16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier CountyNew bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashes
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.
Charlotte Technical College breaks ground on aviation facility The Charlotte County School District is flying high and keeping its “Space Academy” designation with a new aviation training facility for students.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested in connection with Cape Coral home invasion The Cape Coral Police Department has announced the arrest of one of three men suspected in a home invasion that took place earlier this month.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral residents react to $100M North Cape land deal The city of Cape Coral is seeing two projects that will change the city. One is called one of the most lucrative deals in county history.
Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association breaks ground on new Fort Myers headquarters As Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association’s president pointed out, about 1,000 people are still moving to Florida every day, and many of them are finding their way to Southwest Florida.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County drug trafficker sentenced to 10 years A Charlotte County man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug trafficking.
lehigh acres ‘How to sign away parental rights?’; Lehigh Acres woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby.
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.
Charlotte Technical College breaks ground on aviation facility The Charlotte County School District is flying high and keeping its “Space Academy” designation with a new aviation training facility for students.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested in connection with Cape Coral home invasion The Cape Coral Police Department has announced the arrest of one of three men suspected in a home invasion that took place earlier this month.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral residents react to $100M North Cape land deal The city of Cape Coral is seeing two projects that will change the city. One is called one of the most lucrative deals in county history.
Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association breaks ground on new Fort Myers headquarters As Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association’s president pointed out, about 1,000 people are still moving to Florida every day, and many of them are finding their way to Southwest Florida.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County drug trafficker sentenced to 10 years A Charlotte County man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug trafficking.
lehigh acres ‘How to sign away parental rights?’; Lehigh Acres woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby.
FILE – In this April 26, 2016, file photo, Michele Fiore participates in a Republican debate in Henderson, Nev. In her quest to be Nevada’s next governor, Las Vegas city councilwoman Fiore has been spending thousands on television ads. But instead of airing them only in the Las Vegas media market to be seen by millions of voters, she’s also targeting an audience of one. Fiore in November purchased TV spots on Fox News in the West Palm Beach-Fort Pierce, Fla., media market likely so they can be seen by former President Trump at Mar-A-Lago. (AP Photo/John Locher, File) In a campaign ad, Nevada gubernatorial candidate Michele Fiore steps out of a Ford F-150 with a handgun holstered on her hip and tells viewers she was one of the first elected officials to endorse Donald Trump in the lead-up to the 2016 election. “You better believe I was attacked for it,” Fiore says, affirming her commitment to the former president as a country rock-style guitar riff plays in the background. She hopes Trump is watching. In addition to purchasing ads in Nevada media markets like her competitors, Fiore is now investing campaign funds to air her 60-second segment in Palm Beach, Florida, where the former president spends winters at his Mar-a-Lago club. Her campaign spent $6,270 to broadcast 62 television spots on Fox News in the West Palm Beach-Fort Pierce media market during the final week of November, Federal Communications Commission filings show. Trump has been splitting his time since leaving office between Florida, his official residence, and his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, where he spent most of the last summer. When Fiore’s ads aired over the Thanksgiving holiday, he and his family were at Mar-a-Lago. Candidates and interest groups have long used targeted cable ads to reach the television-obsessed Trump, often lining up spots in Washington and Florida to catch his attention when he was in the White House or vacationing. Fiore’s move reflects Trump’s enduring post-presidential influence in the Republican Party and underscores how his endorsement is seen as a potential game-changer by Republicans embroiled in primary battles throughout the country. Since Trump left the White House, much of the competition for his attention has played out in Florida. In one particularly vivid example, a multifaced billboard on the boulevard connecting Palm Beach International Airport to Mar-a-Lago is often decorated with messages from supporters and detractors. At the club, Trump has held dozens of fundraisers and other events for Republicans running for U.S. Senate, governor and other offices, including for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and Sarah Sanders, his former press secretary now running for governor of Arkansas. The venue typically guarantees a strong showing, thanks to its loyal, paid membership and Trump often appearing, even at events he doesn’t host. He’s also welcomed a succession of candidates seeking his support, including Idaho Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin, running against incumbent Republican Gov. Brad Little. Trump endorsed McGeachin a week after she visited Mar-a-Lago in November. Fiore, a Las Vegas city councilwoman, is one of at least 10 candidates running for governor in Nevada, a swing state Trump lost narrowly in 2020. She was elected in 2012 to the Nevada statehouse, where she championed gun rights and introduced a controversial proposal that would have dramatically curbed federal power to manage public lands and waters in Nevada. Her ties to and support of rancher Cliven Bundy and his family during armed standoffs between self-described citizen militia members and federal law enforcement thrust her into a national spotlight in 2014 and 2016. This year, Fiore is running on a platform that includes opposition to coronavirus mandates, support for law enforcement against protesters she calls “domestic terrorists,” and reversing Nevada’s decision to send all active voters mail-in ballots. Other candidates running in the June 2022 Republican primary include former U.S. Sen. Dean Heller, Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo and Joey Gilbert, a Reno attorney outside the U.S. Capitol during last year’s insurrection. The winner will take on Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak, who won by 5.1 percentage points in 2018. Representatives for Trump did not respond to questions about whether he had seen Fiore’s ad or planned to endorse her in the Nevada governor’s race. The Fiore campaign also spent more than $100,000 to air ads in Reno, Las Vegas and Salt Lake City, where the media market extends to rural northeastern Nevada. Targeting the Florida airwaves in addition to Nevada is simply about reminding the former president of her long-time support, her campaign consultant Rory McShane said. “Many candidates are seeking Trump endorsements, but if you look back at four and five years, a lot of those same candidates were disavowing Trump and even holding anti-Trump rallies,” McShane said. “It’s important to remind the President’s team that Michele Fiore is the only true America First candidate running for Governor,” he added. Heller, who told The Associated Press last week he would also welcome Trump’s endorsement, clashed with Trump over efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act in 2017. Still, the two reconciled and campaigned together in 2018 when then-U.S. Rep. Jacky Rosen defeated Heller in Nevada’s Senate race. Since 2020, Fiore has been the only candidate running for statewide office outside of Florida to purchase ads from Comcast, a cable provider in the region, according to a review of FCC filings. “What it tells me is that — assuming that the goal here is to get noticed by former President Trump — the ads are targeted at an audience of one, as opposed to an audience of thousands or millions of voters,” said Vanderbilt University professor John Sides, a political scientist who has written on the effects of television advertising on political campaigns. “The calculation is that if you can get on the president’s radar screen or earn his support,” Sides said, “then that endorsement will be worth the investment of buying ads in a media market thousands of miles away.” ___ Associated Press writers Terry Spencer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Jill Colvin in New York contributed to this report. Metz is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.