School District denies bus service to student despite mother’s measurements2 stranded dolphins rescued from mangroves near Matlacha
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.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for December 11, 2024 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for Wednesday, December 11, 2024.
Second leading cause of chest pain The leading cause of cardiac chest pain is coronary artery disease, which affects over 18 million adults in the United States.
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.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for December 11, 2024 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for Wednesday, December 11, 2024.
Second leading cause of chest pain The leading cause of cardiac chest pain is coronary artery disease, which affects over 18 million adults in the United States.
DeSantis spoke at CPAC on Thursday. Gov. Ron DeSantis drew rock-star cheers Thursday as he declared Florida “the citadel of freedom” and played up his conservative credentials while opening the four-day Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando. DeSantis tossed hats to the crowd at the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel before diving into a speech heavy on opposition to the federal government and calling for conservatives to “make 2022 the year that America fought back” against “leftist” and “woke” policies of the Biden Administration backed by media and big-tech companies. “We’re going to lead the charge here in Florida, but we need people all over the country to be willing to put on that full armor of God, to stand firm against the left schemes,” DeSantis said. “You’ll be met with flaming arrows, but the shield of faith will stop them,” he continued. “You will emerge victorious. And so, I can tell you this in Florida, we will be standing our ground, and will be holding that line. We are not going to back down. We’ve accomplished more in this state than anyone thought possible. But I can tell you this, we have only begun to fight.” The appearance at CPAC came as DeSantis runs for re-election in November and as speculation builds about a possible bid for president in 2024. A University of North Florida poll released Thursday indicated DeSantis holds a narrow lead on former President Donald Trump among Florida Republicans. Trump, who has welded a vise-like grip on the party and is scheduled to address the conference on Saturday, also is widely considered a potential 2024 candidate. The poll by the university’s Public Opinion Research Lab had DeSantis at 44 percent and Trump at 41 percent, with other voters backing someone else or refusing to respond. “With both of them calling Florida home, this is a pivotal state and an outlier compared to national polling on this race,” said Michael Binder, the lab’s faculty director and a professor of political science. The poll of 685 registered voters, conducted by phone between Feb. 7 and Feb. 20, has a 3.74 percentage-point margin of error. DeSantis, who did not mention the former president in a 20-minute address Thursday, has reportedly drawn some ire from Trump for not publicly pledging to step aside in 2024 if Trump decides to run. In January, Trump took what many saw as a thinly veiled shot at DeSantis in criticizing “gutless” politicians who refuse to publicly disclose whether they received COVID-19 booster shots. DeSantis has repeatedly declined to reveal his booster status. Before DeSantis’ appearance Thursday, the Democratic National Committee posted a video highlighting Trump’s “gutless” quip and issued an accompanying statement that said DeSantis’ approach to the pandemic “could prolong the pandemic, irresponsibly undermined vaccines and elevated anti-vaxxers, all just to score political points.” DeSantis used his address Thursday to tout Florida as the “freest” state, with heavy tourism and open businesses and schools. He criticized Democratic President Joe Biden and federal infectious-disease expert Anthony Fauci, along with media organizations, tech companies and other major institutions that he said “have become infected with this woke virus.” DeSantis said “Florida has defeated Faucism,” and “Freedom has prevailed in the Sunshine State,” pointing to issues such as his push to return students to schools while other states were holding classes online during the COVID-19 pandemic. “When I got elected governor in 2018, there were almost 300,000 more registered Democrats in the state of Florida than Republicans. And Florida has never had more registered Republicans and Democrats in our history,” DeSantis said. “Today, standing here in February of 2022. There are 82,000 more Republicans registered in the state of Florida than Democrats. And it’s not just people coming from blue states. There are people that look to Florida as the citadel of freedom, who are chafing under authoritarian rule all across the world.” DeSantis drew cheers for 2021 Florida laws that enhance riot-related penalties, put new restrictions on voting by mail and banned transgender female athletes from participating on girls’ and women’s sports teams. He also received cheers when he pointed to efforts to prohibit the teaching of “critical race theory” and his $8 million budget request to reroute illegal immigrants “to Delaware,” Biden’s home state. DeSantis added, “We’ll do some in D.C. and Hollywood as well.”