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.
lehigh acres LCSO: Lehigh Acres shooting investigation underway The Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting in Lehigh Acres early Saturday morning.
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.
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.
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.
lehigh acres LCSO: Lehigh Acres shooting investigation underway The Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting in Lehigh Acres early Saturday morning.
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.
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.
Residents check on one another in a flooded neighborhood in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack) After traveling Thursday to Southwest Florida to get a glimpse of the damage caused by Hurricane Ian, Gov. Ron DeSantis described the impact on Lee County’s Sanibel Island as “destruction,” with people who didn’t evacuate being rescued by air and part of a causeway to the mainland knocked out. Meanwhile, authorities confirmed 12 deaths from the storm amid fears that the number could increase significantly as crews go into communities. President Joe Biden said Thursday that “this could be the deadliest hurricane in Florida history” and that “we’re hearing early reports of what may be substantial loss of life.” Officials in Charlotte County confirmed six deaths, while Lee County officials confirmed five. Also, in Central Florida, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office reported a storm-related death involving a 72-year-old Deltona man who died after falling down an incline while draining his pool. Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said during a morning appearance on the television show “Good Morning America” that fatalities were “in the hundreds.” Marceno later said he couldn’t “give a true assessment” until authorities got to the scene. DeSantis said Marceno was referring to an “estimate” based on people who called 911 about rising water in their homes. The storm made landfall Wednesday in Lee and Charlotte as a Category 4 hurricane before crossing the state through Central Florida. The deadliest hurricane in Florida history was the September 1928 storm, which caused 2,500 to 2,800 deaths after it hit West Palm Beach and flooded communities around Lake Okeechobee. The 1935 Labor Day hurricane, which swept north after hitting the Florida Keys, caused more than 400 deaths. Biden and DeSantis, who frequently clash about political and policy issues, said the state and federal governments will work together on rescue, relief and rebuilding efforts The two talked Thursday morning, and Biden said later he plans to visit Florida at a time when he will not get in the way of rescue efforts. Hurricane Michael, which hit Mexico Beach and decimated parts of Northwest Florida in 2018, is estimated to have caused 50 deaths. Hurricane Andrew in 1992 has been linked to 44 deaths. “We’re seeing millions of people without power and thousands hunkered down in schools and community centers,” Biden said after getting a briefing at Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Washington, D.C. “They’re wondering what’s going to be left, what’s going to be left when they get to go home, quote unquote, home, or even if they have a home to go to. Some of the folks have been through this before. But that doesn’t make it any easier. Actually, it makes the anxiety even higher in my view.” “My message to the people of Florida, the country at times like this, America comes together,” Biden continued. “We’re going to pull together as one team, as one America. First thing this morning as I talked to Gov. DeSantis and again offered the fullest federal support.” Biden early Thursday issued a major-disaster declaration, making federal assistance available to people in parts of Florida and providing help to the state and local governments with costs of debris removal and emergency-protective measures. After traveling to Southwest Florida, DeSantis held a news conference at the Charlotte County Emergency Operations Center in Punta Gorda. He said, for example, Sanibel Island ”got hit with really biblical storm surge. And it washed away roads and it washed away structures that were not new.” DeSantis said people had been rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard and local law-enforcement air operations. “Many people did leave Sanibel. And they did heed the call, which is good. Obviously,” DeSantis said. The state Division of Emergency Management issued an update saying that as of 2 p.m., more than 500 people had been rescued in Lee and Charlotte counties. Search and rescue efforts were “ongoing in impacted areas,” the agency said in a Twitter post. DeSantis said the causeway to Sanibel Island will be rebuilt, “but that’s not something that will happen overnight.” During the Punta Gorda news conference, Florida Power & Light President and CEO Eric Silagy said about 1,2 million customers remained without power. Line workers had already restored power to about 700,000 others, SIlagy said. “There are sections of our territory close to the beach along the barrier islands that will require rebuilding,” Silagy said. “There are some destructive areas that simply cannot be repaired. And they’ll have to be rebuilt. Unfortunately, there are also homes and businesses that will simply not be able to safely take the power once it’s ready.” Silagy said about 20,000 crew members had been deployed, as Ian continued battering Northeast Florida as a tropical storm Thursday. Silagy said FPL didn’t lose any transmission towers, but will need to restore the distribution system and substations that were hit by flying debris.