The 52nd annual Fort Myers Boat Show beginsTracking Tropical Depression 19, expected to become Tropical Storm Sara
FORT MYERS The 52nd annual Fort Myers Boat Show begins An annual Fort Myers tradition has returned as the region’s premier display of boats and boating products, which will be on full display for enthusiasts to enjoy.
the weather authority Tracking Tropical Depression 19, expected to become Tropical Storm Sara The Weather Authority is tracking Tropical Depression 19, which is forecast to strengthen into Tropical Storm Sara in the Caribbean later this Thursday afternoon.
the weather authority Gorgeous Thursday afternoon with highs in the mid 80s The Weather Authority is tracking pleasant afternoon conditions with temperatures in the mid-80s this Thursday.
SANIBEL Failed air quality tests push back reopening date for The Sanibel School The tentative reopening of The Sanibel School has been pushed back once again after being closed since Hurricane Milton.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers Police respond to rollover crash; driver flees scene The Fort Myers Police Department responded to a crash involving one vehicle on Colonial Gardens Circle and Colonial Boulevard.
FORT MYERS West End residents frustrated by security failures, lack of response A nearly $64 million luxury apartment complex that close to 500 people call home, but somehow, security seems to fall through the cracks.
NAPLES Collier County nearly doubles tourism budget On Tuesday, Collier County Commissioners approved a nearly $12 million budget for a tourism marketing campaign.
Florida policyholders urged to contact OIR if policies are canceled or nonrenewed If your insurance has been canceled or is not being renewed due to this year’s storms, the state of Florida wants you to reach out to the Office of Insurance Regulation.
BAREFOOT BEACH Woman thinks QR code got hacked A Fort Myers woman says a fraudulent QR code at Barefoot Beach caused her credit card to be hacked. She’s on a mission to warn others.
CAPE CORAL Sticker shock: Cape Coral residents hit with unexpected property tax hikes This is the time of year when people start paying their property taxes, but what happens when you get your bill and it’s more than you expected?
SANIBEL Sanibel workshop teaches residents benefits of elevating homes and businesses With each hurricane that brings damage to our area, many people rush to be more resilient. On Sanibel, more than 300 people have RSVP’d to learn about raising their homes and businesses.
SANIBEL Sanibel Causeway construction causing confusion and costing local business Repairing the Sanibel Causeway after recent storms has caused more than just traffic back-ups.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Speakeasy in downtown Fort Myers honors local historic figures Everything inside the Escondido Lounge whispers an authentic speakeasy, from the dim red lights to the fancy vintage glasses.
ESTERO Caught on camera: Man steals money from tip jar in Estero A business manager feels violated after a man took money from a tip jar on Tuesday.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral ranked 13th for establishing small businesses A blog set out to find the top U.S. cities where aspiring business owners can thrive in 2024, Cape Coral was named 13th.
FORT MYERS The 52nd annual Fort Myers Boat Show begins An annual Fort Myers tradition has returned as the region’s premier display of boats and boating products, which will be on full display for enthusiasts to enjoy.
the weather authority Tracking Tropical Depression 19, expected to become Tropical Storm Sara The Weather Authority is tracking Tropical Depression 19, which is forecast to strengthen into Tropical Storm Sara in the Caribbean later this Thursday afternoon.
the weather authority Gorgeous Thursday afternoon with highs in the mid 80s The Weather Authority is tracking pleasant afternoon conditions with temperatures in the mid-80s this Thursday.
SANIBEL Failed air quality tests push back reopening date for The Sanibel School The tentative reopening of The Sanibel School has been pushed back once again after being closed since Hurricane Milton.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers Police respond to rollover crash; driver flees scene The Fort Myers Police Department responded to a crash involving one vehicle on Colonial Gardens Circle and Colonial Boulevard.
FORT MYERS West End residents frustrated by security failures, lack of response A nearly $64 million luxury apartment complex that close to 500 people call home, but somehow, security seems to fall through the cracks.
NAPLES Collier County nearly doubles tourism budget On Tuesday, Collier County Commissioners approved a nearly $12 million budget for a tourism marketing campaign.
