21st annual Caloosahatchee Celtic Festival underway in Fort MyersNew video shows alternate angle of I-75 multi-county chase
FORT MYERS 21st annual Caloosahatchee Celtic Festival underway in Fort Myers The 21st Caloosahatchee Celtic Festival is underway. Despite the colder weather, visitors are enjoying the festivities in Fort Myers.
New video shows alternate angle of I-75 multi-county chase A theft ring in Lee County led to a dramatic car chase involving Paul Fritzson, who allegedly carjacked a couple in Collier County.
Meet the kids benefiting from Naples’ charity wine festival: Kolson’s story The Naples Winter Wine Festival, known as the largest charity wine auction in the world, kicked off on Friday with a focus on benefiting children in Collier County.
Iona Firefighter rescues homeowner from blaze A firefighter bravely rescued a homeowner from a burning house on Whiskey Creek Drive.
LEHIGH ACRES Father and son face off in hoops for the first time Gateway guard Quran Pettyjohn Jr. faced off against his dad, East Lee County head coach Quran Pettyjohn Sr., for the first time Thursday night.
NAPLES School burglars in Collier County make off with guns The Collier County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in identifying four people who broke into Golden Gate Middle School and stole guns that were locked in a safe.
NAPLES Local veteran impresses Trump and Stallone with handcrafted flags A local veteran has always had a passion for art. After serving in the military, he found a new mission through his hobby of wood cutting.
FORT MYERS Dunbar High cross-country runner makes history as first girl in state finals A Dunbar High senior is making history. Jennifer Gonzalez is the first girl from the school to reach the state finals in cross country.
NORTH NAPLES Meet the Kids Day! Big dollar donors hear how their money helps Tooday is Meet the Kids Day. People who bid on high-dollar auction items at the Naples Winter Wine Festival get to see who benefits.
CAPE CORAL American Legion Post 90 to hold Four Chaplains ceremony American Legion Post 90 is holding the Four Chaplains ceremony commemorating the sinking of an American troop ship during World War II.
SUV crashes into Hendry County canal Hendry County Sheriff’s Office deputies are investigating after an SUV crashed into a canal in Hendry County.
Falling back on New Year’s resolutions Here we are in the last half of January, but the majority of people who made New Year’s resolutions have already given up.
Charlotte County Sheriff: suspect shot 12 times in Englewood deputy-involved shooting The suspect in a deadly deputy-involved shooting was shot 12 times after deputies fired 17 rounds when the man charged them with a machete.
ESTERO Officials working to get Estero Sports Park on fast track The Estero Village Council is looking to speed up the development of the Estero Sports Park.
Punta Gorda’s City Marketplace hits market for $12M The vacant City Marketplace acreage in downtown Punta Gorda hit the market recently with a $12 million price tag and is being marketed as a mixed-use development opportunity that will blend residential, retail and hospitality for a live-work-play environment.
FORT MYERS 21st annual Caloosahatchee Celtic Festival underway in Fort Myers The 21st Caloosahatchee Celtic Festival is underway. Despite the colder weather, visitors are enjoying the festivities in Fort Myers.
New video shows alternate angle of I-75 multi-county chase A theft ring in Lee County led to a dramatic car chase involving Paul Fritzson, who allegedly carjacked a couple in Collier County.
Meet the kids benefiting from Naples’ charity wine festival: Kolson’s story The Naples Winter Wine Festival, known as the largest charity wine auction in the world, kicked off on Friday with a focus on benefiting children in Collier County.
Iona Firefighter rescues homeowner from blaze A firefighter bravely rescued a homeowner from a burning house on Whiskey Creek Drive.
LEHIGH ACRES Father and son face off in hoops for the first time Gateway guard Quran Pettyjohn Jr. faced off against his dad, East Lee County head coach Quran Pettyjohn Sr., for the first time Thursday night.
NAPLES School burglars in Collier County make off with guns The Collier County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in identifying four people who broke into Golden Gate Middle School and stole guns that were locked in a safe.
NAPLES Local veteran impresses Trump and Stallone with handcrafted flags A local veteran has always had a passion for art. After serving in the military, he found a new mission through his hobby of wood cutting.
FORT MYERS Dunbar High cross-country runner makes history as first girl in state finals A Dunbar High senior is making history. Jennifer Gonzalez is the first girl from the school to reach the state finals in cross country.
