Naples Botanical Garden performs prescribed burn in garden areaJerry Seinfeld to perform at Barbara B. Mann in SWFL
NAPLES Naples Botanical Garden performs prescribed burn in garden area The Naples Botanical Garden is conducting a prescribed fire as part of its maintenance of the nature preserve.
NEAR FORT MYERS Jerry Seinfeld to perform at Barbara B. Mann in SWFL Comedian and co-creator of a popular sitcom of the same name, Jerry Seinfeld, is set to perform near Fort Myers.
COLLIER COUNTY DOH-Collier cautions of blue-green algae at Lake Avalon The Florida Department of Health in Collier County (DOH-Collier) wants to caution the public of the presence of blue-green algae in Lake Avalon.
City, Naples Beach Club to preserve green space in perpetuity More than 104 acres of recreation and open space at the former Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club’s golf course will be forever preserved.
FORT MYERS The 52nd annual Fort Myers Boat Show begins An annual Fort Myers tradition has returned as the region’s premier display of boats and boating products, which will be on full display for enthusiasts to enjoy.
the weather authority Tracking Tropical Depression 19, expected to become Tropical Storm Sara The Weather Authority is tracking Tropical Depression 19, which is forecast to strengthen into Tropical Storm Sara in the Caribbean later this Thursday afternoon.
the weather authority Gorgeous Thursday afternoon with highs in the mid 80s The Weather Authority is tracking pleasant afternoon conditions with temperatures in the mid-80s this Thursday.
SANIBEL Failed air quality tests push back reopening date for The Sanibel School The tentative reopening of The Sanibel School has been pushed back once again after being closed since Hurricane Milton.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers Police respond to rollover crash; driver flees scene The Fort Myers Police Department responded to a rollover, single-vehicle on Colonial Gardens Circle and Colonial Boulevard.
FORT MYERS West End residents frustrated by security failures, lack of response A nearly $64 million luxury apartment complex that close to 500 people call home, but somehow, security seems to fall through the cracks.
NAPLES Collier County nearly doubles tourism budget On Tuesday, Collier County Commissioners approved a nearly $12 million budget for a tourism marketing campaign.
Florida policyholders urged to contact OIR if policies are canceled or nonrenewed If your insurance has been canceled or is not being renewed due to this year’s storms, the state of Florida wants you to reach out to the Office of Insurance Regulation.
BAREFOOT BEACH Woman thinks QR code got hacked A Fort Myers woman says a fraudulent QR code at Barefoot Beach caused her credit card to be hacked. She’s on a mission to warn others.
CAPE CORAL Sticker shock: Cape Coral residents hit with unexpected property tax hikes This is the time of year when people start paying their property taxes, but what happens when you get your bill and it’s more than you expected?
SANIBEL Sanibel workshop teaches residents benefits of elevating homes and businesses With each hurricane that brings damage to our area, many people rush to be more resilient. On Sanibel, more than 300 people have RSVP’d to learn about raising their homes and businesses.
NAPLES Naples Botanical Garden performs prescribed burn in garden area The Naples Botanical Garden is conducting a prescribed fire as part of its maintenance of the nature preserve.
NEAR FORT MYERS Jerry Seinfeld to perform at Barbara B. Mann in SWFL Comedian and co-creator of a popular sitcom of the same name, Jerry Seinfeld, is set to perform near Fort Myers.
COLLIER COUNTY DOH-Collier cautions of blue-green algae at Lake Avalon The Florida Department of Health in Collier County (DOH-Collier) wants to caution the public of the presence of blue-green algae in Lake Avalon.
City, Naples Beach Club to preserve green space in perpetuity More than 104 acres of recreation and open space at the former Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club’s golf course will be forever preserved.
FORT MYERS The 52nd annual Fort Myers Boat Show begins An annual Fort Myers tradition has returned as the region’s premier display of boats and boating products, which will be on full display for enthusiasts to enjoy.
the weather authority Tracking Tropical Depression 19, expected to become Tropical Storm Sara The Weather Authority is tracking Tropical Depression 19, which is forecast to strengthen into Tropical Storm Sara in the Caribbean later this Thursday afternoon.
the weather authority Gorgeous Thursday afternoon with highs in the mid 80s The Weather Authority is tracking pleasant afternoon conditions with temperatures in the mid-80s this Thursday.
