Police report released for Fort Myers child abduction, search for suspect ongoingSpring training kicks off as Boston Red Sox truck arrives in Fort Myers
Police report released for Fort Myers child abduction, search for suspect ongoing A mother chased down the man who kidnapped her toddler in Fort Myers. This dramatic event is part of the ongoing investigation into the Amber Alert issued earlier this week.
FORT MYERS Spring training kicks off as Boston Red Sox truck arrives in Fort Myers Baseball fans in Fort Myers are eagerly anticipating the arrival of the Boston Red Sox equipment truck.
the weather authority Warm and dry for your Thursday plans The Weather Authority is tracking a continuing warm stretch, as we can expect dry conditions along with plenty of sun this Thursday.
LABELLE 17-year-old arrested after deputies respond to gunshots at LaBelle Dollar General According to the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office, there is a large presence of law enforcement in the area of Cowboy Way and Collinswood Parkway in LaBelle.
GOLDEN GATE Golden Gate love triangle turns violent with screwdriver attack A screwdriver became the weapon of choice in a dramatic altercation between an ex-lover and a current partner in Golden Gate, leaving one man injured.
CHARLOTTE HARBOR Charlotte County’s Sunseeker Resort sale sparks community discussion Big changes could be on the horizon for the Sunseeker Resort in Charlotte Harbor; the company that owns the resort recently announced plans to sell it.
SANIBEL Sanibel residents alarmed by red tide’s impact on local beaches The Florida Department of Health has issued several red tide warnings in Southwest Florida recently. In Sanibel, red tide has taken over popular beaches, causing concern among residents and visitors.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers school hosts community leaders for World Read Aloud Day event Knowledge is power, and the community at James Stephens Elementary School in Fort Myers is sharing that power.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda limits lawn watering to once a week to conserve water The Punta Gorda City Council tackled a significant issue during their monthly public meeting on Wednesday morning: water usage.
NAPLES Collier County teen leads fight for dignity at Rosemary Cemetery A teenager in Collier County is pushing for change at the Rosemary Cemetery.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for February 5, 2025 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for February 5, 2025.
Lost ashes in Fort Myers: USPS employee speaks out A widow’s search for closure continues as her husband’s ashes remain lost in the mail. Stacie Claytor is still frustrated and desperate after the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) failed to deliver the package containing her husband Ron’s cremated remains a week ago. “I don’t know how, how you can lose somebody’s loved one and just […]
Cape Coral man faces Florida Supreme Court in 1990 murder appeal hearing Joseph Zieler, convicted of a brutal double murder in Cape Coral in 1990, faced his first mandatory appeals hearing on Wednesday before the Florida Supreme Court.
Gene therapy shows promise for bladder cancer patients A breakthrough in bladder cancer treatment is offering new hope to patients.
Gen Z face job challenges, managers hesitant to hire grads More than 17 million Gen Z’ers are transitioning from school to creating a career. However, stepping into a job right after college is proving difficult for some.
Police report released for Fort Myers child abduction, search for suspect ongoing A mother chased down the man who kidnapped her toddler in Fort Myers. This dramatic event is part of the ongoing investigation into the Amber Alert issued earlier this week.
FORT MYERS Spring training kicks off as Boston Red Sox truck arrives in Fort Myers Baseball fans in Fort Myers are eagerly anticipating the arrival of the Boston Red Sox equipment truck.
the weather authority Warm and dry for your Thursday plans The Weather Authority is tracking a continuing warm stretch, as we can expect dry conditions along with plenty of sun this Thursday.
LABELLE 17-year-old arrested after deputies respond to gunshots at LaBelle Dollar General According to the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office, there is a large presence of law enforcement in the area of Cowboy Way and Collinswood Parkway in LaBelle.
GOLDEN GATE Golden Gate love triangle turns violent with screwdriver attack A screwdriver became the weapon of choice in a dramatic altercation between an ex-lover and a current partner in Golden Gate, leaving one man injured.
CHARLOTTE HARBOR Charlotte County’s Sunseeker Resort sale sparks community discussion Big changes could be on the horizon for the Sunseeker Resort in Charlotte Harbor; the company that owns the resort recently announced plans to sell it.
