19 heavy metal bands to perform at 119-year-old Arcadia opera houseFlorida officials seek tougher penalties for illegal arcades
ARCADIA 19 heavy metal bands to perform at 119-year-old Arcadia opera house A 119-year-old opera house will host 19 local heavy metal bands as part of a two-day festival.
Florida officials seek tougher penalties for illegal arcades Experts say that illegal gaming places are like cockroaches: if you squash one of them, a bunch more pop up in their place.
ENGLEWOOD Englewood residents urged to stay vigilant as armed man eludes capture Authorities are still searching for a 20-year-old man considered armed and dangerous, who escaped from deputies during an attempted arrest.
CAPE CORAL Behind the scenes look at upcoming Sunplash upgrades Sunsplash Waterpark in Cape Coral is set to unveil its newest attraction, Paradise Cove, later this year.
little gasparilla island Relief for Little Gasparilla as barge begins debris removal after hurricanes Little Gasparilla Island is receiving much-needed assistance from Charlotte County to clear debris from hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Space research may unlock heart repair breakthroughs Researchers are exploring new frontiers in medical science by conducting experiments in space to address cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of death.
PORT CHARLOTTE 911 call released of man who shot and killed wife in Port Charlotte home The 911 call of a man who called to report he had shot his wife while his two children were inside the home has been released.
NORTH PORT Gabby Petito documentary coming to Netflix The story of Gabby Petito’s murder captured the hearts and minds of Southwest Florida and the entire country. Now, Netflix is picking it up.
NAPLES Silver anniversary of the Naples Winter Wine Festival brings in lots of green – $34M The Naples Winter Wine Festival auction on Saturday struck a chord with patrons and inspired them to open their wallets.
BONITA SPRINGS Fort Myers woman accused of throwing brick through ex-husband’s window A woman has been arrested after allegedly throwing a brick through her ex-husband’s Bonita Springs house window.
NORTH PORT North Port man accused of staging scene after murdering wife A North Port man has been arrested after allegedly murdering his wife and staging the scene to make the incident look self-inflicted.
NAPLES Child abuse incident at Naples Pier leads to police officer’s arrest A police officer found himself on the other side of law after severely striking his child with a belt on Naples Pier.
the weather authority Chilly January wraps up; what to expect for February’s weather? With January wrapping up, Southwest Florida experienced quite a chilly month. Only two days throughout the entire month reached temperatures of 80 degrees or higher, the fewest since 2016.
downtown fort myers UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz to Grand Marshall Edison Festival of Light Former UFC Light Heavyweight World Champion and Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz has been announced as the grand marshall of the 87th annual Edison Festival of Light parade.
18 year old buys Travelin Tom’s Coffee Truck serving Charlotte County It had been only a week since former Florida Gulf Coast University student Maddox Burns took possession of his first coffee franchise truck, but he was busy Jan. 25 when adults and children lined up at Babcock Ranch to purchase one of his more than two dozen beverages.
ARCADIA 19 heavy metal bands to perform at 119-year-old Arcadia opera house A 119-year-old opera house will host 19 local heavy metal bands as part of a two-day festival.
Florida officials seek tougher penalties for illegal arcades Experts say that illegal gaming places are like cockroaches: if you squash one of them, a bunch more pop up in their place.
ENGLEWOOD Englewood residents urged to stay vigilant as armed man eludes capture Authorities are still searching for a 20-year-old man considered armed and dangerous, who escaped from deputies during an attempted arrest.
CAPE CORAL Behind the scenes look at upcoming Sunplash upgrades Sunsplash Waterpark in Cape Coral is set to unveil its newest attraction, Paradise Cove, later this year.
little gasparilla island Relief for Little Gasparilla as barge begins debris removal after hurricanes Little Gasparilla Island is receiving much-needed assistance from Charlotte County to clear debris from hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Space research may unlock heart repair breakthroughs Researchers are exploring new frontiers in medical science by conducting experiments in space to address cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of death.
PORT CHARLOTTE 911 call released of man who shot and killed wife in Port Charlotte home The 911 call of a man who called to report he had shot his wife while his two children were inside the home has been released.
NORTH PORT Gabby Petito documentary coming to Netflix The story of Gabby Petito’s murder captured the hearts and minds of Southwest Florida and the entire country. Now, Netflix is picking it up.
NAPLES Silver anniversary of the Naples Winter Wine Festival brings in lots of green – $34M The Naples Winter Wine Festival auction on Saturday struck a chord with patrons and inspired them to open their wallets.
BONITA SPRINGS Fort Myers woman accused of throwing brick through ex-husband’s window A woman has been arrested after allegedly throwing a brick through her ex-husband’s Bonita Springs house window.
NORTH PORT North Port man accused of staging scene after murdering wife A North Port man has been arrested after allegedly murdering his wife and staging the scene to make the incident look self-inflicted.
NAPLES Child abuse incident at Naples Pier leads to police officer’s arrest A police officer found himself on the other side of law after severely striking his child with a belt on Naples Pier.
the weather authority Chilly January wraps up; what to expect for February’s weather? With January wrapping up, Southwest Florida experienced quite a chilly month. Only two days throughout the entire month reached temperatures of 80 degrees or higher, the fewest since 2016.
downtown fort myers UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz to Grand Marshall Edison Festival of Light Former UFC Light Heavyweight World Champion and Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz has been announced as the grand marshall of the 87th annual Edison Festival of Light parade.
18 year old buys Travelin Tom’s Coffee Truck serving Charlotte County It had been only a week since former Florida Gulf Coast University student Maddox Burns took possession of his first coffee franchise truck, but he was busy Jan. 25 when adults and children lined up at Babcock Ranch to purchase one of his more than two dozen beverages.
Credit: Donna Creel An arrest report details how a 17-year-old shooter and two others followed three teens in a vehicle for more than two miles while shooting into their van in Arcadia. The shooting occurred on Saturday at around 4 p.m. and left at least three teens injured. An arrest report for 18-year-old Alexa Avilez said she was the driver in the shooting and her boyfriend, Victor Cervantes, 17, was shooting out of the window. Deputies arrested a 14-year-old boy on Thursday and accused him of being a second shooter. An arrest report was not available for the younger of the alleged shooters. A witness told deputies with the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office that Cervantes admitted he was involved in the shooting, saying “they got what they deserved,” the arrest report states. One of the victims, Jose, was airlifted to a hospital in St. Petersburg. His brother, Alejandro, also a victim, was taken to a local hospital. The third victim, Fabio, was shot in the arm and back and taken to Sarasota Memorial Hospital, according to the arrest report. Deputies say the shooting was retaliatory after the alleged shooters had their home shot at. The mother of the alleged shooters said she did not report the shooting of her home to law enforcement, according to the arrest report. Deputies initially thought there were only three people in the victim’s car but found a fourth person, who said they didn’t want to be involved in testifying because of possible retaliation. Cervantes was initially arrested for three counts of attempted murder but could now face a fourth. Alexa Avilez, 18. Credit: DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office. Avilez was arrested on four counts of attempted murder. She was taken to DeSoto County Jail where bond was set to $800,000, or $200,000 on each count. Her arrest report states she “operated the Nissan Rogue as the driver, made the conscious decision to turn and pursue the victim vehicle at a high rate of speed, knowing (Cervantes) was shooting a firearm at the victim vehicle.” It continues that she made a conscious decision to follow the vehicle for at least two miles and then pulled alongside the victim vehicle for Cervantes to shoot. Cervantes was taken into custody and then transferred to a juvenile facility in Manatee County, where he is currently being held without bond.