Day Two of FEMA code compliance hearings in Cape CoralState lawmakers want to hear your opinion on voting in Lee County
CAPE CORAL Day Two of FEMA code compliance hearings in Cape Coral Another 50 people were summoned Wednesday for the second day of code compliance hearings before the special magistrate.
State lawmakers want to hear your opinion on voting in Lee County Right now, everyone votes for or against all five of the Lee Commissioners, but they’re talking about changing the system so that each commissioner represents a specific part of the county.
FORT MYERS Migrants entering Florida under controversial parole program The House Committee on Homeland Security has released documents, which show a surge in migrants entering the United States through a parole program, sparking debate over immigration policies and border security.
North Collier firefighter beats cancer, educates others on safety He’s a father, son, friend and mentor, but for the last four years, he’s been in a battle for his life.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested in connection to brother’s death in Cape Coral A man wanted for questioning in the death of his brother at his Cape Coral home has been arrested in Pennsylvania.
Candidates challenge Punta Gorda incumbents over land, building regulations A growing grassroots movement has united residents seeking to stem high density and restrict building heights, and three are challenging Punta Gorda City Council members who are up for reelection this year.
Hurricane season is one month away The outlook for the 2024 Hurricane Season is for it be active, potentially even hyperactive.
NORTH FORT MYERS 1 dead after crash on SR 31 and Busbee Rd. in North Fort Myers At around noon Wednesday, the Florida Highway Patrol said a PT Cruiser and a car hauler collided on State Road 31 and Busbee Road, near the Lee/Charlotte County line.
Man sentenced to 25 years in prison for molesting Lee County child A Florida man will spend the next 25 years in prison for molesting a child in Lee County.
LEHIGH ACRES Man accused of using stolen credit card from car burglary at Lehigh Acres CVS Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers is seeking information on a man who allegedly used a stolen credit card at the CVS in Lehigh Acres.
ARCADIA Family of flea market murder victim struggles to find closure The family of a woman who was murdered at an Arcadia flea market continues to seek justice as the accused killer awaits trial.
NAPLES Naples man accused of possessing child porn After an investigation, a Naples man has been arrested after allegedly having child pornography in his home.
CAPE CORAL Arrest report for volunteer softball coach accused of inappropriate behavior released New details have been released about the arrest of a Cape Coral volunteer softball coach accused of sending nude photos and touching a 17-year-old student.
The Weather Authority Isolated storms pop up this afternoon and evening Afternoon of isolated storms in Southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach to test hurricane emergency messaging alert The Town of Fort Myers Beach is set to test its CodeRED alert system as hurricane season begins in 31 days.
CAPE CORAL Day Two of FEMA code compliance hearings in Cape Coral Another 50 people were summoned Wednesday for the second day of code compliance hearings before the special magistrate.
State lawmakers want to hear your opinion on voting in Lee County Right now, everyone votes for or against all five of the Lee Commissioners, but they’re talking about changing the system so that each commissioner represents a specific part of the county.
FORT MYERS Migrants entering Florida under controversial parole program The House Committee on Homeland Security has released documents, which show a surge in migrants entering the United States through a parole program, sparking debate over immigration policies and border security.
North Collier firefighter beats cancer, educates others on safety He’s a father, son, friend and mentor, but for the last four years, he’s been in a battle for his life.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested in connection to brother’s death in Cape Coral A man wanted for questioning in the death of his brother at his Cape Coral home has been arrested in Pennsylvania.
Candidates challenge Punta Gorda incumbents over land, building regulations A growing grassroots movement has united residents seeking to stem high density and restrict building heights, and three are challenging Punta Gorda City Council members who are up for reelection this year.
Hurricane season is one month away The outlook for the 2024 Hurricane Season is for it be active, potentially even hyperactive.
NORTH FORT MYERS 1 dead after crash on SR 31 and Busbee Rd. in North Fort Myers At around noon Wednesday, the Florida Highway Patrol said a PT Cruiser and a car hauler collided on State Road 31 and Busbee Road, near the Lee/Charlotte County line.
Man sentenced to 25 years in prison for molesting Lee County child A Florida man will spend the next 25 years in prison for molesting a child in Lee County.
LEHIGH ACRES Man accused of using stolen credit card from car burglary at Lehigh Acres CVS Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers is seeking information on a man who allegedly used a stolen credit card at the CVS in Lehigh Acres.
ARCADIA Family of flea market murder victim struggles to find closure The family of a woman who was murdered at an Arcadia flea market continues to seek justice as the accused killer awaits trial.
NAPLES Naples man accused of possessing child porn After an investigation, a Naples man has been arrested after allegedly having child pornography in his home.
CAPE CORAL Arrest report for volunteer softball coach accused of inappropriate behavior released New details have been released about the arrest of a Cape Coral volunteer softball coach accused of sending nude photos and touching a 17-year-old student.
