New ovarian cancer treatmentsLargest Lee County land deal closes, $100M for 1,745 acres in northwest Cape Coral
New ovarian cancer treatments Ovarian cancer is a problematic disease because of symptoms such as nausea, bloating and diarrhea.
Largest Lee County land deal closes, $100M for 1,745 acres in northwest Cape Coral The most lucrative land deal in Lee County history just closed at a price of $100 million for 1,745 acres in northwest Cape Coral, where building up to 3,500 homes and commercial property to support it has been in the planning stages for almost two years.
CHARLOTTE HARBOR Major 2 vehicle crash shuts down NB lanes of U.S. 41 in Charlotte After a major traffic accident near Sunseeker Resort in Charlotte County, all Northbound lanes of U.S. 41 were closed.
FORT MYERS Apple AirPods lead LCSO to an arrest ; over $100,000 worth of stolen items recovered Through the use of Apple Airpods, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office was able to locate nearly $100,000 worth of stolen items, leading to an arrest.
LABELLE Hendry County rolls out cameras for school speed zones The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office has rolled out a new way of enforcing school zone speed limits by using cameras that will target drivers traveling over a certain speed in a school zone.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral officials approve replacement funding for hurricane-damaged stop signs The Cape Coral City Council has approved funding to replace stop signs damaged during Hurricane Milton, resulting in an emergency purchase.
Holiday events happening in Southwest Florida Southwest Florida is embracing the holiday spirit with a variety of festive events this Christmas season.
Collier man accused of supplying fentanyl-laced pills, enough to kill 531,500 people The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of supplying more than 10,000 fentanyl-laced pills disguised as prescription painkillers.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral council supports construction of I-75 interchange into city The Cape Coral City Council has approved a resolution requesting support from Lee and Charlotte counties to prioritize state and federal funding for the Interstate 75 Interchange at Slater Road.
PUNTA GORDA Crews removing derelict boats from Gilchrist Park Crews are working to remove derelict boats from Gilchrist Park after several of them washed ashore during Hurricane Milton in October.
33rd endangered Florida panther death of 2024; killed by vehicle in Hardee County Another Florida panther has been killed by a vehicle, this time in Hardee County, increasing the death toll of the endangered species to 33 for 2024.
the weather authority Cool and breezy for your Thursday afternoon After waking up to a cold morning, the Weather Authority is tracking warming conditions to the low 70s this Thursday.
Police release threat made at Florida Gulf Coast University Students at Florida Gulf Coast University said they don’t know the specifics of a threat made last week, but they do know it was taken care of.
Missing and endangered boy found in Lehigh Acres Authorities have found a missing and endangered boy in Lehigh Acres. Police asked for the public’s help in locating Zachariah McKelvin.
School District denies bus service to student despite mother’s measurements When we think of the bus stop, we typically think of it as a safe place for our children, but one mother says the Lee County School District told her they live too close to the school to get a bus route.
New ovarian cancer treatments Ovarian cancer is a problematic disease because of symptoms such as nausea, bloating and diarrhea.
Largest Lee County land deal closes, $100M for 1,745 acres in northwest Cape Coral The most lucrative land deal in Lee County history just closed at a price of $100 million for 1,745 acres in northwest Cape Coral, where building up to 3,500 homes and commercial property to support it has been in the planning stages for almost two years.
CHARLOTTE HARBOR Major 2 vehicle crash shuts down NB lanes of U.S. 41 in Charlotte After a major traffic accident near Sunseeker Resort in Charlotte County, all Northbound lanes of U.S. 41 were closed.
FORT MYERS Apple AirPods lead LCSO to an arrest ; over $100,000 worth of stolen items recovered Through the use of Apple Airpods, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office was able to locate nearly $100,000 worth of stolen items, leading to an arrest.
LABELLE Hendry County rolls out cameras for school speed zones The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office has rolled out a new way of enforcing school zone speed limits by using cameras that will target drivers traveling over a certain speed in a school zone.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral officials approve replacement funding for hurricane-damaged stop signs The Cape Coral City Council has approved funding to replace stop signs damaged during Hurricane Milton, resulting in an emergency purchase.
Holiday events happening in Southwest Florida Southwest Florida is embracing the holiday spirit with a variety of festive events this Christmas season.
Collier man accused of supplying fentanyl-laced pills, enough to kill 531,500 people The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of supplying more than 10,000 fentanyl-laced pills disguised as prescription painkillers.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral council supports construction of I-75 interchange into city The Cape Coral City Council has approved a resolution requesting support from Lee and Charlotte counties to prioritize state and federal funding for the Interstate 75 Interchange at Slater Road.
