Do we need a federal gun database for mental illness? One family says yesThree dead in triple drowning near the Franklin Lock in Olga
CAPE CORAL Do we need a federal gun database for mental illness? One family says yes One family is on a mission to create a new national gun database. It would require medical professionals to enter mental health information.
ALVA Three dead in triple drowning near the Franklin Lock in Olga The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is responding to a scene of a water rescue where three people were recovered.
PUNTA GORDA The Weather Authority helps you prepare for the hurricane season at the 2024 Charlotte County Hurricane Expo With hurricane season less than two weeks away, it’s important to start preparing.
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball senior balances EMT training and Regional play Ahead of NCAA Regional play, FGCU senior outfielder Riley Oakes started EMT training as she works toward being a trauma surgeon.
PUNTA GORDA Homes For Our Troops grants veteran new home Through all the cheers and a community-wide escort, it’s a ‘welcome to your forever home for army sergeant veteran Brandon Rethmel and his family.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Beat the Heat: Stay safe during extreme weather The Weather Authority has issued a heat advisory for portions of South, Southeast, and Southwest Florida from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday.
FORT MYERS Leaders discuss possibility of shutting down Caloosahatchee Bridge Should residents endure two years of partial lane closures, or fully shut the Caloosahatchee bridge down for 10 weeks?
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball parents cherish NCAA Tournament experience The parents of the FGCU softball team are relishing seeing their daughters play in the NCAA Tournament.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA The Weather Authority: Hot, hot, hot Heat advisory in place for Saturday until 8 p.m.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers teen finds dead body in bed of his truck A 16-year-old in Fort Myers drove to school, drove home, drove to the barbershop and back home again. Then, he noticed a swarm of flies in the back of his truck.
Scottie Scheffler facing felony charges; local attorney reacts The attorney we spoke with told us that, at a minimum, we’d spend the night in jail before having our first appearance and getting bail.
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball falls to No. 4 Florida in NCAA Tournament The FGCU softball team couldn’t keep up with the No. 4 Florida Gators as the Eagles drop their first Regional game 6-0 to the Gators.
Summer Safety: Swim safety tips to know before the summer The pool is warming up to be the hot spot for kids and families this summer. It’s now also the number one leading cause of drowning deaths for children ages 1-4 in the state.
FORT MYERS BEACH ‘The Whale’ restaurant to break ground on new building The Whale is a place that has shown great strength and determination.
COLLIER COUNTY Endangered Florida panther deaths surpass 2023 total in 5 months It’s taken wildlife officials just over five and a half months to report finding more dead endangered Florida panthers than in all of 2023.
CAPE CORAL Do we need a federal gun database for mental illness? One family says yes One family is on a mission to create a new national gun database. It would require medical professionals to enter mental health information.
ALVA Three dead in triple drowning near the Franklin Lock in Olga The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is responding to a scene of a water rescue where three people were recovered.
PUNTA GORDA The Weather Authority helps you prepare for the hurricane season at the 2024 Charlotte County Hurricane Expo With hurricane season less than two weeks away, it’s important to start preparing.
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball senior balances EMT training and Regional play Ahead of NCAA Regional play, FGCU senior outfielder Riley Oakes started EMT training as she works toward being a trauma surgeon.
PUNTA GORDA Homes For Our Troops grants veteran new home Through all the cheers and a community-wide escort, it’s a ‘welcome to your forever home for army sergeant veteran Brandon Rethmel and his family.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Beat the Heat: Stay safe during extreme weather The Weather Authority has issued a heat advisory for portions of South, Southeast, and Southwest Florida from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday.
FORT MYERS Leaders discuss possibility of shutting down Caloosahatchee Bridge Should residents endure two years of partial lane closures, or fully shut the Caloosahatchee bridge down for 10 weeks?
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball parents cherish NCAA Tournament experience The parents of the FGCU softball team are relishing seeing their daughters play in the NCAA Tournament.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA The Weather Authority: Hot, hot, hot Heat advisory in place for Saturday until 8 p.m.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers teen finds dead body in bed of his truck A 16-year-old in Fort Myers drove to school, drove home, drove to the barbershop and back home again. Then, he noticed a swarm of flies in the back of his truck.
Scottie Scheffler facing felony charges; local attorney reacts The attorney we spoke with told us that, at a minimum, we’d spend the night in jail before having our first appearance and getting bail.
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball falls to No. 4 Florida in NCAA Tournament The FGCU softball team couldn’t keep up with the No. 4 Florida Gators as the Eagles drop their first Regional game 6-0 to the Gators.
Summer Safety: Swim safety tips to know before the summer The pool is warming up to be the hot spot for kids and families this summer. It’s now also the number one leading cause of drowning deaths for children ages 1-4 in the state.
FORT MYERS BEACH ‘The Whale’ restaurant to break ground on new building The Whale is a place that has shown great strength and determination.
COLLIER COUNTY Endangered Florida panther deaths surpass 2023 total in 5 months It’s taken wildlife officials just over five and a half months to report finding more dead endangered Florida panthers than in all of 2023.
Twin cotton-top tamarin monkeys were recently born at Florida’s Walt Disney World, marking the first time in more than two decades the critically endangered species has been born at the park. DISNEY PARKS BLOG A pair of tiny monkey twins have made their debut at Walt Disney World, marking the first time in more than 20 years that critically endangered cotton-top tamarin monkeys have been born at the Orlando theme park. The baby animals born at Animal Kingdom are now two of just a few thousand members of their species left in the world. Park officials said in a Tuesday announcement the monkeys were born at just about 4 inches long and weigh “about as much as a common chicken egg.” And they won’t grow to be much bigger – adults are generally about the size of a squirrel and weigh less than a pound. “These pint-sized newborns cling tightly to their parents as both mom and dad acrobatically leap from branch to brain in their habitat on Discovery Island,” said Mark Penning, the vice president of Disney Parks’ Animals, Science and Environment division. They are the first cotton-top tamarins to be born at the park since 2001. The monkeys have yet to be named, as Penning said their respective sexes are still unclear. Cotton-top tamarins are considered “critically endangered,” according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species, with at least 80% of the species’ population declining over an 18-year period. Deforestation and unregulated pet trade in the species’ native Colombia are the most significant factors, the organization said. Disney said in its news release that are fewer than 7,500 members of the species remaining in the wild, and of those, the IUCN says there are an estimated 2,000 that have reached a mature age. But even though the animals themselves are rare, their ability to have twins is not, Penning said. In fact, it’s “quite typical.” Twin cotton-top tamarin monkeys were recently born at Florida’s Walt Disney World, marking the first time in more than two decades the critically endangered species has been born at the park. DISNEY PARKS BLOG The creatures are known for being “tiny-but-mighty,” according to a description on Disney’s website, and they can jump 15 feet from a branch and use at least 38 “distinct calls” to communicate with each other. Now with a total of four cotton-top tamarins at the park, Disney officials say they have a major part in conserving their species. “Though small in stature, these twins will play a big role in the continuation of one of the most endangered primate species,” Penning said, adding that they are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan, which works to help responsibly breed threatened species. For now, however, the babies are “completely dependent” on their parents to survive and must be carried for up to 14 weeks. “As first-time parents, both mom and dad are doing great, sharing the parenting duties,” Penning said. “You can expect to see the twins cozied up to both mom and dad over the next several months.”