Boundary changes vote for Collier County schoolsStars shine in 36th annual Rotary South All-Star Football Classic
Boundary changes vote for Collier County schools The Collier County School Board is set to vote on the proposed boundary changes.
Warmer weather continues this Tuesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a warm afternoon with temperatures in the lower to mid-80s.
FORT MYERS Stars shine in 36th annual Rotary South All-Star Football Classic Blue beats Gold 27-7 in the 36th annual Rotary South Football Classic, which brings the top senior high school football players in Lee County.
CAPE CORAL Purring and persevering: Neighborhood cat survives bullet wound Purring and persevering through the pain, a neighborhood cat named Tommy survived being shot in the leg.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach lights up with resilience and Christmas spirit The poinsettia tree in Times Square is now shining bright; the community joined together Monday evening for the second annual tree lighting ceremony.
Miracle Moment: Two kids celebrating being cancer-free It’s time for a miracle moment. Two kids are celebrating being cancer-free this holiday season.
FORT MYERS Street name dedicated to Fort Myers Civil Rights Activist Reverend Isadore Edwards may be gone but his legacy will be forever tied to the city of Fort Myers.
ESTERO Several motorcycles stolen near Florida Gulf Coast University There is a trend of motorcycles being taken from parking lots. In Estero, two men unlocked a bike and then loaded it in the back of a van.
FORT MYERS Suntex provides update on Fort Myers Yacht Basin makeover The City of Fort Myers has promised that the Yacht Basin downtown will get a makeover, and the company running the show gave an update at the city council meeting.
BOKEELIA Popular Bokeelia restaurant demolished following damage from Milton There was hope for Capt’n Con’s Fish House in Bokeelia after the damage from Hurricane Helene in September.
NAPLES Grace Place raises more than $1.8 million at gala An organization dedicated to helping children and families just raised a whole lot of money.
NAPLES Naples parking problems frustrating residents Naples has a parking problem, but city leaders are stuck between a rock and a hard place trying to find a solution. The city’s rapid growth makes it harder every day to find a place for everyone to park.
NORTH FORT MYERS LCSO deputies use Taser to de-escalate armed standoff in North Fort Myers Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputies de-escalated a dangerous situation by using a Taser to save lives.
Trump’s comments bring hope for Dreamers President-elect Donald Trump said he wants to work out a plan for Dreamers to stay in America.
World War II veteran celebrates 100th birthday A World War II veteran just turned 100 years old and celebrated with his community.
Boundary changes vote for Collier County schools The Collier County School Board is set to vote on the proposed boundary changes.
Warmer weather continues this Tuesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a warm afternoon with temperatures in the lower to mid-80s.
FORT MYERS Stars shine in 36th annual Rotary South All-Star Football Classic Blue beats Gold 27-7 in the 36th annual Rotary South Football Classic, which brings the top senior high school football players in Lee County.
CAPE CORAL Purring and persevering: Neighborhood cat survives bullet wound Purring and persevering through the pain, a neighborhood cat named Tommy survived being shot in the leg.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach lights up with resilience and Christmas spirit The poinsettia tree in Times Square is now shining bright; the community joined together Monday evening for the second annual tree lighting ceremony.
Miracle Moment: Two kids celebrating being cancer-free It’s time for a miracle moment. Two kids are celebrating being cancer-free this holiday season.
FORT MYERS Street name dedicated to Fort Myers Civil Rights Activist Reverend Isadore Edwards may be gone but his legacy will be forever tied to the city of Fort Myers.
ESTERO Several motorcycles stolen near Florida Gulf Coast University There is a trend of motorcycles being taken from parking lots. In Estero, two men unlocked a bike and then loaded it in the back of a van.
FORT MYERS Suntex provides update on Fort Myers Yacht Basin makeover The City of Fort Myers has promised that the Yacht Basin downtown will get a makeover, and the company running the show gave an update at the city council meeting.
BOKEELIA Popular Bokeelia restaurant demolished following damage from Milton There was hope for Capt’n Con’s Fish House in Bokeelia after the damage from Hurricane Helene in September.
NAPLES Grace Place raises more than $1.8 million at gala An organization dedicated to helping children and families just raised a whole lot of money.
