Gov. DeSantis to hold a news conference in JacksonvilleSea turtle nesting season begins in Fort Myers Beach
Jacksonville Gov. DeSantis to hold a news conference in Jacksonville Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news conference in Jacksonville.
FORT MYERS BEACH Sea turtle nesting season begins in Fort Myers Beach Sea turtle nesting season has officially begun, and the FWC wants to remind visitors about the fragility of the young reptiles.
BAREFOOT LAKE Neighbors react to chaos at Barefoot Lake Imagine being scared to leave your home on the weekends. Ana and Anrik understand the feeling all too well.
CAPE CORAL The story of Ollie’s Pub and what kept it open through years of hardships Before Ollie’s housed weekly events, packed to the brim with artwork and home to many, it was a simple dream and an empty space.
Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for May 1, 2024 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for May 1, 2024.
FORT MYERS BEACH Remembering Fort Myers Beach ‘Mayor’ Brad Benson To know Brad Benson was to know a legend. He recently passed away at the age of 71 after battling health issues.
CAPE CORAL Proposed Cape Coral City Council meeting time change fails In a 4 to 4 vote, the motion to move Cape Coral meeting times from 4:30 to 9 a.m. failed.
Greater Dunbar initiative begins A duplex that has been around since the 1960s and is filled with generations of memories is being demolished.
Caught on camera: funnel clouds, hail and more during thunderstorm Wednesday’s thunderstorms storms have produced hail and funnel clouds.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New mammography guidelines Breast cancer is much easier to treat when it’s caught early.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral church picking up the pieces after massive fire Calvary Connection ministries is unrecognizable after a massive fire swept through a Cape Coral Complex on Monday.
CAPE CORAL Day Two of FEMA code compliance hearings in Cape Coral Another 50 people were summoned Wednesday for the second day of code compliance hearings before the special magistrate.
PUNTA GORDA Cracking down on vapes in Charlotte County schools Vaping is taking over, and that’s why three Charlotte County High schools are testing out vape sensors.
State lawmakers want to hear your opinion on voting in Lee County Right now, everyone votes for or against all five of the Lee Commissioners, but they’re talking about changing the system so that each commissioner represents a specific part of the county.
FORT MYERS Migrants entering Florida under controversial parole program The House Committee on Homeland Security has released documents, which show a surge in migrants entering the United States through a parole program, sparking debate over immigration policies and border security.
Jacksonville Gov. DeSantis to hold a news conference in Jacksonville Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news conference in Jacksonville.
FORT MYERS BEACH Sea turtle nesting season begins in Fort Myers Beach Sea turtle nesting season has officially begun, and the FWC wants to remind visitors about the fragility of the young reptiles.
BAREFOOT LAKE Neighbors react to chaos at Barefoot Lake Imagine being scared to leave your home on the weekends. Ana and Anrik understand the feeling all too well.
CAPE CORAL The story of Ollie’s Pub and what kept it open through years of hardships Before Ollie’s housed weekly events, packed to the brim with artwork and home to many, it was a simple dream and an empty space.
Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for May 1, 2024 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for May 1, 2024.
FORT MYERS BEACH Remembering Fort Myers Beach ‘Mayor’ Brad Benson To know Brad Benson was to know a legend. He recently passed away at the age of 71 after battling health issues.
CAPE CORAL Proposed Cape Coral City Council meeting time change fails In a 4 to 4 vote, the motion to move Cape Coral meeting times from 4:30 to 9 a.m. failed.
Greater Dunbar initiative begins A duplex that has been around since the 1960s and is filled with generations of memories is being demolished.
Caught on camera: funnel clouds, hail and more during thunderstorm Wednesday’s thunderstorms storms have produced hail and funnel clouds.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New mammography guidelines Breast cancer is much easier to treat when it’s caught early.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral church picking up the pieces after massive fire Calvary Connection ministries is unrecognizable after a massive fire swept through a Cape Coral Complex on Monday.
CAPE CORAL Day Two of FEMA code compliance hearings in Cape Coral Another 50 people were summoned Wednesday for the second day of code compliance hearings before the special magistrate.
PUNTA GORDA Cracking down on vapes in Charlotte County schools Vaping is taking over, and that’s why three Charlotte County High schools are testing out vape sensors.
State lawmakers want to hear your opinion on voting in Lee County Right now, everyone votes for or against all five of the Lee Commissioners, but they’re talking about changing the system so that each commissioner represents a specific part of the county.
FORT MYERS Migrants entering Florida under controversial parole program The House Committee on Homeland Security has released documents, which show a surge in migrants entering the United States through a parole program, sparking debate over immigration policies and border security.
Public domain image. Southwest Florida will soon welcome back international visitors. The United States is lifting all travel bans on foreign visitors from 33 countries on November, 8 which is great news for tourism. People looking to enter the country will need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide proof. That is going to be handled by the airlines abroad before anyone ever boards a plane. The same goes for showing proof of a negative COVID-19 test. But you can still expect RSW to get busier because there are a lot of anxious people ready to return to Southwest Florida. Rolf Weiss is one of the people looking forward to being able to visit again. He lives in Germany and for 12 straight years made the trip here. Then the pandemic hit and shut everything down. Weiss, to console himself, made himself a faux Fort Myers Beach in his backyard in Germany, but there is no need for the decorations now. Weiss said, “I said to my family, well great, we can go back!” The Biden administration will lift travel bans for fully vaccinated visitors from 33 countries on November 8. There are limited allowances for foreign nationals who are not vaccinated. Weiss has already booked a beach house for January. “We are crazy for Florida,” he said. That type of enthusiasm is exactly what Lee County Commissioner Brian Hamman wants to hear. “I think we are in for probably one of the busiest seasons we’ve ever seen in our history,” said Hamman who is also the chairman of the tourist development council. Hamman said Lee County is already flooded with domestic visitors, possibly more this year than any other year. Foreign tourists made up 15-25% of Lee County visitors before the pandemic, so busy businesses are about to get busier. And the beauty of that is they stay longer, and they spend more money here helping out small businesses. Hamman said the area typically sees Canadians come down in the winter, Germans in the summer. The first flight from Germany to RSW isn’t until late March, but Weiss is not waiting. He’ll be here in January, flying into Miami and driving across the state. Collier Tourism Director Paul Beirnes said, “we’re really excited. November 8, has been a date that we’ve been waiting for, unknowingly, for now 19 months.” Before the pandemic 19% of tourists in Collier County were international. Now Beirnes is bracing for, and hoping for, even more. Beirnes said, “we heard tales from international or European tour operators of 300 to 17,100% increase in call volume, the next day, there is a pent-up demand to travel. I think that all bets are off as to what that means in numbers.” Those numbers are likely to be good news for all of Southwest Florida. There is no telling now how many foreign flights will touch down in Florida come the 8th, but Beirnes believes they’re going to keep coming. “We believe that those travel windows that international visitors normally come will probably expand.”