Savannah Bananas at JetBlue Park this weekendPunta Gorda Historic District home set for demolition, rebuild
FORT MYERS Savannah Bananas at JetBlue Park this weekend Are you heading out to watch the Savannah Bananas this weekend? This is what you need to know.
Punta Gorda Historic District home set for demolition, rebuild When builder T.J. Thornberry was hired by clients to demolish and build two new homes on their Chasteen Street properties within the Punta Gorda Historic District, little did he realize he would be embarking on an odyssey laden with roadblocks lasting nearly three months.
PORT CHARLOTTE Rays begin Spring Training ahead of season away from home The Charlotte Sports Park is home to the Tampa Bay Rays for the next six weeks for, but after that they don’t actually get to go home.
Eligible taxpayers in Florida file for free with IRS Direct File The Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers in Florida they can file their taxes for free with the agency using IRS Direct File.
TALLAHASSEE (AP) DeSantis signs sweeping immigration bills after a feud with Florida Republicans Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis approved a package of sweeping immigration bills.
Registration for Lee County Parks and Recreation Summer Camp to open Lee County Parks and Recreation Summer Camp has announced that registration will open to the public in two weeks.
Collier Sheriff speaks on high-tech tools stopping criminals before they act According to Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk, Southwest Florida is seen as an easy target for criminals; however, law enforcement has begun to incorporate cutting-edge technology to prevent future crimes from happening.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral to host two German Culture Biergarten The German American Social Club of Cape Coral will host the first of two Biergarten in the Bavarian Garden to celebrate its German heritage.
Execution of Charlotte County killer James Ford set for tonight A convicted killer on death row since 1999 is scheduled to be executed tonight for the murder of a couple in Charlotte County.
NORTH PORT Citywide burn ban in effect for North Port The North Port Fire Rescue has enacted a citywide outdoor burn ban due to extreme drought conditions and an increased wildfire threat.
cape coral Minor hospitalized with gunshot wound; 2 people in custody The Cape Coral Police Department is actively investigating a scene located on Skyline Boulevard.
the weather authority Near-record heat with isolated rain this Thursday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking near-record heat this Thursday, along with isolated rain throughout the afternoon.
Lee County School District sets town hall meeting Spring schedule The Lee County School District has released its Spring town hall schedule, during which parents and community members can voice their opinions regarding their children’s education.
SANIBEL Sanibel teen gearing up to reopen popular food truck The Sanibel Sprout, a beloved local spot, is gearing up for a hopeful reopening in mid-March after two years of rebuilding.
FORT MYERS Man arrested for prowling and enticing a child in Fort Myers A concerned citizen flagged down Florida Highway Patrol state troopers in Fort Myers to report an adult man was harassing his daughter, according to authorities.
FORT MYERS Savannah Bananas at JetBlue Park this weekend Are you heading out to watch the Savannah Bananas this weekend? This is what you need to know.
Punta Gorda Historic District home set for demolition, rebuild When builder T.J. Thornberry was hired by clients to demolish and build two new homes on their Chasteen Street properties within the Punta Gorda Historic District, little did he realize he would be embarking on an odyssey laden with roadblocks lasting nearly three months.
PORT CHARLOTTE Rays begin Spring Training ahead of season away from home The Charlotte Sports Park is home to the Tampa Bay Rays for the next six weeks for, but after that they don’t actually get to go home.
Eligible taxpayers in Florida file for free with IRS Direct File The Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers in Florida they can file their taxes for free with the agency using IRS Direct File.
TALLAHASSEE (AP) DeSantis signs sweeping immigration bills after a feud with Florida Republicans Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis approved a package of sweeping immigration bills.
Registration for Lee County Parks and Recreation Summer Camp to open Lee County Parks and Recreation Summer Camp has announced that registration will open to the public in two weeks.
Collier Sheriff speaks on high-tech tools stopping criminals before they act According to Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk, Southwest Florida is seen as an easy target for criminals; however, law enforcement has begun to incorporate cutting-edge technology to prevent future crimes from happening.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral to host two German Culture Biergarten The German American Social Club of Cape Coral will host the first of two Biergarten in the Bavarian Garden to celebrate its German heritage.
Execution of Charlotte County killer James Ford set for tonight A convicted killer on death row since 1999 is scheduled to be executed tonight for the murder of a couple in Charlotte County.
