Police Explorer Marcus Freeman remembered 14 years after North Port crashFort Myers Beach celebrates early St. Patrick’s Day with lively parade
NORTH PORT Police Explorer Marcus Freeman remembered 14 years after North Port crash The North Port Police Department is remembering a young life lost too soon.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach celebrates early St. Patrick’s Day with lively parade Fort Myers Beach celebrated St. Patrick’s Day early with a lively parade, bringing the island to life with Irish spirit.
the weather authority A breezy Saturday with near-record high heat in store The Weather Authority says a warm Saturday with near-record high heat is in store with sun and clouds overhead.
SANIBEL Sanibel Beach shines as a top 2025 destination for shelling Southwest Florida’s beaches are a major draw for visitors from around the world.
911 calls save two kayakers in distress on Caloosahatchee River After strong winds left them stranded, two kayakers were rescued from the Caloosahatchee River.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral woman tricked into romance scam, police seek recovery Cape Coral police are working to recover more than $250,000 from a bank account that may be tied to criminal activity.
Captiva’s Mucky Duck plans reopening after hurricane damage The Mucky Duck, a beloved restaurant on Captiva Island, is determined to clear up any rumors about its closure.
PORT CHARLOTTE Tampa Bay Rays’ future in Port Charlotte raises business concerns The Tampa Bay Rays are planning to stay at Tropicana Field for the 2026 season while they repair damage from Hurricane Milton.
Red tide health alert lifted in certain Lee County areas The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has lifted the red tide health alerts issued in certain areas.
Charlotte Sheriff elected as chair of Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell is stepping into a new role as chair of the Florida Sheriff’s Youth Ranches.
NAPLES Naples groups unite to protect endangered Florida Panthers The third Saturday in March marks the official Save the Florida Panther Day.
New housing development in Collier County raises environmental concerns Instead of fields of oranges fueling the local economy, rows of homes could soon take their place in the region.
NAPLES La Gondola: Venice experience in Southwest Florida Imagine cruising down the Southwest Florida waterways in your very own gondola, bringing a touch of Italy to Naples.
FORT MYERS Bubbles for Bug; Carwash raising funds for furry friend A Southwest Florida dog named Bug needs help. His owner, Lex Montanaro, is hosting a carwash fundraiser to raise the $10,000 Bug needs for surgery.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda’s Celtic Ray preps for St. Patrick’s Day bash Punta Gorda is gearing up for a massive St. Patrick’s Day celebration this weekend.
NORTH PORT Police Explorer Marcus Freeman remembered 14 years after North Port crash The North Port Police Department is remembering a young life lost too soon.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach celebrates early St. Patrick’s Day with lively parade Fort Myers Beach celebrated St. Patrick’s Day early with a lively parade, bringing the island to life with Irish spirit.
the weather authority A breezy Saturday with near-record high heat in store The Weather Authority says a warm Saturday with near-record high heat is in store with sun and clouds overhead.
SANIBEL Sanibel Beach shines as a top 2025 destination for shelling Southwest Florida’s beaches are a major draw for visitors from around the world.
911 calls save two kayakers in distress on Caloosahatchee River After strong winds left them stranded, two kayakers were rescued from the Caloosahatchee River.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral woman tricked into romance scam, police seek recovery Cape Coral police are working to recover more than $250,000 from a bank account that may be tied to criminal activity.
Captiva’s Mucky Duck plans reopening after hurricane damage The Mucky Duck, a beloved restaurant on Captiva Island, is determined to clear up any rumors about its closure.
PORT CHARLOTTE Tampa Bay Rays’ future in Port Charlotte raises business concerns The Tampa Bay Rays are planning to stay at Tropicana Field for the 2026 season while they repair damage from Hurricane Milton.
Red tide health alert lifted in certain Lee County areas The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has lifted the red tide health alerts issued in certain areas.
Charlotte Sheriff elected as chair of Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell is stepping into a new role as chair of the Florida Sheriff’s Youth Ranches.
NAPLES Naples groups unite to protect endangered Florida Panthers The third Saturday in March marks the official Save the Florida Panther Day.
New housing development in Collier County raises environmental concerns Instead of fields of oranges fueling the local economy, rows of homes could soon take their place in the region.
NAPLES La Gondola: Venice experience in Southwest Florida Imagine cruising down the Southwest Florida waterways in your very own gondola, bringing a touch of Italy to Naples.
FORT MYERS Bubbles for Bug; Carwash raising funds for furry friend A Southwest Florida dog named Bug needs help. His owner, Lex Montanaro, is hosting a carwash fundraiser to raise the $10,000 Bug needs for surgery.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda’s Celtic Ray preps for St. Patrick’s Day bash Punta Gorda is gearing up for a massive St. Patrick’s Day celebration this weekend.
This photo, provided by the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, shows elephant calf, Ajay, with his big brother, Batu, age 5, in Syracuse, N.Y. The Rosamond Gifford Zoo announced the death of Ajay, an Asian elephant calf, on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020. He died from Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpes Virus, which poses a high risk to young elephants. A second young elephant has died at a central New York zoo despite frantic efforts by staff to combat a lethal virus, zoo officials said Friday. “This is obviously the worst possible outcome, and it occurred after more than a week of intensive care by our team in hopes that every day Batu survived gave him a better chance to beat this horrible disease,” Rosamond Gifford Zoo Director Ted Fox said. The 5-year-old male elephant died early Friday morning, days after the sudden death Tuesday of his younger brother, Ajay. Ajay died just before his second birthday. Both died from Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpes Virus, a strain of herpes that targets Asian elephants. Batu had been in treatment since last week when a blood test came back positive for the virus, the zoo said in a statement. The elephant received medications and infusions of plasma but the viral load of EEHV in its blood grew exponentially by the day. Early Friday morning, eight days after testing positive, “he laid down to rest and never got up,” Fox said. “Although we knew this could happen, it’s hard to accept,” Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon said. “Words can’t begin to express our sadness and grief. Yet we know that as heartbroken as we are, our elephant team and our zoo need our support more than ever.” EEHV is the biggest killer of young Asian elephants and can cause death within 24 hours in those under age 8. It is believed to be naturally occurring among elephants in a latent form that can become active without warning, according to the zoo. Batu was the first calf born to Mali and bull elephant Doc, on May 12, 2015. Ajay was born on Jan. 15, 2019. The zoo, one of 11 approved by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to breed Asian elephants, has six adult elephants.