The Weather Authority Hotter and more humid this Friday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a mild Friday morning with dry afternoon conditions and isolated storms appearing in the evening.
PUNTA GORDA ‘Party’s Over’: Dirt biking ends at Barefoot Lake The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has made it clear, the party at Barefoot Lake is over.
ESTERO Crews battle 2.5-acre brush fire near Alico and Eagle Village Drive San Carlos Park Fire District is on the scene fighting a 2.5-acre brushfire near Alico and Eagle Village Drive.
FORT MYERS Jake’s story: A mother’s mission to share her son’s story and help other young people One Fort Myers mom is turning her pain into purpose after her son, who she refers to as her “heavenly Angel,” took his own life.
CAPE CORAL New renderings for the Cape Coral Yacht Club promise a bright future The Cape Coral Yacht Club, which has been part of this community since the 1960s, will now have a new look after Hurricane Ian’s devastating effects.
LEHIGH ACRES Owner bars public from Barefoot Lake, LCSO installs Watch Tower Every weekend, roughly 200 people go to Barefoot Lake in Lehigh Acres to relax, fish, swim and have a good time.
CAPE CORAL Concern over water shortage in Cape Coral Concern is flowing through Cape Coral as neighbors are seeing their canal levels low and their wells run dry.
FORT MYERS FSW softball swinging for success in the postseason Now their focus shifts to states which means the newbies are looking to the experienced sophomores for advice.
BONITA SPRINGS Young SWFL tennis player competing with professionals You may not know her name now, but you might want remember it because 16-year-old Cookie Jarvis-Tredgett is already competing with professionals.
NORTH NAPLES ‘It’s all about connection,’ Statement Peace makes jewelry with sustainability in mind The brand Statement Peace, once started inside founder Jessica Lee’s home, is now in 2,700 stores across the country
Pine Manor 2 arrested for firing gun at birthday party in Pine Manor A party ended with two people behind bars.
FORT MYERS Shooting investigation on busy Fort Myers street Police are conducting a shooting investigation that involves a traffic crash near Michigan Avenue and Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard.
FGCU New FGCU athletic director Colin Hargis ready to build on department’s success New FGCU athletic director Colin Hargis talks about the department’s future amid the age of NIL and the transfer portal.
FORT MYERS More middle-aged women being treated for acne You probably thought you broke up with it after high school, but acne is rearing it’s ugly blackheads in adult women.
Lee County student ran up and hit teacher in head, report shows The report says a 13-year-old student ran up and smacked a teacher in the head because multiple classmates offered him money to do so.
The Weather Authority Hotter and more humid this Friday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a mild Friday morning with dry afternoon conditions and isolated storms appearing in the evening.
PUNTA GORDA ‘Party’s Over’: Dirt biking ends at Barefoot Lake The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has made it clear, the party at Barefoot Lake is over.
ESTERO Crews battle 2.5-acre brush fire near Alico and Eagle Village Drive San Carlos Park Fire District is on the scene fighting a 2.5-acre brushfire near Alico and Eagle Village Drive.
FORT MYERS Jake’s story: A mother’s mission to share her son’s story and help other young people One Fort Myers mom is turning her pain into purpose after her son, who she refers to as her “heavenly Angel,” took his own life.
CAPE CORAL New renderings for the Cape Coral Yacht Club promise a bright future The Cape Coral Yacht Club, which has been part of this community since the 1960s, will now have a new look after Hurricane Ian’s devastating effects.
LEHIGH ACRES Owner bars public from Barefoot Lake, LCSO installs Watch Tower Every weekend, roughly 200 people go to Barefoot Lake in Lehigh Acres to relax, fish, swim and have a good time.
CAPE CORAL Concern over water shortage in Cape Coral Concern is flowing through Cape Coral as neighbors are seeing their canal levels low and their wells run dry.
FORT MYERS FSW softball swinging for success in the postseason Now their focus shifts to states which means the newbies are looking to the experienced sophomores for advice.
