CCSO ‘Shop with a Cop’ event spreads holiday cheerCaught on camera: Explosion in hotel parking lot in Clewiston
PORT CHARLOTTE CCSO ‘Shop with a Cop’ event spreads holiday cheer Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office deputies spent time helping kids pick out gifts for their families during the annual Shop with a Cop event.
CLEWISTON Caught on camera: Explosion in hotel parking lot in Clewiston There was an explosion in the parking lot of a Holiday Inn in Clewiston on Wednesday.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda leaders outline plans for Gilchrist Park repairs Gilchrist Park is closed, and Punta Gorda city leaders have been discussing possibly restoring the park.
NORTH NAPLES Airman surprises 6-year-old daughter at school for the holidays after ten months of service in Kuwait After almost a year of service in Kuwait, one airman came home for the holidays and surprised his daughter.
FORT MYERS Breaking down the Lee County Sheriff’s Office budget The Lee County Sheriff’s Office and Sheriff Carmine Marceno have been under scrutiny since a federal investigation on potential money laundering began. Many have questioned LCSO’s spending, so we broke down the budget.
How to protect yourself from thieves this holiday season On Cyber Monday, Americans spent $13 billion, which will translate into many packages on doorsteps this holiday season.
FORT MYERS Bishop Verot QB Carter Smith signs with Wisconsin Bishop Verot quarterback Carter Smith signs to play college football for the Wisconsin Badgers on early Signing Day.
WINK NEWS SWFL stars ink with Power 4 programs during Early Signing Period Several Southwest Florida football standouts are taking their talents to the Power 4 gridirons after signing during the Early Signing Period.
Beloved Charlotte County man killed outside home, investigation ongoing A man loved by his peers and his community was taken away from them in the middle of the night at his own home.
FORT MYERS BEACH The Lani Kai Resort reopens on Fort Myers Beach An iconic spot on Fort Myers Beach is back open and taking reservations for the first time since Hurricane Ian.
Gov. DeSantis being considered for defense secretary Will Ron DeSantis be your governor in 2025, or is he headed to Washington?
NAPLES Naples votes to remove fluoride from tap water The Naples City Council has voted to remove fluoride from its tap water.
Red meat linked to health complications Doctors with the Cleveland Clinic are researching a link between eating red meat and increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
LEHIGH ACRES Lehigh Acres man arrested on 10 counts of possession of child sexual abuse material The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has arrested a 71-year-old Lehigh Acres man on 10 counts of possession of child sexual abuse material.
WASHINGTON (AP) Trump considers DeSantis for the Pentagon with Hegseth under pressure over allegations: AP sources Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s Pentagon pick, was fighting to hold on to his Cabinet nomination amid growing questions Wednesday about his personal conduct as the president-elect’s team considers alternatives, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
PORT CHARLOTTE CCSO ‘Shop with a Cop’ event spreads holiday cheer Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office deputies spent time helping kids pick out gifts for their families during the annual Shop with a Cop event.
CLEWISTON Caught on camera: Explosion in hotel parking lot in Clewiston There was an explosion in the parking lot of a Holiday Inn in Clewiston on Wednesday.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda leaders outline plans for Gilchrist Park repairs Gilchrist Park is closed, and Punta Gorda city leaders have been discussing possibly restoring the park.
NORTH NAPLES Airman surprises 6-year-old daughter at school for the holidays after ten months of service in Kuwait After almost a year of service in Kuwait, one airman came home for the holidays and surprised his daughter.
FORT MYERS Breaking down the Lee County Sheriff’s Office budget The Lee County Sheriff’s Office and Sheriff Carmine Marceno have been under scrutiny since a federal investigation on potential money laundering began. Many have questioned LCSO’s spending, so we broke down the budget.
How to protect yourself from thieves this holiday season On Cyber Monday, Americans spent $13 billion, which will translate into many packages on doorsteps this holiday season.
FORT MYERS Bishop Verot QB Carter Smith signs with Wisconsin Bishop Verot quarterback Carter Smith signs to play college football for the Wisconsin Badgers on early Signing Day.
WINK NEWS SWFL stars ink with Power 4 programs during Early Signing Period Several Southwest Florida football standouts are taking their talents to the Power 4 gridirons after signing during the Early Signing Period.
Beloved Charlotte County man killed outside home, investigation ongoing A man loved by his peers and his community was taken away from them in the middle of the night at his own home.
