Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association breaks ground on new Fort Myers headquartersCharlotte County drug trafficker sentenced to 10 years
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.
Punta Gorda Man accused of indecent exposure at school bus stop in Punta Gorda The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of indecent exposure at a school bus stop in Punta Gorda.
estero Firefighters to perform 76-acre prescribed burn at Koreshan State Park San Carlos Park Fire Protection & Rescue Service District performs a 76-acre prescribed burn at Koreshan State Park today.
Tim Aten Knows: 2 new eateries coming to East Naples After operating La Rosa Pizzeria for more than 15 years, owners Bill and Alda Rosa decided to sell their local business and restaurant space.
the weather authority Warmer with sun and clouds for your Friday plans The Weather Authority is tracking a warmer day ahead, with a mixture of sun and clouds expected this Friday afternoon.
FDOT opens all lanes of Caloosahatchee Bridge year ahead of construction schedule The Florida Department of Transportation announced it will open all lanes of the Caloosahatchee Bridge a year ahead of its pedestrian sidewalk project.
NAPLES 12-year-old collecting donations for the needy during the holidays A 12-year-old Naples boy isn’t worried about what he’s getting for Christmas. Instead, he’s working on his 6th annual “Holiday Sock Drive.”
Fort Myers man facing homelessness before the holidays A 75-year-old man is on the brink of homelessness despite working over 80 hours a week.
NAPLES Adoptee uses non-profit to provide suitcases for foster children This holiday season, a Naples woman is on a mission to bring foster children something many take for granted: a suitcase filled with dignity.
MARCO ISLAND City of Marco Island discusses lead awareness during city council meeting The city of Marco Island sent out 4900 letters to residents warning them that their pipes could contain plastic or lead.
NAPLES The future of electric planes in Southwest Florida Features of living near an airport include persistent headache-inducing engine rumbles and foul-smelling jet fuel, but electric planes could play a part in the solution.
PORT CHARLOTTE Neighbors awaiting answers on Port Charlotte Beach Park repairs Neighbors said a contractor hired by the Florida Division of Emergency Management mishandled the boats at Port Charlotte Beach Park.
FGCU introduces new technology for cognitive health screenings Ten minutes. That’s all it takes for doctors to assess how well you remember, how quickly you learn things, and how your brain is working overall.
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.
Punta Gorda Man accused of indecent exposure at school bus stop in Punta Gorda The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of indecent exposure at a school bus stop in Punta Gorda.
estero Firefighters to perform 76-acre prescribed burn at Koreshan State Park San Carlos Park Fire Protection & Rescue Service District performs a 76-acre prescribed burn at Koreshan State Park today.
Tim Aten Knows: 2 new eateries coming to East Naples After operating La Rosa Pizzeria for more than 15 years, owners Bill and Alda Rosa decided to sell their local business and restaurant space.
the weather authority Warmer with sun and clouds for your Friday plans The Weather Authority is tracking a warmer day ahead, with a mixture of sun and clouds expected this Friday afternoon.
FDOT opens all lanes of Caloosahatchee Bridge year ahead of construction schedule The Florida Department of Transportation announced it will open all lanes of the Caloosahatchee Bridge a year ahead of its pedestrian sidewalk project.
NAPLES 12-year-old collecting donations for the needy during the holidays A 12-year-old Naples boy isn’t worried about what he’s getting for Christmas. Instead, he’s working on his 6th annual “Holiday Sock Drive.”
Fort Myers man facing homelessness before the holidays A 75-year-old man is on the brink of homelessness despite working over 80 hours a week.
NAPLES Adoptee uses non-profit to provide suitcases for foster children This holiday season, a Naples woman is on a mission to bring foster children something many take for granted: a suitcase filled with dignity.
MARCO ISLAND City of Marco Island discusses lead awareness during city council meeting The city of Marco Island sent out 4900 letters to residents warning them that their pipes could contain plastic or lead.
NAPLES The future of electric planes in Southwest Florida Features of living near an airport include persistent headache-inducing engine rumbles and foul-smelling jet fuel, but electric planes could play a part in the solution.
PORT CHARLOTTE Neighbors awaiting answers on Port Charlotte Beach Park repairs Neighbors said a contractor hired by the Florida Division of Emergency Management mishandled the boats at Port Charlotte Beach Park.
FGCU introduces new technology for cognitive health screenings Ten minutes. That’s all it takes for doctors to assess how well you remember, how quickly you learn things, and how your brain is working overall.
As of 6 p.m. Friday, there have been 24,753 positive cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Florida. The case count includes 24,066 Florida residents and 687 non-Florida residents. There are 726 deaths reported and 3,649 hospitalizations, according to the Florida Department of Health. There have been 240,604 tests administered in Florida. A total of 24,753 tests have come back positive, and 215,229 tests have come back negative. The remainder are still pending, according to the FDOH website. *Numbers are released by the DOH twice daily at approximately 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. STATEWIDE NUMBERS Total number of cases:24,753 (up from 24,119) Deaths: 726 (up from 686) 1,413 total new cases reported Friday 58 total new deaths reported Friday SOUTHWEST FLORIDA NUMBERS Total in SWFL: 1,356 (up from 1,333) Deaths: 46 (up from 42) 72 new cases reported Friday 5 new deaths reported Friday Lee County: 721 (up from 718) – 25 deaths Collier County: 445 (up from 432) – 8 deaths (2 new deaths) Charlotte County: 131 (up from 128) – 9 deaths (2 new deaths) DeSoto County: 23 (up from 22) – 3 deaths Glades County: 5 (unchanged) – 1 death Hendry County: 31 (up from 28) – 0 deaths Click HERE for a SWFL case-by-case breakdown – updated daily. RESOURCES NOW HIRING: SWFL companies adding jobs as business picks up amid coronavirus crisis LATEST CLOSURES: Southwest Florida business updates and store closings #GulfshoreStrong: Covering people making a difference in SWFL FOOD PANTRIES: Harry Chapin mobile food pantry schedule, week of April 13 FRIDAY COVID-19 HEADLINES Fort Myers Beach town leaders coming together to discuss opening up the beaches Activities for you when too much family time brings on stress UPCOMING BRIEFINGS: 10:00 a.m.— Governor DeSantis COVID-19 briefing. WATCH HERE 6 p.m. — White House Coronavirus Task Force daily briefing Trump announces guidelines for reopening state economies During Thursday’s briefing, the president said a handful of states that have already meet the criteria could begin the new guidelines “literally tomorrow.” States will be very “vigilant” and very “careful.” Dr. Anthony Fauci said the plan is not a “light switch,” and changes will be gradual. The “dominating drive” of this plan was to make sure it was done in the safest way possible, he said. Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, told reporters that the administration “did not put a timeline on any of the phases” and was leaving it to governors and the data they have to determine the best timing for their states. IF YOU FEEL SICK: The Florida Department of Health has opened a 24-hour COVID-19 Call Center at 1-866-779-6121. Questions may also be emailed to covid-19@flhealth.gov. Email responses will be sent during call center hours. LINK: Florida Department of Health COVID-19 updates *The map is best viewed on a desktop computer. If you don’t see the map above tap HERE for a fullscreen version.