Fort Myers woman accused of stealing, selling boat and trailerLee County Supervisor of Elections to mail sample ballots
CAPE CORAL Fort Myers woman accused of stealing, selling boat and trailer A woman has been arrested after allegedly stealing a boat and trailer and trying to sell it off by forging the owner’s signature.
Lee County Supervisor of Elections to mail sample ballots The Lee County Supervisor of Elections will soon begin sending out mail sample ballots for the upcoming 2024 election.
The Weather Authority The Weather Authority: More rain and storms this Thursday afternoon and evening The Weather Authority is tracking more rain and storms this Thursday, possibly heavily impacting some areas this afternoon.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers CRA discusses downtown expansion On Wednesday, the Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency discussed an expansion of the area they oversee.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda couple salvages what’s left after dramatic rescue A Punta Gorda couple is awaiting FEMA assistance after dealing with damage from Helene.
BOCA GRANDE Rebuilding after Hurricane Helene and avoiding contractor pitfalls Neighbors across Southwest Florida and beyond are picking up the pieces and assessing the damage left by Hurricane Helene.
PORT CHARLOTTE Areas of Port Charlotte flooded due to heavy rain Some areas of Port Charlotte are underwater after heavy rain Wednesday evening.
PINE ISLAND The Greater Pine Island Alliance is seeking volunteers to help recovery efforts The Greater Pine Island Alliance is looking for volunteers, and age or skill set does not matter; if you want to help, they have a job for you.
FORT MYERS Whiskey Creek residents frustrated by worsened flooding Whiskey Creek residents do not know why flooding has worsened, but they said they want something done about it.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs firefighters rescue a bulldog in Helene’s aftermath In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Bonita Springs Fire Station 27 received a guest: a sweet little bulldog.
FGCU professor speaks on port worker strike 45,000 port workers on the East and Gulf Coasts are officially on strike as of Wednesday after their labor contract with the U.S. Maritime Alliance expired.
CAPE CORAL Oasis head football coach leading the Sharks after 22 years with Cape Coral Police Oasis High School head football coach Brice Bearman in his first season after retiring from the Cape Coral Police Department after 22 years.
NAPLES Naples City Council votes to repair Naples Pier Though Helene did cause further damage to the Naples Pier, the city manager said it would not get in the way of its reconstruction.
Florida voter registration deadline upcoming Monday, Oct. 7, is the deadline to register to vote in November’s general election.
FORT MYERS BEACH The future of Church of the Ascension after Helene One of the hardest hit churches by Hurricane Ian is on Fort Myers Beach. Church of the Ascension got more water from Helene, but there wasn’t much left to damage.
CAPE CORAL Fort Myers woman accused of stealing, selling boat and trailer A woman has been arrested after allegedly stealing a boat and trailer and trying to sell it off by forging the owner’s signature.
Lee County Supervisor of Elections to mail sample ballots The Lee County Supervisor of Elections will soon begin sending out mail sample ballots for the upcoming 2024 election.
The Weather Authority The Weather Authority: More rain and storms this Thursday afternoon and evening The Weather Authority is tracking more rain and storms this Thursday, possibly heavily impacting some areas this afternoon.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers CRA discusses downtown expansion On Wednesday, the Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency discussed an expansion of the area they oversee.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda couple salvages what’s left after dramatic rescue A Punta Gorda couple is awaiting FEMA assistance after dealing with damage from Helene.
BOCA GRANDE Rebuilding after Hurricane Helene and avoiding contractor pitfalls Neighbors across Southwest Florida and beyond are picking up the pieces and assessing the damage left by Hurricane Helene.
PORT CHARLOTTE Areas of Port Charlotte flooded due to heavy rain Some areas of Port Charlotte are underwater after heavy rain Wednesday evening.
PINE ISLAND The Greater Pine Island Alliance is seeking volunteers to help recovery efforts The Greater Pine Island Alliance is looking for volunteers, and age or skill set does not matter; if you want to help, they have a job for you.
FORT MYERS Whiskey Creek residents frustrated by worsened flooding Whiskey Creek residents do not know why flooding has worsened, but they said they want something done about it.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs firefighters rescue a bulldog in Helene’s aftermath In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Bonita Springs Fire Station 27 received a guest: a sweet little bulldog.
FGCU professor speaks on port worker strike 45,000 port workers on the East and Gulf Coasts are officially on strike as of Wednesday after their labor contract with the U.S. Maritime Alliance expired.
CAPE CORAL Oasis head football coach leading the Sharks after 22 years with Cape Coral Police Oasis High School head football coach Brice Bearman in his first season after retiring from the Cape Coral Police Department after 22 years.
NAPLES Naples City Council votes to repair Naples Pier Though Helene did cause further damage to the Naples Pier, the city manager said it would not get in the way of its reconstruction.
Florida voter registration deadline upcoming Monday, Oct. 7, is the deadline to register to vote in November’s general election.
FORT MYERS BEACH The future of Church of the Ascension after Helene One of the hardest hit churches by Hurricane Ian is on Fort Myers Beach. Church of the Ascension got more water from Helene, but there wasn’t much left to damage.
The Devil Tree is at the Oak Hammock Neighborhood Park in Port St. Lucie. Credit: WPEC As Halloween night approaches, many are curious about the haunted spots in South Florida. In Port St. Lucie, along Florida’s east coast, there is said to be a place known as the Devil Tree. The tree is said to be tied to one of Florida’s first serial killers, according to CBS12 in West Palm Beach. Gerard John Schaefer first surfaced as a serial killer in the 1970s, as a former Martin County Sheriff’s deputy. The Devil Tree has a knot in its trunk, about 10 feet off of the ground, in the shape of a goat’s head with horns. Author Keith Rommel wrote a book about the Devil Tree. He’s done extensive research on the tree as well as on Schaefer himself. Rommel believes this second tree is where Schaefer actually tortured and killed his victims. “This was the ideal place to take them, because no matter how loud you screamed nobody’s coming for you,” said Rommel. “Especially when somebody dressed as a sheriff’s deputy was near. He was a sheriff’s deputy so he killed, he killed a lot.” Schaefer received two life sentences in 1973 for killing two teenage girls, Susan Place and Georgia Jessup. Upon searching his home, law enforcement recovered jewelry, teeth and other personal items belonging to women they believe Schaefer also killed. Before being killed by another inmate in prison in 1995, Schaefer spoke of killing more than 30 women and girls. “The detective that was diagnosing his behavior and the killings that he did said that, in comparison to Ted Bundy, he made Bundy look like a Boy Scout,” said Rommel. “He was very, very mean and evil.” Rommel wants some of the other cases to get attention so that the family of Schaefer’s possible victims can have a chance at closure. MORE: For more information about his story, head to our sister station CBS12’s website.