Charlotte Technical College breaks ground on aviation facilityMan arrested in connection with Cape Coral home invasion
Charlotte Technical College breaks ground on aviation facility The Charlotte County School District is flying high and keeping its “Space Academy” designation with a new aviation training facility for students.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested in connection with Cape Coral home invasion The Cape Coral Police Department has announced the arrest of one of three men suspected in a home invasion that took place earlier this month.
2 airboats crash between mile markers 74 and 75 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.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral residents react to $100M North Cape land deal The city of Cape Coral is seeing two projects that will change the city. One is called one of the most lucrative deals in county history.
Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association breaks ground on new Fort Myers headquarters As Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association’s president pointed out, about 1,000 people are still moving to Florida every day, and many of them are finding their way to Southwest Florida.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County drug trafficker sentenced to 10 years A Charlotte County man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug trafficking.
lehigh acres ‘How to sign away parental rights?’; Lehigh Acres woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby.
Punta Gorda Man accused of indecent exposure at school bus stop in Punta Gorda The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of indecent exposure at a school bus stop in Punta Gorda.
estero 76-acre prescribed burn at Koreshan State Park Park officials are performing a 76-acre prescribed burn at Koreshan State Park.
Tim Aten Knows: 2 new eateries coming to East Naples After operating La Rosa Pizzeria for more than 15 years, owners Bill and Alda Rosa decided to sell their local business and restaurant space.
the weather authority Warmer with sun and clouds for your Friday plans The Weather Authority is tracking a warmer day ahead, with a mixture of sun and clouds expected this Friday afternoon.
FDOT opens all lanes of Caloosahatchee Bridge year ahead of construction schedule The Florida Department of Transportation announced all lanes of the Caloosahatchee Bridge are open, a year ahead of its original pedestrian sidewalk project estimate.
NAPLES 12-year-old collecting donations for the needy during the holidays A 12-year-old Naples boy isn’t worried about what he’s getting for Christmas. Instead, he’s working on his 6th annual “Holiday Sock Drive.”
Fort Myers man facing homelessness before the holidays A 75-year-old man is on the brink of homelessness despite working over 80 hours a week.
NAPLES Adoptee uses non-profit to provide suitcases for foster children This holiday season, a Naples woman is on a mission to bring foster children something many take for granted: a suitcase filled with dignity.
Charlotte Technical College breaks ground on aviation facility The Charlotte County School District is flying high and keeping its “Space Academy” designation with a new aviation training facility for students.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested in connection with Cape Coral home invasion The Cape Coral Police Department has announced the arrest of one of three men suspected in a home invasion that took place earlier this month.
2 airboats crash between mile markers 74 and 75 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.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral residents react to $100M North Cape land deal The city of Cape Coral is seeing two projects that will change the city. One is called one of the most lucrative deals in county history.
Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association breaks ground on new Fort Myers headquarters As Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association’s president pointed out, about 1,000 people are still moving to Florida every day, and many of them are finding their way to Southwest Florida.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County drug trafficker sentenced to 10 years A Charlotte County man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug trafficking.
lehigh acres ‘How to sign away parental rights?’; Lehigh Acres woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby.
Punta Gorda Man accused of indecent exposure at school bus stop in Punta Gorda The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of indecent exposure at a school bus stop in Punta Gorda.
estero 76-acre prescribed burn at Koreshan State Park Park officials are performing a 76-acre prescribed burn at Koreshan State Park.
Tim Aten Knows: 2 new eateries coming to East Naples After operating La Rosa Pizzeria for more than 15 years, owners Bill and Alda Rosa decided to sell their local business and restaurant space.
the weather authority Warmer with sun and clouds for your Friday plans The Weather Authority is tracking a warmer day ahead, with a mixture of sun and clouds expected this Friday afternoon.
FDOT opens all lanes of Caloosahatchee Bridge year ahead of construction schedule The Florida Department of Transportation announced all lanes of the Caloosahatchee Bridge are open, a year ahead of its original pedestrian sidewalk project estimate.
NAPLES 12-year-old collecting donations for the needy during the holidays A 12-year-old Naples boy isn’t worried about what he’s getting for Christmas. Instead, he’s working on his 6th annual “Holiday Sock Drive.”
Fort Myers man facing homelessness before the holidays A 75-year-old man is on the brink of homelessness despite working over 80 hours a week.
NAPLES Adoptee uses non-profit to provide suitcases for foster children This holiday season, a Naples woman is on a mission to bring foster children something many take for granted: a suitcase filled with dignity.
Photo via Pixabay On July 30th, child safety advocates will mark World Human Trafficking Day. It’s a day designed to call attention to the children who are lured or coerced into sex trafficking. 300,000 a year in the United States alone. That’s not in some far away country, but right here at home. Below is the story of some women who are dedicating their lives to making a difference. For years, Linsey Ruth has found a release in sewing, stitching pieces of fabric into blankets or purses that bring comfort to others. This now happily married mother of five had a dark past from the time she was a teen. Her ex-husband used control and isolation to force her into prostitution. “And he said ‘you know, I think maybe we should try this’. And “this” was to have me be with other people,” Ruth told Ivanhoe. Ruth is not alone. Human trafficking generates about 32 billion dollars every year. And the average age for a child to enter the trade is 12 to 14 years old. “As a child I was trafficked, and it’s still, for me it’s not easy for me to talk about,” said Tina Kadolph. Jan Edwards is on the forefront of the fight against human trafficking. “What people need to know is it’s happening in every single zip code, and every single neighborhood,” explained Jan Edwards, President and CEO of Paving the Way. Her organization, Paving the Way, educates teachers, parents, students, and law enforcement on the signs of this hidden crisis. “You’ve got embarrassment, shame and fear on the victim’s side, and then you’ve got guilt, manipulation and coercion, and threats on the perpetrators side. I don’t want any child, any child to suffer from that,” Edwards told Ivanhoe. Edwards says: have conversations about awareness and prevention. Look out for signs of isolation and loss of interest. Kids should turn off their location settings and turn on their privacy settings, know who they’re talking to online, and never accept a drink prepared by someone else. Ruth and Kadolph are part of the less than five percent who escape the trade. Ruth now teaches other victims to sew as part of therapy, and Kadolph owns a volunteer run coffee shop that donates one hundred percent of its profits to fight human trafficking. Edwards says you can help by simply having a conversation to raise awareness, donating, or go to www.stoptraffickingtoday.com to become a mission ambassador and be trained to educate others in your city. But the most important thing she wants people to do if they see or suspect anything is call the National Trafficking Hotline at once: 888-373-7888. Contributors to this news report include: Cyndy McGrath, Producer; Hayley Hudson, Producer; Katie Campbell, Assistant Producer; Roque Correa, Videographer; Bob Walko, Editor.