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.
MGN More Florida students are taking advantage of beefed-up scholarship programs that help pay for tuition, fees and books at state universities and colleges. The number of students using Bright Futures scholarships, the state’s main merit-based aid program, is now projected to grow by 5.7 percent this academic year for a total of 99,483 students, according to a report published by the Legislature’s Office of Economic and Demographic Research. The report is based on a Nov. 30 estimating conference. More students who have top test scores and grades are qualifying for and using the Bright Futures’ “academic scholars” program, which pays for 100 percent of tuition and fees and provides $300 for books in the fall and spring semesters. The latest estimate shows a projected 52,179 students will qualify this year as academic scholars, up from 45,295 last year, or a 15 percent increase. That program will grow by another 9.5 percent next budget year for a total of 57,138 students in 2019-2020, the estimate showed. To qualify for the program, students must have a 3.5 grade point average and score at least a 1290 on the SAT or a 29 on the ACT. They must also complete 100 hours of community service. The report said the reason for the increase in the Bright Future scholars “cannot be fully explained at this time,” although factors may include more students qualifying through programs like the International Baccalaureate program, changes in qualifications for home-schooled students and higher SAT scores. Former Senate President Joe Negron, a Stuart Republican who left office last month, made a priority of expanding Bright Futures, including covering 100 percent of tuition and fees in the academic scholars program. Participation by students qualifying as Bright Futures “medallion scholars,” who must meet slightly lower standards, will remain relatively flat this year, dropping to 46,216 students from 47,740 last year. However, the program for the first time this year will cover 75 percent of tuition and fees for those students. Both programs allow Bright Futures students to use their scholarships to cover summer classes. Bright Futures also includes three smaller scholarship programs, along with the academic and medallion programs. The popularity of Bright Futures may have an impact on the state budget, with the latest projection showing a total cost of $545 million this year, although lawmakers only approved $520 million in the budget and related legislation. The cost is projected to rise to $583 million in 2019-2020. Meanwhile, the new estimate showed more than 195,000 students will benefit from the state’s largest need-based aid program, known as “student assistance grants.” The average award this year is projected at $1,378. About 87 percent of that aid will benefit students attending public universities and colleges, but the remainder will help students at private schools and other post-secondary programs. Also, more than 39,000 state residents attending private colleges and universities in Florida will benefit from the “Effective Access to Student Education” grants program — which in the past was known as the Florida Resident Access Grant program. The maximum award for those scholarships, which total $137 million, increased from $3,300 to $3,500 this academic year. (©2018 CBS Local Media. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The News Service of Florida’s Lloyd Dunkleberger contributed to this report.)