Woman rescued from Peace River by good Samaritans days after MiltonRestaurant in Cape Coral helps another in Punta Gorda recover from Milton
Woman rescued from Peace River by good Samaritans days after Milton A woman is lucky to be alive after being found two miles off the coast in the Peace River and brought to shore by vigilant good samaritans.
PUNTA GORDA Restaurant in Cape Coral helps another in Punta Gorda recover from Milton Bartenders at the Celtic Ray in Punta Gorda have struggled since Hurricane Milton severely damaged the pub.
Warrior Homes of Collier awards scholarships to local veterans Four Collier County students with military ties are getting a boost toward their education.
Caught on video: Man arrested after leading police on chase in stolen truck Florida troopers say 36-year-old David Alfonso stole the vehicle in Collier County and then led them on a chase through Lee County to Alico Road and Ben Hill Griffin.
Record early voting in SWFL may be linked to recent hurricanes On Monday, thousands of people got in line at their polling places as early voting started for most places in southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS BEACH Milton leaves Fort Myers Beach residents buried in sand and seeking help Hurricane Milton pushed sand onto the streets of Fort Myers Beach, leaving many residents asking for help.
LEHIGH ACRES East Lee County principal uses lemonade to create gameday tradition East Lee County High School principal Tony Allen uses his lemonade recipe to create a new gameday tradition.
NAPLES Naples man defends home from flood waters One Naples man did not mess around when it came to Hurricane Milton prep. Guy Lollino got five feet of water in his home on Vanderbilt Beach during Hurricane Ian. This time he decided to stack a ton of sandbags and fill the cracks with sprayable Styrofoam.
Detecting pancreatic cancer early with AI A pancreatic cancer diagnosis is one of the most dreaded because it carries a very high mortality rate.
Lee County restores solid waste services The process of removing garbage and debris from the streets of Lee County has begun.
Algae bloom research turns into useful storm tool Many of us watched helplessly and waited as hurricanes Helene and Milton sent storm surges onto our roads, into our homes and businesses, altering what we know as home forever. At the same time, one Florida Gulf Coast University student saw the storms as a scientific opportunity.
Amendment 2: Right to fish and hunt Tens of thousands of Floridians, and thousands more visitors that come to our state, enjoy fishing and hunting. We live in a state surrounded by water and wildlife and people have taken advantage of that.
Amendment 1: Establishing partisan school board elections Some school board meetings have become political, with raised voices and the need for security
FORT MYERS Local salon withstands impacts from 3 major hurricanes One hurricane can be devastating; however, three storms will force you to find better ways to prepare for impacts.
Azaleas on the Corner sells plants, paintings, wine in downtown Fort Myers The mother-daughter team of Marie Dyer and Corinne Wimberly already had a business plan in place to start their own shop. They just didn’t have a place to put it.
Woman rescued from Peace River by good Samaritans days after Milton A woman is lucky to be alive after being found two miles off the coast in the Peace River and brought to shore by vigilant good samaritans.
PUNTA GORDA Restaurant in Cape Coral helps another in Punta Gorda recover from Milton Bartenders at the Celtic Ray in Punta Gorda have struggled since Hurricane Milton severely damaged the pub.
Warrior Homes of Collier awards scholarships to local veterans Four Collier County students with military ties are getting a boost toward their education.
Caught on video: Man arrested after leading police on chase in stolen truck Florida troopers say 36-year-old David Alfonso stole the vehicle in Collier County and then led them on a chase through Lee County to Alico Road and Ben Hill Griffin.
Record early voting in SWFL may be linked to recent hurricanes On Monday, thousands of people got in line at their polling places as early voting started for most places in southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS BEACH Milton leaves Fort Myers Beach residents buried in sand and seeking help Hurricane Milton pushed sand onto the streets of Fort Myers Beach, leaving many residents asking for help.
LEHIGH ACRES East Lee County principal uses lemonade to create gameday tradition East Lee County High School principal Tony Allen uses his lemonade recipe to create a new gameday tradition.
NAPLES Naples man defends home from flood waters One Naples man did not mess around when it came to Hurricane Milton prep. Guy Lollino got five feet of water in his home on Vanderbilt Beach during Hurricane Ian. This time he decided to stack a ton of sandbags and fill the cracks with sprayable Styrofoam.
Detecting pancreatic cancer early with AI A pancreatic cancer diagnosis is one of the most dreaded because it carries a very high mortality rate.
Lee County restores solid waste services The process of removing garbage and debris from the streets of Lee County has begun.
Algae bloom research turns into useful storm tool Many of us watched helplessly and waited as hurricanes Helene and Milton sent storm surges onto our roads, into our homes and businesses, altering what we know as home forever. At the same time, one Florida Gulf Coast University student saw the storms as a scientific opportunity.
Amendment 2: Right to fish and hunt Tens of thousands of Floridians, and thousands more visitors that come to our state, enjoy fishing and hunting. We live in a state surrounded by water and wildlife and people have taken advantage of that.