NAPLES Naples parking problems frustrating residents Naples has a parking problem, but city leaders are stuck between a rock and a hard place trying to find a solution. The city’s rapid growth makes it harder every day to find a place for everyone to park.
NORTH FORT MYERS LCSO deputies use Taser to de-escalate armed standoff in North Fort Myers Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputies de-escalated a dangerous situation by using a Taser to save lives.
Trump’s comments bring hope for Dreamers President-elect Donald Trump said he wants to work out a plan for Dreamers to stay in America.
World War II veteran celebrates 100th birthday A World War II veteran just turned 100 years old and celebrated with his community.
FILE: Gov. Rick Scott addresses the Florida delegation during the 2016 Republican National Convention. (Stan Chambers Jr./WINK News) TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – Thank goodness it’s the slow season in Florida. At least that’s what officials and representatives of the state’s multibillion-dollar tourism industry are thinking in the wake of the news that 16 people have been infected with Zika in a small, trendy neighborhood in Miami. The outbreak has sent another chill through the Sunshine State’s all-important tourism industry just weeks after the Orlando nightclub massacre and the killing of a 2-year-old boy by an alligator at nearby Walt Disney World. Florida officials have gone into damage-control mode, with Gov. Rick Scott insisting, “We have a safe state!” during a tour of the Zika hot zone in Miami’s Wynwood district. Tourism is Florida’s biggest industry. Visitors spent some $89 billion here last year. And Disney is America’s No. 1 tourist attraction. Outside of a few business owners in the affected square-mile neighborhood, however, Zika appears to have done little damage to tourism so far. “We have not had anyone cancel a trip to Florida because of Zika,” said Jenny Cagle, vice president of Elm Grove Travel in Wisconsin. “It’s definitely a conversation. People are talking about it.” Demetra Prattas, vice president of Turon Travel, a New York-based company that books art tours and trips, including the annual Art Basel festival that includes events in Wynwood, said: “I don’t think it’s a factor in deciding where to go. We’ve had no cancellations.” The governor has been on something of a statewide Zika tour, meeting with county health officials and business owners in Miami and along the Interstate 4 corridor that runs through Orlando. He said tourists should use caution and not worry about mosquitoes, adding that Florida knows how to prepare for crises because of its hurricanes. “We will make sure all the tourists feel comfortable coming to Florida,” he said Thursday in Wynwood, site of the first mosquito-transmitted cases of Zika on record in the continental U.S. “We’ve got to continue to support these businesses because, why? They have employees and those employees need their jobs.” He said the state is doing everything it can to test people, spray against mosquitoes, get rid of the standing water in which they breed, and encourage people to use insect repellent. The Visit Orlando tourism board issued a statement noting that no locally acquired cases of Zika have been reported in the Orlando area, which is over 200 miles from Miami. The board gave assurances that “safety is the top priority for our region.” The next few months will be crucial, said Henry Harteveldt, founder of the San Francisco-based Atmosphere Research Group, a travel-industry watcher. “If Florida is able to address this efficiently and quickly and be able to pronounce with confidence that they’ve been able to eradicate, there won’t be long-term consequences,” he said. “If Zika remains a long-term challenge, it’s possible some potential tourists might think twice.” Federal health officials have warned pregnant women to avoid Wynwood because the virus can cause severe birth defects, including stunted heads. England’s public health agency is advising mothers-to-be to postpone non-essential trips to Florida. U.S. experts say expectant mothers planning a visit to the state should consult with their doctor. For the most part, theme park visitors should be fine, said North Carolina State University entomologist Michael Reiskind, because the mosquito species most likely to spread the disease is less prevalent in Orlando and the theme parks are likely to spend heavily on insect control. Kathy Torian, a spokeswoman for Visit Florida, the state’s tourism arm, said anecdotally there were minimal cancellations in the wake of the Orlando shootings and the Disney alligator attack. In 2015, 106.3 million people visited Florida, a record number. Some tourists are shrugging off the dangers. “I feel very safe in Orlando. The recent tragedies and even the Zika concerns have not deterred me in any way from enjoying my vacation,” said a vacationing Tam Fuller, of Atlanta. “I keep my kids close to me at all times and stay aware of my surroundings, so I never feel unsafe.”