Apple AirPods lead LCSO to an arrest ; over $100,000 worth of stolen items recoveredHendry County rolls out cameras for school speed zones
FORT MYERS Apple AirPods lead LCSO to an arrest ; over $100,000 worth of stolen items recovered Through the use of Apple Airpods, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office was able to locate nearly $100,000 worth of stolen items, leading to an arrest.
LABELLE Hendry County rolls out cameras for school speed zones The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office has rolled out a new way of enforcing school zone speed limits by using cameras that will target drivers traveling over a certain speed in a school zone.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral officials approve replacement funding for hurricane-damaged stop signs The Cape Coral City Council has approved funding to replace stop signs damaged during Hurricane Milton, resulting in an emergency purchase.
Holiday events happening in Southwest Florida Southwest Florida is embracing the holiday spirit with a variety of festive events this Christmas season.
Collier man accused of supplying fentanyl-laced pills, enough to kill 531,500 people The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of supplying more than 10,000 fentanyl-laced pills disguised as prescription painkillers.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral council supports construction of I-75 interchange into city The Cape Coral City Council has approved a resolution requesting support from Lee and Charlotte counties to prioritize state and federal funding for the Interstate 75 Interchange at Slater Road.
PUNTA GORDA Crews removing derelict boats from Gilchrist Park Crews are working to remove derelict boats from Gilchrist Park after several of them washed ashore during Hurricane Milton in October.
33rd endangered Florida panther death of 2024; killed by vehicle in Hardee County Another Florida panther has been killed by a vehicle, this time in Hardee County, increasing the death toll of the endangered species to 33 for 2024.
the weather authority Cool and breezy for your Thursday afternoon After waking up to a cold morning, the Weather Authority is tracking warming conditions to the low 70s this Thursday.
Police release threat made at Florida Gulf Coast University Students at Florida Gulf Coast University said they don’t know the specifics of a threat made last week, but they do know it was taken care of.
Missing and endangered boy found in Lehigh Acres Authorities have found a missing and endangered boy in Lehigh Acres. Police asked for the public’s help in locating Zachariah McKelvin.
School District denies bus service to student despite mother’s measurements When we think of the bus stop, we typically think of it as a safe place for our children, but one mother says the Lee County School District told her they live too close to the school to get a bus route.
MATLACHA 2 stranded dolphins rescued from mangroves near Matlacha Two stranded dolphins were pulled from mangroves near Matlacha.
CAPE CORAL NAACP honors Cape Coral Police Chief after acknowledging hate crime NAACP President, James Muwakkil, was so impressed with Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore that he wanted the entire city to know.
NAPLES Jingled Elves trolley tour underway Breaking out your best dance moves and spreading Christmas cheer. These ‘jingled elves’ are breaking it down with a purpose.
FORT MYERS Apple AirPods lead LCSO to an arrest ; over $100,000 worth of stolen items recovered Through the use of Apple Airpods, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office was able to locate nearly $100,000 worth of stolen items, leading to an arrest.
LABELLE Hendry County rolls out cameras for school speed zones The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office has rolled out a new way of enforcing school zone speed limits by using cameras that will target drivers traveling over a certain speed in a school zone.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral officials approve replacement funding for hurricane-damaged stop signs The Cape Coral City Council has approved funding to replace stop signs damaged during Hurricane Milton, resulting in an emergency purchase.
Holiday events happening in Southwest Florida Southwest Florida is embracing the holiday spirit with a variety of festive events this Christmas season.
Collier man accused of supplying fentanyl-laced pills, enough to kill 531,500 people The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of supplying more than 10,000 fentanyl-laced pills disguised as prescription painkillers.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral council supports construction of I-75 interchange into city The Cape Coral City Council has approved a resolution requesting support from Lee and Charlotte counties to prioritize state and federal funding for the Interstate 75 Interchange at Slater Road.
PUNTA GORDA Crews removing derelict boats from Gilchrist Park Crews are working to remove derelict boats from Gilchrist Park after several of them washed ashore during Hurricane Milton in October.
33rd endangered Florida panther death of 2024; killed by vehicle in Hardee County Another Florida panther has been killed by a vehicle, this time in Hardee County, increasing the death toll of the endangered species to 33 for 2024.
the weather authority Cool and breezy for your Thursday afternoon After waking up to a cold morning, the Weather Authority is tracking warming conditions to the low 70s this Thursday.
Police release threat made at Florida Gulf Coast University Students at Florida Gulf Coast University said they don’t know the specifics of a threat made last week, but they do know it was taken care of.