Amendment 1: Establishing partisan school board elections Some school board meetings have become political, with raised voices and the need for security
FORT MYERS Local salon withstands impacts from 3 major hurricanes One hurricane can be devastating; however, three storms will force you to find better ways to prepare for impacts.
Azaleas on the Corner sells plants, paintings, wine in downtown Fort Myers The mother-daughter team of Marie Dyer and Corinne Wimberly already had a business plan in place to start their own shop. They just didn’t have a place to put it.
FHP releases list of ‘Most Wanted Fugitives’; 6 in SWFL. WINK News The Florida Highway Patrol released a list of its “Most Wanted Fugitives” in the state. Six people on the list were wanted for crashes in Southwest Florida: Alfredo Acevedo Alfredo Acevedo is wanted in connection with two counts of DUI Manslaughter, two counts of DUI Injury and one count of DUI Property Damage, the Florida Highway Patrol said. Acevedo was driving southbound on Interstate 75 in Charlotte County when he lost control of the vehicle and it overturned, according to the FHP. Two passengers died and two others suffered “incapacitating injuries.” Acevedo’s blood alcohol level was nearly twice the legal limit at the time of the crash, State troopers said. Alejandro Garcia Alejandro Garcia is wanted in connection with a deadly DUI crash on State Road 82 in Lee County, according to the FHP. Garcia is accused of hitting a vehicle head-on, which caused the vehicle to overturn, State troopers said. The driver of the other vehicle was killed in the wreck. Garcia’s blood alcohol limit was more than four times the legal limit, according to State troopers. Following the crash, Garcia fled to the hospital, but his whereabouts are unknown, State troopers said. It’s also unclear when the crash happened. Augustin Lara-Nonez Augustin Lara-Nonez is wanted in connection with a deadly DUI crash involving a Lee County deputy. Lara-Nonez was driving a silver 2006 Ford truck westbound on State Road 82 approaching Sunshine Boulevard, according to the FHP. There was a previous deadly crash, and Lee County deputy Margena Nunez had her patrol car with the emergency lights activated facing south in the westbound lane and traffic cones out, State troopers said. Lara-Nonez was accused of not following the detour, and he front of his truck hit the left side of the patrol car. “For just doing her job and assisting FHP with traffic control, she certainly didn’t deserve to be hit or die,” said Lt. Greg Bueno, of the FHP. Lara-Nonez was arrested in connection with a DUI involving death, but he did not face charges in court and there is an active felony warrant for his arrest, according to State troopers. “It adds salt to the wound that the individual was arrested to be held accountable for his decisions that night,” Bueno said. Lara-Nonez was believed to have fled to Mexico, according to State troopers. Roman Saebastian Saldarriaga Roman Saebastian Saldarriaga is wanted in connection with a deadly crash on Sept. 1, 2003 in Collier County, according to the FHP. Saldarriaga has active warrants for DUI manslaughter, DUI personal injury and DUI property damage, State troopers said. Saldarriaga was driving eastbound on County Road approaching another vehicle and hit rear of the other vehicle, according to State troopers. The impact from the initial crash forced vehicle into the westbound lane and was hit by a pickup truck. One person died in the crash and there were additional “personal injuries,” State troopers said. Saldarriaga has since fled and is believed to be in Bonita Springs, Fla., Miami, New Jersey, New York, or Canada, according to State troopers. Jose Ayala Santiago Jose Ayala Santiago is wanted in connection with a deadly DUI crash on Jan. 12, 2003 on Tamiami Trail in Collier County, according to the FHP. Santiago has an active warrant for DUI manslaughter, according to State troopers. Santiago was driving westbound on State Road 90 approaching a vehicle traveling eastbound, according to State troopers. Santiago was then accused of steering across the center line, into the eastbound lane and hitting another vehicle. One person died in the crash and there were additional “personal injuries.” James R. Wasileski James R. Wasileski has an active warrant for DUI manslaughter out of Charlotte County, the Florida Highway Patrol said. Wasileski was driving a 1997 Ford Taurus on Feb. 3, 2007 northbound on Burnt Store Road, according to the FHP. Wasileski —who was accused of being under the influence— lost control and hit a tree. His passenger, Mark E. Burlison, succumbed to injuries sustained in the crash. Wasileski has since left the state and had Texas as a last known location, State troopers said. His current whereabouts are unclear, and he may have fled to Mexico. Roman Saebastian Saldarriaga (Photo via Florida Highway Patrol) Jose Ayala Santiago (Photo via Florida Highway Patrol) James R. Wasileski (Photo via Florida Highway Patrol) Alejandro Garcia (Photo via Florida Highway Patrol) Alfredo Acevedo (Photo via Florida Highway Patrol) Augustin Lara-Nonez (Photo via Florida Highway Patrol) Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the suspects listed above should the FHP at 239-938-1800 prompt 3, email FHP, email HerbertHead@flhsmv.gov, or contact Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers. “We are going to do anything and everything we can to locate these individuals and hold them accountable for their actions,” Bueno said. For a complete list of “Most Wanted Fugitives” in Florida, visit the FHP’s website.