Punta Gorda church celebrates Pastor’s 45 years of serviceShift Coffee Bar in Fort Myers hosts annual Valentine’s Day Party
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda church celebrates Pastor’s 45 years of service The First Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Punta Gorda is alive with celebration as they honor a legacy of leadership.
FORT MYERS Shift Coffee Bar in Fort Myers hosts annual Valentine’s Day Party Shift Coffee Bar in Fort Myers held their annual Valentine’s Day pop-up/anniversary event on Sunday morning.
PUNTA GORDA Road rage leads to gunfire near US 41 bridge in Punta Gorda A road rage incident near the Gilchrist Bridge in Punta Gorda led to shots being fired, according to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.
the weather authority Warm, breezy day with evening rain ahead of a slight cold front The Weather Authority says Sunday is starting off warm across Southwest Florida with overnight lows in the upper 60s and 70s, staying warm throughout the day before a cold front sweeps south later this evening.
FORT MYERS Edison Festival parade lights up Fort Myers with floats and bands The Edison Festival parade was a spectacle of lights and sounds, drawing crowds to celebrate the legacy of Thomas Edison.
CAPE CORAL Goth Gala for the Forlorn; How the alt scene honored Valentine’s Day Love Your Rebellion hosted the Goth Gala for the Forlorn at Nice Guys Pizza in Cape Coral on Friday night.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers gears up for Edison Festival parade; road closures in place Downtown Fort Myers is buzzing with excitement as the Edison Festival of Light Parade is set to begin.
the weather authority Near-record heat with sun and clouds for your Saturday The Weather Authority says the above-normal temperatures that Southwest Florida has been experiencing will stick around yet again for Saturday.
LEE COUNTY Savannah Bananas bring fun on the diamond at JetBlue Park The Savannah Bananas amazed and entertained a sold out JetBlue Park Friday night for the first time in Southwest Florida.
CAPE CORAL Caught on Camera: Cape Coral mailbox hit by drifting car A Cape Coral homeowner was left in shock after a car sent her mailbox flying through the air and left tire tracks next to her home.
ARCADIA DeSoto County man sentenced for deadly DUI crash Justice for a mother and son killed by a man driving under the influence.
NAPLES Oldest Black-owned business in SWFL continues to serve community Cleveland Bass Movers, founded in 1969, stands as the oldest Black-owned business in Southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS BEACH Broken gate on Lovers Key Beach Resort frustrating residents Residents of Lover’s Key Beach Club in Fort Myers Beach are frustrated with a gate that remains wide open, despite “No Trespassing” signs, since Hurricane Ian struck two years ago.
St. James City Church plans $700k flood-proofing project for future safety Hurricanes have caused flood after flood, and one island church, The First Baptist Church of Saint James City, wants to build higher.
Romance scams rise in the US, AARP warns residents to beware Romance scams are on the rise, with the Federal Trade Commission reporting over 64,000 cases in the U.S. in 2023.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda church celebrates Pastor’s 45 years of service The First Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Punta Gorda is alive with celebration as they honor a legacy of leadership.
FORT MYERS Shift Coffee Bar in Fort Myers hosts annual Valentine’s Day Party Shift Coffee Bar in Fort Myers held their annual Valentine’s Day pop-up/anniversary event on Sunday morning.
PUNTA GORDA Road rage leads to gunfire near US 41 bridge in Punta Gorda A road rage incident near the Gilchrist Bridge in Punta Gorda led to shots being fired, according to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.
the weather authority Warm, breezy day with evening rain ahead of a slight cold front The Weather Authority says Sunday is starting off warm across Southwest Florida with overnight lows in the upper 60s and 70s, staying warm throughout the day before a cold front sweeps south later this evening.
FORT MYERS Edison Festival parade lights up Fort Myers with floats and bands The Edison Festival parade was a spectacle of lights and sounds, drawing crowds to celebrate the legacy of Thomas Edison.
CAPE CORAL Goth Gala for the Forlorn; How the alt scene honored Valentine’s Day Love Your Rebellion hosted the Goth Gala for the Forlorn at Nice Guys Pizza in Cape Coral on Friday night.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers gears up for Edison Festival parade; road closures in place Downtown Fort Myers is buzzing with excitement as the Edison Festival of Light Parade is set to begin.
the weather authority Near-record heat with sun and clouds for your Saturday The Weather Authority says the above-normal temperatures that Southwest Florida has been experiencing will stick around yet again for Saturday.
LEE COUNTY Savannah Bananas bring fun on the diamond at JetBlue Park The Savannah Bananas amazed and entertained a sold out JetBlue Park Friday night for the first time in Southwest Florida.
CAPE CORAL Caught on Camera: Cape Coral mailbox hit by drifting car A Cape Coral homeowner was left in shock after a car sent her mailbox flying through the air and left tire tracks next to her home.
ARCADIA DeSoto County man sentenced for deadly DUI crash Justice for a mother and son killed by a man driving under the influence.
