19 heavy metal bands to perform at 119-year-old Arcadia opera houseFlorida officials seek tougher penalties for illegal arcades
ARCADIA 19 heavy metal bands to perform at 119-year-old Arcadia opera house A 119-year-old opera house will host 19 local heavy metal bands as part of a two-day festival.
Florida officials seek tougher penalties for illegal arcades Experts say that illegal gaming places are like cockroaches: if you squash one of them, a bunch more pop up in their place.
ENGLEWOOD Englewood residents urged to stay vigilant as armed man eludes capture Authorities are still searching for a 20-year-old man considered armed and dangerous, who escaped from deputies during an attempted arrest.
CAPE CORAL Behind the scenes look at upcoming Sunplash upgrades Sunsplash Waterpark in Cape Coral is set to unveil its newest attraction, Paradise Cove, later this year.
little gasparilla island Relief for Little Gasparilla as barge begins debris removal after hurricanes Little Gasparilla Island is receiving much-needed assistance from Charlotte County to clear debris from hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Space research may unlock heart repair breakthroughs Researchers are exploring new frontiers in medical science by conducting experiments in space to address cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of death.
PORT CHARLOTTE 911 call released of man who shot and killed wife in Port Charlotte home The 911 call of a man who called to report he had shot his wife while his two children were inside the home has been released.
NORTH PORT Gabby Petito documentary coming to Netflix The story of Gabby Petito’s murder captured the hearts and minds of Southwest Florida and the entire country. Now, Netflix is picking it up.
NAPLES Silver anniversary of the Naples Winter Wine Festival brings in lots of green – $34M The Naples Winter Wine Festival auction on Saturday struck a chord with patrons and inspired them to open their wallets.
BONITA SPRINGS Fort Myers woman accused of throwing brick through ex-husband’s window A woman has been arrested after allegedly throwing a brick through her ex-husband’s Bonita Springs house window.
NORTH PORT North Port man accused of staging scene after murdering wife A North Port man has been arrested after allegedly murdering his wife and staging the scene to make the incident look self-inflicted.
NAPLES Child abuse incident at Naples Pier leads to police officer’s arrest A police officer found himself on the other side of law after severely striking his child with a belt on Naples Pier.
the weather authority Chilly January wraps up; what to expect for February’s weather? With January wrapping up, Southwest Florida experienced quite a chilly month. Only two days throughout the entire month reached temperatures of 80 degrees or higher, the fewest since 2016.
downtown fort myers UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz to Grand Marshall Edison Festival of Light Former UFC Light Heavyweight World Champion and Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz has been announced as the grand marshall of the 87th annual Edison Festival of Light parade.
18 year old buys Travelin Tom’s Coffee Truck serving Charlotte County It had been only a week since former Florida Gulf Coast University student Maddox Burns took possession of his first coffee franchise truck, but he was busy Jan. 25 when adults and children lined up at Babcock Ranch to purchase one of his more than two dozen beverages.
ARCADIA 19 heavy metal bands to perform at 119-year-old Arcadia opera house A 119-year-old opera house will host 19 local heavy metal bands as part of a two-day festival.
Florida officials seek tougher penalties for illegal arcades Experts say that illegal gaming places are like cockroaches: if you squash one of them, a bunch more pop up in their place.
ENGLEWOOD Englewood residents urged to stay vigilant as armed man eludes capture Authorities are still searching for a 20-year-old man considered armed and dangerous, who escaped from deputies during an attempted arrest.
CAPE CORAL Behind the scenes look at upcoming Sunplash upgrades Sunsplash Waterpark in Cape Coral is set to unveil its newest attraction, Paradise Cove, later this year.
little gasparilla island Relief for Little Gasparilla as barge begins debris removal after hurricanes Little Gasparilla Island is receiving much-needed assistance from Charlotte County to clear debris from hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Space research may unlock heart repair breakthroughs Researchers are exploring new frontiers in medical science by conducting experiments in space to address cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of death.
