Invasive Burmese Python jaws larger than previously thoughtGolf great Gary Player joining SWFL charity tournament
Collier County Invasive Burmese Python jaws larger than previously thought Invasive Burmese Pythons hunt and swallow animals whole. And each slithering creature it eats helps it grow.
NORTH PORT Golf great Gary Player joining SWFL charity tournament Career Grand Slam winner Gary Player is participating in the 2nd Heron Creek Charity Pro-Am to benefit Tunnels to Towers.
IMMOKALEE WINK News Game of the Week: Gulf Coast at Immokalee Our WINK News Game of the Week for Week 10 brings us to Immokalee when they host Gulf Coast for the district championship.
NAPLES Naples restaurant servers stage walkout over pay changes Restaurant servers in Naples staged a walkout to protest changes to their pay structure. The heart of the issue is tips.
Innovative ultrasound treatment for liver cancer Tens of thousands of Americans die from liver cancer each year.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs offensive lineman puts in work in the trenches and on a job site Bonita Springs offensive lineman Luis Jimenez is one to put his hand in the dirt both on the line of scrimmage and out on a job site.
Amendment 5: Homestead exemption inflation adjustment Property taxes are not anyone’s favorite words, but they are money that must be paid if you own Florida real estate.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers Beach man accused of assaulting Capitol police during Jan. 6 arrested A Fort Myers Beach man has been arrested for allegedly assaulting law enforcement and other charges related to the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol.
Charlotte Co. approves site plan for marina resort development Charlotte County commissioners approved the final site plan Oct. 22 for a marina resort complex with a hotel, restaurants and condos in Placida near the Boca Grande Causeway.
NAPLES Naples Zoo welcomes critically endangered Mongoose Lemurs The Naples Zoo has incorporated a breeding pair of critically endangered mongoose lemurs into its habitat enclosures.
NORTH FORT MYERS North Fort Myers Fire Department’s newest life-saving upgrade The North Fort Myers Fire Department has a new life-saving upgrade that is used underwater, one that is much needed.
Collier County experiences daily power surge issues due to Hurricane Milton It’s a breath of fresh air now that the storm has passed, and we are slowly picking up the pieces. However, some areas now deal with quick power interruptions almost daily.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers woman wins $2M on scratch-off ticket On Thursday, the Florida Lottery announced that a Fort Myers woman claimed a top prize of $2 million from the Monopoly Secret Vault game.
Affordable housing project planned for North Naples A 150-apartment complex, with nearly half reserved for income-restricted affordable housing, is planned for Vanderbilt Beach Road in North Naples.
FORT MYERS More construction underway for Fort Myers diverging diamond project The Diverging Diamond Interchange at Colonial Boulevard and Interstate 75 is in its final stages.
Collier County Invasive Burmese Python jaws larger than previously thought Invasive Burmese Pythons hunt and swallow animals whole. And each slithering creature it eats helps it grow.
NORTH PORT Golf great Gary Player joining SWFL charity tournament Career Grand Slam winner Gary Player is participating in the 2nd Heron Creek Charity Pro-Am to benefit Tunnels to Towers.
IMMOKALEE WINK News Game of the Week: Gulf Coast at Immokalee Our WINK News Game of the Week for Week 10 brings us to Immokalee when they host Gulf Coast for the district championship.
NAPLES Naples restaurant servers stage walkout over pay changes Restaurant servers in Naples staged a walkout to protest changes to their pay structure. The heart of the issue is tips.
Innovative ultrasound treatment for liver cancer Tens of thousands of Americans die from liver cancer each year.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs offensive lineman puts in work in the trenches and on a job site Bonita Springs offensive lineman Luis Jimenez is one to put his hand in the dirt both on the line of scrimmage and out on a job site.
Amendment 5: Homestead exemption inflation adjustment Property taxes are not anyone’s favorite words, but they are money that must be paid if you own Florida real estate.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers Beach man accused of assaulting Capitol police during Jan. 6 arrested A Fort Myers Beach man has been arrested for allegedly assaulting law enforcement and other charges related to the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol.
Charlotte Co. approves site plan for marina resort development Charlotte County commissioners approved the final site plan Oct. 22 for a marina resort complex with a hotel, restaurants and condos in Placida near the Boca Grande Causeway.
NAPLES Naples Zoo welcomes critically endangered Mongoose Lemurs The Naples Zoo has incorporated a breeding pair of critically endangered mongoose lemurs into its habitat enclosures.
NORTH FORT MYERS North Fort Myers Fire Department’s newest life-saving upgrade The North Fort Myers Fire Department has a new life-saving upgrade that is used underwater, one that is much needed.
Collier County experiences daily power surge issues due to Hurricane Milton It’s a breath of fresh air now that the storm has passed, and we are slowly picking up the pieces. However, some areas now deal with quick power interruptions almost daily.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers woman wins $2M on scratch-off ticket On Thursday, the Florida Lottery announced that a Fort Myers woman claimed a top prize of $2 million from the Monopoly Secret Vault game.
Affordable housing project planned for North Naples A 150-apartment complex, with nearly half reserved for income-restricted affordable housing, is planned for Vanderbilt Beach Road in North Naples.
FORT MYERS More construction underway for Fort Myers diverging diamond project The Diverging Diamond Interchange at Colonial Boulevard and Interstate 75 is in its final stages.
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.)