Missing and endangered boy found in Lehigh Acres Authorities have found a missing and endangered boy in Lehigh Acres. Police asked for the public’s help in locating Zachariah McKelvin.
School District denies bus service to student despite mother’s measurements When we think of the bus stop, we typically think of it as a safe place for our children, but one mother says the Lee County School District told her they live too close to the school to get a bus route.
MATLACHA 2 stranded dolphins rescued from mangroves near Matlacha Two stranded dolphins were pulled from mangroves near Matlacha.
CAPE CORAL NAACP honors Cape Coral Police Chief after acknowledging hate crime NAACP President, James Muwakkil, was so impressed with Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore that he wanted the entire city to know.
NAPLES Jingled Elves trolley tour underway Breaking out your best dance moves and spreading Christmas cheer. These ‘jingled elves’ are breaking it down with a purpose.
Suburban house. Credit: Pixabay House hunters are increasingly getting priced out of the real estate action, with homeownership now out of reach for most people in more than 4 in 10 counties across the U.S., a new analysis shows. Home prices jumped more than 10% in two-thirds of the 569 counties tracked by Attom Data Solutions, a provider of property data. All together, those counties represent about 250 million Americans, according to the research firm, which analyzed publicly recorded sales-deed data for counties that recorded the most real estate transactions between April and June. The number of counties where homeownership is now considered unaffordable jumped about 20% from a year earlier, rising to 242 counties in the second quarter compared with 205 in the year-earlier period. Attom said. The latest data signal that America’s housing market is going in the “wrong direction,” said Todd Teta, chief product officer with Attom. The surge in home prices is raising concerns with some market observers that soaring real estate prices may herald the same type of overheating that led to the 2006 housing bubble. The current market is fueled by ultra-low mortgage rates and demand for homes from millennials. What is considered “affordable”? “That 20% more counties are unaffordable is problematic,” Teta said. “We’re starting to creep up to where it will be generally unaffordable on a national basis. Anything that causes mortgage rates to go up and prices to go up will put us over the tipping point.” The rise in home prices means ownership costs are higher across the nation, even though the majority of U.S. counties are still considered affordable, Teta noted. The typical home now requires 25.2% of the average national wage of about $64,000 — up from 22.2% of the average wage a year earlier and its highest point since the third quarter of 2008. Homeownership is considered affordable if homeowners pay less than 28% of the typical local annual income on their properties, including costs for mortgage payments, home insurance and property taxes. As property prices rise, homebuyers must pay above that threshold in about 43% of the country’s counties, the study found. Those counties range from Berkeley, West Virginia — where home buyers need to pay roughly 28% of the typical income to afford a home — to Kings County, New York, better known as Brooklyn, where home buyers need more than 100% of a Brooklynite’s typical annual income to buy a home. “It’s getting closer to becoming unaffordable in most counties,” Teta said. Lack of inventory A dearth of homes on the market is one of the main drivers of higher prices, causing buyers to bid up homes — often with all-cash offers — and even forego traditional sale contingencies like home inspections. It’s also holding back would-be sellers. With 20% fewer properties on the market compared with a year ago, some homeowners are opting to stay put rather than deal with the struggle of finding a new place to live. But that creates a vicious cycle, with shrinking inventory leading to bidding wars and more reluctance on the part of some homeowners to list their homes for sale. “The available inventory of homes for sale last month translated into 2.5 months of supply at the May selling pace, up from 2.4 months in April,” Nancy Vanden Houten, lead economist at Oxford Economics, said in a report. “Six months of supply has historically been considered a sign of a balanced housing market.” 10 most affordable counties in U.S. Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, outside Allentown, 5.5% of annualized weekly wages needed to buy a home Bibb County (Macon), Georgia, 8% percent Cambria County, Pennsylvania, outside Pittsburgh, 8.2% Macon County (Decatur), Illinois, 9.1% Peoria County, Illinois, 10.4% Rock Island County, Illinois, 10.4% Wayne County, Michigan, 10.7% Broome County, New York, 10.7% Delaware County, Indiana, 11.2% Chautauqua County, New York, 11.2% 10 least affordable counties in U.S. Kings County (Brooklyn), New York, 100.8% of annualized weekly wages needed to buy a home Marin County, California (outside San Francisco), 81.4% Santa Cruz County, California, 76.2% Queens County, New York, 68.7% Monterey County, California (outside San Francisco), 65.9% Nassau County, New York, 63% San Luis Obispo County, California, 62.4% Sumner County, Tennessee, 62.1% Orange County, California, 59.2% Napa County, California, 59.1%