Cape Coral church picking up the pieces after massive fireDay Two of FEMA code compliance hearings in Cape Coral
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral church picking up the pieces after massive fire Calvary Connection ministries is unrecognizable after a massive fire swept through a Cape Coral Complex on Monday.
CAPE CORAL Day Two of FEMA code compliance hearings in Cape Coral Another 50 people were summoned Wednesday for the second day of code compliance hearings before the special magistrate.
State lawmakers want to hear your opinion on voting in Lee County Right now, everyone votes for or against all five of the Lee Commissioners, but they’re talking about changing the system so that each commissioner represents a specific part of the county.
FORT MYERS Migrants entering Florida under controversial parole program The House Committee on Homeland Security has released documents, which show a surge in migrants entering the United States through a parole program, sparking debate over immigration policies and border security.
North Collier firefighter beats cancer, educates others on safety He’s a father, son, friend and mentor, but for the last four years, he’s been in a battle for his life.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested in connection to brother’s death in Cape Coral A man wanted for questioning in the death of his brother at his Cape Coral home has been arrested in Pennsylvania.
Candidates challenge Punta Gorda incumbents over land, building regulations A growing grassroots movement has united residents seeking to stem high density and restrict building heights, and three are challenging Punta Gorda City Council members who are up for reelection this year.
Hurricane season is one month away The outlook for the 2024 Hurricane Season is for it be active, potentially even hyperactive.
NORTH FORT MYERS 1 dead after crash on SR 31 and Busbee Rd. in North Fort Myers At around noon Wednesday, the Florida Highway Patrol said a PT Cruiser and a car hauler collided on State Road 31 and Busbee Road, near the Lee/Charlotte County line.
Man sentenced to 25 years in prison for molesting Lee County child A Florida man will spend the next 25 years in prison for molesting a child in Lee County.
LEHIGH ACRES Man accused of using stolen credit card from car burglary at Lehigh Acres CVS Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers is seeking information on a man who allegedly used a stolen credit card at the CVS in Lehigh Acres.
ARCADIA Family of flea market murder victim struggles to find closure The family of a woman who was murdered at an Arcadia flea market continues to seek justice as the accused killer awaits trial.
NAPLES Naples man accused of possessing child porn After an investigation, a Naples man has been arrested after allegedly having child pornography in his home.
CAPE CORAL Arrest report for volunteer softball coach accused of inappropriate behavior released New details have been released about the arrest of a Cape Coral volunteer softball coach accused of sending nude photos and touching a 17-year-old student.
The Weather Authority Isolated storms pop up this afternoon and evening Afternoon of isolated storms in Southwest Florida.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral church picking up the pieces after massive fire Calvary Connection ministries is unrecognizable after a massive fire swept through a Cape Coral Complex on Monday.
CAPE CORAL Day Two of FEMA code compliance hearings in Cape Coral Another 50 people were summoned Wednesday for the second day of code compliance hearings before the special magistrate.
State lawmakers want to hear your opinion on voting in Lee County Right now, everyone votes for or against all five of the Lee Commissioners, but they’re talking about changing the system so that each commissioner represents a specific part of the county.
FORT MYERS Migrants entering Florida under controversial parole program The House Committee on Homeland Security has released documents, which show a surge in migrants entering the United States through a parole program, sparking debate over immigration policies and border security.
North Collier firefighter beats cancer, educates others on safety He’s a father, son, friend and mentor, but for the last four years, he’s been in a battle for his life.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested in connection to brother’s death in Cape Coral A man wanted for questioning in the death of his brother at his Cape Coral home has been arrested in Pennsylvania.
Candidates challenge Punta Gorda incumbents over land, building regulations A growing grassroots movement has united residents seeking to stem high density and restrict building heights, and three are challenging Punta Gorda City Council members who are up for reelection this year.
Hurricane season is one month away The outlook for the 2024 Hurricane Season is for it be active, potentially even hyperactive.
NORTH FORT MYERS 1 dead after crash on SR 31 and Busbee Rd. in North Fort Myers At around noon Wednesday, the Florida Highway Patrol said a PT Cruiser and a car hauler collided on State Road 31 and Busbee Road, near the Lee/Charlotte County line.
Man sentenced to 25 years in prison for molesting Lee County child A Florida man will spend the next 25 years in prison for molesting a child in Lee County.
