NORTH FORT MYERS Lee County residents wait hours for D-SNAP assistance The supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) is at the Lee Civic Center all weekend, ready to help southwest Florida.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA First eaglet hatches in famous SWFL eagle nest Welcome E24! The third eaglet from the nest of M15 and F23 has hatched according to the Southwest Florida eagle camera.
lehigh acres LCSO: Lehigh Acres shooting investigation underway The Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting in Lehigh Acres early Saturday morning.
Rock for Equality: SWFL non-profit hosts benefit concert for Palestine A Southwest Florida non-profit hosted a benefit concert on Friday night to help with humanitarian aid in Palestine.
Warm, breezy Saturday with a few showers possible The Weather Authority is forecasting a breezy, warm weekend in store across Southwest Florida, with the chance of a few showers, particularly on Saturday.
CAPE CORAL Active investigation underway in South Cape Coral Cape Coral police are investigating at a home on Southwest 49th Terrace in South Cape Coral early Saturday morning.
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.
NORTH FORT MYERS Lee County residents wait hours for D-SNAP assistance The supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) is at the Lee Civic Center all weekend, ready to help southwest Florida.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA First eaglet hatches in famous SWFL eagle nest Welcome E24! The third eaglet from the nest of M15 and F23 has hatched according to the Southwest Florida eagle camera.
lehigh acres LCSO: Lehigh Acres shooting investigation underway The Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting in Lehigh Acres early Saturday morning.
Rock for Equality: SWFL non-profit hosts benefit concert for Palestine A Southwest Florida non-profit hosted a benefit concert on Friday night to help with humanitarian aid in Palestine.
Warm, breezy Saturday with a few showers possible The Weather Authority is forecasting a breezy, warm weekend in store across Southwest Florida, with the chance of a few showers, particularly on Saturday.
CAPE CORAL Active investigation underway in South Cape Coral Cape Coral police are investigating at a home on Southwest 49th Terrace in South Cape Coral early Saturday morning.
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.
Many businesses and organizations are struggling right now. But others are showing them we are Gulfshore Strong. Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos donated $100 million dollars to the Feeding America Network that Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida is part of. And a local bank is helping businesses get their payroll loans. The financial support is going to help the community in two major ways. One, it’s going to help Harry Chapin Food Bank provide more food to stock pantries of those in need. And it’s also going to help small businesses put money into their employee’s wallets. In a time where every little bit helps, businesses are helping each other in big ways. Harry Chapin Food bank runs 12 mobile food pantries throughout Southwest Florida every week, with with a decreasing stream of food and an increasing need. “It carries a pretty significant price tag because a lot of the food sources we’re having to go to right now are much more expensive than normal,” said Richard LeBer, the president and CEO of the food bank. But, with a slice from Bezos’ donation, Harry Chapin Food Bank can breathe a small sigh of relief. “We are looking forward to receiving our piece of that, whatever that may be and using that to help source and distribute food throughout our area,” LeBer said. Harry Chapin Food Bank is also offering multiple drive-thru mobile food banks, which is available to everyone, every day this week. You can find a location serving food near you at the Harry Chapin website foodbank locater, here. Here are this week’s drive-thru distributions: Tuesday, April 7 10 a.m. to noon: Boys and Girls Club of Immokalee,1155 Roberts Ave W, Immokalee. 10 a.m. to noon: First Baptist Church, 130 Connecticut St, Fort Myers Beach. Wednesday, April 8 10 a.m. to noon: Golden Gate Community Center, 4701 Golden Gate Pkwy, Naples. 10 a.m. to noon: Our Lady Queen of Heaven, 355 Bridge St, LaBelle. 1 to 3 p.m: Church of the Nazarene, 6781 Bayshore Rd., North Fort Myers. Thursday, April 9 10 a.m. to noon: Bonita Lions Club,10346 Pennsylvania Ave, Bonita Springs. 10 a.m. to noon: Sacred Heart Church, 211 W Charlotte Ave, Punta Gorda. Friday, April 10 10 a.m. to noon: Boys and Girls Club of Naples, 7500 Davis Blvd, Naples. 10 a.m. to noon: Caloosa Middle School, 610 S. Del Prado Blvd., Cape Coral. 10 a.m. to noon: Florida SouthWestern State College, 8099 College Parkway, Fort Myers. Also, small businesses in our area are getting a helping hand too. Achieva Credit Union is offering the payroll assistance loan program to keep small businesses on their feet. “These programs are actually going to enable a lot of businesses who would otherwise struggle or potentially even go out of business, to stay in business and be around to pay their employees,” said Jennifer Galley, the COO of Achieva Credit Union. With so many small businesses shutting their doors and seeking help, the demand is so high that other banks and credit unions have already reached their cap. “Applications are growing by the minute; however, we have had hundreds of requests for information,” Gally said. “There are people who I believe have already started to taper off on what they can offer,” Galley said. “They may be hitting some volume restrictions, so they have said that we are no longer going to offer the program at this time.” But Achieva is keeping its program running strong for all small businesses to be that life-line of support that many need to survive. Achieva says small business owners can find the loan application on their website and should apply regardless of if they are members of the credit union. LeBer told is they do not know how much money they will get from the Bezos donation, but they are expecting to find out in the coming days.