No casualties found after door-to-door check by Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office following MiltonSanibel opens to contractors; how to get your reentry pass
CHARLOTTE COUNTY No casualties found after door-to-door check by Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office following Milton No casualties were discovered following a door-to-door search throughout the barrier islands and other low-lying areas by the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.
Sanibel opens to contractors; how to get your reentry pass The Sanibel Causeway is now open for contractors to return to Sanibel following Hurricane Milton.
PUNTA GORDA Peace River Wildlife Center closes indefinitely after back-to-back hurricanes Forces from major Hurricane Milton overwhelmed the Peace River Wildlife Center, leaving the organization uncertain if they will return to Ponce Park.
Tim Aten Knows: Updates on projects planned along Immokalee Road Local developers are still dealing with generalities rather than specifics when it comes to development plans on property recently cleared on the south side of Immokalee Road between Wilson and Randall boulevards in Golden Gate Estates.
Blind Pass Bridge opens to residents amid cleanup The Lee County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday morning the Blind Pass Bridge is now open but must be crossed using caution due to clean-up crews. The Florida Department of Transportation is currently active in the area, using heavy equipment to move large amounts of sand, so there will be deputies helping direct traffic. Any residents […]
The Naples Zoo: “We are happy to report all animals are safe and secure.” Some good news after Hurricane Milton: the Naples Zoo animals are safe and sound. “Our ride-out team is safe, and we are happy to report that all the animals are safe and secure,” the Naples Zoo said in a Facebook post. “We thank you all for your support and are grateful to our staff who […]
SANIBEL Milton leaves the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation HQ surrounded by water Staff from the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation are evaluating their facilities and areas where they operate in the wake of Hurricane Milton.
Harry Chapin Food Bank to hold emergency food distributions Harry Chapin Food Bank is holding emergency food distributions on Friday and Saturday following Hurricane Milton. When Milton made landfall Wednesday, communities across Southwest Florida were affected by wind, storm surge, tornadoes and flooding. Now Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties are all seeing the devastation. Luckily, the Harry Chapin Food Bank sustained no […]
NORTH PORT North Port police comb the streets after Milton’s mess The North Port Police Department took to the streets on Thursday to clean up around the city after Hurricane Milton.
The Weather Authority Cooler day with isolated showers The Weather Authority is tracking a cooler Friday ahead, with quick isolated showers expected throughout the afternoon.
RSW to resume flights on Friday Due to Hurricane Milton, Southwest Florida International Airport canceled flights on Wednesday and Thursday.
FORT MYERS Suspect sought, two others arrested in alleged Fort Myers burglary One suspect remains at large after the Fort Myers Police Department confirmed a burglary on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Thursday night.
Gasparilla Island Access shut down to Gasparilla Island and Charlotte County community service facilities after storm Charlotte County Emergency Management announced a few updates on closures on Thursday night after Hurricane Milton.
BONITA SPRINGS Curfew enacted on Bonita Beach The City of Bonita Springs has put a curfew in place for Bonita Beach as of Thursday, Oct. 10, while crews work to clear sand and other debris from the streets. Everybody in the Bonita Beach area, including Little Hickory Island and Big Hickory Island, is prohibited from being abroad in vehicles or on foot […]
FORT MYERS BEACH House catches fire on Fort Myers Beach According to authorities, a house caught fire at Fort Myers Beach on Thursday evening.
CHARLOTTE COUNTY No casualties found after door-to-door check by Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office following Milton No casualties were discovered following a door-to-door search throughout the barrier islands and other low-lying areas by the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.
Sanibel opens to contractors; how to get your reentry pass The Sanibel Causeway is now open for contractors to return to Sanibel following Hurricane Milton.
PUNTA GORDA Peace River Wildlife Center closes indefinitely after back-to-back hurricanes Forces from major Hurricane Milton overwhelmed the Peace River Wildlife Center, leaving the organization uncertain if they will return to Ponce Park.
Tim Aten Knows: Updates on projects planned along Immokalee Road Local developers are still dealing with generalities rather than specifics when it comes to development plans on property recently cleared on the south side of Immokalee Road between Wilson and Randall boulevards in Golden Gate Estates.
Blind Pass Bridge opens to residents amid cleanup The Lee County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday morning the Blind Pass Bridge is now open but must be crossed using caution due to clean-up crews. The Florida Department of Transportation is currently active in the area, using heavy equipment to move large amounts of sand, so there will be deputies helping direct traffic. Any residents […]
The Naples Zoo: “We are happy to report all animals are safe and secure.” Some good news after Hurricane Milton: the Naples Zoo animals are safe and sound. “Our ride-out team is safe, and we are happy to report that all the animals are safe and secure,” the Naples Zoo said in a Facebook post. “We thank you all for your support and are grateful to our staff who […]
SANIBEL Milton leaves the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation HQ surrounded by water Staff from the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation are evaluating their facilities and areas where they operate in the wake of Hurricane Milton.
Harry Chapin Food Bank to hold emergency food distributions Harry Chapin Food Bank is holding emergency food distributions on Friday and Saturday following Hurricane Milton. When Milton made landfall Wednesday, communities across Southwest Florida were affected by wind, storm surge, tornadoes and flooding. Now Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties are all seeing the devastation. Luckily, the Harry Chapin Food Bank sustained no […]
NORTH PORT North Port police comb the streets after Milton’s mess The North Port Police Department took to the streets on Thursday to clean up around the city after Hurricane Milton.
