Critically injured man transported by Med-Flight following 2 vehicle crash on Palm Beach Blvd.D-SNAP available to those affected by hurricanes in Charlotte and Sarasota counties
Critically injured man transported by Med-Flight following 2 vehicle crash on Palm Beach Blvd. The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a two-vehicle crash on Palm Beach Boulevard, which led to a Med-Flight being called.
D-SNAP available to those affected by hurricanes in Charlotte and Sarasota counties The Department of Children and Families has launched its Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in Charlotte and Sarasota counties.
naples Rehabilitated manatee to be released into Port of the Islands Marina in Naples The Manatee Sightseeing and Wildlife Adventures is set to release a rehabilitated manatee back into the waters at the Port of the Island’s Marina.
the weather authority Wednesday morning showers slowly move out through the day The Weather Authority is tracking rain and showers expected throughout the day before an approaching cold front drops temperatures.
CAPE CORAL New Cape Coral City Council members to be sworn in The City of Cape Coral is experiencing a change in leadership, as two new councilmembers are set to be sworn in.
lehigh acres Florida Highway Patrol investigating fatal hit-and-run involving motorcyclist The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a hit-and-run that left a motorcyclist dead in Lee County.
FEMA agrees to outside investigation into avoiding homes with Trump signs FEMA’s administrator has agreed to an outside investigation to find out why her employee gave orders to deny trump supporters aid after Hurricane Milton.
Denise Carlin sworn in as Lee County Schools superintendent It’s a big night for families with kids attending Lee County Schools! Dr. Denise Carlin was just sworn in as superintendent.
PORT CHARLOTTE 8 illegal immigrants arrested in Charlotte County Eight people have been arrested in Port Charlotte for being in the country illegally.
SANIBEL Memorial statue unveiled for exotic birds at Jerry’s Foods on Sanibel Island For over 40 years, Dick Muench displayed many of his exotic birds from Central and South America at Jerry’s Foods on Sanibel.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers veteran worried about FEMA code compliance letter One marine veteran is worried sick over having to raise his home.
Residents oppose U-Haul storage unit development in Collier County A lush line of trees in Collier County may turn into storage units, and neighbors are unhappy.
LEHIGH ACRES Parents want changes made to Lee County Schools JROTC The Lee County School District is making changes after 25 students were treated by emergency services for heat exhaustion at a local high school on Friday.
FORT MYERS BEACH La Ola speaks out a day after FEMA deadline A day after the FEMA deadline for temporary structures on Fort Myers Beach to be removed, the scenery remains largely unchanged.
FORT MYERS Neighbors react to plans for new Amazon warehouse in Fort Myers Amazon will soon have the largest building in Southwest Florida.
Critically injured man transported by Med-Flight following 2 vehicle crash on Palm Beach Blvd. The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a two-vehicle crash on Palm Beach Boulevard, which led to a Med-Flight being called.
D-SNAP available to those affected by hurricanes in Charlotte and Sarasota counties The Department of Children and Families has launched its Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in Charlotte and Sarasota counties.
naples Rehabilitated manatee to be released into Port of the Islands Marina in Naples The Manatee Sightseeing and Wildlife Adventures is set to release a rehabilitated manatee back into the waters at the Port of the Island’s Marina.
the weather authority Wednesday morning showers slowly move out through the day The Weather Authority is tracking rain and showers expected throughout the day before an approaching cold front drops temperatures.
CAPE CORAL New Cape Coral City Council members to be sworn in The City of Cape Coral is experiencing a change in leadership, as two new councilmembers are set to be sworn in.
lehigh acres Florida Highway Patrol investigating fatal hit-and-run involving motorcyclist The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a hit-and-run that left a motorcyclist dead in Lee County.
FEMA agrees to outside investigation into avoiding homes with Trump signs FEMA’s administrator has agreed to an outside investigation to find out why her employee gave orders to deny trump supporters aid after Hurricane Milton.
