NORTH FORT MYERS Lee County residents wait hours for D-SNAP assistance The supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) is at the Lee Civic Center all weekend, ready to help southwest Florida.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA First eaglet hatches in famous SWFL eagle nest Welcome E24! The third eaglet from the nest of M15 and F23 has hatched according to the Southwest Florida eagle camera.
lehigh acres LCSO: Lehigh Acres shooting investigation underway The Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting in Lehigh Acres early Saturday morning.
Rock for Equality: SWFL non-profit hosts benefit concert for Palestine A Southwest Florida non-profit hosted a benefit concert on Friday night to help with humanitarian aid in Palestine.
Warm, breezy Saturday with a few showers possible The Weather Authority is forecasting a breezy, warm weekend in store across Southwest Florida, with the chance of a few showers, particularly on Saturday.
CAPE CORAL Active investigation underway in South Cape Coral Cape Coral police are investigating at a home on Southwest 49th Terrace in South Cape Coral early Saturday morning.
16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier County According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, two airboats crashed south of U.S. 41 east between mile markers 74 and 75, leaving well over a dozen people injured.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashes There could be new detectives on the block, located in your nearest auto shop. A new state bill aims at trying to stop hit-and-run drivers from getting away.
CAPE CORAL New leash on life; Cape Coral shelter dog beats cancer with drug being tested for humans A drug now being studied in human trials to kill cancerous tumors, is already approved and helping animals.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral planning a new interchange with I-75 The city of Cape Coral is in the early stages of planning a new interchange with I-75, an idea that has been discussed for more than a decade.
Tracking invasive species after hurricanes Hurricanes Helene and Milton didn’t just bring wind and rain, they brought new threats to southwest Florida’s ecosystem.
PUNTA GORDA Woman in Punta Gorda shooting charged with 2nd degree murder A woman in a homicide investigation on Nasturtium Drive in Punta Gorda has been charged with 2nd-degree murder.
Lee County mother continuing fight to get children a bus stop The school district already told her she lives too close to the school to qualify for a bus route but she has not given up.
NORTH NAPLES Grant Thornton Invitational returns to Tiburon Golf Club Stars on the PGA and LPGA Tours are back in Southwest Florida for the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club.
FORT MYERS Black Flag brings classic punk energy to The Ranch in Fort Myers Legendary punk band Black Flag made their mark in Southwest Florida during the Fort Myers stop of their “First Four Years” tour.
NORTH FORT MYERS Lee County residents wait hours for D-SNAP assistance The supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) is at the Lee Civic Center all weekend, ready to help southwest Florida.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA First eaglet hatches in famous SWFL eagle nest Welcome E24! The third eaglet from the nest of M15 and F23 has hatched according to the Southwest Florida eagle camera.
lehigh acres LCSO: Lehigh Acres shooting investigation underway The Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting in Lehigh Acres early Saturday morning.
Rock for Equality: SWFL non-profit hosts benefit concert for Palestine A Southwest Florida non-profit hosted a benefit concert on Friday night to help with humanitarian aid in Palestine.
Warm, breezy Saturday with a few showers possible The Weather Authority is forecasting a breezy, warm weekend in store across Southwest Florida, with the chance of a few showers, particularly on Saturday.
CAPE CORAL Active investigation underway in South Cape Coral Cape Coral police are investigating at a home on Southwest 49th Terrace in South Cape Coral early Saturday morning.
16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier County According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, two airboats crashed south of U.S. 41 east between mile markers 74 and 75, leaving well over a dozen people injured.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashes There could be new detectives on the block, located in your nearest auto shop. A new state bill aims at trying to stop hit-and-run drivers from getting away.
CAPE CORAL New leash on life; Cape Coral shelter dog beats cancer with drug being tested for humans A drug now being studied in human trials to kill cancerous tumors, is already approved and helping animals.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral planning a new interchange with I-75 The city of Cape Coral is in the early stages of planning a new interchange with I-75, an idea that has been discussed for more than a decade.
Tracking invasive species after hurricanes Hurricanes Helene and Milton didn’t just bring wind and rain, they brought new threats to southwest Florida’s ecosystem.
PUNTA GORDA Woman in Punta Gorda shooting charged with 2nd degree murder A woman in a homicide investigation on Nasturtium Drive in Punta Gorda has been charged with 2nd-degree murder.
Lee County mother continuing fight to get children a bus stop The school district already told her she lives too close to the school to qualify for a bus route but she has not given up.
NORTH NAPLES Grant Thornton Invitational returns to Tiburon Golf Club Stars on the PGA and LPGA Tours are back in Southwest Florida for the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club.
FORT MYERS Black Flag brings classic punk energy to The Ranch in Fort Myers Legendary punk band Black Flag made their mark in Southwest Florida during the Fort Myers stop of their “First Four Years” tour.
Vincent Joseph Robusto, 38. Credit: Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office. An armed felon from Georgia was arrested and faces charges after being accused of holding a 15-year-old girl against her will after she traveled from Texas to Charlotte County. Charlotte County deputies went to a home on Ohara Drive in Port Charlotte Friday after a girl from Dilley, Texas was reported missing. Several days prior, a 15-year-old girl got on a flight for what the parents believed to be an all-inclusive church retreat in Florida. After not hearing from the girl for days, the family contacted the Dilley Police Department. Her phone was located at a home on Ohara Drive, which is when Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office was contacted. “It’s really scary,” Jamie Macncham-Case said. “I’m glad that they were able to catch her or to find her right away, but it’s scary that someone coming from another state to just pick up a teenager and go to some random house.” That random house was right next-door to Mancham-Case. “It’s scary to know just living next-door,” Mancham-Case said. “I had no idea what’s going on in the house next to me.” Once on scene, deputies knocked on the door and said they saw a man run to the backroom, refusing to open the door or acknowledge the deputies. Deputies identified the owner of the white Buick in the driveway as a Georgia resident. The owner of the property was contacted and was able to get ahold of the man and persuade him to come to the front door, along with the girl. Vincent Joseph Robusto, 38, a convicted felon out of Georgia, was detained pending the investigation. While talking with the girl, deputies learned that she was attempting to open the door but was held back by Robusto and told to stay quiet. She said she remembered getting off a plane in Fort Myers and then walking down a street where she was greeted by Robusto. The two went to the rental where Robusto was staying and they had dinner and the girl was given a vape pen with an unknown substance, deputies say. Detectives contacted the church camp where she told her family she was going, but they said she was not registered for the camp and had never attended their church. Detectives also report friends of the juvenile told them the 15-year-old had been communicating with an older man via social media. “I teach high school, so a lot of children right now like to chat and get online, and you just never know who you’re talking to on the internet,” Jennifer Blanche said. After searching the rental, deputies say they found Vincent Joseph Robusto was in possession of eight rounds of ammunition, which were inside a magazine of a semi-automatic handgun. Robusto was arrested and faces the following charges: False Imprisonment of a Person Against Their Will Interference with Custody of Minor Possession of Firearm Ammunition or Weapon by US Convicted Felon Drug Paraphernalia – Delivery to Minor Possession of Firearm Ammunition or Weapon by US Convicted Felon The Florida Department of Children and Families worked with authorities in Texas to reunite the girl with her parents. Robusto’s bail is set at $325,000.