16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier CountyNew bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashes
16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier County According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, two airboats crashed south of U.S. 41 east between mile markers 74 and 75, leaving well over a dozen people injured.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashes There could be new detectives on the block, located in your nearest auto shop. A new state bill aims at trying to stop hit-and-run drivers from getting away.
CAPE CORAL New leash on life; Cape Coral shelter dog beats cancer with drug being tested for humans A drug now being studied in human trials to kill cancerous tumors, is already approved and helping animals.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral planning a new interchange with I-75 The city of Cape Coral is in the early stages of planning a new interchange with I-75, an idea that has been discussed for more than a decade.
Tracking invasive species after hurricanes Hurricanes Helene and Milton didn’t just bring wind and rain, they brought new threats to southwest Florida’s ecosystem.
PUNTA GORDA Woman in Punta Gorda shooting charged with 2nd degree murder A woman in a homicide investigation on Nasturtium Drive in Punta Gorda has been charged with 2nd-degree murder.
Lee County mother continuing fight to get children a bus stop The school district already told her she lives too close to the school to qualify for a bus route but she has not given up.
NORTH NAPLES Grant Thornton Invitational returns to Tiburon Golf Club Stars on the PGA and LPGA Tours are back in Southwest Florida for the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club.
FORT MYERS Black Flag brings classic punk energy to The Ranch in Fort Myers Legendary punk band Black Flag made their mark in Southwest Florida during the Fort Myers stop of their “First Four Years” tour.
Charlotte Technical College breaks ground on aviation facility The Charlotte County School District is flying high and keeping its “Space Academy” designation with a new aviation training facility for students.Â
CAPE CORAL Man arrested in connection with Cape Coral home invasion The Cape Coral Police Department has announced the arrest of one of three men suspected in a home invasion that took place earlier this month.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral residents react to $100M North Cape land deal The city of Cape Coral is seeing two projects that will change the city. One is called one of the most lucrative deals in county history.
Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association breaks ground on new Fort Myers headquarters As Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association’s president pointed out, about 1,000 people are still moving to Florida every day, and many of them are finding their way to Southwest Florida.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County drug trafficker sentenced to 10 years A Charlotte County man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug trafficking.
lehigh acres ‘How to sign away parental rights?’; Lehigh Acres woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby.
16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier County According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, two airboats crashed south of U.S. 41 east between mile markers 74 and 75, leaving well over a dozen people injured.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashes There could be new detectives on the block, located in your nearest auto shop. A new state bill aims at trying to stop hit-and-run drivers from getting away.
CAPE CORAL New leash on life; Cape Coral shelter dog beats cancer with drug being tested for humans A drug now being studied in human trials to kill cancerous tumors, is already approved and helping animals.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral planning a new interchange with I-75 The city of Cape Coral is in the early stages of planning a new interchange with I-75, an idea that has been discussed for more than a decade.
Tracking invasive species after hurricanes Hurricanes Helene and Milton didn’t just bring wind and rain, they brought new threats to southwest Florida’s ecosystem.
PUNTA GORDA Woman in Punta Gorda shooting charged with 2nd degree murder A woman in a homicide investigation on Nasturtium Drive in Punta Gorda has been charged with 2nd-degree murder.
Lee County mother continuing fight to get children a bus stop The school district already told her she lives too close to the school to qualify for a bus route but she has not given up.
NORTH NAPLES Grant Thornton Invitational returns to Tiburon Golf Club Stars on the PGA and LPGA Tours are back in Southwest Florida for the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club.
FORT MYERS Black Flag brings classic punk energy to The Ranch in Fort Myers Legendary punk band Black Flag made their mark in Southwest Florida during the Fort Myers stop of their “First Four Years” tour.
Charlotte Technical College breaks ground on aviation facility The Charlotte County School District is flying high and keeping its “Space Academy” designation with a new aviation training facility for students.Â
CAPE CORAL Man arrested in connection with Cape Coral home invasion The Cape Coral Police Department has announced the arrest of one of three men suspected in a home invasion that took place earlier this month.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral residents react to $100M North Cape land deal The city of Cape Coral is seeing two projects that will change the city. One is called one of the most lucrative deals in county history.
Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association breaks ground on new Fort Myers headquarters As Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association’s president pointed out, about 1,000 people are still moving to Florida every day, and many of them are finding their way to Southwest Florida.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County drug trafficker sentenced to 10 years A Charlotte County man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug trafficking.
lehigh acres ‘How to sign away parental rights?’; Lehigh Acres woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby.
