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.
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.
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.
Credit: Disney Word via CNN I was one of the first guests back in Disney World on Saturday after nearly four months of the parks being closed down because of COVID-19. I’ve visited Disney’s parks in California and Florida too many times to count. The world’s changed since my last visit. Most recently, news of COVID-19 cases in Florida skyrocketing have been hard to ignore. But I donned my mask and packed my sanitizer because I was ready to see what this new Disney had in store for its guests. My goal: Find what’s changed at Disney, what remains the same and whether the magic of the experience was enough to offset the discomfort of wearing a face covering. These are the top seven takeaways about what you need to know before your next trip: 1. The new Disney is not the old Disney As of now, only Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom are open. Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios are scheduled to start hosting guests on Wednesday, July 15. In the parks already opened, almost all the rides were operational, but many of the stores, restaurants and food kiosks where it’s easy to grab a cold water and a Mickey-shaped hot pretzel were closed. 2. Entertainment is of the pop-up variety Fireworks and parades are on indefinite hold to discourage crowds forming in the parks. Because of social distancing concerns, Disney has also suspended character meet-and-greets. You’ll still see some of your favorites, though. On opening day, parade floats cruised through Magic Kingdom at unannounced times, and characters popped up for appearances at safe distances from the crowds, such as the evil stepsisters on the terrace of Cinderella’s Castle. 3. No mask, no entry At every location in the Disney resort, masks are required at all times. The only exceptions: You don’t wear them in resort pools and while you’re actively eating or drinking. Bandanas and neck gaiters are not acceptable forms of face-covering — for entry, masks must hook behind the ears. 4. Hotel and restaurant choices are limited Hotels such as Disney’s Wilderness Lodge are open, and some of the hotels are available for stays only in the Disney Vacation Club (DVC) portions. Even without a DVC membership, I was able to book a stay at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort for opening weekend. Captain Cook’s, the quick-service restaurant with grab-and-go food, is open for modified hours, and Kona Cafe is serving sit-down meals. Ohana and Trader Sam’s are currently closed. Disney has a list of which hotels have reopening plans, such as Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa on Sept. 21, but not all reopening announcements have been made yet. 5. Sanitizing is a group activity On opening day at Universal Orlando, an employee dispensed hand sanitizer to each person getting on a ride. Its use was mandatory. At Disney, there are thousands of dispensers of hand sanitizer but no mandate that guests must use it. One unique addition: sanitizing wipe dispensers, available throughout parks and hotels, to clean any personal surfaces or tables. The downside is that by putting the responsibility of cleanliness partly on the guest, it means tables and benches aren’t necessarily being cleaned by employees between each use. This is especially apparent at the hotels. At Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, at least, staff cleaning was spotty. During an afternoon on Friday and entire day Sunday spent at the Polynesian’s two pools, I saw only one employee cleaning off chairs and tables, one time. I realized my table at Captain Cook’s wasn’t clean only when I saw someone else’s spilled food underneath it. At Disney’s Contemporary Resort, a friend reported that employees carefully monitor which beach chairs have been used — based on the guests’ practice of folding down their chairs upon leaving the pool area. Judging from a couple of these details, they haven’t quite worked through all the bugs. 6. Some things have changed, others haven’t At the 2019 D23 Convention, Disney announced a major renovation of Epcot, including new rides such as Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and a Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind roller coaster. Spaceship Earth, an original ride from Epcot’s 1982 debut, was supposed to be closed for renovations this year, but because of COVID-19, that’s been indefinitely postponed. Disney purists are likely to be delighted by this news, even as they look regrettably on some of the other changes afoot in Walt Disney World following its July 11 reopening. 7. The experience is worth it if you want it to be With the modified experience, many people have been questioning whether the expense of a Disney vacation is worth it this year — or before there’s a vaccine for the coronavirus. Indeed, hotel and ticket prices are the same as they were before the parks closed down, so don’t expect to find any savings there. It’s possible to find the occasional deal on things like early 2020 merchandise in shops inside the park, which is a rarity at this time of year. Short lines for rides, however, and a thin crowd may appeal to some. Temperature checks and masks requirement, no matter how hot and humid the day of your visit, may be off-putting to others. So, is it worth it? My answer is yes — it if you want it to be. If you’ve never been to Disney and you’ve been dreaming of visiting this year, it might be better to wait. Disney veterans, on the other hand, may fare better. We’re more accustomed to being flexible by shifting plans to accommodate last-minute spots that have freed up in the Disney app, which we’re used to eyeing. I snagged a same-day dinner reservation at California Grill, which overlooks the Seven Seas Lagoon and Magic Kingdom, on July 10, the first day it reopened, on the same day. Ultimately, there is no easy answer to deciding whether a trip to Disney at this time is worth it. How much Disney magic is needed to justify the cost — and abide by the enhanced health and safety protocols — is a matter of personal preference. Ultimately, to me, it felt like an almost-normal Disney vacation. There were a lot of things I wish I could have done. I missed not being able to have a tiki drink at Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar, where the decorations come alive, but here’s what I found: When I was doing other cool things, it was easy to forget about what I was missing. That’s Disney’s magic — making it feel like whatever you’re doing at that moment is the most magical thing on Earth. The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2020 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.