Genesis of Naples breaking ground on new car dealershipEmails show beginnings, contradictions of South Seas resort amendment
Genesis of Naples breaking ground on new car dealership A genesis—or new beginning—is under way for Genesis of Naples. The local franchise plans to break ground this summer on a new and expanded luxury auto dealership in North Naples.
Emails show beginnings, contradictions of South Seas resort amendment South Seas resort ownership group’s engineer proposed a land-use amendment for Lee County’s government at least six months before the first public discussions and at least seven weeks before the county’s official timeline began, emails between the resort’s representatives and county show.
CAPE CORAL 13-year-old arrested for allegedly getting involved in hit-and-run with stolen car, fleeing from Cape Coral police A teen was arrested on multiple charges after allegedly getting involved in a hit-and-run with a stolen car and then fleeing from police.
NORTH FORT MYERS Caloosahatchee River Bridge to close overnight for construction The Caloosahatchee River Bridge from First Street to North Key Drive in North Fort Myers will close so crews can perform bridge work.
CAPE CORAL Accused Cape Coral double murderer, Wade Wilson, will be in court to try to get death penalty off the table Wade Wilson, the man who allegedly murdered two women, will be in court to try to persuade the court to get the death penalty off the table.
Jupiter DeSantis announces funding for developmentally disabled individuals Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke on education for children with developmental disabilities at the Els Center of Excellence in Jupiter.
CHARLOTTE COUNTY Bradenton man arrested after allegedly masturbating inside Charlotte County Walmart A man from Bradenton has been arrested after he was allegedly masturbating inside a Walmart in Charlotte County.
LEHIGH ACRES Lehigh Acres work trailer explosion injures 1 The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District responded to a work trailer explosion that injured one person.
CBS News Trump and DeSantis, once GOP rivals, meet in South Florida to talk about 2024 election Florida Governor Ron DeSantis met privately with former President Donald Trump for several hours on Sunday morning to talk, in part, about fundraising ahead of the 2024 general election, several sources familiar with the meeting tell CBS News.
WINK NEWS Florida Prepaid open enrollment deadline approaches All parents fear the expense of college for their children; however, the state offers a great option in the Florida Prepaid Plan.
The Weather Authority Few showers this Monday afternoon after a pleasant and dry morning The Weather Authority is tracking a cool and pleasant Monday morning start with the possibility of afternoon rain showers.
NORTH FORT MYERS 1 dead, 1 arrested after North Fort Myers shooting The Lee County Sheriff’s Office arrested one person following an evening shooting that killed a man in North Fort Myers.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Bishop of the Diocese of Venice releases statement following sexual abuse allegations by SWFL priest The Bishop of the Diocese of Venice is speaking out after Charlotte County Reverend Leo Riley was arrested on five counts of sexual battery stemming from his past work as a priest in Iowa.
NEW YORK (AP) Biden officials indefinitely postpone ban on menthol cigarettes amid election-year pushback President Joe Biden’s administration is indefinitely delaying a long-awaited menthol cigarette ban, a decision that infuriated anti-smoking advocates but could avoid a political backlash from Black voters in November.
FORT MYERS Gone but not forgotten: Traveling Vietnam Memorial pays tribute to veterans A powerful symbol of honor and remembrance is standing proudly here in Southwest Florida. The Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall is open to the public, a reminder of those we lost who served our country.
Genesis of Naples breaking ground on new car dealership A genesis—or new beginning—is under way for Genesis of Naples. The local franchise plans to break ground this summer on a new and expanded luxury auto dealership in North Naples.
Emails show beginnings, contradictions of South Seas resort amendment South Seas resort ownership group’s engineer proposed a land-use amendment for Lee County’s government at least six months before the first public discussions and at least seven weeks before the county’s official timeline began, emails between the resort’s representatives and county show.
CAPE CORAL 13-year-old arrested for allegedly getting involved in hit-and-run with stolen car, fleeing from Cape Coral police A teen was arrested on multiple charges after allegedly getting involved in a hit-and-run with a stolen car and then fleeing from police.
NORTH FORT MYERS Caloosahatchee River Bridge to close overnight for construction The Caloosahatchee River Bridge from First Street to North Key Drive in North Fort Myers will close so crews can perform bridge work.
CAPE CORAL Accused Cape Coral double murderer, Wade Wilson, will be in court to try to get death penalty off the table Wade Wilson, the man who allegedly murdered two women, will be in court to try to persuade the court to get the death penalty off the table.
Jupiter DeSantis announces funding for developmentally disabled individuals Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke on education for children with developmental disabilities at the Els Center of Excellence in Jupiter.
CHARLOTTE COUNTY Bradenton man arrested after allegedly masturbating inside Charlotte County Walmart A man from Bradenton has been arrested after he was allegedly masturbating inside a Walmart in Charlotte County.
LEHIGH ACRES Lehigh Acres work trailer explosion injures 1 The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District responded to a work trailer explosion that injured one person.
CBS News Trump and DeSantis, once GOP rivals, meet in South Florida to talk about 2024 election Florida Governor Ron DeSantis met privately with former President Donald Trump for several hours on Sunday morning to talk, in part, about fundraising ahead of the 2024 general election, several sources familiar with the meeting tell CBS News.
