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.
Miguel Angel Corea Diaz, center, the alleged East Coast leader of MS-13, is lead by Drug Enforcement Administration officers, Wednesday, April 18, 2018 in Baltimore. DEA agents had brought Diaz to New York to face murder conspiracy and drug-trafficking charges. Credit: AP via CBS A leader of MS-13 has been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted last year of multiple charges, including murder and conspiracy to commit murder, the Department of Justice announced Friday. MS-13, or La Mara Salvatrucha, is one of the largest gangs in the world and has been referred to by former Attorney General Bill Barr as “a death cult.” Miguel Angel Corea Diaz, 41, also known as Reaper, was accused along with his co-defendant Junior Noe Alvarado-Requeno of controlling and operating Sailors Locos Salvatruchos Westside, one of the gang’s “cliques,” between 2015 and 2018. According to the Justice Department, the Maryland-based clique was involved in “a host of significant criminal activity including murder, extortion, drug trafficking, money laundering, and witness tampering.” During the 2021 trial, prosecutors presented evidence showing that the group extorted local businesses in Maryland by charging them “rent” for operating in the gang’s so-called “territory.” Evidence also showed that the clique was responsible for committing violent acts against both rival gangs and its own members for “breaking gang rules” and for trafficking illegal drugs like heroin and cocaine. The group would also share proceeds from the gang’s illegal activities to MS-13 leadership in El Salvador in ways designed to “avoid law enforcement scrutiny,” the Justice Department said Friday. Prosecutors also argued that in 2017, Corea-Diaz and Alvarado-Requeno helped kidnap and murder a high school student because of a “dispute” the student had with an MS-13 member over marijuana. A group of MS-13 members, who were organized by Corea-Diaz and Alvarado-Requeno, abducted the student on his front lawn, cut his hand off and killed him. Corea-Diaz and Alvarado-Requeno then “helped to hide and protect the killers from law enforcement,” according to the Justice Department. “The brutality of Corea Diaz is almost unfathomable,” U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron said Friday in a statement. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to remove these violent gang members to keep our communities safe from the violence perpetrated by MS-13.” Corea Diaz and Alvarado-Requeno were convicted by a federal jury on November 23, 2021, following a four-week trial for murder in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, and multiple drug offenses, according to the DOJ. “Any time we can get a notorious gang member off. the streets, it is a victory for both law enforcement and law-abiding citizens,” special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Baltimore James R. Mancuso said Friday in a statement. “In this case, the criminal is particularly violent, and now he will face the consequences of his crimes.” Alvarado-Requeno, who also faces a mandatory life sentence, is scheduled to be sentenced on April 25.