NORTH NAPLES Meet the Kids Day! Big dollar donors hear how their money helps Tooday is Meet the Kids Day. People who bid on high-dollar auction items at the Naples Winter Wine Festival get to see who benefits.
CAPE CORAL American Legion Post 90 to hold Four Chaplains ceremony American Legion Post 90 is holding the Four Chaplains ceremony commemorating the sinking of an American troop ship during World War II.
SUV crashes into Hendry County canal Hendry County Sheriff’s Office deputies are investigating after an SUV crashed into a canal in Hendry County.
Falling back on New Year’s resolutions Here we are in the last half of January, but the majority of people who made New Year’s resolutions have already given up.
Charlotte County Sheriff: suspect shot 12 times in Englewood deputy-involved shooting The suspect in a deadly deputy-involved shooting was shot 12 times after deputies fired 17 rounds when the man charged them with a machete.
ESTERO Officials working to get Estero Sports Park on fast track The Estero Village Council is looking to speed up the development of the Estero Sports Park.
Punta Gorda’s City Marketplace hits market for $12M The vacant City Marketplace acreage in downtown Punta Gorda hit the market recently with a $12 million price tag and is being marketed as a mixed-use development opportunity that will blend residential, retail and hospitality for a live-work-play environment.
FILE – This September 2020, file photo provided by Johnson & Johnson shows a pharmacist preparing to give an experimental COVID-19 vaccine.(Johnson & Johnson via AP, File) As of 2 p.m. Thursday, there have been 1,962,651 positive cases of the coronavirus recorded in the state. The case count includes 1,926,494 Florida residents and 36,152 non-Florida residents. There are 32,040 Florida resident deaths reported, 599 non-resident deaths, and 81,763 hospitalizations at some point during illness, according to the Florida Department of Health. For state and county-by-county breakdown of vaccine administration, click here. *Numbers are released by the DOH every afternoon. STATEWIDE NUMBERS Total number of recorded cases: 1,962,651 (up from 1,957,586) Florida resident deaths: 32,040 (up from 31,948) Non-resident deaths: 599 (up from 595) Total deaths in state (Fla./non-Fla. residents combined): 32,639 (up from 32,639) 5,065 new total new cases reported Thursday 92 new resident deaths reported Thursday 4 new non-resident death reported Thursday Percent positive for new cases in Fla. residents: 5% This percent is the number of people who test PCR- or antigen-positive for the first time divided by all the people tested that day, excluding people who have previously tested positive. SOUTHWEST FLORIDA NUMBERS Total recorded cases in SWFL: 110,556 (up from 110,281) Deaths: 1,919 (up from 1,912) 275 total new cases reported Thursday 7 new deaths reported Thursday Lee County: 59,371 cases (up from 59,220) – 895 deaths Collier County: 31,074 (up from 30,990) – 472 deaths Charlotte County: 10,934 (up from 10,907) – 381 deaths DeSoto County: 3,919 (up from 3,904) – 76 deaths Glades County: 911 (unchanged) – 16 deaths Hendry County: 4,357 (up from 4,350) – 75 deaths Click HERE* for a COVID-19 case-by-case breakdown – updated daily. *If not linked, the final report has not yet been made available. TESTING DATA Effective Oct. 27, the Florida Department of Health ceased releasing data showing overall testing numbers. Their statement: “The Florida Department of Health is making adjustments to the COVID-19 dashboard and daily report to provide clear, accurate information for Florida families. Moving forward, the daily report will focus on the number of tests reported to the state by day and the corresponding positivity rate by day. The previously reported cumulative number did not reflect the current status of the pandemic in Florida. This change is in line with the CDC recommendation that calculation of percent positivity [is] applied consistently and with clear communication, will allow public health officials to follow magnitude and trends effectively, and the trends will be useful for local public health decision making.” RESOURCES VACCINE IN SWFL: COVID-19 vaccine schedules and information for SWFL VACCINE IN FLORIDA: State of Florida’s COVID-19 vaccine reports NOW HIRING: SWFL companies adding jobs FOOD PANTRIES: Harry Chapin mobile food pantry schedule, week of March 8 REPORT COVID-19 DIAGNOSIS/TEST: International self-reporting system IF YOU FEEL SICK: The Florida Department of Health has 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.