Crash on Daniels Parkway leaves 1 injured, FHP investigatingReckless driver arrested twice in 10 days in Fort Myers
FORT MYERS Crash on Daniels Parkway leaves 1 injured, FHP investigating The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a crash involving two vehicles that has left at least one person injured in Fort Myers.
FORT MYERS Reckless driver arrested twice in 10 days in Fort Myers A Fort Myers man with a revoked license was arrested twice within 10 days for driving violations.
WINK Neighborhood Watch: Deadly shooter, home invasion and drug trafficking This week’s segment of WINK Neighborhood Watch features deadly shootings, home invasions and drug trafficking.
FORT MYERS Pedestrian dead after crash on McGregor Boulevard The Fort Myers Police Department is investigating a crash that left at least one person dead Saturday night.
Sunday brings sun and clouds with chance for a stray shower The Weather Authority forecasts another seasonal day across Southwest Florida, with temperatures reaching the upper 70s to low 80s this afternoon.
Family of Eagles: FGCU volleyball star graduates with Master’s Degree Saturday marked a special day for Florida Gulf Coast University as more than 1,800 students graduated. For one student-athlete, graduating from FGCU runs in the family.
lehigh acres LCSO: Man shot by car owner protecting property The Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting in Lehigh Acres early Saturday morning.
NORTH FORT MYERS Lee County residents wait hours for D-SNAP assistance The supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) is at the Lee Civic Center all weekend, ready to help southwest Florida.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA First eaglet hatches in famous SWFL eagle nest Welcome E24! The third eaglet from the nest of M15 and F23 has hatched according to the Southwest Florida eagle camera.
Rock for Equality: SWFL non-profit hosts benefit concert for Palestine A Southwest Florida non-profit hosted a benefit concert on Friday night to help with humanitarian aid in Palestine.
Warm, breezy Saturday with a few showers possible The Weather Authority is forecasting a breezy, warm weekend in store across Southwest Florida, with the chance of a few showers, particularly on Saturday.
CAPE CORAL Active investigation underway in South Cape Coral Cape Coral police are investigating at a home on Southwest 49th Terrace in South Cape Coral early Saturday morning.
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.
FORT MYERS Crash on Daniels Parkway leaves 1 injured, FHP investigating The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a crash involving two vehicles that has left at least one person injured in Fort Myers.
FORT MYERS Reckless driver arrested twice in 10 days in Fort Myers A Fort Myers man with a revoked license was arrested twice within 10 days for driving violations.
WINK Neighborhood Watch: Deadly shooter, home invasion and drug trafficking This week’s segment of WINK Neighborhood Watch features deadly shootings, home invasions and drug trafficking.
FORT MYERS Pedestrian dead after crash on McGregor Boulevard The Fort Myers Police Department is investigating a crash that left at least one person dead Saturday night.
Sunday brings sun and clouds with chance for a stray shower The Weather Authority forecasts another seasonal day across Southwest Florida, with temperatures reaching the upper 70s to low 80s this afternoon.
Family of Eagles: FGCU volleyball star graduates with Master’s Degree Saturday marked a special day for Florida Gulf Coast University as more than 1,800 students graduated. For one student-athlete, graduating from FGCU runs in the family.
lehigh acres LCSO: Man shot by car owner protecting property The Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting in Lehigh Acres early Saturday morning.
NORTH FORT MYERS Lee County residents wait hours for D-SNAP assistance The supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) is at the Lee Civic Center all weekend, ready to help southwest Florida.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA First eaglet hatches in famous SWFL eagle nest Welcome E24! The third eaglet from the nest of M15 and F23 has hatched according to the Southwest Florida eagle camera.
Rock for Equality: SWFL non-profit hosts benefit concert for Palestine A Southwest Florida non-profit hosted a benefit concert on Friday night to help with humanitarian aid in Palestine.
Warm, breezy Saturday with a few showers possible The Weather Authority is forecasting a breezy, warm weekend in store across Southwest Florida, with the chance of a few showers, particularly on Saturday.
CAPE CORAL Active investigation underway in South Cape Coral Cape Coral police are investigating at a home on Southwest 49th Terrace in South Cape Coral early Saturday morning.
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.
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.