Florida policyholders urged to contact OIR if policies are canceled or nonrenewed If your insurance has been canceled or is not being renewed due to this year’s storms, the state of Florida wants you to reach out to the Office of Insurance Regulation.
BAREFOOT BEACH Woman thinks QR code got hacked A Fort Myers woman says a fraudulent QR code at Barefoot Beach caused her credit card to be hacked. She’s on a mission to warn others.
CAPE CORAL Sticker shock: Cape Coral residents hit with unexpected property tax hikes This is the time of year when people start paying their property taxes, but what happens when you get your bill and it’s more than you expected?
SANIBEL Sanibel workshop teaches residents benefits of elevating homes and businesses With each hurricane that brings damage to our area, many people rush to be more resilient. On Sanibel, more than 300 people have RSVP’d to learn about raising their homes and businesses.
SANIBEL Sanibel Causeway construction causing confusion and costing local business Repairing the Sanibel Causeway after recent storms has caused more than just traffic back-ups.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Speakeasy in downtown Fort Myers honors local historic figures Everything inside the Escondido Lounge whispers an authentic speakeasy, from the dim red lights to the fancy vintage glasses.
ESTERO Caught on camera: Man steals money from tip jar in Estero A business manager feels violated after a man took money from a tip jar on Tuesday.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral ranked 13th for establishing small businesses A blog set out to find the top U.S. cities where aspiring business owners can thrive in 2024, Cape Coral was named 13th.
A group of people hold a 12-ft. python as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, left, speaks during a news conference at Everglades Holiday Park, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2019, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. DeSantis said the state is expanding its efforts to eradicate invasive pythons in the Everglades and is working with the federal government to get snake hunters to remote areas of Big Cypress National Preserve. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) Standing in front of a hissing, squirming 12-foot-long python Wednesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis said he’s doubling resources to remove the invasive species that’s destroying the natural food chain in Florida’s delicate Everglades. The state has been paying select hunters to catch and kill the invasive snakes on state lands since March 2017. It even hosts a popular python hunt for the public every three years in an attempt to control the tens of thousands of pythons that are estimated to be slithering through the Everglades. Scientists say the giant constrictor snakes, which can grow over 20 feet (6 meters) long, have eliminated 99% of the native mammals in the Everglades, decimating food sources for native predators such as panthers and alligators. More than 3,000 pythons have been removed from the Everglades since 2017, not counting the reptiles removed by the public in python hunts, according to wildlife officials. But those efforts have not been enough, experts said Wednesday. DeSantis said Florida will double its resources for python removal and that the state Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Agriculture have a new agreement to begin hunting pythons in 130,000 acres (52,610 hectares) of state parks. But the governor’s staff did not immediately answer questions about how much the stepped-up efforts would cost or where the state funds were being allocated from. “They’ve threatened endangered species. They’ve decimated other animal populations … there’s no natural predators for these. They can eat small alligators even,” the governor said, jokingly asking the snake wranglers to take a few steps back from the podium where he was speaking. The 12-foot (3.6-meter) python next to him weighed about 50 pounds (23 kg) and is around 7 years old. It’s distinct black and gold markings glimmered more prominently than usual because it had just shed its skin. Behind the governor, loud airboats roared their engines as they took tourists through the tall grass of the protected swampland known as the Everglades. Next to the massive reptile, Tom Rahill of the South Florida Water Management District, held a restless baby python that he caught on the side of the road the night before. The governor’s announcement comes at a crucial time for the species — hatchling season. “A 16-foot (4.9-meter) python could have 60, 65 babies running around. The population just explodes,” said Rahill. DeSantis said the U.S. Department of the Interior is also stepping in to get snake hunters to remote areas of Big Cypress National Preserve they’ve previously been unable to access, but details of that program were still in the works. Burmese pythons were brought to South Florida as pets in the late 1970s. They were released into the wild and have devastated native populations of bobcats, opossums, raccoons and foxes and have nearly wiped out cottontail rabbits. The state is also looking for the public’s help in catching the invasive reptiles, noting plans to make the python hunt a yearly event and asking tourists, boaters, hunters and hikers to aid in the daily removal if they have the expertise.