33rd endangered Florida panther death of 2024; killed by vehicle in Hardee CountyCool and breezy for your Thursday afternoon
33rd endangered Florida panther death of 2024; killed by vehicle in Hardee County Another Florida panther was 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 The Weather Authority is tracking cold morning conditions before temperatures warm up to the low 70s this Thursday.
Students react to 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.
MATLACHA 2 stranded dolphins rescued from mangroves near Matlacha Two stranded dolphins were pulled from mangroves near Matlacha.
CAPE CORAL NAACP honors Cape Coral Police Chief after acknowledging hate crime NAACP President, James Muwakkil, was so impressed with Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore that he wanted the entire city to know.
NAPLES Jingled Elves trolley tour underway Breaking out your best dance moves and spreading Christmas cheer. These ‘jingled elves’ are breaking it down with a purpose.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs Elementary School’s demolition plans There’s a new lesson plan at Bonita Springs Elementary School: Demolition 101. The school is set to be knocked down, and there’s good reason.
MARCO ISLAND Marco Island Councilmember’s dogs allegedly attack 13-year-old girl Councilor Tamara Goehler is coming under fire after her dogs allegedly attacked a 13-year-old girl and the girl’s five-month-old puppy.
PUNTA GORDA Gilchrist Park’s future brightens as boat cleanup commences The boats blocking Gilchrist Park are ready to be moved two years after Hurricane Milton.
Lee County Department of Health issues red tide alert for Bowman’s Beach The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a health alert for the presence of red tide near Bowman’s Beach.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral working on project to address canal safety An older Cape Coral couple drove into a canal last year. Neighbors are now saying something needs to be done about canal safety.
NAPLES Collier County mental health center receives $4 million donation A giant donation is dedicated to providing people with better mental health care in southwest Florida.
LABELLE City of LaBelle under precautionary boil water notice A water main break has the City of Labelle under a precautionary boil water notice.
33rd endangered Florida panther death of 2024; killed by vehicle in Hardee County Another Florida panther was 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 The Weather Authority is tracking cold morning conditions before temperatures warm up to the low 70s this Thursday.
Students react to 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.
MATLACHA 2 stranded dolphins rescued from mangroves near Matlacha Two stranded dolphins were pulled from mangroves near Matlacha.
CAPE CORAL NAACP honors Cape Coral Police Chief after acknowledging hate crime NAACP President, James Muwakkil, was so impressed with Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore that he wanted the entire city to know.
NAPLES Jingled Elves trolley tour underway Breaking out your best dance moves and spreading Christmas cheer. These ‘jingled elves’ are breaking it down with a purpose.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs Elementary School’s demolition plans There’s a new lesson plan at Bonita Springs Elementary School: Demolition 101. The school is set to be knocked down, and there’s good reason.
MARCO ISLAND Marco Island Councilmember’s dogs allegedly attack 13-year-old girl Councilor Tamara Goehler is coming under fire after her dogs allegedly attacked a 13-year-old girl and the girl’s five-month-old puppy.
PUNTA GORDA Gilchrist Park’s future brightens as boat cleanup commences The boats blocking Gilchrist Park are ready to be moved two years after Hurricane Milton.
Lee County Department of Health issues red tide alert for Bowman’s Beach The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a health alert for the presence of red tide near Bowman’s Beach.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral working on project to address canal safety An older Cape Coral couple drove into a canal last year. Neighbors are now saying something needs to be done about canal safety.
NAPLES Collier County mental health center receives $4 million donation A giant donation is dedicated to providing people with better mental health care in southwest Florida.
LABELLE City of LaBelle under precautionary boil water notice A water main break has the City of Labelle under a precautionary boil water notice.
One-year-old twins Adelaide and Gray Carter, who both have a potentially fatal neurosmuscular disease. CBS News photo. One-year-old twins Adelaide and Gray Carter were recently diagnosed with a neuromuscular disease that is usually fatal — the treatment costs: $750,000 per child. To cope with that financial burden, their parents are seeking help from the same place used by thousands of other Americans facing crushing medical expenses: the internet. The children’s father, Jarod Carter, has started a GoFundMe page that to date has raised more than $103,000. He is by no means alone. Roughly 250,00 campaigns for dealing with health care costs have been set up on the online fundraising platform, raising total contributions of $650 million — fully a third of all donations made through the site, according to CEO Rob Solomon. “When we started in 2010, it wasn’t purposefully set up and built to be a substitute for medical insurance,” Solomon told CBS MoneyWatch. “We weren’t ever set up to be a health care company and we still are not. But over time, people have used GoFundMe for the most important issues they are faced with.” Health coverage has eroded since 2017, with 7 million more Americans becoming uninsured since President Donald Trump took office, according to recent Gallup data. The national uninsured rate stands at 13.7 percent, a four-year high, according to the report. Pages of sick people Just a few of the many thousands of other GoFundMe pages set up to help people raise money to deal with health care issues: A 31-year-old mother twice diagnosed with ovarian cancer; An 8-year-old boy facing high drug costs following a 2018 heart transplant; A 3-year-old girl with a rare kind of brain cancer; A mom fighting leukemia; A U.S. Air Force officer battling cancer; and A teenage boy diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder. While many pages on the site are for people who lack health insurance, others have coverage but still face major costs. Carter, a 40-year-old physical therapist with his own practice in Austin, Texas, said the family’s insurer, Aetna, “has been really great to us.” But the ancillary expenses of looking after his children are heavy. “Now our son is on a ventilator, and for both of them they have a higher likelihood — if they get a cold or flu or anything at all — of needing to go to the hospital. So even getting really good cleaning materials is an expense.” “There are all these things we need to get to make sure these kids have the best chance of staying healthy,” he added. “That is never going to be fully covered even if you have best insurance in the world.” “Take action” GoFundMe helps people raise money for a range of purposes. Its millions of users create fundraisers that fall under categories including family, education, competition, creative, travel, faith and more. “We have turned into this ‘take action’ button, whether it’s related to the government shutdown or a family member who can’t pay their medical bills — people want to help, and we actually solve big problems,” Solomon said. “While we didn’t set out to be one of the most influential health care companies in the world, if we have to serve that purpose, I feel very proud about that.” Although many Americans still lack health insurance, the trend in raising money online to pay for medical costs isn’t limited to the U.S. Medical fundraisers are also popular in countries such as Canada and the United Kingdom, which have universal health care. Even when medical bills are covered, associated costs including lost wages, transportation and hotel bills can drain people’s bank accounts. “Medical-related fundraisers tend to be the largest category in any market,” Solomon said. “Insurance may cover the medical payment side of it, but it doesn’t cover you being out of work or needing transportation or lodging away from your home. So it is still a very big category in every market.”