Police Explorer Marcus Freeman remembered 14 years after North Port crashFort Myers Beach celebrates early St. Patrick’s Day with lively parade
NORTH PORT Police Explorer Marcus Freeman remembered 14 years after North Port crash The North Port Police Department is remembering a young life lost too soon.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach celebrates early St. Patrick’s Day with lively parade Fort Myers Beach celebrated St. Patrick’s Day early with a lively parade, bringing the island to life with Irish spirit.
the weather authority A breezy Saturday with near-record high heat in store The Weather Authority says a warm Saturday with near-record high heat is in store with sun and clouds overhead.
SANIBEL Sanibel Beach shines as a top 2025 destination for shelling Southwest Florida’s beaches are a major draw for visitors from around the world.
911 calls save two kayakers in distress on Caloosahatchee River After strong winds left them stranded, two kayakers were rescued from the Caloosahatchee River.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral woman tricked into romance scam, police seek recovery Cape Coral police are working to recover more than $250,000 from a bank account that may be tied to criminal activity.
Captiva’s Mucky Duck plans reopening after hurricane damage The Mucky Duck, a beloved restaurant on Captiva Island, is determined to clear up any rumors about its closure.
PORT CHARLOTTE Tampa Bay Rays’ future in Port Charlotte raises business concerns The Tampa Bay Rays are planning to stay at Tropicana Field for the 2026 season while they repair damage from Hurricane Milton.
Red tide health alert lifted in certain Lee County areas The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has lifted the red tide health alerts issued in certain areas.
Charlotte Sheriff elected as chair of Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell is stepping into a new role as chair of the Florida Sheriff’s Youth Ranches.
NAPLES Naples groups unite to protect endangered Florida Panthers The third Saturday in March marks the official Save the Florida Panther Day.
New housing development in Collier County raises environmental concerns Instead of fields of oranges fueling the local economy, rows of homes could soon take their place in the region.
NAPLES La Gondola: Venice experience in Southwest Florida Imagine cruising down the Southwest Florida waterways in your very own gondola, bringing a touch of Italy to Naples.
FORT MYERS Bubbles for Bug; Carwash raising funds for furry friend A Southwest Florida dog named Bug needs help. His owner, Lex Montanaro, is hosting a carwash fundraiser to raise the $10,000 Bug needs for surgery.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda’s Celtic Ray preps for St. Patrick’s Day bash Punta Gorda is gearing up for a massive St. Patrick’s Day celebration this weekend.
NORTH PORT Police Explorer Marcus Freeman remembered 14 years after North Port crash The North Port Police Department is remembering a young life lost too soon.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach celebrates early St. Patrick’s Day with lively parade Fort Myers Beach celebrated St. Patrick’s Day early with a lively parade, bringing the island to life with Irish spirit.
the weather authority A breezy Saturday with near-record high heat in store The Weather Authority says a warm Saturday with near-record high heat is in store with sun and clouds overhead.
SANIBEL Sanibel Beach shines as a top 2025 destination for shelling Southwest Florida’s beaches are a major draw for visitors from around the world.
911 calls save two kayakers in distress on Caloosahatchee River After strong winds left them stranded, two kayakers were rescued from the Caloosahatchee River.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral woman tricked into romance scam, police seek recovery Cape Coral police are working to recover more than $250,000 from a bank account that may be tied to criminal activity.
Captiva’s Mucky Duck plans reopening after hurricane damage The Mucky Duck, a beloved restaurant on Captiva Island, is determined to clear up any rumors about its closure.
PORT CHARLOTTE Tampa Bay Rays’ future in Port Charlotte raises business concerns The Tampa Bay Rays are planning to stay at Tropicana Field for the 2026 season while they repair damage from Hurricane Milton.
Red tide health alert lifted in certain Lee County areas The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has lifted the red tide health alerts issued in certain areas.
Charlotte Sheriff elected as chair of Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell is stepping into a new role as chair of the Florida Sheriff’s Youth Ranches.
NAPLES Naples groups unite to protect endangered Florida Panthers The third Saturday in March marks the official Save the Florida Panther Day.
New housing development in Collier County raises environmental concerns Instead of fields of oranges fueling the local economy, rows of homes could soon take their place in the region.
NAPLES La Gondola: Venice experience in Southwest Florida Imagine cruising down the Southwest Florida waterways in your very own gondola, bringing a touch of Italy to Naples.
FORT MYERS Bubbles for Bug; Carwash raising funds for furry friend A Southwest Florida dog named Bug needs help. His owner, Lex Montanaro, is hosting a carwash fundraiser to raise the $10,000 Bug needs for surgery.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda’s Celtic Ray preps for St. Patrick’s Day bash Punta Gorda is gearing up for a massive St. Patrick’s Day celebration this weekend.
FILE: An unvaccinated 6-year-old Oregon boy was hospitalized for two months for tetanus and almost died of the bacterial illness. Photo via AP. The worst of the nation’s nasty flu season is finally over. The season apparently peaked in early February and has been fading since, health officials said Friday. The number of people going to the doctor with symptoms of the flu has continued to decline. Deaths from the flu or pneumonia are going down, too. While the peak may have passed, the season isn’t finished yet. Reports of flu remained widespread in 45 states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. “The season’s not over but we’re definitely on the downward trend right now,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, the CDC’s acting director. Flu usually takes off after Christmas and peaks around February. This season started early and was widespread in many states by December. In early January, it hit what seemed like peak levels — but then continued to surge. It had been driven by a kind of flu that tends to put more people in the hospital and cause more deaths, and officials lately are seeing less of that. But another kind that hits children hard has picked up steam. So far this season, health officials say 114 children have died from the flu. Making a bad year worse, this year’s flu vaccine didn’t work very well and health officials are trying to figure out why it did so poorly. Flu is a contagious respiratory illness, spread by a virus. It can cause a miserable but relatively mild illness in many people, but a more severe illness in others. In a bad season, there are as many as 56,000 deaths connected to the flu. In Friday’s report, the CDC said one key measure showed doctor visits last week for fever, cough and other symptoms of the flu dropped again, down to 1 in 20 visits. The number of states reporting heavy patient flu traffic last week dropped to 32. Amber Smith, a recruiter for a furniture store chain in Charlotte, North Carolina, thought she didn’t have to worry about the flu after a wave of illnesses that hit her company’s warehouse in January and February seemed to fade. But she started to feel sick Monday and found out she had the flu. She hadn’t gotten a flu shot; her boyfriend did and he hasn’t been sick. “I feel like my head weighs 20 pounds,” said Smith, who tried to go to work Friday, but was sent home after a morning meeting. “But my throat isn’t as sore. I feel like the flu is running its course.”