In this image provided by Gulfstream Park, Tiz the Law, riddren by Manuel Franco, wins the Florida Derby horse race at Gulfstream Park, Saturday, March 28, 2020, in Hallandale Beach, Fla. (Lauren King/Coglianese Photos, Gulfstream Park via AP) If there is a Kentucky Derby this year, Tiz the Law will have a shot to be there. And if he runs the way he did in the Florida Derby, he could very easily be a contender. Tiz the Law ran away in the stretch Saturday to easily win the Florida Derby, wrapping up a spot in the Kentucky Derby field based on the points standings that are used to determine who qualifies for the Run for the Roses. Tiz the Law’s win at Gulfstream Park was worth 100 points, far more than what will be needed for a chance to run at Churchill Downs if the rescheduled Kentucky Derby goes off as planned in early September. It’s a feel-good story for a sport in need of one: Tiz the Law is owned by Sackatoga Stable, the upstate New York-based group that took the sport by storm when Funny Cide won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness in 2003. “Man, I hope they’re really happy,” winning jockey Manny Franco said about the Sackatoga group led by Jack Knowlton, who was watching the race from a condo in Hallandale Beach, Florida about a mile from the track. “Their horse did a great job.” Franco said he got instructions before the race over the phone from winning trainer Barclay Tagg, but said he didn’t have to do much work once the gate opened. “I give all the credit to the horse,” Franco said. Shivaree, an 80-1 long shot, was second and picked up 50 points to likely clinch a spot in the field. Fountain of Youth winner Ete Indien was third in a most unusual race at Gulfstream, where fans were not allowed and even owners were told to stay away from the track because of the coronavirus pandemic. Tiz the Law covered nine furlongs in 1:50 flat and returned $4.80, $3.60 and $2.80. Shivaree paid $42 and $13, and Ete Indien paid $3.40 to show. Ordinarily, Tiz the Law would now be immediately targeted to the Kentucky Derby because it was set to be run five weeks from now. But the pandemic has changed everything, and now it’s unclear when or where any of the top Derby contenders — now, Tiz the Law foremost among them — will run again. There isn’t another major Kentucky Derby prep scheduled, for now, until May 2 when the Arkansas Derby is set to be run. Other major preps — like the Santa Anita Derby, the Wood Memorial and the Blue Grass — are all on hold. “Maybe we can do a Travers-Derby double,” Knowlton said. “Right now it’s a blank slate. Nobody knows what’s going to happen where or when with all that’s going on in the country. … All we know is that we’ve got a horse that’s very special, and it’s pretty exciting for us.” Many tracks are not running right now because of the pandemic; Santa Anita in California shut down indefinitely on Friday and Aqueduct, one of the New York Racing Association’s three tracks, canceled the rest of its winter and spring meets on Saturday. State officials announced that Aqueduct would become a temporary hospital site to help some of the many affected in the New York City area. “Aqueduct Racetrack will serve as a safe haven for those recovering from this virus,” NYRA CEO and President Dave O’Rourke said. “We recognize that we all must work together as a community to meet this challenge and emerge stronger for it.” Aqueduct’s winter meet was to end Sunday and its spring meet was to run from April 2-19. NYRA’s next meet is the 51-day schedule at Belmont Park, which is still scheduled to open on April 24. Gulfstream’s championship meet is scheduled to end Sunday. Its spring-summer meet is scheduled to begin Friday with racing typically four days a week through the end of September. Florida eclipsed the 4,000-case mark Saturday — with roughly half of those coming from in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, meaning Gulfstream Park is squarely within the state’s pandemic hotspot. Gulfstream is in Hallandale Beach, in Broward County, just over the border from Miami-Dade to the south. Gulfstream announced on March 12 that it would continue with live racing, but without fans present. It tightened protocols at least twice since, first by closing its on-site casino on March 16 and then going to a “no guests, no exceptions” policy on March 19 that barred media and even owners from going to see races. Remaining open has even drawn the ire of some local politicians who insisted the track should not be allowed to run with the area basically on lockdown. But bettors have continued pumping money in via online and simulcast opportunities. “I think it’s critical to the economy of racing that, if we can, we continue racing,” trainer Todd Pletcher said, adding that his stance is predicated on safety being assured for everyone involved. The lack of on-track handle and casino revenue forced Gulfstream to trim the Florida Derby purse from $1 million to $750,000. The track also slightly dropped the purse for several other stakes races Saturday.