FORT MYERS BEACH The Lani Kai Resort reopens on Fort Myers Beach An iconic spot on Fort Myers Beach is back open and taking reservations for the first time since Hurricane Ian.
Gov. DeSantis being considered for defense secretary Will Ron DeSantis be your governor in 2025, or is he headed to Washington?
NAPLES Naples votes to remove fluoride from tap water The Naples City Council has voted to remove fluoride from its tap water.
Red meat linked to health complications Doctors with the Cleveland Clinic are researching a link between eating red meat and increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
LEHIGH ACRES Lehigh Acres man arrested on 10 counts of possession of child sexual abuse material The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has arrested a 71-year-old Lehigh Acres man on 10 counts of possession of child sexual abuse material.
WASHINGTON (AP) Trump considers DeSantis for the Pentagon with Hegseth under pressure over allegations: AP sources Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s Pentagon pick, was fighting to hold on to his Cabinet nomination amid growing questions Wednesday about his personal conduct as the president-elect’s team considers alternatives, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Pallbearers carry the casket of Marcus Guara’s daughters before a funeral service for the family at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Tuesday, July 6, 2021, in Miami Beach. Guara, his wife Anaely, and daughters Lucia and Emma, died in the collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium building in nearby Surfside. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) Correction from Associated Press Building Collapse-Family Funeral story: In a story July 7, 2021, about a funeral for a family of four that died in the Florida condo collapse, The Associated Press erroneously reported the age of daughter Lucia Guara based on initial incorrect information from police. Lucia Guara is 11 years old, not 10. The AP also used the incorrect last name for her mother. It is Rodriguez, not Guara. The bodies of two young sisters pulled from the rubble of a Florida condo building, a 4- and 10-year-old, were buried together in the same casket alongside their parents Tuesday, their white coffin draped with innocent pink and purple ribbons. Lucia Guara, “Lulu Bear,” loved watching “Jeopardy” with her dad, dancing and doing yoga with her mother. Her baby sister, Emma, was the princess of the family, a natural artist, who enjoyed her dad’s piggyback rides and cuddling with her mom, family member Digna Rodriguez said. The hourlong funeral was held at the family’s Catholic parish, St. Joseph, just three blocks from where the Champlain Towers South building partially collapsed, killing the Guara sisters, their parents, Marcus and Anaely Guara, and 32 others. More than 100 are still missing. Fighting heavy rains and winds from a tropical storm, rescuers continued digging through piles of pulverized concrete and twisted steel for a 13th day Tuesday in Surfside. The now-razed condominium building overlooks the parking lot of the church where Emma was baptized in 2017 and Lucia had her first communion in 2019. The Rev. Juan J. Sosa asked for continued prayers. “We still have about 15 of our other parishioners missing,” he said. The pastor reminded those in attendance that death does not define them, saying God’s strength is always present, especially in trials. Pallbearers wheel the casket of Lucia Guara and Emma Guara as they arrive to their funeral service at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Tuesday, July 6, 2021, in Miami Beach. Lucia, Emma, their father, Marcus Guara, and mother, Anaely Rodriguez, died during the Champlain Towers South condo collapse on June 24. (Matias J. Ocner /Miami Herald via AP) Family members wiped away tears and clung to each other in emotional embraces throughout the service, especially during the singing of “Amazing Grace” as the caskets were being carried out of the church at the end. “May we all connect with family as Lucia would. May we all move with grace as Emma would. May we all be as devoted and loyal as Marcus and Anaely were,” Rodriguez said. Marcus Guara’s cousin, Peter Milián, encouraged others to follow the family’s example by fully embracing the present moment and loving those around them. “This cooler than cool guy melted all over his daughters. He loved being a father,” Milián said, describing how he proudly participated in Lucia’s made-up news shows and Emma’s obstacle courses. A competitive athlete and successful salesman, Marcus, 52, enjoyed life’s small pleasures the most, like walking on the beach with his family. Anaely was a thinker and problem solver, a protective mother who embraced Emma’s creativity and was Lucia’s role model, Rodriguez said. Lucia had a fierce love for her extended family, and was a big-hearted child who easily connected with others. A few months ago, she stuffed all of her birthday and tooth fairy money into an envelope and asked her dad to send it to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, saying, “They need it more than I do,” her father posted on Facebook. Milián said it was a blessing the family perished together. “I truly believe God watched over them by not making them suffer without Lucia and Emma,” he said.