NAPLES Oldest Black-owned business in SWFL continues to serve community Cleveland Bass Movers, founded in 1969, stands as the oldest Black-owned business in Southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS BEACH Broken gate on Lovers Key Beach Resort frustrating residents Residents of Lover’s Key Beach Club in Fort Myers Beach are frustrated with a gate that remains wide open, despite “No Trespassing” signs, since Hurricane Ian struck two years ago.
St. James City Church plans $700k flood-proofing project for future safety Hurricanes have caused flood after flood, and one island church, The First Baptist Church of Saint James City, wants to build higher.
Romance scams rise in the US, AARP warns residents to beware Romance scams are on the rise, with the Federal Trade Commission reporting over 64,000 cases in the U.S. in 2023.
Scott A. Rivkees, M.D. (Credit: University of Florida) A doctor tapped by Gov. Ron DeSantis to become the state’s surgeon general has been embroiled in legal squabbles and investigations while working at the University of Florida. Scott Rivkees has been the subject of a university sexual harassment investigation, was found by a university auditor to have not properly filed financial-disclosure information and has sued a one-time colleague for libel and slander. DeSantis’ communications director, Helen Ferre, said Tuesday that Rivkees is an “outstanding candidate for state surgeon general.” “He made some remarks early in his tenure at UF and acknowledged them,” she said when asked about Rivkees and stressed he was not found guilty of sexual harassment. DeSantis announced Monday that he had selected Rivkees for the dual role of surgeon general and secretary of the Florida Department of Health, ending what had been a months-long search for a new leader of the agency. State law requires the agency to be led by a Florida-licensed doctor. DeSantis lavished praised on Rivkees and his work experience. Rivkees is chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Florida College of Medicine and physician-in-chief at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital. He also is an international expert on pediatric endocrinology and developmental biology who joined UF Health from Yale University in 2012. But a report shows that Rivkees was investigated for sexual harassment by the University of Florida. The probe found that Rivkees made sexually suggestive comments shortly after arriving at the school in 2012. Rivkees’ attorney, Robert Bauer, told The News Service of Florida on Tuesday that Rivkees has acknowledged making inappropriate comments and has “moved on.” According to an investigation report, Rivkees was alleged to have repeatedly told people, “If we can’t agree on this we’ll have to get naked in a hot tub and work it out.” Rivkees acknowledged making the comment “and may have said it more than once,” telling investigators that the pediatric intensive care unit was in “disarray” and that the comment was meant as a joke, the report said. A complaint also alleged that Rivkees made inappropriate remarks at an off-campus event, allegedly telling veterinary students, “Well, we have something in common, neither one of us can have sex with our patients.” Rivkees told University of Florida investigators, though, that he told the graduates “make sure you don’t have relationships with your patients.” The findings of the report show that the allegation of inappropriate comments was “substantiated.” “The respondent admitted to making the comment concerning the Hot Tub,” investigator John Rouse wrote in a conclusion to the report. “The respondent’s version of the comment made during the Veterinarian event was similar to that of the alleged comment.” Michael Good, who was dean of the College of Medicine at the time, told investigators that Rivkees had been counseled after Faculty Affairs Dean Marian Limacher advised Good of “several complaints” she had received about Rivkees and his alleged comments. Good, told investigators that “there was no written documentation of the ?counseling,” according to the report. “Dean Good further stated during his interview that he felt the respondent’s performance as Chair is good, that he (respondent) has demonstrated good leadership with external and internal groups, and that the respondent’s behavior in leadership was good,” the report said. The financial audit, which was conducted in 2014, stemmed from an anonymous complaint that Rivkees had outside financial relationships that could pose a conflict of interest given his position with the university. An auditor found that there was “partial merit” to the complaint and that Rivkees had not disclosed to the university his consulting firm, Scott Rivkees Consulting, which was developed to organize speaking engagements and sales of a book he wrote. The audit said the non-disclosure was an oversight and that “no intent to deceive was indicated and is not suspected.” Rivkees subsequently completed the disclosure form. The Florida Department of Health has a wide variety of duties, such as regulating health-care professions, overseeing public health and regulating medical marijuana. It has a nearly $2.97 billion budget and more than 13,400 employees. Like other agency secretaries, the person appointed is subject to Senate confirmation. DeSantis has been in office since January but had not named a Department of Health Secretary until Monday. DeSantis attributed the delay, in part, to making sure he had the right person in place, telling reporters that he wanted to ensure that his nominee could “get to work and not have anything complicated or throw sand in the gears.” The governor’s office did not provide a copy of Rivkee’s application for health-department secretary to The News Service of Florida. In addition to the University of Florida investigations, Rivkees has tangled with peers and in 2018 filed a slander and libel lawsuit in Alachua County circuit court against Satyanarayan Hegde. Rivkees notified Hegde in 2014 that he was being terminated. In his lawsuit, Rivkees complained that Hegde publicly embarrassed and tried to discredit him. Hegde, a pediatric pulmonologist, now is at the University of Chicago, where he is an assistant professor of pediatrics. He said he worries that Rivkees is not the right candidate for state surgeon general, whose job is to ensure the public health of the state’s citizens, among other things. “I don’t think that this man is normal,” he said to the News Service.