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: The deliberate burning of cabins and a church wiped out the African American quarter of Rosewood as the inhabitants took to the woods. -The Literary Digest Magazine (Jan. 20, 1923)” Nearly 100 years ago, a racist lie lead to a massacre. A white woman said a Black man beat her, leading to days of mobs and racial violence in the small town of Rosewood, Florida. You won’t find it in many history books and there are few pictures. But one woman is determined to share the history and wants everyone to remember Rosewood. No matter how many times Lizzie Jenkins reads the Florida Heritage Landmark marker, she says it never gets any easier to talk about what happened here 99 years ago. Jenkins is the president and founder of The Real Rosewood Foundation, Inc. “I go home, get in bed, in a fetal position, and I decompress,” Jenkins said. “Rosewood is my life.” Her family and all of Rosewood were destroyed back then because of one big lie that began in the next town over. In summer on January 1, 1923, a white woman named Fannie Taylor claimed a Black man assaulted her while her husband was at work at the local mill. “It wasn’t true,” Jenkins explained. “But because she was having an extramarital affair, with a white man that worked with the husband. She needed an excuse for her husband. So she said, a Black man did it.” Jenkins says that lie inflamed hundreds of KKK members who went looking for one of the Black men they assumed did it, Aaron Carrier, Jenkins’ uncle. The mob tied him to a car and dragged him to Sumner. Carrier survived but his mother did not. She’s one of five Black people who were murdered. They are now memorialized by five angels near the blue marker. “We were afraid to talk about it for a long time,” Jenkins added. After all the families were forced from their homes in Rosewood, the mob burned the town and looted livestock and property. The only home they didn’t touch belonged to John Wright. He helped shelter Carrier’s wife, Jenkins’ aunt, Mahulda Gussie Brown Carrier, until she could escape to her parent’s house in Archer, more than 30 miles away. Jenkins said, “It’s a relief. Okay, but it’s painful. It’s painful because my aunt lived with it. She never forgot it. She lived 25 years after and for all 25 years, she carried the pain of rosewood.” Now it’s Jenkins’s great responsibility to carry the burden of pain and truth. Almost 20 years ago she started The Real Rosewood Foundation so the history and truth of Rosewood is never forgotten. She said, “History is who we are. And without history. We’re nothing. So, we got to keep it alive.” Jenkins says John Wright’s home was donated to her organization in July. She hopes to turn it into a museum in time to commemorate 100 years next year. SERIES: BLACK HISTORY MONTH