Students react to threat made at Florida Gulf Coast UniversityMissing and endangered boy found in Lehigh Acres
Students react to 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.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs Elementary School’s demolition plans There’s a new lesson plan at Bonita Springs Elementary School: Demolition 101. The school is set to be knocked down, and there’s good reason.
MARCO ISLAND Marco Island Councilmember’s dogs allegedly attack 13-year-old girl Councilor Tamara Goehler is coming under fire after her dogs allegedly attacked a 13-year-old girl and the girl’s five-month-old puppy.
PUNTA GORDA Gilchrist Park’s future brightens as boat cleanup commences The boats blocking Gilchrist Park are ready to be moved two years after Hurricane Ian.
Lee County Department of Health issues red tide alert for Bowman’s Beach The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a health alert for the presence of red tide near Bowman’s Beach.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral working on project to address canal safety An older Cape Coral couple drove into a canal last year. Neighbors are now saying something needs to be done about canal safety.
NAPLES Collier County mental health center receives $4 million donation A giant donation is dedicated to providing people with better mental health care in southwest Florida.
LABELLE City of LaBelle under precautionary boil water notice A water main break has the City of Labelle under a precautionary boil water notice.
ESTERO FGCU student wins ice dancing national championship FGCU sophomore Lucas Appel wins his second US Senior Solo Dance National Championship in three years.
Lee County Sheriff’s Office: Parent brings weapon to Lehigh Acres school According to a Lee County Sheriff’s Office report, there is probable cause to believe a woman unintentionally brought a firearm to school.
Students react to 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.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs Elementary School’s demolition plans There’s a new lesson plan at Bonita Springs Elementary School: Demolition 101. The school is set to be knocked down, and there’s good reason.
MARCO ISLAND Marco Island Councilmember’s dogs allegedly attack 13-year-old girl Councilor Tamara Goehler is coming under fire after her dogs allegedly attacked a 13-year-old girl and the girl’s five-month-old puppy.
PUNTA GORDA Gilchrist Park’s future brightens as boat cleanup commences The boats blocking Gilchrist Park are ready to be moved two years after Hurricane Ian.
Lee County Department of Health issues red tide alert for Bowman’s Beach The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a health alert for the presence of red tide near Bowman’s Beach.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral working on project to address canal safety An older Cape Coral couple drove into a canal last year. Neighbors are now saying something needs to be done about canal safety.
NAPLES Collier County mental health center receives $4 million donation A giant donation is dedicated to providing people with better mental health care in southwest Florida.
LABELLE City of LaBelle under precautionary boil water notice A water main break has the City of Labelle under a precautionary boil water notice.
ESTERO FGCU student wins ice dancing national championship FGCU sophomore Lucas Appel wins his second US Senior Solo Dance National Championship in three years.
Lee County Sheriff’s Office: Parent brings weapon to Lehigh Acres school According to a Lee County Sheriff’s Office report, there is probable cause to believe a woman unintentionally brought a firearm to school.
FILE Photo of a Lee County Sheriff’s Office response to the report of a school threat at Gateway Charter School in Lee County in November 2020. Credit: WINK News. Educators are hopeful the upcoming school year will be back to normal after the past two were hampered by the pandemic, but a report through the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) shows negative trends regarding student behavior in school, especially the rise of school shootings. The numbers from the report reflect data from the 2019-20 school year. The data is studied and published one year after the school year ends. Because of recent trends, we looked at how parents can aid in a positive student experience. Some of the math is heading in the right direction: Bullying is down 6% across the last 10 years, and 9% of students experienced gang activity, which was down from 18% in 2009. Southwest Florida educators agree student behavior and treatment of their peers seems to be evolving. “You shouldn’t be making fun of them. Treat them nice; treat them good,” said Michael Riley, the student and community liaison with Charlotte County Public Schools. “And if you’re not treated good, we need to know about it.” Experts said improved accountability and reporting in the school systems have also played a part. “Even students that choose to bully understand that it can be reported now by a simple push of a button on the school district website,” Riley said. “A student can report themselves or a friend being bullied anonymously.” DOJ also discusses the increasingly large threat of any parent or educator’s biggest fear: school shootings. “It just rattles me to think that something like that could happen,” Riley said. “But we know it could.” Credit: WINK News. The report shows a massive jump in school shootings that involved a “casualty,” which was defined as a shooting where someone is injured or killed. That number was 75 in 2020, despite many students learning remote from home, almost triple the number the U.S. experienced five years ago in 2016. “Unfortunately, this seems to be a way of life everywhere,” said parent Chris Dion. “You can’t get away with it no matter where you are anymore.” It’s a fear some Southwest Florida families have had to consider. Gateway Charter School had to enter a lockdown last November when a violent threat was made. The Dion family had their youngest child in the school at the time. “It was a nightmare,” Dion explained. “His mom got the first text saying, ‘There’s a bunch of police here. Am I OK? Now, they’re all running in with guns.’” Although no shooting or violence ultimately happened that day, the experience is becoming more common. FILE Photo of a Lee County Sheriff’s Office response to the report of a school threat at Gateway Charter School in Lee County in November 2020. Credit: WINK News. Thankfully, schools are responding. With more threats comes more training and preparation. “There’s training and lessons in the classroom, and some people say, ‘You’re scaring our children,’” Riley said. “We say, ‘No. We’re not scaring them. This is the real world. We’re protecting them.’” “When we do training for how to respond in a lockdown situation, we have videos targeted K to two,” said Marc MacDonald, the security and safety supervisor for Collier County Public Schools. “That’s a specific group. Then, our next group is three to five. We are tailoring these training videos to their development.” “It’s good that they’re getting the training, but it is horrible that they have to have that training,” Dion said. School districts in Southwest Florida are protective of their safety procedures. None of them allowed us to go behind the scenes to show you how they prepare but they did tell us it’s never been harder to get inside a school. “It’s really hard to get on this campus during the school day without being invited in,” MacDonald said. “It’s just a necessity.” Every school is now protected by fencing, security cameras and an entry system that requires an employee badge or clearance. “It’s critical to the safety of the kids and the staff that administration knows who’s here and why,” MacDonald said. One thing the DOJ report did not calculate is how many incidents at schools started with trouble at home. Educators claim if parents want to help build a happy, safe school atmosphere, it starts before the first bell. “I think it’s real simple,” Riley said. “Tell their children how much they love them. Tell them what good people they are, build up their self-esteem.” MORE: Summary of Report on Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 2020 Full Report on Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2020