BONITA SPRINGS Young SWFL tennis player competing with professionals You may not know her name now, but you might want remember it because 16-year-old Cookie Jarvis-Tredgett is already competing with professionals.
NORTH NAPLES ‘It’s all about connection,’ Statement Peace makes jewelry with sustainability in mind The brand Statement Peace, once started inside founder Jessica Lee’s home, is now in 2,700 stores across the country
Pine Manor 2 arrested for firing gun at birthday party in Pine Manor A party ended with two people behind bars.
FORT MYERS Shooting investigation on busy Fort Myers street Police are conducting a shooting investigation that involves a traffic crash near Michigan Avenue and Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard.
FGCU New FGCU athletic director Colin Hargis ready to build on department’s success New FGCU athletic director Colin Hargis talks about the department’s future amid the age of NIL and the transfer portal.
FORT MYERS More middle-aged women being treated for acne You probably thought you broke up with it after high school, but acne is rearing it’s ugly blackheads in adult women.
Lee County student ran up and hit teacher in head, report shows The report says a 13-year-old student ran up and smacked a teacher in the head because multiple classmates offered him money to do so.
FORT MYERS, Fla. – The principal at a Lee County high school embattled with a sex scandal is being transferred to a different school, according to Lee County school board documents. The announcement of her transfer comes with news that the staff at South Fort Myers High School had requested improved security months before a 15-year-old girl was discovered having sex with a number of boys in a bathroom. As early as Oct. 6 Assistant Principal Samone Mitchell aired her concerns about whether halls, stairwells and bathrooms were monitored enough during after school hours in emails obtained by the News-Press through a public records request. The email read in part: “There are way too many unsupervised students after school. We need more supervision throughout the halls and in the stairwells. If you are not supervising the ISS room, to walk the halls/stairs/bathrooms more often. Tutors, sponsors, coaches are required to supervise students at all times until transportation arrives. Students are required to be in their assigned location by 1:45. No exceptions.” The incident involving South Fort Myers High school student happened months later on May 17. It quickly gained international attention even as district officials desperately tried to guard information. Three days later on May 20, Principal Melissa Layner emailed students’ parents to ensure them that the campus was safe “providing students cooperate with the expectations articulated to them each day.” But before that, on May 19, the mother of the girl involved, emailed Layner twice. In her first email, she announced that she would not press charges in an email she addressed to the male students involved, in which she called the sex on school property “a mutual decision:” “This could have been you sister, your cousins, or your future daughters. I am not taking legal action because I understand it was a mutual decision. However, the video is considered child pornography and can cause you guys lots of trouble.” In the mother’s second email to Layner, she presses for answers about the school’s security. “If this went on for 50 minutes and cameras saw all this activity were was school staff or security? I am sure they would have seen all the people in and out? Was it the girls restroom or boys? I thought it was the boys restroom?” A little over a week passed when on May 25 Director of Athletics Don Payne sent out an email asking for the removal of unsupervised students and that exterior doors be locked after classes end. His email suggests that South Fort Myers High School was still working to secure its campus after school. It reads in part: “SUBJ: The improvement document I gave you this morning After school policy doc pretty much: supervision at all times – exterior doors to the building will be closed and secured by 1:45 pm every day – security staff will sweep the building and remove any student who is not with a coach or sponsor” The October email resurfaced when it was forwarded to Principal Melissa Layner more than a week after the May 17 incident and day after Payne’s email. Layner will be the new principal at Bonita Springs Middle Center for the Arts starting in fall 2016. According to a multiple officials, Layner requested a transfer months ago. The principal said her job was becoming stressful and mentioned her young children all before the bathroom incident. Lee County School District Superintendent Gregory Adkins said he will recommend Ed Mathews, Assistant Principal at East Lee County High School, to replace Layner. Adkins admits that South Fort Myers High School failed to follow up on communication about protocol. He has called for the creation of a safety and security task force, which will be responsible for standardizing protocol throughout the district.