The Weather Authority Isolated storms pop up this afternoon and evening Afternoon of isolated storms in Southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach to test hurricane emergency messaging alert The Town of Fort Myers Beach is set to test its CodeRED alert system as hurricane season begins in 31 days.
the Princess of Wales, hugs and plays with an HIV positive baby in Faban Hostel, San Paulo, on the second day of her visit to Brazil. It has been 20 years since the death of Princess Diana in a car crash in Paris and the outpouring of grief that followed the death of the “people’s princess.” (AP Photo/Dave Caulkin, File) LONDON (AP) There was a time when scenes like this at London’s Olympic Park would not have happened: Prince William, the heir to the British throne, sprinting down the track with his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, and his brother, Prince Harry, to the cheers of other runners in a relay race this year promoting mental health. It was so human. So accessible. So Diana. Princess Diana, a preschool teacher thrust into the glare of celebrity by her marriage to Prince Charles, dragged Britain’s ribbon-cutting royals into the modern world. She made a direct connection with the public -once running her own race in a flowing white skirt and baggy sweater – and promoted causes far from the mainstream at the time, like land mine removal and AIDS research. That link lives on through her two sons, who have adopted their mother’s more personal approach to monarchy and in the process reinvigorated the institution. “She was the first royal who really took the public’s heart,” said Sandi McDonald, 55, from south London, outside an exhibit of the late princess’ dresses at Kensington Palace. “I think her sons are the same – the public just loves them.” William and Harry are the most obvious reminder of Diana’s impact. They have spoken openly about their own mental health issues over losing a parent while so young and breaking down taboos just as their mother embraced AIDS patients to ease fears about the disease. But the princess’ most far-reaching legacy is her popularization of the idea that celebrities can use their ties to millions of people they’ve never met to effect change. Having been swallowed up by the royal machine when she was barely 20, Diana found her way in life after realizing that the public was fascinated by her every thought, says sociologist Ellis Cashmore. Diana was able to manipulate that interest to her own advantage, promoting causes such as land mine clearance and telling her side of the story when her marriage collapsed amid Prince Charles’ relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles, who later became his second wife. Today’s celebrities in every field have adopted that model – created when newspapers and the evening news were the primary sources of information – and pumped it full of steroids in the world of Facebook and Instagram. “You can sort of trace the molecular chain or genetic chain between Diana and Kim Kardashian,” says Cashmore, the author of “Elizabeth Taylor: A Private Life for Public Consumption.” ”Imagine if Twitter or Facebook had been around in her (Diana’s) day!” While every wannabe celebrity today posts their secrets on social media, in the 1990s it was unimaginable that a royal would share personal hopes and fears with the world. But trapped in a loveless marriage, Diana chose to take her message to the people who loved her. She covertly cooperated with biographer Andrew Morton to get her story out, using an intermediary who recorded tapes of her answers to the author’s questions so she could deny ever having spoken with Morton. “This was a quite remarkable thing that she was doing,” Morton told The Associated Press. “Here she was, talking about the most intimate details of her life – about this woman called Camilla, about her eating disorders, about her half-hearted suicide attempts – to me who was a relative stranger. … She was talking about things which no princess had ever spoken about before.” The gamble paid off. Diana’s story was told, and the public loved her all the more. Her funeral featured an unprecedented outpouring of grief and emotion, with tens of thousands lining the streets and mountains of flowers piled outside Kensington Palace. It was a transformative event for both the royal family and for Britain, Morton said. “No longer were we seen as the stiff-upper-lip, do-not-touch nation,” Morton said. “We were seen as a trembling lower lip (nation), not afraid to emote, to shed our tears in public.” After Diana’s death, the royals also learned they had to change. Queen Elizabeth II returned to the capital from vacation in Scotland and gave a speech from Buckingham Palace that quieted days of headlines alleging she had been indifferent to Diana’s death. A more accessible monarchy has followed. Last year, as Britain celebrated the queen’s 90th birthday for months, the queen joked at a street party outside Buckingham Palace that while she appreciated the cards and messages “how I will feel if people are still singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to me in December remains to be seen!” As William and Harry grew up, they inherited Diana’s ability to communicate. To the delight of mental health charities, they and the Duchess of Cambridge have fronted a campaign to persuade people to open up about mental health struggles. One charity, Mind, said the day after Harry spoke about his struggles after his mother’s death, their public inquiry line received a 38 percent increase in calls. “It shows how far we have come in changing public attitudes to mental health, that someone so high-profile can open up about something so difficult and personal,” said Paul Farmer, the chief executive of Mind. The young royals have also brought other luminaries into the conversation. In one video, Prince William spoke with pop star Lady Gaga, who told of her struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder. “(Diana) knew, even from an early age, that she wanted to groom them more in the image of modern princes, that they would be able to reach out to people,” said Morton. “She did not want a … do-not-touch sign over the future of her children.” Diana also changed the public’s expectations of national figures, Cashmore argues, saying Britons were no longer satisfied with a distant monarchy. Her sons’ common touch is one reason for the often-denied speculation that William will take the throne after the queen’s death, skipping his less popular father. Quite simply, Diana changed the royal family, said Jenny Glossop, a fan from Worcestershire who visited the Kensington Palace dress exhibit. “The royals were always formal and stuffy and didn’t have a connection with the public. Diana came along, joined the family and changed the royals forever, because after that even the queen softened, became more approachable,” Glossop said. “Her boys have grown to be Diana’s boys. Everything we loved about her carries on in the family.”