Students react to threat made at Florida Gulf Coast UniversityMissing and endangered boy found in Lehigh Acres
Students react to threat made at Florida Gulf Coast University Students at Florida Gulf Coast University said they don’t know the specifics of a threat made last week, but they do know it was taken care of.
Missing and endangered boy found in Lehigh Acres Authorities have found a missing and endangered boy in Lehigh Acres. Police asked for the public’s help in locating Zachariah McKelvin.
School District denies bus service to student despite mother’s measurements When we think of the bus stop, we typically think of it as a safe place for our children, but one mother says the Lee County School District told her they live too close to the school to get a bus route.
MATLACHA 2 stranded dolphins rescued from mangroves near Matlacha Two stranded dolphins were pulled from mangroves near Matlacha.
CAPE CORAL NAACP honors Cape Coral Police Chief after acknowledging hate crime NAACP President, James Muwakkil, was so impressed with Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore that he wanted the entire city to know.
NAPLES Jingled Elves trolley tour underway Breaking out your best dance moves and spreading Christmas cheer. These ‘jingled elves’ are breaking it down with a purpose.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs Elementary School’s demolition plans There’s a new lesson plan at Bonita Springs Elementary School: Demolition 101. The school is set to be knocked down, and there’s good reason.
MARCO ISLAND Marco Island Councilmember’s dogs allegedly attack 13-year-old girl Councilor Tamara Goehler is coming under fire after her dogs allegedly attacked a 13-year-old girl and the girl’s five-month-old puppy.
PUNTA GORDA Gilchrist Park’s future brightens as boat cleanup commences The boats blocking Gilchrist Park are ready to be moved two years after Hurricane Ian.
Lee County Department of Health issues red tide alert for Bowman’s Beach The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a health alert for the presence of red tide near Bowman’s Beach.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral working on project to address canal safety An older Cape Coral couple drove into a canal last year. Neighbors are now saying something needs to be done about canal safety.
NAPLES Collier County mental health center receives $4 million donation A giant donation is dedicated to providing people with better mental health care in southwest Florida.
LABELLE City of LaBelle under precautionary boil water notice A water main break has the City of Labelle under a precautionary boil water notice.
ESTERO FGCU student wins ice dancing national championship FGCU sophomore Lucas Appel wins his second US Senior Solo Dance National Championship in three years.
Lee County Sheriff’s Office: Parent brings weapon to Lehigh Acres school According to a Lee County Sheriff’s Office report, there is probable cause to believe a woman unintentionally brought a firearm to school.
Students react to threat made at Florida Gulf Coast University Students at Florida Gulf Coast University said they don’t know the specifics of a threat made last week, but they do know it was taken care of.
Missing and endangered boy found in Lehigh Acres Authorities have found a missing and endangered boy in Lehigh Acres. Police asked for the public’s help in locating Zachariah McKelvin.
School District denies bus service to student despite mother’s measurements When we think of the bus stop, we typically think of it as a safe place for our children, but one mother says the Lee County School District told her they live too close to the school to get a bus route.
MATLACHA 2 stranded dolphins rescued from mangroves near Matlacha Two stranded dolphins were pulled from mangroves near Matlacha.
CAPE CORAL NAACP honors Cape Coral Police Chief after acknowledging hate crime NAACP President, James Muwakkil, was so impressed with Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore that he wanted the entire city to know.
NAPLES Jingled Elves trolley tour underway Breaking out your best dance moves and spreading Christmas cheer. These ