2 posing as Target Corporate employees steal over $6K at Fort Myers TargetPunta Gorda cosiders fate of historic A.C. Freeman House
FORT MYERS 2 posing as Target Corporate employees steal over $6K at Fort Myers Target SWFL Crime Stoppers seeks information on two men who allegedly claimed to be employees of Target Corporate and stole over $6,000 at Target.
Punta Gorda cosiders fate of historic A.C. Freeman House It was built by politician and businessman Augustus C. Freeman whose name the house bears, and it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested for armed robbery in Cape Coral The Cape Coral Police Department has arrested a man for armed robbery and falsifying his name to law enforcement.
Jacksonville Gov. DeSantis signs bills to provide financial options for Floridians Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill that will provide financial options to Floridians and another bill that curates the state public school curriculum.
BONITA SPRINGS LCSO seeks information on missing 77-year-old kayaker LCSO seeks information on a missing kayaker after responding to a call about a missing kayak off the coast of Bonita Beach.
FORT MYERS Tim Tebow speaks at annual Southwest Florida Community Prayer Breakfast Former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow took the stage at Hammond Stadium for the annual Southwest Florida Community Prayer Breakfast.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers City Council to provide update on Fowler Street construction project The Fort Myers City Council is set to provide an update on the progress of the Fowler Street intersection project.
the weather authority Hot and humid Thursday before evening isolated storms impact coastal communities The Weather Authority is tracking a humid Thursday morning with high afternoon temperatures and evening coastal isolated storms.
FORT MYERS BEACH Sea turtle nesting season begins in Fort Myers Beach Sea turtle nesting season has officially begun, and the FWC wants to remind visitors about the fragility of the young reptiles.
BAREFOOT LAKE Neighbors react to chaos at Barefoot Lake Imagine being scared to leave your home on the weekends. Ana and Anrik understand the feeling all too well.
CAPE CORAL The story of Ollie’s Pub and what kept it open through years of hardships Before Ollie’s housed weekly events, packed to the brim with artwork and home to many, it was a simple dream and an empty space.
Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for May 1, 2024 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for May 1, 2024.
FORT MYERS BEACH Remembering Fort Myers Beach ‘Mayor’ Brad Benson To know Brad Benson was to know a legend. He recently passed away at the age of 71 after battling health issues.
CAPE CORAL Proposed Cape Coral City Council meeting time change fails In a 4 to 4 vote, the motion to move Cape Coral meeting times from 4:30 to 9 a.m. failed.
Greater Dunbar initiative begins A duplex that has been around since the 1960s and is filled with generations of memories is being demolished.
FORT MYERS 2 posing as Target Corporate employees steal over $6K at Fort Myers Target SWFL Crime Stoppers seeks information on two men who allegedly claimed to be employees of Target Corporate and stole over $6,000 at Target.
Punta Gorda cosiders fate of historic A.C. Freeman House It was built by politician and businessman Augustus C. Freeman whose name the house bears, and it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested for armed robbery in Cape Coral The Cape Coral Police Department has arrested a man for armed robbery and falsifying his name to law enforcement.
Jacksonville Gov. DeSantis signs bills to provide financial options for Floridians Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill that will provide financial options to Floridians and another bill that curates the state public school curriculum.
BONITA SPRINGS LCSO seeks information on missing 77-year-old kayaker LCSO seeks information on a missing kayaker after responding to a call about a missing kayak off the coast of Bonita Beach.
FORT MYERS Tim Tebow speaks at annual Southwest Florida Community Prayer Breakfast Former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow took the stage at Hammond Stadium for the annual Southwest Florida Community Prayer Breakfast.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers City Council to provide update on Fowler Street construction project The Fort Myers City Council is set to provide an update on the progress of the Fowler Street intersection project.
the weather authority Hot and humid Thursday before evening isolated storms impact coastal communities The Weather Authority is tracking a humid Thursday morning with high afternoon temperatures and evening coastal isolated storms.
FORT MYERS BEACH Sea turtle nesting season begins in Fort Myers Beach Sea turtle nesting season has officially begun, and the FWC wants to remind visitors about the fragility of the young reptiles.
BAREFOOT LAKE Neighbors react to chaos at Barefoot Lake Imagine being scared to leave your home on the weekends. Ana and Anrik understand the feeling all too well.
CAPE CORAL The story of Ollie’s Pub and what kept it open through years of hardships Before Ollie’s housed weekly events, packed to the brim with artwork and home to many, it was a simple dream and an empty space.
Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for May 1, 2024 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for May 1, 2024.
FORT MYERS BEACH Remembering Fort Myers Beach ‘Mayor’ Brad Benson To know Brad Benson was to know a legend. He recently passed away at the age of 71 after battling health issues.
CAPE CORAL Proposed Cape Coral City Council meeting time change fails In a 4 to 4 vote, the motion to move Cape Coral meeting times from 4:30 to 9 a.m. failed.
Greater Dunbar initiative begins A duplex that has been around since the 1960s and is filled with generations of memories is being demolished.
