed and entertained a sold out JetBlue Park Friday night for the first time in Southwest Florida.
CAPE CORAL Caught on Camera: Cape Coral mailbox hit by drifting car A Cape Coral homeowner was left in shock after a car sent her mailbox flying through the air and left tire tracks next to her home.
ARCADIA DeSoto County man sentenced for deadly DUI crash Justice for a mother and son killed by a man driving under the influence.
NAPLES Oldest Black-owned business in SWFL continues to serve community Cleveland Bass Movers, founded in 1969, stands as the oldest Black-owned business in Southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS BEACH Broken gate on Lovers Key Beach Resort frustrating residents Residents of Lover’s Key Beach Club in Fort Myers Beach are frustrated with a gate that remains wide open, despite “No Trespassing” signs, since Hurricane Ian struck two years ago.
St. James City Church plans $700k flood-proofing project for future safety Hurricanes have caused flood after flood, and one island church, The First Baptist Church of Saint James City, wants to build higher.
Romance scams rise in the US, AARP warns residents to beware Romance scams are on the rise, with the Federal Trade Commission reporting over 64,000 cases in the U.S. in 2023.
Fort Myers Savannah Bananas make their way to Fort Myers for first time The Savannah Bananas have made their way to JetBlue Park for Friday’s sold-out game in Fort Myers to watch “the greatest show in sports.”
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Yacht Club receives key permit Cape Coral received a key permit for a Yacht Club Community Park. This permit opens up the necessary steps for the park to be built.
PUNTA GORDA Road rage leads to gunfire near US 41 bridge in Punta Gorda A road rage incident near the Gilchrist Bridge in Punta Gorda led to shots being fired, according to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.
the weather authority Warm, breezy day with evening rain ahead of a slight cold front The Weather Authority says Sunday is starting off warm across Southwest Florida with overnight lows in the upper 60s and 70s, staying warm throughout the day before a cold front sweeps south later this evening.
FORT MYERS Edison Festival parade lights up Fort Myers with floats and bands The Edison Festival parade was a spectacle of lights and sounds, drawing crowds to celebrate the legacy of Thomas Edison.
CAPE CORAL Goth Gala for the Forlorn; How the alt scene honored Valentine’s Day Love Your Rebellion hosted the Goth Gala for the Forlorn at Nice Guys Pizza in Cape Coral on Friday night.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers gears up for Edison Festival parade; road closures in place Downtown Fort Myers is buzzing with excitement as the Edison Festival of Light Parade is set to begin.
the weather authority Near-record heat with sun and clouds for your Saturday The Weather Authority says the above-normal temperatures that Southwest Florida has been experiencing will stick around yet again for Saturday.
LEE COUNTY Savannah Bananas bring fun on the diamond at JetBlue Park The Savannah Bananas amazed and entertained a sold out JetBlue Park Friday night for the first time in Southwest Florida.
CAPE CORAL Caught on Camera: Cape Coral mailbox hit by drifting car A Cape Coral homeowner was left in shock after a car sent her mailbox flying through the air and left tire tracks next to her home.
ARCADIA DeSoto County man sentenced for deadly DUI crash Justice for a mother and son killed by a man driving under the influence.
NAPLES Oldest Black-owned business in SWFL continues to serve community Cleveland Bass Movers, founded in 1969, stands as the oldest Black-owned business in Southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS BEACH Broken gate on Lovers Key Beach Resort frustrating residents Residents of Lover’s Key Beach Club in Fort Myers Beach are frustrated with a gate that remains wide open, despite “No Trespassing” signs, since Hurricane Ian struck two years ago.
St. James City Church plans $700k flood-proofing project for future safety Hurricanes have caused flood after flood, and one island church, The First Baptist Church of Saint James City, wants to build higher.
Romance scams rise in the US, AARP warns residents to beware Romance scams are on the rise, with the Federal Trade Commission reporting over 64,000 cases in the U.S. in 2023.
