Shingle roofs could phase out in the futureSanibel islanders rally to restore beloved fishing pier after Ian damage
Shingle roofs could phase out in the future Florida Insurance Commissioner Michael Yaworsky recently made comments at the Florida Chamber Insurance Summit about the potential phasing out of shingle roofs in the state.
SANIBEL Sanibel islanders rally to restore beloved fishing pier after Ian damage The Sanibel Fishing Pier, a beloved spot for many, has been in disrepair since Hurricane Ian struck more than two years ago. Now, dedicated fishers are pushing to restore it using private funding.
PUNTA GORDA Gunfire erupts on US 41 bridge in Punta Gorda; bikers arrested A road rage incident escalated into gunfire on the U.S. 41 bridge connecting Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte, causing fear among drivers.
CLEWISTON Clewiston father shoots friend over alleged sexual crime against daughter There is new information about a murder in Clewiston earlier this month.
BONITA SPRINGS San Carlos Estates fights city merger proposal with Bonita Springs Residents of San Carlos Estates in Bonita Springs are fighting to maintain their neighborhood’s independence.
PUNTA GORDA New flight routes at Punta Gorda Airport The Punta Gorda Airport is expanding its offerings, adding new flight options for travelers.
LEE COUNTY Bregman’s arrival and Devers’ denial highlight Red Sox first full squad The addition of Alex Bregman and Rafael Devers’ refusal to change positions highlighted the first full squad workout for the Red Sox.
NORTH FORT MYERS March to a Million Meals: Teaming up to help feed families Feeding a quarter of a million people each month requires a lot of money and help.
Charlotte County residents voice concerns over Burnt Store Road upgrades An emergency meeting was held to address concerns from residents about the development along Burnt Store Road in Charlotte County.
PORT CHARLOTTE Local nonprofit gives back to veterans for their service A military wife has found a heartfelt way to honor veterans and first responders.
Miracle Moment: Ronald McDonald House offers hope to boy battling cancer It’s time for Miracle Moment.
PORT CHARLOTTE Tampa Bay Rays uplift Charlotte County fans post hurricanes Tampa Bay’s full squad reported on Monday and fans were out in full force, with more appreciation than the players might know.
Breakthrough for patients diagnosed with ALS Fewer than 500 people in the United States have a genetic mutation linked to their case of ALS.
EAST NAPLES 1 injured after house fire in East Naples An investigation is underway after a fire in East Naples.
Bonita Springs Council to vote on duplex project near downtown Sagamore Management Co. seeks to build 24 duplexes on 4.6 acres at the northeast corner of Dean Street and Matheson Avenue in Bonita Springs.
Shingle roofs could phase out in the future Florida Insurance Commissioner Michael Yaworsky recently made comments at the Florida Chamber Insurance Summit about the potential phasing out of shingle roofs in the state.
SANIBEL Sanibel islanders rally to restore beloved fishing pier after Ian damage The Sanibel Fishing Pier, a beloved spot for many, has been in disrepair since Hurricane Ian struck more than two years ago. Now, dedicated fishers are pushing to restore it using private funding.
PUNTA GORDA Gunfire erupts on US 41 bridge in Punta Gorda; bikers arrested A road rage incident escalated into gunfire on the U.S. 41 bridge connecting Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte, causing fear among drivers.
CLEWISTON Clewiston father shoots friend over alleged sexual crime against daughter There is new information about a murder in Clewiston earlier this month.
BONITA SPRINGS San Carlos Estates fights city merger proposal with Bonita Springs Residents of San Carlos Estates in Bonita Springs are fighting to maintain their neighborhood’s independence.
PUNTA GORDA New flight routes at Punta Gorda Airport The Punta Gorda Airport is expanding its offerings, adding new flight options for travelers.
LEE COUNTY Bregman’s arrival and Devers’ denial highlight Red Sox first full squad The addition of Alex Bregman and Rafael Devers’ refusal to change positions highlighted the first full squad workout for the Red Sox.
NORTH FORT MYERS March to a Million Meals: Teaming up to help feed families Feeding a quarter of a million people each month requires a lot of money and help.
Charlotte County residents voice concerns over Burnt Store Road upgrades An emergency meeting was held to address concerns from residents about the development along Burnt Store Road in Charlotte County.
PORT CHARLOTTE Local nonprofit gives back to veterans for their service A military wife has found a heartfelt way to honor veterans and first responders.
Miracle Moment: Ronald McDonald House offers hope to boy battling cancer It’s time for Miracle Moment.