LEHIGH ACRES Man accused of using stolen credit card from car burglary at Lehigh Acres CVS Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers is seeking information on a man who allegedly used a stolen credit card at the CVS in Lehigh Acres.
ARCADIA Family of flea market murder victim struggles to find closure The family of a woman who was murdered at an Arcadia flea market continues to seek justice as the accused killer awaits trial.
NAPLES Naples man accused of possessing child porn After an investigation, a Naples man has been arrested after allegedly having child pornography in his home.
CAPE CORAL Arrest report for volunteer softball coach accused of inappropriate behavior released New details have been released about the arrest of a Cape Coral volunteer softball coach accused of sending nude photos and touching a 17-year-old student.
The Weather Authority Isolated storms pop up this afternoon and evening Afternoon of isolated storms in Southwest Florida.
Neighbors along Burnt Store Road in Cape Coral are fed up with these bright streetlights. Neighbors along Burnt Store Road in Cape Coral are fed up with streetlights. Lee County finished installing new lights on the hurricane evacuation route back in February, but people living nearby say they’re too bright and could cause more issues long-term. While they agree that better lighting in the area was necessary for safety reasons, the problem is how the county did it. An effort to get the county to replace or change the lights on Burnt Store Road has garnered 570 petition signatures. This month, commissioners approved another effort to replace old lights countywide, which would take three years and an estimated $1.3 million. Neighbors are concerned more bright lights will move in. Neighbor Tom Howard has put up quite the fight when it comes to the streetlights. “There’s 200 pages of scientific evidence right here,” he said, talking about available research he compiled. He says should have prevented him from seeing his backyard lit up at night from the bright lights that line Burnt Store Road. “All these people on Burnt Store Road, who are facing west especially, it’s coming right into their lanais. And it’s like living in a prison yard or a Costco parking lot. It’s just too invasive.” Howard and many of his neighbors are frustrated by the brightness. “It’s like daylight in my bedroom,” said Cheryl Howard. “The lights bother me at night, and my circadian rhythm is totally screwed up. Night is day,” said Michael Sung. “I have to actually turn away from the window to be able to sleep, it’s so bright,” said Pat Morales. “When you overdo the lights, it becomes a negative effect,” said Pasha Donaldson with Friends of Cape Coral Wildlife. They want lights on the road, but their problem is with the intensity. The energy-efficient 4000° Kelvin LEDs emit blue light, which the American Medical Association says can cause worse nighttime glare for drivers, disrupt people’s sleep and disorient wildlife. Donaldson said that while neighbors might be able to draw their curtains at night, the critters nearby can’t. “Bright lights, it interrupts migration patterns,” she said. Charles Acres and his wife live next to Burnt Store, but the lights don’t bother them. “We’re not affected like that. But we are affected with the intersection of that portion of the street being lit substantially, so it helps to slow drivers that are maybe going a little too fast,” Acres said. He also knows the road has a history. “We had a kid who was hit by a car. And after that kid got hit by a car, the officer wrote in his police report it’s not the driver’s fault, it’s just too dark out here. So we had to do something,” said Lee County Commissioner Brian Hamman. The county started installing the lights the following September. Hamman said they got great reviews, but after hearing complaints that the lights were too bright, they lowered the intensity. “From 100% down to 60%. And we’re doing a test with the shields that actually will block the light from going onto peoples’ properties,” Hamman said. Howard said they’re not done. “It’s not the ultimate solution, but it’s a solution. But they only did it for 52 out of 132 lights,” Howard said. The county said if they decide to move forward with the shields, they would take roughly three months to order and install. “They completely destroyed our view and our horizons and it didn’t need to be that way,” Howard said. He feels the county needs better, more environmentally-friendly standards, and their fixes aren’t enough. He and his neighbors want Lee County to adopt standards like Collier County, which began adopting guidelines from the International Dark Sky Association countywide in 2017. Hamman says they followed Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) standards for the Burnt Store Road lights, which lists one requirement as “a maximum correlated color temperature (CCT) of 4000°K.” But Lee County Department of Transportation Director Randy Cerchie said in a statement, “it’s not a requirement for Lee DOT to use FDOT-tested products. However, Lee County follows FDOT specifications for county roadway jobs because it is best for taxpayers and for safety. The county – like many local governments – does not have its own material testing labs. Using FDOT guidelines and specs means value for taxpayers and safety for motorists. They’re vetted and they’re proven statewide.” Technically, FDOT standards are only required for state and federal roadways.