Sanibel Church rebuilds after Hurricane IanCostco construction causes commotion in Collier County community
SANIBEL Sanibel Church rebuilds after Hurricane Ian The Sanibel Community Church has completed its remarkable rebuild after Hurricane Ian devastated their place of worship over two years ago.
NAPLES Costco construction causes commotion in Collier County community Costco is eyeing a plot of land in Collier County for a new store, but residents are voicing strong opposition.
NAPLES Dr. Cornelius “Pat” Cacho’s impact on education and Southwest Florida Dr. Cornelius “Pat” Cacho, a beloved philanthropist and advocate for education, dedicated his life to empowering others through opportunity and knowledge.
SANIBEL Sanibel cracks down on school zone speeders with new camera system Sanibel is tightening its grip on school zone speeders with newly installed cameras.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers food pantry expands efforts with Harry Chapin support The Harry Chapin Food Bank in Fort Myers plays a crucial role in supporting smaller food banks in the area.
Fort Myers Beach Pier scheduled to be finished a year ahead of schedule The Fort Myers Beach Pier remains a symbol of the destruction caused by Hurricane Ian two years ago. Efforts to rebuild it has taken a lot of time.
FORT MYERS Iconic Fort Myers statue to undergo repairs The iconic “Rachel at the Well” statue on McGregor Boulevard in Fort Myers has been a landmark for 94 years. However, it became a casualty of Hurricane Ian in 2022, and discussions for its repair are ongoing.
Salvation Army Thrift Store closing its doors in Collier County The Salvation Army has announced the permanent closure of the Naples Family Store on Davis Boulevard.
SANIBEL Rebuilding the Sanibel Causeway with a cause Construction crews are hard at work making the Sanibel Causeway more resilient. The bridge is being fortified to withstand future storms.
LEE COUNTY No. 2 prospect in MLB Roman Anthony with Red Sox for Spring Training Roman Anthony, who is ranked as the second best in baseball, is with the Boston Red Sox for his first Spring Training.
MANASOTA KEY Popular Manasota Key restaurant reopens after storm damage Manasota Key is steadily recovering from a challenging hurricane season, and residents are celebrating the reopening of a beloved local spot.
PINE ISLAND Construction to start on hurricane-proof fire station on Pine Island A new hurricane-proof fire station is coming to Pine Island. The current station, over 40 years old, is in dire need of replacement.
NORTH PORT Braves’ Chris Sale on the mound in southwest Florida once again Spring Training is in full swing for the Atlanta Braves, who’s full squad reported on Tuesday, that means Chris Sale is back in SWFL.
NAPLES Denise Brown speaks on domestic violence at Naples fundraiser event A record crowd of 825 people gathered at the Ritz Carlton Tiburon to raise money and awareness to end domestic violence.
NORTH NAPLES Construction on Collier County diverging diamond begins in March Construction on Southwest Florida’s third diverging diamond interchange is set to begin in March.
SANIBEL Sanibel Church rebuilds after Hurricane Ian The Sanibel Community Church has completed its remarkable rebuild after Hurricane Ian devastated their place of worship over two years ago.
NAPLES Costco construction causes commotion in Collier County community Costco is eyeing a plot of land in Collier County for a new store, but residents are voicing strong opposition.
NAPLES Dr. Cornelius “Pat” Cacho’s impact on education and Southwest Florida Dr. Cornelius “Pat” Cacho, a beloved philanthropist and advocate for education, dedicated his life to empowering others through opportunity and knowledge.
SANIBEL Sanibel cracks down on school zone speeders with new camera system Sanibel is tightening its grip on school zone speeders with newly installed cameras.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers food pantry expands efforts with Harry Chapin support The Harry Chapin Food Bank in Fort Myers plays a crucial role in supporting smaller food banks in the area.
Fort Myers Beach Pier scheduled to be finished a year ahead of schedule The Fort Myers Beach Pier remains a symbol of the destruction caused by Hurricane Ian two years ago. Efforts to rebuild it has taken a lot of time.
FORT MYERS Iconic Fort Myers statue to undergo repairs The iconic “Rachel at the Well” statue on McGregor Boulevard in Fort Myers has been a landmark for 94 years. However, it became a casualty of Hurricane Ian in 2022, and discussions for its repair are ongoing.
Salvation Army Thrift Store closing its doors in Collier County The Salvation Army has announced the permanent closure of the Naples Family Store on Davis Boulevard.
SANIBEL Rebuilding the Sanibel Causeway with a cause Construction crews are hard at work making the Sanibel Causeway more resilient. The bridge is being fortified to withstand future storms.