The Weather Authority Cooler day with isolated showers The Weather Authority is tracking a cooler Friday ahead, with quick isolated showers expected throughout the afternoon.
RSW to resume flights on Friday Due to Hurricane Milton, Southwest Florida International Airport canceled flights on Wednesday and Thursday.
FORT MYERS Suspect sought, two others arrested in alleged Fort Myers burglary One suspect remains at large after the Fort Myers Police Department confirmed a burglary on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Thursday night.
Gasparilla Island Access shut down to Gasparilla Island and Charlotte County community service facilities after storm Charlotte County Emergency Management announced a few updates on closures on Thursday night after Hurricane Milton.
BONITA SPRINGS Curfew enacted on Bonita Beach The City of Bonita Springs has put a curfew in place for Bonita Beach as of Thursday, Oct. 10, while crews work to clear sand and other debris from the streets. Everybody in the Bonita Beach area, including Little Hickory Island and Big Hickory Island, is prohibited from being abroad in vehicles or on foot […]
FORT MYERS BEACH House catches fire on Fort Myers Beach According to authorities, a house caught fire at Fort Myers Beach on Thursday evening.
The lionhead rabbits multiplying rapidly in a Wilton Manors community. Credit: AP When Alicia Griggs steps outside her suburban Fort Lauderdale home, Florida’s latest invasive species comes a-hoppin’ down the street: lionhead rabbits. The bunnies, which sport an impressive flowing mane around their heads, want the food Griggs carries. But she also represents their best chance of survival and moving where this domesticated breed belongs: inside homes, away from cars, cats, hawks, Florida heat and possibly government-hired exterminators. Griggs is spearheading efforts to raise the $20,000 to $40,000 it would cost for a rescue group to capture, neuter, vaccinate, shelter and then give away the estimated 60 to 100 lionheads now populating Jenada Isles, an 81-home community in Wilton Manors. They are descendants of a group a backyard breeder illegally let loose when she moved away two years ago. “They really need to be rescued. So we’ve tried to get the city to do it, but they’re just dragging their feet,” Griggs said. “They think that if they do that, then they’ll have to get rid of iguanas and everything else that people don’t want around.” Monica Mitchell, whose East Coast Rabbit Rescue would likely lead the effort, said capturing, treating and finding homes for them “is not an easy process.” Few veterinarians treat rabbits and many prospective owners shy away when they find out how much work the animals require. Griggs agreed. “People don’t realize they’re exotic pets and they’re complicated. They have a complicated digestive system and they have to eat a special diet,” said Griggs, a real estate agent. “You can’t just throw any table scraps at them.” Wilton Manors is giving Griggs and other supporters time to raise money and relocate the rabbits rather than exterminate them, even though the city commission voted in April to do just that after receiving an $8,000 estimate from a trapping company. The vote came after some residents complained the lionheads dig holes, chew outdoor wiring and leave droppings on sidewalks and driveways. City commissioners also feared the rabbits could spread into neighboring communities and cities and become a traffic hazard if they ventured onto major streets. “The safety of this rabbit population is of utmost importance to the City, and any decision to involve ourselves will be certain to see these rabbits placed into the hands of people with a passion to provide the necessary care and love for these rabbits,” Police Chief Gary Blocker said in a statement. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which often culls invasive animals, has told the city it will not intercede. The rabbits pose no immediate threat to wildlife. Lionhead rabbits aren’t the only invasive species causing headaches or worse for Floridians. Burmese pythons and lionfish are killing off native species. Giant African snails eat stucco off homes and carry human disease. Iguanas destroy gardens. Like the Wilton Manors lionhead rabbits, those populations all started when people illegally turned them loose. But unlike those species, Florida’s environment is not friendly to lionheads. Instead of the 7 to 9 years they live when properly housed, their lives outdoors are nasty, brutal and shortened. The lionheads’ heavy coat makes them overheat during Florida summers and their lack of fear makes them susceptible to predators. Munching on lawns is not a healthy diet. Their illnesses go untreated. They need owners. “Domesticated (rabbits) released into the environment are not equipped to thrive on their own,” said Eric Stewart, executive director of the American Rabbit Breeders Association. He said the breeder who released them should be prosecuted, a path the city has not pursued. The Wilton Manors colony survives and grows only because lionheads breed like the rabbits they are, with females birthing litters of two-to-six offspring every month, starting when they are about 3 months old. On a recent morning in Jenada Isles, clutches of two to 10 bunnies dotted the streets and lawns, the bravest hopping up to residents and visitors in search of treats. A large group of rabbits gathered on the driveway of Gator Carter, who puts out food for them. He said the lionheads bring the neighborhood joy, and his two young grandchildren love giving them carrots. “People drive by, stop, love ’em, feed ’em,” Carter said. “They don’t bother me. We have a couple Airbnbs on the island here and the people (guests) are just amazed that the rabbits come right up to them.” But Jon King said he wants the rabbits gone soon. They dig in his yard and he spent $200 repairing his outdoor lights after they damaged the wiring. He bought rabbit repellent, but that didn’t work, and his little dog doesn’t scare them: “He’s their best friend.” “Every morning, I get up, and first thing I do is cover up the holes and chase them out of the backyard. I like them, I just wish they would go somewhere else,” King said. “Rescue would be great.”