LeeTran scheduled to resume trolley system this monthMBA Transportation no longer sole transporter at RSW
FORT MYERS LeeTran scheduled to resume trolley system this month LeeTran brings back the popular seasonal River District trolleys and Fort Myers Beach tram later this month.
MBA Transportation no longer sole transporter at RSW After serving Southwest Florida locals and travelers for nearly 20 years, MBA Transportation is being forced to leave its booth at Southwest Florida International Airport.
WINK NEWS Veterans Day events across Southwest Florida Veterans Day is a time to honor and celebrate the sacrifices and bravery of those who have served in the military.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral man accused of possessing child pornography A Cape Coral man has been arrested this week after allegedly being caught in possession of child pornography.
FORT MYERS Free dental work for veterans event to be held in Fort Myers The Fort Myers Laser Dentistry will provide free dental work for veterans as part of its Day of Service Program.
the weather authority Tracking Category 2 Hurricane Rafael in the Gulf of Mexico The Weather Authority Meteorologists are tracking Hurricane Rafael as it tracks farther away from Southwest Florida.
the weather authority Isolated storms as Hurricane Rafael moves west this Thursday The Weather Authority is tracking isolated storms due to the outer bands of Hurricane Rafael this Thursday.
NAPLES Early morning building fire investigation in Naples The Naples Fire Rescue responded to a building fire near Lowdermilk Park on Gulf Shore Boulevard North.
CBS News Donald Trump wins election in historic comeback after 2020 loss, indictments and bruising campaign Donald J. Trump’s projected victory over Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election marks a historic and improbable comeback for the former president
NORTH FORT MYERS Debris dumped on North Fort Myers yard stalls family’s urgent move One woman in North Fort Myers has no idea why her yard has become a dumpster in her neighborhood.
Caught on Camera: Two men break into Lehigh mother’s car A Lehigh mother said she’s afraid after two men tried to break into her car. The entire thing was caught on her security camera, but nothing was taken.
SANIBEL Students could return to The Sanibel School soon The Lee County School District just announced students on Sanibel could return to the school as soon as Monday.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs to hold Veteran’s Day event with 3-star general The City of Bonita Springs will honor those who served in a special ceremony on Veteran’s Day. A three-star Army general will attend the event.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers approves referendum to improve parks and rec areas Fort Myers residents approved a 75 million dollar “Go bond” referendum to improve parks and recreation areas during Tuesday’s general election.
Why does Florida have a super majority vote for constitutional changes? Amendments three and four, marijuana and abortion, failed, despite the majority of voters wanting both amendments to pass. They both didn’t get 60% yes.
FORT MYERS LeeTran scheduled to resume trolley system this month LeeTran brings back the popular seasonal River District trolleys and Fort Myers Beach tram later this month.
MBA Transportation no longer sole transporter at RSW After serving Southwest Florida locals and travelers for nearly 20 years, MBA Transportation is being forced to leave its booth at Southwest Florida International Airport.
WINK NEWS Veterans Day events across Southwest Florida Veterans Day is a time to honor and celebrate the sacrifices and bravery of those who have served in the military.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral man accused of possessing child pornography A Cape Coral man has been arrested this week after allegedly being caught in possession of child pornography.
FORT MYERS Free dental work for veterans event to be held in Fort Myers The Fort Myers Laser Dentistry will provide free dental work for veterans as part of its Day of Service Program.
the weather authority Tracking Category 2 Hurricane Rafael in the Gulf of Mexico The Weather Authority Meteorologists are tracking Hurricane Rafael as it tracks farther away from Southwest Florida.
the weather authority Isolated storms as Hurricane Rafael moves west this Thursday The Weather Authority is tracking isolated storms due to the outer bands of Hurricane Rafael this Thursday.
NAPLES Early morning building fire investigation in Naples The Naples Fire Rescue responded to a building fire near Lowdermilk Park on Gulf Shore Boulevard North.
CBS News Donald Trump wins election in historic comeback after 2020 loss, indictments and bruising campaign Donald J. Trump’s projected victory over Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election marks a historic and improbable comeback for the former president
NORTH FORT MYERS Debris dumped on North Fort Myers yard stalls family’s urgent move One woman in North Fort Myers has no idea why her yard has become a dumpster in her neighborhood.