WINK NEWS Florida Prepaid open enrollment deadline approaches All parents fear the expense of college for their children; however, the state offers a great option in the Florida Prepaid Plan.
The Weather Authority Few showers this Monday afternoon after a pleasant and dry morning The Weather Authority is tracking a cool and pleasant Monday morning start with the possibility of afternoon rain showers.
NORTH FORT MYERS 1 dead, 1 arrested after North Fort Myers shooting The Lee County Sheriff’s Office arrested one person following an evening shooting that killed a man in North Fort Myers.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Bishop of the Diocese of Venice releases statement following sexual abuse allegations by SWFL priest The Bishop of the Diocese of Venice is speaking out after Charlotte County Reverend Leo Riley was arrested on five counts of sexual battery stemming from his past work as a priest in Iowa.
NEW YORK (AP) Biden officials indefinitely postpone ban on menthol cigarettes amid election-year pushback President Joe Biden’s administration is indefinitely delaying a long-awaited menthol cigarette ban, a decision that infuriated anti-smoking advocates but could avoid a political backlash from Black voters in November.
FORT MYERS Gone but not forgotten: Traveling Vietnam Memorial pays tribute to veterans A powerful symbol of honor and remembrance is standing proudly here in Southwest Florida. The Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall is open to the public, a reminder of those we lost who served our country.
FILE – In this Jan. 5, 2016 file photo, Mike Weinstein, director of training and security at the National Armory gun store and gun range, wears a Ruger 1911 handgun in a holster as he teaches a concealed weapons permit class in Pompano Beach, Fla. Florida might grant authority to 2 million civilians who can lawfully carry guns tucked in waistbands, under jackets or inside purses into restaurants, shopping malls and elsewhere. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File) Already leading the nation with the highest number of concealed weapon permits, Florida is nearing a new threshold: granting authority to 2 million civilians who can lawfully carry guns tucked in waistbands, under jackets or inside purses into restaurants, shopping malls and elsewhere. Sometimes called the “Gunshine State,” Florida had a total of 1,971,997 currently valid concealed weapon permits as of March 31, according to the latest figures from the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The number grows about 17,500 each month. Additionally 12,745 judges, correctional officers, military or law enforcement officials hold permits in Florida. At the current rate, Florida – with its population of 21.3 million people – was expected to surpass the 2-million mark for civilians before summer, said Stephen Hurm, director of licensing at the state agency that issues permits. Florida already leads the United States in total number of currently valid permits, according to data from the Crime Prevention Research Center, a Virginia-based nonprofit that is pro-gun rights and studies gun ownership, crime and public safety. Texas has the second-highest number, at 1.36 million as of December, according to figures from that state’s Department of Public Safety. Maribeth Porter Williams, 36, of Gainesville obtained her permit after shooting at a local range. She enrolled in a five-hour class covering safety and Florida’s laws at Harry Beckwith Guns & Range in Micanopy, just south of the city. She received her permit after spending time on the firing range, submitting her fingerprints and clearing a criminal background check. “I can certainly protect myself or defend my home, but really I enjoy going to the gun range and shooting,” Williams said. Although the overall violent crime rate nationally has been on a downward trend since the 1990s, Florida has been the site of at least seven mass shootings in the past three years. The National Rifle Association’s top lobbyist in Florida, Marion Hammer, said the figures for concealed weapons permits here reflected perceptions about public safety. “It’s not safe out there and people are taking responsibility of their own safety and the safety of their families,” Hammer said. Unlike most other states, it is illegal in most circumstances to openly carry a gun in public in Florida. The state requires prospective permit-holders to be at least 21, undergo training, demonstrate they can safely fire a gun on a range, submit fingerprints to the state and have no felony criminal record. The permit, which resembles a driver’s license, initially costs about $100 and remains valid for seven years. It takes about two months to receive a permit after applying. Felons or applicants with convictions for domestic violence or a record of drug or alcohol abuse are ineligible. Since July, Florida denied 6,430 people who sought permits. Florida’s permit covers weapons, not just guns, including knives or stun guns. Permit-holders are still not allowed to carry guns in schools, post offices, court buildings, airport terminals, police stations or on university campuses. Florida’s figures mean about 12% of the adult population here has a permit. Eleven other states have higher rates of permit-holders, including Alabama and Utah. The relatively high number of residents who can legally carry concealed guns in Florida generally doesn’t disturb anti-gun activists, since the backgrounds of permit-holders are scrutinized and they are required to participate in education and safety classes. “I wish it was that process for every single person that got a firearm,” said Brandon Wolf, a survivor of the 2016 shooting at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando that killed 49 people and wounded 53 others. “Today, someone who shouldn’t have a gun can go to their second cousin and say ‘Hey, sell me that gun for $1,000 cash,’ and the law today does not deter that person from selling that firearm.” Wolf criticized what he described as the “wildly unregulated and inconsistent” process to buy guns in Florida. Democratic lawmakers in Florida have proposed tightening gun regulation, but with a Republican majority in both chambers, that is unlikely. Republicans have sponsored a bill, SB1238, to allow religious institutions and private schools to authorize people to carry guns in their facilities. “I’m encouraged that more people take responsibility for themselves and others because law enforcement can’t be there,” said Sen. Dennis Baxley, R-Lady Lake. “The violence is not in the firearm, the violence is in the heart of the person.”