PORT CHARLOTTE Tampa Bay Rays uplift Charlotte County fans post hurricanes Tampa Bay’s full squad reported on Monday and fans were out in full force, with more appreciation than the players might know.
Breakthrough for patients diagnosed with ALS Fewer than 500 people in the United States have a genetic mutation linked to their case of ALS.
EAST NAPLES 1 injured after house fire in East Naples An investigation is underway after a fire in East Naples.
Bonita Springs Council to vote on duplex project near downtown Sagamore Management Co. seeks to build 24 duplexes on 4.6 acres at the northeast corner of Dean Street and Matheson Avenue in Bonita Springs.
Police forensic officers attend the scene after a truck was found to contain a large number of dead bodies, in Thurrock, South England, Wednesday Oct. 23, 2019. Police in southeastern England said that 39 people were found dead Wednesday inside a truck container believed to have come from Bulgaria. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) Investigators were trying to piece together the movements of a large cargo truck found Wednesday containing the bodies of 39 people in one of Britain’s worst people smuggling tragedies. Police initially said the cargo truck had traveled through Ireland and then to Wales via ferry, but that theory changed Wednesday afternoon when Essex police in England said they believe the container with the people inside went from the port of Zeebrugge in Belgium to Purfleet, England, where it arrived early Wednesday. Police also said they believe the tractor unit traveled from Northern Ireland and picked up the container unit. Details about the victims, including where they were from, were scarce. Essex police said they have not been identified — a process they warned would be slow. The truck’s driver — a 25-year-old man from Northern Ireland — was arrested on suspicion of murder. He has not been charged and his name has not been released. He and other drivers who may have been at the wheel earlier would have taken advantage of the European Union’s generally open borders to travel in several countries without checks at the various frontiers. The case began when an ambulance service was called at 1:40 a.m. Wednesday to a truck on the grounds of the Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of London on the River Thames. In Parliament, Prime Minister Boris Johnson put aside the Brexit crisis, at least for a few minutes, and vowed that the people traffickers would be found and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. “All such traders in human beings should be hunted down and brought to justice,” he said. The possible connection to Bulgaria was murky. The Bulgarian foreign ministry said in a press release that the cargo truck has a Bulgarian registration. It said the Swedish-made “Scania” truck is registered in the Bulgarian Black Sea port city of Varna to a company owned by a woman from Ireland. The number of victims was shocking, although it has become sadly common in recent years for small numbers of migrants to occasionally be found dead in sealed vehicles after having been abandoned by traffickers. The tragedy recalls the death of 58 migrants in 2000 in a truck in Dover, England, and the deaths in 2015 of 71 migrants from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan who were found suffocated in the back of a refrigerated truck that was abandoned on an Austrian highway close to the Hungarian border. It seems likely the traffickers shunned the most popular English Channel route from Calais, France, to Dover, England because of increased surveillance at those ports and instead chose a more circuitous route. Dover and Calais, which have been under pressure from human traffickers for years, have sniffer dogs, monitors and more advanced technological surveillance due to the fact that they are the endpoints for the Channel Tunnel between France and Britain. Groups of migrants have repeatedly landed on English shores using small boats for the risky Channel crossing, and migrants are sometimes found in the trunks of cars that disembark from the massive ferries that link France and England, but Wednesday’s macabre find in an industrial park was a reminder that trafficking gangs are still profiting from the human trade. “To put 39 people into a locked metal container shows a contempt for human life that is evil,” lawmaker Jackie Doyle-Price, who represents the region in parliament, told Parliament. The National Crime Agency said its specialists were working to “urgently identify and take action against any organized crime groups who have played a role in causing these deaths.” It said in May that the number of people being smuggled into Britain via cargo trucks was on the rise. It was unclear how the ambulance workers who found the bodies heard of the tragedy. No cause of death has been made public. Police said one victim appeared to be a teenager but gave no further details. “This is a tragic incident where a large number of people have lost their lives,” Essex Police Chief Superintendent Andrew Mariner told reporters at a press conference. A cordon was put around the white tractor-trailer and access to and from the industrial park was restricted. People running businesses in the park said they were unable to open. The truck’s route across Europe was not clear. Bulgarian authorities said they could not yet confirm that the truck had started its journey in that country. “We are in contact with our embassy in London and with British authorities,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tsvetana Krasteva said. ___ Veselin Toshkov in Sofia, Bulgaria, and Pablo Gorondi in Budapest, Hungary contributed to this story.