SANIBEL Failed air quality tests push back reopening date for The Sanibel School The tentative reopening of The Sanibel School has been pushed back once again after being closed since Hurricane Milton.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers Police respond to rollover crash; driver flees scene The Fort Myers Police Department responded to a rollover, single-vehicle on Colonial Gardens Circle and Colonial Boulevard.
FORT MYERS West End residents frustrated by security failures, lack of response A nearly $64 million luxury apartment complex that close to 500 people call home, but somehow, security seems to fall through the cracks.
NAPLES Collier County nearly doubles tourism budget On Tuesday, Collier County Commissioners approved a nearly $12 million budget for a tourism marketing campaign.
Florida policyholders urged to contact OIR if policies are canceled or nonrenewed If your insurance has been canceled or is not being renewed due to this year’s storms, the state of Florida wants you to reach out to the Office of Insurance Regulation.
BAREFOOT BEACH Woman thinks QR code got hacked A Fort Myers woman says a fraudulent QR code at Barefoot Beach caused her credit card to be hacked. She’s on a mission to warn others.
CAPE CORAL Sticker shock: Cape Coral residents hit with unexpected property tax hikes This is the time of year when people start paying their property taxes, but what happens when you get your bill and it’s more than you expected?
SANIBEL Sanibel workshop teaches residents benefits of elevating homes and businesses With each hurricane that brings damage to our area, many people rush to be more resilient. On Sanibel, more than 300 people have RSVP’d to learn about raising their homes and businesses.
Daisy, an 18-year-old Siberian tiger, bit an employee at Wooten’s on March 22. (CREDIT: FWC) A Wooten’s Everglades Airboat Rides employee who was bitten by a tiger last month was apparently drunk when the incident happened, according to a report by FWC. Ignacio Meabe Martinez, 48, had been working at the Ochopee roadside attraction for a few weeks before he was bitten by one of the tigers during feeding time on March 22, according to an investigative report released by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Martinez told investigators with the FWC that he had wanted to pet the tiger. An 18-year-old Siberian tiger named Daisy, weighing about 350 pounds, and an approximately 15-year-old male Bengal tiger named Duruba, weighing about 700 pounds are kept at the facility. The tiger’s caretaker had finished feeding the two tigers when Martinez entered the tiger’s enclosure buffer zone. The tiger’s caretaker told Martinez, a mechanic at the facility, he was not authorized to be in the enclosure, but Martinez told him “they are both employees there and they both have the same right to be there.” Martinez then reached his hand in the animals’ enclosure, picked up a piece of chicken and offered it to Daisy who took it from his hand before dropping it and biting the man’s two fingers. Daisy pulled Martinez’s arm into the enclosure before swiping at this arm with her claws. The witness said Martinez reached into the enclosure with his right arm to try to free himself but Duruba bit down on it instead, according to the report. Martinez had no recollection of being bit by the second tiger. The caretaker sprayed water at the tigers and Duruba released his grip on Martinez but Daisy held on. The caretaker then grabbed Martinez by the torso and pulled until Daisy let go, the report shows. FWC investigators found no violations by Wooten’s placing the blame on Martinez who “voluntarily breached the structural safety barrier and restricted buffer zone area surrounding the tiger’s enclosure, inserted his hands and arms into the tiger’s enclosure after being instructed not to do so, leading to the incident.” At the hospital, a social worker told FWC investigators that Martinez was drunk when arrived at the hospital. Martine’z wife also said she was told Martinez “had the smell of alcohol on his breath.” It’s unclear if his blood alcohol content was tested, but it was not listed in the report. Michelle is afraid of the alligators when she visits Wooten’s but not the tigers. “Because there’s a cage. I mean, like, I’m far enough away from them,” she said. But there’s no cage, fence or barrier high enough to stop people from doing dumb things. That’s how people described Martinez’s actions when he was bit by the tigers. “Stupidity. That’s it. Why are you sticking your hand where it doesn’t belong,” said Russ Francis, visiting from Oregon. Michelle said it’s offensive and unfortunate that Martinez was drinking. “Those are wild animals and he wasn’t giving (them) the respect they needed,” Michelle said. This is the second tiger attack in Collier County in a year. In December, a custodian at the Naples Zoo was but by Eko, an 8-year-old Malayan tiger. Eko was killed by a deputy who was forced to shoot the animal to save the custodian’s life.