DOH-Collier cautions of blue-green algae at Lake AvalonCity, Naples Beach Club to preserve green space in perpetuity
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.
SANIBEL Sanibel Causeway construction causing confusion and costing local business Repairing the Sanibel Causeway after recent storms has caused more than just traffic back-ups.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Speakeasy in downtown Fort Myers honors local historic figures Everything inside the Escondido Lounge whispers an authentic speakeasy, from the dim red lights to the fancy vintage glasses.
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.
SANIBEL Sanibel Causeway construction causing confusion and costing local business Repairing the Sanibel Causeway after recent storms has caused more than just traffic back-ups.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Speakeasy in downtown Fort Myers honors local historic figures Everything inside the Escondido Lounge whispers an authentic speakeasy, from the dim red lights to the fancy vintage glasses.
Gabriel Fernandez, 53. Credit: Lee County Sheriff’s Office Cape Coral police say a man confessed to shooting his stepson in their home on Southwest 17th Street after a heated argument late Wednesday night. According to the Cape Coral Police Department, Gabriel Fernandez, 53, was arrested after officers responded to a call about a shooting in progress on Southwest 17th Street shortly before 11 a.m. The caller said a neighbor had approached them and asked to call 911, claiming the stepfather living at the house had shot his stepson. When CCPD officers arrived, Fernandez was standing in the driveway, speaking to CCPD dispatch on the phone and explaining that he had just shot his stepson, later identified as Brian Nicholas McKellop Jr., 20. Fernandez was immediately detained. McKellop was found in a hallway, where responding officers attempted life-saving measures before transporting him to Cape Coral Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. McKellop had sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his chest and back. Brian Nicholas McKellop Jr. (Credit: McKellop family) Witnesses on the scene reported that after a family argument, Fernandez, who was drunk, became enraged when McKellop attempted to diffuse the situation by inserting himself into the discussion. Fernandez then grabbed his handgun and shot McKellop in the chest and then the back as McKellop attempted to flee from the bedroom. Fernandez was subsequently transported to Lee County Jail. He faces a homicide charge. Neighbor Curtis Allen, who has lived on Southwest 17th Street for more than 20 years, says he heard a knock at his door around 11 p.m. Wednesday night. When he opened the door, the woman who lives in the home under investigation was outside. She was screaming for help. “She just wanted to get my attention, you know, let me know that her son had been shot: ‘Please, get 911,'” Allen said. Sebastian Leota heard screaming and yelling, then saw Cape Coral police officers everywhere. “She was yelling for help, you know. Like she was desperate to find somebody. It was really late at night. A lot of people were asleep. She was desperate, just yelling and yelling. And then I heard her yell ‘why?'” said Leota. Cape Coral police say efforts were made to save McKellop. “Life-saving measures were performed. And he was taken to Cape Coral Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased,” said Sergeant Julie green, with the Cape Coral police public affairs office. Sergeant Green said Fernandez himself called 911 and confessed to the crime. “It was immediate pretty much. He was actually telling CCPD dispatch that he shot his stepson Brian,” said Green. Not long after his arrest, Fernandez went before a judge. That judge ordered him held without bond and told him not to speak with anyone in McKellop’s family. As a family mourns, neighbors are left in disbelief. “He was just starting life. Something like that shouldn’t have happened,” said neighbor Curtis Allen. “You really don’t know how to feel. The first time I ever experienced something like that. And I was really confused, really confused when I got there,” said Leota. Cape Coral police say they had been called to the home where the shooting took place for family disputes in the past. They say were involving Fernandez. Police say McKellop and two other people were in the home during the shooting.