Denise Carlin sworn in as Lee County Schools superintendent It’s a big night for families with kids attending Lee County Schools! Dr. Denise Carlin was just sworn in as superintendent.
PORT CHARLOTTE 8 illegal immigrants arrested in Charlotte County Eight people have been arrested in Port Charlotte for being in the country illegally.
SANIBEL Memorial statue unveiled for exotic birds at Jerry’s Foods on Sanibel Island For over 40 years, Dick Muench displayed many of his exotic birds from Central and South America at Jerry’s Foods on Sanibel.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers veteran worried about FEMA code compliance letter One marine veteran is worried sick over having to raise his home.
Residents oppose U-Haul storage unit development in Collier County A lush line of trees in Collier County may turn into storage units, and neighbors are unhappy.
LEHIGH ACRES Parents want changes made to Lee County Schools JROTC The Lee County School District is making changes after 25 students were treated by emergency services for heat exhaustion at a local high school on Friday.
FORT MYERS BEACH La Ola speaks out a day after FEMA deadline A day after the FEMA deadline for temporary structures on Fort Myers Beach to be removed, the scenery remains largely unchanged.
FORT MYERS Neighbors react to plans for new Amazon warehouse in Fort Myers Amazon will soon have the largest building in Southwest Florida.
Matias Ferreira poses for a picture during his graduation from the Suffolk County Police Department Academy at the Health, Sports and Education Center in Suffolk, Long Island, New York, Friday, March 24, 2017. Ferreira, a former U.S. Marine Corps lance corporal who lost his legs below the knee when he stepped on a hidden explosive in Afghanistan in 2011, is joining a suburban New York police department. The 28-year-old graduated Friday from the Suffolk County Police Academy on Long Island following 29 weeks of training. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki) BRENTWOOD, N.Y. (AP) The wounded warrior is now a cop — and he’ll be walking the beat on titanium legs. Matias Ferreira, a former U.S. Marine Corps lance corporal who lost his legs below the knee when he stepped on a hidden explosive in Afghanistan in 2011, is joining a suburban New York police department. The 28-year-old graduated Friday from the Suffolk County Police Academy on Long Island following 29 weeks of training. The 6-foot-1 (1.9-meter), 215-pound (98-kilogram) rookie passed all the physical training and other requirements just like any other recruit, including running a mile and a half in around 11 minutes. He begins patrols next week, a department spokesman said. “I just really want to be able to help people,” said Ferreira, who immigrated to the U.S. from Uruguay as a child. “I want to be involved in the community, and the police department definitely allows you to do that.” Ferreira was on patrol in Afghanistan on Jan. 21, 2011, when he jumped off a roof in a compound suspected of being a Taliban outpost. “As soon as I landed I knew something was wrong because it was like a movie almost. I heard a noise and everything went black,” he said. A bomb had gone off beneath his legs, amputating both below the knees. “I just saw blood throughout my pants.” He was evacuated to a local hospital. Within days, he was back in the U.S. being treated for his injuries. Three months later he was wearing prosthetic legs. “I was up and walking in prosthetics and really just starting my new life,” he said. That new life has included many activities he had never tried before the explosion. He has played on a softball team of wounded warriors. He skydives, scuba dives, snowboards and rides a motorcycle. Raised in Georgia, he met his future wife, Tiffany, when his softball team played a game on Long Island in 2012. The couple now has a 2-year-old daughter. After working as a steamfitter, welding while hanging off bridges and overpasses, Ferreira decided to take the exam to become a police officer. He scored a perfect 100, and his fellow recruits later elected him class president. “He has served this great country with outstanding distinction, and will now serve and protect the residents of Suffolk County,” Police Commissioner Timothy Sini said in a statement. Ferreira acknowledges the job will bring challenges, but approaches his new career with a sense of humor. He said he was once asked during academy training whether he has concerns about injuries. “If I break my leg, I go in the trunk and put on a different one and I keep on going,” he said. He lives by the motto that “life without limbs is limitless.” “The only disability we have is the ones that we make,” he said.