SANIBEL Sanibel residents alarmed by red tide’s impact on local beaches The Florida Department of Health has issued several red tide warnings in Southwest Florida recently. In Sanibel, red tide has taken over popular beaches, causing concern among residents and visitors.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers school hosts community leaders for World Read Aloud Day event Knowledge is power, and the community at James Stephens Elementary School in Fort Myers is sharing that power.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda limits lawn watering to once a week to conserve water The Punta Gorda City Council tackled a significant issue during their monthly public meeting on Wednesday morning: water usage.
NAPLES Collier County teen leads fight for dignity at Rosemary Cemetery A teenager in Collier County is pushing for change at the Rosemary Cemetery.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for February 5, 2025 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for February 5, 2025.
Lost ashes in Fort Myers: USPS employee speaks out A widow’s search for closure continues as her husband’s ashes remain lost in the mail. Stacie Claytor is still frustrated and desperate after the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) failed to deliver the package containing her husband Ron’s cremated remains a week ago. “I don’t know how, how you can lose somebody’s loved one and just […]
Cape Coral man faces Florida Supreme Court in 1990 murder appeal hearing Joseph Zieler, convicted of a brutal double murder in Cape Coral in 1990, faced his first mandatory appeals hearing on Wednesday before the Florida Supreme Court.
Gene therapy shows promise for bladder cancer patients A breakthrough in bladder cancer treatment is offering new hope to patients.
Gen Z face job challenges, managers hesitant to hire grads More than 17 million Gen Z’ers are transitioning from school to creating a career. However, stepping into a job right after college is proving difficult for some.
One North Naples woman is inspiring retirees to help the next generation succeed. Diane Halas loves living at Vi at Bentley Village, in part due to employees helping care for residents like her. “When need arises they’re usually right there,” Halas said.When Halas noticed staff at the senior living community struggling to pay for schooling, she wanted to create a way to take care of them in return and ease their financial struggles. Her idea was the Bentley Village Foundation. “It came from really a couple of conversations with people who worked here (at Vi at Bentley Village),” Halas said. “One employee was working three jobs to try to go to school.” Halas then filed the incorporation papers to create a foundation, partnering with the Community Foundation of Collier County nonprofit. She said it wasn’t hard to get other retirees on board. “We let people know what we were doing, and people brought their checkbooks,” Halas said. The Bentley Foundation President said one donor even contributed $100,000 to support scholarships for dependents of people living in Vi at Bentley Village, which really helped the nonprofit get going. Through those community contributions and an annual golf tournament and ball at Bentley Village that raises money for the cause, the Bentley Foundation has awarded 39 scholarships so far. Halas and a board of Vi residents select scholarship recipients based on factors like ‘hardship’ and their service, not based on their geographical location, or their GPA. That’s opening doors for students like Rikenson and Natacha Fabe. These two Golden Gate High School graduates didn’t think college was a possibility until they started serving retirees in North Naples and were later awarded scholarships. “I was ecstatic when I got it,” Rikenson Fabe said. “I never saved for college, but this scholarship program really helped me out.” Both siblings are now FGCU students studying to achieve their career dreams. “Every time I drive into FGCU’s entrance, I’m reminded i’m not supposed to be here,” Nathaca Fabe said. “I’m motivated to help people’s lives the way these people have helped me.” The siblings said staff at Vi at Bentley Village continue to be a source of support and encouragement for them during their studies. “It’s really encouraging because they continue to ask us how school is going and continue to give us words of motivation when we need it,” Nathaca Fabe said. Halas said the scholarships are also renewable in an attempt to prevent students from dropping out. “As long as you’re on the same course of study, whether you take two years or four years or eight years, we will follow you all the way through, you can have your scholarship renewed each year,” Halas said. Kelly Haines, who works as an accountant at Vi at Bentley Village, says the foundation helped her reach a major milestone. “The first one in my family to get a Master’s Degree, and that was huge,” Haines said, “and at my age too.” Halas said seeing students succeed is the greatest reward for everyone involved in sponsoring their success, and they’re working to create an endowment so scholarships can continue to be awarded for years to come. “We’re old and we don’t know how long our energy or health will last, so we wanna build a big enough endowment so every year people come through this program and are able to get funding.” ______ For more on the Wings Scholarships from the Bentley Village Foundation, visit bentleyvillagefoundation.org.