Family of Eagles: FGCU volleyball star graduates with Master’s DegreeLCSO: Man shot by car owner protecting property
Family of Eagles: FGCU volleyball star graduates with Master’s Degree Saturday marked a special day for Florida Gulf Coast University as more than 1,800 students graduated. For one student-athlete, graduating from FGCU runs in the family.
lehigh acres LCSO: Man shot by car owner protecting property The Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting in Lehigh Acres early Saturday morning.
NORTH FORT MYERS Lee County residents wait hours for D-SNAP assistance The supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) is at the Lee Civic Center all weekend, ready to help southwest Florida.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA First eaglet hatches in famous SWFL eagle nest Welcome E24! The third eaglet from the nest of M15 and F23 has hatched according to the Southwest Florida eagle camera.
Rock for Equality: SWFL non-profit hosts benefit concert for Palestine A Southwest Florida non-profit hosted a benefit concert on Friday night to help with humanitarian aid in Palestine.
Warm, breezy Saturday with a few showers possible The Weather Authority is forecasting a breezy, warm weekend in store across Southwest Florida, with the chance of a few showers, particularly on Saturday.
CAPE CORAL Active investigation underway in South Cape Coral Cape Coral police are investigating at a home on Southwest 49th Terrace in South Cape Coral early Saturday morning.
16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier County According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, two airboats crashed south of U.S. 41 east between mile markers 74 and 75, leaving well over a dozen people injured.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashes There could be new detectives on the block, located in your nearest auto shop. A new state bill aims at trying to stop hit-and-run drivers from getting away.
CAPE CORAL New leash on life; Cape Coral shelter dog beats cancer with drug being tested for humans A drug now being studied in human trials to kill cancerous tumors, is already approved and helping animals.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral planning a new interchange with I-75 The city of Cape Coral is in the early stages of planning a new interchange with I-75, an idea that has been discussed for more than a decade.
Tracking invasive species after hurricanes Hurricanes Helene and Milton didn’t just bring wind and rain, they brought new threats to southwest Florida’s ecosystem.
PUNTA GORDA Woman in Punta Gorda shooting charged with 2nd degree murder A woman in a homicide investigation on Nasturtium Drive in Punta Gorda has been charged with 2nd-degree murder.
Lee County mother continuing fight to get children a bus stop The school district already told her she lives too close to the school to qualify for a bus route but she has not given up.
NORTH NAPLES Grant Thornton Invitational returns to Tiburon Golf Club Stars on the PGA and LPGA Tours are back in Southwest Florida for the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club.
Family of Eagles: FGCU volleyball star graduates with Master’s Degree Saturday marked a special day for Florida Gulf Coast University as more than 1,800 students graduated. For one student-athlete, graduating from FGCU runs in the family.
lehigh acres LCSO: Man shot by car owner protecting property The Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting in Lehigh Acres early Saturday morning.
NORTH FORT MYERS Lee County residents wait hours for D-SNAP assistance The supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) is at the Lee Civic Center all weekend, ready to help southwest Florida.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA First eaglet hatches in famous SWFL eagle nest Welcome E24! The third eaglet from the nest of M15 and F23 has hatched according to the Southwest Florida eagle camera.
Rock for Equality: SWFL non-profit hosts benefit concert for Palestine A Southwest Florida non-profit hosted a benefit concert on Friday night to help with humanitarian aid in Palestine.
Warm, breezy Saturday with a few showers possible The Weather Authority is forecasting a breezy, warm weekend in store across Southwest Florida, with the chance of a few showers, particularly on Saturday.
CAPE CORAL Active investigation underway in South Cape Coral Cape Coral police are investigating at a home on Southwest 49th Terrace in South Cape Coral early Saturday morning.
16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier County According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, two airboats crashed south of U.S. 41 east between mile markers 74 and 75, leaving well over a dozen people injured.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashes There could be new detectives on the block, located in your nearest auto shop. A new state bill aims at trying to stop hit-and-run drivers from getting away.
CAPE CORAL New leash on life; Cape Coral shelter dog beats cancer with drug being tested for humans A drug now being studied in human trials to kill cancerous tumors, is already approved and helping animals.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral planning a new interchange with I-75 The city of Cape Coral is in the early stages of planning a new interchange with I-75, an idea that has been discussed for more than a decade.
Tracking invasive species after hurricanes Hurricanes Helene and Milton didn’t just bring wind and rain, they brought new threats to southwest Florida’s ecosystem.
PUNTA GORDA Woman in Punta Gorda shooting charged with 2nd degree murder A woman in a homicide investigation on Nasturtium Drive in Punta Gorda has been charged with 2nd-degree murder.
Lee County mother continuing fight to get children a bus stop The school district already told her she lives too close to the school to qualify for a bus route but she has not given up.
NORTH NAPLES Grant Thornton Invitational returns to Tiburon Golf Club Stars on the PGA and LPGA Tours are back in Southwest Florida for the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club.
Southwest Florida residents shared photos of their home after Irma’s destruction. IMMOKALEE, Fla. Mold covering walls. Roofs completely gone. And for hundreds of students, this is home. “I’m living here because I have nowhere else to go,” Greg Martin said. “I’m just holding on to the little thread that we have, but it’s basically we don’t have anywhere.” MORE: The price for repairs skyrocket after Hurricane Irma He and his niece, Makayla Tindell, share a common bond — both are Collier County students in homes rendered technically unlivable by Hurricane Irma. Reality set in after Greg and his father returned to see their house after the storm. The destruction was strewn about each room — shattered picture frames and memories lying broken across the floor. “It got emotional, and then my dad started crying,” Greg said. “I was hoping, praying, everything was going to be fine, but I guess God had another path for us to go.” Greg goes to Immokalee High School and Makayla attends Pinecrest Elementary. Greg was living with his sister, Petrona Gaspar, while Makayla lived with her mother, Samantha Tindell, in another trailer. Petrona moved in with an uncle after the storm, but Greg still lives in the trailer, even though it has no roof. “Every time I come here, I’m just like, everything’s gone,” Greg said. “The worst part is just losing everything, everything that you had, everything you worked hard for, and seeing it all gone.” Makayla spent time living in a tent after the storm and is now back living with her mom, brother and father in their mold-ridden trailer, with a tarp for a roof. MORE: Marco rescue pilots seeking help to rebuild hangar after Irma About 1,000 students in Southwest Florida live like Greg and Makayla, whom the school district considers homeless because of the conditions of their homes. More than 440 students are homeless, or at least technically so, because of the storm in Collier County. That number is 570 in Lee County, and it’s almost 100 in Charlotte County. “I think first you have to think about the traumas they experienced just going through the hurricane,” said Caroline Brennan, homeless education and foster care liaison for Collier County schools. “And then to go home and find their homes destroyed, their personal belongings are gone,” Brennan said. “Many of them did not have school supplies anymore. They didn’t have uniforms to come to school. And so that makes it really hard.” Still, Makayla is staying positive, and she wants other kids in her shoes to do the same. “Don’t get depressed — just keep the spirit up,” she said. School districts in Southwest Florida are collecting backpacks, food, gas cards and other supplies to help people like Makayla and Greg. For more information, call district headquarters at the following numbers: Collier County — 239-377-0001 Lee County — 239-334-1102 Charlotte County — 1-800-628-8938 Hendry County — 863-674-4642 Glades County — 863-946-0202