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.
Fort Myers Police Department FORT MYERS, Fla. Sawyer Smith is used to pointing out alleged shortcomings within the Fort Myers Police Department. Smith, a criminal defense attorney, has represented clients alleging racial profiling, police brutality and wrongful arrests, including Nate Allen, a NFL player and Cape Coral native who was wrongly arrested in 2015 for masturbating in front of a 16-year-old. A lawsuit filed by Allen in 2016, claiming Fort Myers police violated his fourth and fourteenth amendment rights, said the agency âcreated a policy and practice of encouraging its officers to use racial profilingâ in making arrests, that officers were not properly trained to investigate crimes and were encouraged to âcover upâ wrongful arrests. Each point was highlighted in a critical report released last week detailing challenges within the department. âIâm happy that the city has finally gone and done what we’ve been jumping up and down asking them to do,â Smith said on Monday. âOur leadership has sat over the top of a disaster of a police department. And what is their response? We got them to fire (former police chief Douglas) Baker. We forced (former city manager) Billy Mitchell to resign and then what do they do? They promote an engineer to be the city manager. This is inexcusable neglect. This is gross negligence. The taxpayers of Fort Myers deserve better.â Baker was fired in August 2015 for lying during an internal investigation of Allen’s arrest. Mitchell retired the following month. The report detailed deep-seated issues within the police department, including cronyism, ineffective leadership, corruption and limited resources that have damaged the agencyâs reputation and hindered its ability to solve crimes. More than 200 current and former department employees were interviewed for the audit, which was done at the request of City Manager Saeed Kazemi and completed by Freeh Group International Solutions Inc. âThe interviewees described a culture of failure and defeatism and believed that key stakeholders have often resorted to blaming external forces, like the State Attorneyâs Office and the minority community, rather than looking critically within the department in an honest effort to identify solutions,â the report said. âHeartbreaking, maddening’ The report has been met with shock and validation among city leaders and community members. “It is heartbreaking, maddening, and I feel betrayed, responsible,â Fort Myers Mayor Randy Henderson said on Monday after reading the full report. “We will be relentless in getting this right. We have a road map forward. A new city manager, a new police chief. We will get on about the work of rebuilding. It is fair to say we are well on our way and have been for some time now. A long way to go.â Henderson shared his initial reaction to the report during a 25-minute exclusive interview last week. Dr. William L. Glover, senior pastor of Mount Hermon Ministries, was encouraged, but not surprised by the report. âI think the summary really confirms and validates the concerns of the community, which before now, pretty much have been dismissed as a figment of their imagination,â he said on Friday. Police Chief Derrick Diggs, who was hired in August 2016 after city leaders approved the $150,000 audit, deferred an in-depth response until a followup press conference slated to be held within the next few weeks. âWeâre still processing this report,â he said last week. âWeâll go after the recommendations and make sure those recommendations are concluded. We are going to move forward and do the things we need to do as a police department.â Kazemi, who was hired in Feb. 2016, said the 72-page report did what it was supposed to do. âMy job is to make sure the city of Fort Myers is safe,â he said last week. âAnd this report is telling me how to get there. We are gonna make sure that happens.â âTop to bottom overhaul’ Smith described officer body cameras, additional officers and street surveillance cameras as “band-aids” that won’t fix the issues outlined in the report. He wants the Department of Justice to take over Fort Myers police. Federal authorities investigated the department in 2016 for alleged racial discrimination and retaliation. DOJ officials offered to complete an assessment of FMPD for free, but city leaders opted for the Freeh Group study. âYou’re going to see a top to bottom overhaul,â Smith said of a DOJ takeover. âYou’re going to see a whole new police department. You’re going to see racism disappear. You’re going to see trust re-instilled within the police department. You are going to see a safer community. You’re going to see economic development occur. You’re going to see people happy about moving to Fort Myers. You’re going to see people wanting to move to Fort Myers. You’re going to see an entire community breathe a sigh of relief and start growing and improving, and until then we are stagnant, if not, moving backwards.”