Fort Myers Savannah Bananas make their way to Fort Myers for first time The Savannah Bananas have made their way to JetBlue Park for Friday’s sold-out game in Fort Myers to watch “the greatest show in sports.”
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Yacht Club receives key permit Cape Coral received a key permit for a Yacht Club Community Park. This permit opens up the necessary steps for the park to be built.
MGN With NHL playoff viewership down nearly two-thirds across Canada, the television executive who committed Toronto-based Sportsnet to a 12-year, multibillion-dollar broadcasting rights agreement joked how glad he was to have a third-floor office. If Scott Moore considered jumping, “I would just sprain my ankle,” the Sportsnet President told The Associated Press with a laugh during a telephone interview Friday. “We’re disappointed but we’re not panicked,” is how Moore assessed his reaction to the ratings returns a little over a week into the league’s first postseason in 46 years without a Canadian team. The first-round playoff series being broadcast on Sportsnet’s cable channels and CBC drew an average of about 500,000 viewers from April 13-17. That’s down from about 1.3 million over the same period last year, when five of Canada’s seven teams were competing. The drop in numbers is happening two years into Sportsnet’s a $5.2 billion (Canadian) deal in which it acquired the NHL’s English-language broadcasting rights north of the border. The agreement includes the cable company controlling advertising and production rights of games shown on CBC, the nation’s public broadcaster. Moore isn’t surprised Canadians are tuning out on their national past-time because there are no “home” teams competing. He said the drop in numbers is no different in the United States when Major League Baseball’s Toronto Blue Jays or NBA Toronto Raptors make the playoffs. By comparison, the ratings north of the border are still outpacing those in the U.S. NBC announced that the first eight days of the playoffs have drawn and average 484,000 viewers. That’s up by about 30,000 over that same last year, but pales in comparison to Canada and its population-base of 35 million. Looking ahead, Moore cites competitive parity in the NHL’s salary-cap system as the reason he expects the cross-border playoff imbalances to even out over the length of the TV contract. “If this was a three-year deal or a five-year deal, I think we’d be more concerned,” Moore said. “But I’d rather this occurred in Year 6 of the deal and after we had a couple of Toronto-Edmonton Stanley Cup finals so that people would understand that, over the course of the 12-year deal, things will even out.” Moore is encouraged that the Toronto Maple Leafs might finally be showing signs of having direction under a new regime led by team president Brendan Shanahan. And he doesn’t believe the Montreal Canadiens’ injury troubles will carry over into next season. The Maple Leafs, who have made the playoffs just once in the past 11 years, have the potential of drawing 3 million viewers, with the Canadiens second at 2.5 million, Moore said. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman isn’t concerned about lagging Canadian viewership. “When you look at a first round where you go from having five Canadian teams to none, you’re going to see an impact in ratings,” Bettman told a meeting of Associated Press Sports Editors on Friday. “Let’s see what it looks like as it goes on. If we get a great Stanley Cup Final, I’m sure hockey fans from all over will find it compelling and will watch.” Moore is already looking ahead to the second round and a potential showdown between Alex Ovechkin’s Washington Capitals and Sidney Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins. “Yeah, we’d love to have that,” Moore said. Ratings weren’t the only TV-related issue Bettman addressed at the league’s headquarters. The commissioner took issue with criticisms raised over late starting times by Blackhawks broadcaster Pat Foley during Chicago’s 4-3 double-overtime victory over St. Louis on Thursday night. Foley said players and fans hate games starting at 9:42 p.m. EDT, which lead to having regulation approach midnight. Bettman said the NHL staggers the start of games so they don’t overlap. He also noted NBA playoff games start at 9 p.m., and the NFL’s Sunday night games kickoff at 8:30 p.m.. “That everybody hates it, it was, I think, off the mark,” Bettman said, saying Blackhawks President John McDonough called him to say he wasn’t happy with Foley’s comments. “If we put all the games on at the same time, I guarantee you, we’d be criticized for that.”