PORT CHARLOTTE 911 call released of man who shot and killed wife in Port Charlotte home The 911 call of a man who called to report he had shot his wife while his two children were inside the home has been released.
NORTH PORT Gabby Petito documentary coming to Netflix The story of Gabby Petito’s murder captured the hearts and minds of Southwest Florida and the entire country. Now, Netflix is picking it up.
NAPLES Silver anniversary of the Naples Winter Wine Festival brings in lots of green – $34M The Naples Winter Wine Festival auction on Saturday struck a chord with patrons and inspired them to open their wallets.
BONITA SPRINGS Fort Myers woman accused of throwing brick through ex-husband’s window A woman has been arrested after allegedly throwing a brick through her ex-husband’s Bonita Springs house window.
NORTH PORT North Port man accused of staging scene after murdering wife A North Port man has been arrested after allegedly murdering his wife and staging the scene to make the incident look self-inflicted.
NAPLES Child abuse incident at Naples Pier leads to police officer’s arrest A police officer found himself on the other side of law after severely striking his child with a belt on Naples Pier.
the weather authority Chilly January wraps up; what to expect for February’s weather? With January wrapping up, Southwest Florida experienced quite a chilly month. Only two days throughout the entire month reached temperatures of 80 degrees or higher, the fewest since 2016.
downtown fort myers UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz to Grand Marshall Edison Festival of Light Former UFC Light Heavyweight World Champion and Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz has been announced as the grand marshall of the 87th annual Edison Festival of Light parade.
18 year old buys Travelin Tom’s Coffee Truck serving Charlotte County It had been only a week since former Florida Gulf Coast University student Maddox Burns took possession of his first coffee franchise truck, but he was busy Jan. 25 when adults and children lined up at Babcock Ranch to purchase one of his more than two dozen beverages.
Credit: WINK News A lifelong Rays fan is in need of a new game companion. This Port Charlotte woman is a season ticket holder and has been going to games alongside her husband for more than a decade. Now, she’s gearing up for her first baseball season since his death. And, without him to drive her there, she can’t make it to St. Petersburg on her own. Now, she’s asking for a little help from her community. With just one glance, it’s obvious that Karabeth Schleich loves her Tampa Bay Rays. She has a flag waving proudly outside of her Port Charlotte home. Inside her house, there are shelves loaded with items from giveaways and even her own personal hall of fame with signed memorabilia. “You can see I’m a fan. I got all my gear on,” said Schleich. She grew to love the game, thanks to the love of her life. Her husband of 50 years, Carl, went with her to her first Rays game. “I’m not going to be married to no Yankee fan, and I’m coming back to the Rays because I absolutely loved it. It was alive. It was energetic,” Schleich said. And that energy lasted for more than a decade. The couple had season tickets and made Tropicana Field their home away from home. “Even though we were up in the third deck, and they probably didn’t hear us much that we were hollering anyway,” said Schleich. This season will be different for Karabeth, though. It will be her first baseball season without Carl. He passed away in November of 2021. He even repped the Rays in hospice care. “We put a Rays shirt on him. He had a blue pillow. And he had his Rays blanket on him. That’s what he had for his bed when he came home,” Schleich said. Since she’s confined to a motorized chair and now has an extra ticket, Schleich needed someone to take her to the stadium this season. So, she took to Facebook and asked for help. Luckily, people are stepping up to the plate. “Hopefully, I can provide to them an opportunity to experience the Trop and the joy that we have felt at the games,” said Schleich. On Opening Day, she’ll return to the home of the Rays where she’ll once again get to be with Carl in her own way. “I’m going to sit in his seat and in that number one seat that he cherished so much, and I’m going to just picture him there screaming and hollering,” she said. And she’s going to root for the Rays. Karabeth says she’s got a baseball buddy for all but two games she plans to attend this season. She also said the Rays are finally going to win the World Series.