PUNTA GORDA Crews removing derelict boats from Gilchrist Park Crews are working to remove derelict boats from Gilchrist Park after several of them washed ashore during Hurricane Milton in October.
33rd endangered Florida panther death of 2024; killed by vehicle in Hardee County Another Florida panther has been killed by a vehicle, this time in Hardee County, increasing the death toll of the endangered species to 33 for 2024.
the weather authority Cool and breezy for your Thursday afternoon After waking up to a cold morning, the Weather Authority is tracking warming conditions to the low 70s this Thursday.
Police release threat made at Florida Gulf Coast University Students at Florida Gulf Coast University said they don’t know the specifics of a threat made last week, but they do know it was taken care of.
Missing and endangered boy found in Lehigh Acres Authorities have found a missing and endangered boy in Lehigh Acres. Police asked for the public’s help in locating Zachariah McKelvin.
School District denies bus service to student despite mother’s measurements When we think of the bus stop, we typically think of it as a safe place for our children, but one mother says the Lee County School District told her they live too close to the school to get a bus route.
The House of Ride Nature (Photo via Emily Ford/WINK) A little gray house on Second Street near downtown Fort Myers has more going on than what meets the eye. The House of Ride Nature —a religious and mission organization that focuses on action sports— provides free skateboards and surfboards to children in impoverished countries. Mark Koch, executive director, said a part of the House of Ride Nature’s ethos is essentially “becoming one with nature,” through surfing, skateboarding, or participating in other activities. The original organization, Ride Nature, started in 2009, but it has since evolved into the House of Ride Nature with its location at 2464 Second St. For barista Mikey Frenchko, the House of Ride Nature was a welcoming place where he could make connections. “So it’s a family,” Frenchko said. “It’s a place to come and just hang out.” Koch said he eventually hopes the organization will “forge the four corners” to allow other branches to be able to delegate help for more specific areas. He envisions franchising the organizations so it has outposts worldwide that can help people in specific locations. ‘They’ve never owned a board’ View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ride Nature (@ridenature) The group’s mission helps to satisfy a need for people who express interest in action sports, but don’t really have the opportunity to, Koch said. “I mean we go into countries all the time where kids watch tourists come in and surf and skate, but they’ve never owned a board their whole life,” Koch said. The organization has led 52 mission trips in 27 countries, and have distributed 1,530 boards, according to the website. Corporate sponsors and campaigns such as “buy one give one” allow the organization to provide boards to kids. Neil Schneider, director of Wake and Surf, shared how some children who receive a skateboard or surfboard cannot fathom having something worth approximately $1,000. Schneider said on trips, after the kids receive the boards, attendees also teach the kids tricks if they’re interested. He added the age range of people receiving the boards varies from kids to young adults. Koch acknowledged the outreach given on these mission trips is somewhat nontraditional, but praised other organizations working to provide people in developing countries with basic human needs such as food, water and supplies. “I would say like a lot of what we do is very niche,” Koch said. Why action sports? View this post on Instagram A post shared by The House of Ride Nature Fort Myers (@thehouseofridenaturefortmyers) For Koch, a fundamental portion of the House of Ride Nature deals with mentorship. Most traditional sports involve a team, but action sports are mostly done alone. Koch said part of the original thought process behind making mentorship an integral part of the organization was to fill a hole in the action sports community. “The kids who are skating are doing that because they didn’t have anyone doing any of that with them,” Koch said. Fostering these relationships at the skate parks here in Southwest Florida allows an opportunity to mix different ages and demographics, Foster said. “You don’t see that playing basketball and like other traditional sports,” Koch said. In the action sports industry, Koch added if the skateboarders and surfers are participating in unsavory activities, “it’s almost glorified.” “There’s not, the mentorship within the skateboard community is far from positive,” Koch said. Fostering relationships and mentorship roles is an important pillar within The House of Ride Nature. “Setting an example of what it’s like to be a good father and a husband, friend to someone,” Koch said. Koch stressed the importance of positivity and encouragement. “I’m a firm believer that it’s like the words that you say to someone; there’s no such thing as a neutral word to someone,” Koch said. Outreach in SWFL View this post on Instagram A post shared by The House of Ride Nature Fort Myers (@thehouseofridenaturefortmyers) Another facet of the House of Ride Nature includes merchandise. The shop sells a variety of products ranging from coffee to apparel to equipment. While not everything is local, Koch said proceeds from sales support the nonprofit organization. “Our hope is everything has a story,” Koch said. “So the idea that what we’re selling is purposeful or supports something.” House of Ride Nature also holds community outreach events here in Southwest Florida including barbecues and cable park outings. They’re also holding bible studies at skate parks in Lehigh Acres, Naples and Cape Coral each week. For more information on House of Ride Nature, visit the organization’s website.