NORTH PORT Citywide burn ban in effect for North Port The North Port Fire Rescue has enacted a citywide outdoor burn ban due to extreme drought conditions and an increased wildfire threat.
cape coral Minor hospitalized with gunshot wound; 2 people in custody The Cape Coral Police Department is actively investigating a scene located on Skyline Boulevard.
the weather authority Near-record heat with isolated rain this Thursday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking near-record heat this Thursday, along with isolated rain throughout the afternoon.
Lee County School District sets town hall meeting Spring schedule The Lee County School District has released its Spring town hall schedule, during which parents and community members can voice their opinions regarding their children’s education.
SANIBEL Sanibel teen gearing up to reopen popular food truck The Sanibel Sprout, a beloved local spot, is gearing up for a hopeful reopening in mid-March after two years of rebuilding.
FORT MYERS Man arrested for prowling and enticing a child in Fort Myers A concerned citizen flagged down Florida Highway Patrol state troopers in Fort Myers to report an adult man was harassing his daughter, according to authorities.
Johnnie Langendorff speaks to reporters about the mass shooting at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, on Monday, Nov. 6, 2017. Langendorff says he and another man chased down the gunman after he fled the church where he killed more than 20 people. (Nick Wagner/Austin American-Statesman via AP) SUTHERLAND SPRINGS, Texas (AP) Johnnie Langendorff said Monday he was driving to Sutherland Springs to pick up his girlfriend when a barefooted man who’d been exchanging gunfire with the suspect in a deadly Texas church shooting jumped into his pickup truck and exclaimed, “We need to go get him.” Moments later, the two men were in hot pursuit of a vehicle driven by Devin Patrick Kelley, 26, whom police say went on a shooting rampage Sunday at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs that left 26 people dead and about 20 others injured. “He jumped in my truck and said, ‘He just shot up the church, we need to go get him.’ And I said, ‘Let’s go,'” Langendorff, a 27-year-old Seguin resident, told The Associated Press on Monday. MORE: Police: Texas church attack stemmed from domestic situation Langendorrf said he didn’t know the name of the armed resident who had sheltered behind a parked pickup truck while exchanging gunfire with Kelley. But when the armed resident jumped into Langendorff’s truck, the pair immediately began pursuit of Kelley’s vehicle in a chase that clocked speeds upwards of 90 mph. Texas Department of Public Safety Regional Director Freeman Martin said at a news conference Monday that the armed resident riding with Langendorff was toting an “AR assault rifle and engaged” the shooter. Langendorff said Kelley eventually lost control of his vehicle and crashed, prompting the armed resident to cautiously approach the vehicle with his gun drawn. But Kelley didn’t move. Police arrived about five minutes later, said Langendorff, who did not know if the resident had wounded Kelley during their earlier gunfire exchange. Authorities have not said how Kelley died. “There was no thinking about it,” Langendorff said. “There was just doing. That was the key to all this. Act now. Ask questions later.” MORE: Relative: Pregnant woman, 3 children, in-laws slain in Texas Asked if he felt like a hero, Langendorff said: “I don’t really know how I feel. I just hope that the families and people affected by this can sleep easier knowing that this man is not breathing anymore and not able to hurt anyone else. I feel I just did what was right.” While Langendorff did not identify the man who returned gunfire with Kelly before jumping into his truck, Sutherland Springs resident Julius Kepper said the man was his neighbor, Stephen Willeford, whom he has lived next door to for about seven years. Kepper said he was home when the shooting started Sunday and heard Willeford exchange gunfire, but by the time he got out of his house and looked around police already were arriving. Kepper described Willeford as a gun and motorcycle enthusiast who regularly takes target practice at property out in the country, and has as many as five Harley Davidsons. “Avid gun collector, a good guy,” Kepper said. Kepper and other neighbors said Willeford’s family has been in the Sutherland Springs area for at least three generations, including a father and grandfather who were in dairy farming. Stephen Willeford is married with two grown children and works as a plumber who installs lines on major projects such as hospitals, Kepper said. He called Willeford a “free spirit” sort who loves motorcycles despite losing both parents to a motorcycle crash when he was a young adult. “It was almost the same spot where they ran (the shooter) off the road,” Kepper said. Kepper said he’s not surprised Willeford would exchange gunfire with the church gunman. Others in the neighborhood would have done the same if they knew what was happening, he said. “Just like everybody else around here. He was just the first one there,” Kepper said. Willeford, 55, told The Dallas Morning News for a story published Monday that he was the first person to confront Kelley. “I didn’t want this and I want the focus to be on my friends,” he told the newspaper. “I have friends in that church. I was terrified while this was going on.” No one answered the door at the Willeford residence Monday. Food that had been delivered to the house was stacked up on the front porch.