Debbi Hixon, poses for a portrait on Friday, Feb. 14, 2020, in Hollywood, Fla. Hixon is the the widow of Parkland victim, Chris Hixon, a former athletic director and military veteran, killed in the school shooting on Valentine’s Day two years ago at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Her home was recently renovated by the program “Military Makeovers.” (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) Debbi Hixon was a bundle of nerves waiting to see the 10-day makeover that had transformed her home. She wasn’t concerned about the new kitchen counters or paint colors; the Parkland shooting widow was worried the fancy new decor would wipe away memories of her husband. Athletic director Chris Hixon was one of 17 people killed on Valentine’s Day two years ago at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the largest school shooting in U.S. history. The 49-year-old military veteran was gunned down while trying to run back into the building to save the students he loved so dearly, his wife said during an interview with The Associated Press on Friday. “He’s still part of our family and I didn’t want it to feel like he’s not here anymore,” she said of the home renovation, completed in a whirlwind 10 days for the show “Military Makeover.” The 10-week TV show aired its first episode Friday morning. Debbi Hixon, cries as she speaks during an interview with The Associated Press on Friday, Feb. 14, 2020, in Hollywood, Fla. (AP) Chris’ presence can still be felt everywhere, as if he could walk through the door at any moment. His maroon school jacket hangs casually in a front hallway with several other clothes. The pool bar he built out of wooden pallets two weeks before the shooting remains untouched. Also unchanged is the color of the master bedroom, still painted in the unconventional brick red that Chris insisted on after randomly spying it while driving down the street one day. The focal point of the bedroom are three shelves that serve as a memorial to Chris. His black athletic director shirt is framed on the top and there are photos of him, along with drawings others did of him after he died. Memorabilia of Parkland school shooting victim Chris Hixon is displayed at his widow, Debbi Hixon’s, home on the second anniversary of his death Friday, Feb. 14, 2020, in Hollywood, Fla. (AP) “That’s my favorite picture of him,” Debbi Hixon said, pointing to one. “It looks like he’s looking at me. It’s alive.” The couple had hoped to renovate the kitchen in the tiny South Florida home that Debbi Hixon grew up in. Post-renovation, wood floors shine and the bright, open new kitchen features modern countertops and a breakfast nook with a cozy, oversize bench for family gatherings. Plumbers, painters, landscapers and electricians from the community were among the hundreds of volunteers who helped the “Military Makeover” crews. Debbi Hixon speaks during an interview with The Associated Press on Friday, Feb. 14, 2020, in Hollywood, Fla. (AP) Displaying that same community spirit, Stoneman Douglas students on Friday organized a special breakfast for first responders as part of a Day of Service and Love throughout the Broward County school district. All county schools observed a moment of silence and classes were let out early to allow staff and students to participate in community service projects. Married 28 years when he was killed in 2018, Debbi and Chris Hixon struggled during a long separation when he was stationed in Iraq with the Navy for six months during Desert Storm. But the distance only deepened their love, she said. He often surprised her by sending flowers, roses especially, and was constantly buying her jewelry, even though she scolded him, saying they couldn’t afford it. She baked brownies in care packages and they exchanged lengthy letters that one of the crew members found in the attic during the home makeover. When the youngest of their two sons was born, they faced near tragedy: Corey was born 24 years ago with severe bleeding on his brain and without the left side of his heart. He underwent nine open heart surgeries before he was 8 years old. He was also born with Kabuki Syndrome, an extremely rare genetic disorder with some similarities to Down Syndrome. But the couple soldiered on, surrounded by a close-knit extended family and strong ties to their school and church. Chris Hixon was always inviting people over to the house for impromptu dinners without telling her, Debbi Hixon said, and before she knew it their house was packed with more than a dozen people. “That was what Chris did. He brought people together,” she said. “He made you feel like you were part of his family.” At school, Chris Hixon was known for helping maintenance crews set up before and after wrestling matches and for volunteering for just about everything. Debbi Hixon also worked at the school as a marine science teacher. The Hixon family, Tom, Debbi, and Corey, pose for a portrait in front of a painting of Chris Hixon, a Parkland school shooting victim on Friday, Feb. 14, 2020, in Hollywood, Fla. (AP) Every night before bed, Debbi Hixon said, she listens to the few voicemails from her husband that she saved on her phone. “Of course he’s talking about sports in all of them,” she said, laughing, noting that he was always coming or going from a school event. Each one of the messages, though, ended with the same simple phrase: “I love you.” Debbi Hixon, left, is seen near a shadow box of her husband’s funeral flowers on the second anniversary of his death on Friday, Feb. 14, 2020, in Hollywood, Fla (AP) On Valentines Day 2018, the couple was rushing to get out the door, but son Corey insisted they stop and open presents. If he hadn’t, Debbi Hixon said, she never would have opened the card Chris gave her. It would have been too painful. Chris’ signature from the Valentine is now tattooed on her wrist with a cardinal, a symbol that appears throughout the home in trinkets and drawings. Every time the family sees one, it feels like a sign that he’s watching them. “It’s like standing in quicksand and you keep trying to move out of it and something keeps pulling you back in,” she said of the last two years, wiping away tears. “We are grieving in such a public arena.” Hixon is trying to use that platform to make changes. She recently decided to run for a seat on the county school board and has become active in the debate about making schools safer. Debbi Hixon, shows a tattoo of a cardinal, the number fourteen, and the signature on the last Valentines Day card that husband Chris Hixon wrote on the card before he died two years ago on Friday, Feb. 14, 2020, in Hollywood, Fla. (AP) Debbi Hixon and her oldest son, Tom, watched the gut-wrenching school surveillance video of Chris’ last moments. It confirmed what they knew: He fought until the very last moment trying to protect his students. But she still thinks some of his greatest victories were during the mundane, everyday moments of life, as father and husband. “I don’t want people to forget that he was a hero every day, not just that day,” she said.