Caught on Camera: Two men break into Lehigh mother’s car A Lehigh mother said she’s afraid after two men tried to break into her car. The entire thing was caught on her security camera, but nothing was taken.
SANIBEL Students could return to The Sanibel School soon The Lee County School District just announced students on Sanibel could return to the school as soon as Monday.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs to hold Veteran’s Day event with 3-star general The City of Bonita Springs will honor those who served in a special ceremony on Veteran’s Day. A three-star Army general will attend the event.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers approves referendum to improve parks and rec areas Fort Myers residents approved a 75 million dollar “Go bond” referendum to improve parks and recreation areas during Tuesday’s general election.
Why does Florida have a super majority vote for constitutional changes? Amendments three and four, marijuana and abortion, failed, despite the majority of voters wanting both amendments to pass. They both didn’t get 60% yes.
Gov. Ron DeSantis with members of law enforcement at a new conference Thursday, August 18, 2022. Credit: CBS Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that 20 people who voted in the 2020 election would be arrested and charged Thursday for breaking the state’s election laws on felon voting rights. The move was described as the “opening salvo” for the Office of Election Crimes and Security, created by DeSantis and approved by the Florida Legislature. Some fear the office could discourage minorities and other communities from voting. The office began its work on July 1. DeSantis said the twenty people arrested were all convicted for either murder or sexual assault and were mostly from Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. He added they were not among those whose voting rights were restored by “Amendment 4,” a ballot measure that overwhelmingly passed in 2018 which restores voting rights to felons in the state, with the exception of those convicted of rape or murder. “They did not go through any process. They did not get their rights restored and yet they went ahead and voted anyways. That is against the law and now they’re going to pay the price for it,” DeSantis said at a news conference Thursday. “These people who we’re following up – are outside the contours of Amendment 4.” The potential penalty is up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. DeSantis also said the Office of Election Crimes and Security would also be looking at voters who were undocumented when they cast their vote in 2020. Just under 11 million Floridians voted in 2020. “This is just the first step,” DeSantis said. “There are going to be foreign nationals. We want the federal government to be working constructively on this, and so far, that has not been the case. We have an obligation to make sure that U.S. citizens are voting.” Cecile Scoon, president of the nonpartisan League of Women Voters of Florida, said there are still open questions about the election crimes office, such as how law enforcement will be utilized and if their presence will be felt at the polling centers. “It’s potentially threatening people. They feel these police — how are they going to be utilized? Are they going to be standing over people’s shoulders?” she said. Scoon added that was concerned that after DeSantis’ recent removal of State Attorney Andrew Warren from office, election supervisors and officials could be next. “That was a red flag for me. Because he had removed one person from office, there was a concern of, ‘what’s next? What’s going on?” Scoon said. News of the arrests comes at a time when many Republicans still believe there was widespread fraud in the 2020 election, a claim perpetuated by former President Donald Trump. A CBS News poll from July showed that 69% of Republicans believe there was widespread voter fraud in 2020, despite the rejection of almost 70 legal challenges, according to the Stanford-MIT Healthy Elections Project. “We must have elected leaders that are ensuring free and fair elections and also assuring our public and the citizens that they can have confidence in the election process,” said Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd. “I am sure this will allay fears that behind the scenes, within state government, people are ignoring violations of law. That is not the case.” Multiple Republican nominees on the ballot in November have signaled that they harbor doubts about the legitimacy of the 2020 elections, including at least nine out of the 24 nominees for secretary of state, often the highest election official in the state, according to a CBS News analysis. DeSantis has often said the 2020 elections in Florida were very secure, and praised the state’s quick count of ballots, compared to other battleground states that took much longer. But he has also shared the stage with candidates who believe the election was stolen, like Arizona gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake and Pennsylvania gubernatorial nominee Doug Mastriano. “A potential presidential candidate in 2024, DeSantis is up for reelection this fall. Florida’s primaries are Tuesday, Aug. 23, but he is running unopposed.”