LEE COUNTY No. 2 prospect in MLB Roman Anthony with Red Sox for Spring Training Roman Anthony, who is ranked as the second best in baseball, is with the Boston Red Sox for his first Spring Training.
MANASOTA KEY Popular Manasota Key restaurant reopens after storm damage Manasota Key is steadily recovering from a challenging hurricane season, and residents are celebrating the reopening of a beloved local spot.
PINE ISLAND Construction to start on hurricane-proof fire station on Pine Island A new hurricane-proof fire station is coming to Pine Island. The current station, over 40 years old, is in dire need of replacement.
NORTH PORT Braves’ Chris Sale on the mound in southwest Florida once again Spring Training is in full swing for the Atlanta Braves, who’s full squad reported on Tuesday, that means Chris Sale is back in SWFL.
NAPLES Denise Brown speaks on domestic violence at Naples fundraiser event A record crowd of 825 people gathered at the Ritz Carlton Tiburon to raise money and awareness to end domestic violence.
NORTH NAPLES Construction on Collier County diverging diamond begins in March Construction on Southwest Florida’s third diverging diamond interchange is set to begin in March.
A follow-up report on the handling of the state’s concealed-carry permitting process pointed to a lack of management oversight by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, but the agency claims it is addressing the issues. The examination of the department’s handling of the permitting program, issued Wednesday by state Auditor General Sherrill Norman, found the agency needs more controls over employees that review applications for private investigator, security officer, recovery agent, and concealed weapon licenses. Issues with the background-check process where first highlighted over the summer, as Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam was running for governor in a Republican primary against Ron DeSantis, who defeated Putnam and went on to win the general election in November. The Tampa Bay Times reported in June that state investigators found a former Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services employee, who had been promoted from a job in the mailroom, failed for a year to conduct one of the national background checks for concealed-weapons licenses. The Associated Press later reported state investigators determined that 48 employees had made mistakes in the review process, requiring the agency to revoke two concealed-weapons licenses and an armed security guard license. The Times has also reported that Putnam’s agency paid $30,000 to settle a lawsuit with a former employee who claimed she was required to meet a daily processing quota and that she had been advised “she worked for the NRA.” At least 300 concealed-weapons permits were later were revoked. In the audit released Wednesday, Norman noted that managers in the division responsible for issuing the licenses indicated their process was to verbally reprimand a contracted employee who had been the subject of a “management report” and to terminate the contracted employee for a second offense. But that wasn’t the agency’s practice, according to the report. In some cases, it took more than two months for the contracted employees to be fired, the auditors found. “Our examination of the 15 selected management reports found that 3 contracted employees appeared on management reports flagging issues with the processing of 9 approved concealed weapon license applications,” the report states. “The reported issues included, for example, a contracted employee’s failure to review the applicant’s State and National criminal history information.” The report goes on to state that the three contracted employees were later hired by the division. “We also noted another seven contracted employees appeared on management reports flagging issues with the processing of 51 approved concealed weapon license applications,” the report stated. Those contracted employees had terminations that took from four to 78 business days, following a second management report. “During the period prior to their contract termination, these contracted employees processed 10,901 applications,” the report states. The audit also found one Bureau of License Issuance employee “appeared on 5 management reports which flagged 25 licenses as issued without review of all required applicant records,” including one license issued without review of the applicant’s state and national criminal history information. The division was “unable to provide documentation demonstrating that management addressed either potential performance deficiencies with the employee or any appropriate corrective actions,” according to the report. Putnam’s spokesman Aaron Keller on Wednesday pointed to responses from the commissioner included in the report. “We appreciate the efforts of the auditor general and all of the recommendations have been implemented or are in the process of being implemented,” Keller said. As part of his response, Putnam noted that, starting June, employees confirmed to have made a processing error received a written reprimand on the first occurrence. A subsequent error results in recommended dismissal, Putnam wrote in the Nov. 30 response. Also, as of July, all employees who issue licenses “must meet expectations with 100 percent error-free processing,” according to Putnam. Putnam’s successor, Democrat Nikki Fried, has said she wants a review of the agency’s handling of the concealed-weapons permitting process. Fried will be sworn in next month. Sen. Lauren Book, D-Plantation, has filed a bill (SB 108) that would move the permitting process to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Meanwhile, the National Rifle Association’s Florida lobbyist Marion Hammer — a former president of the national gun-rights group — has made it known that her preference is to move the concealed-weapons permitting program to a different Cabinet office. She wants the program to be the purview of Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, a Panama City Republican. You can read the full audit below: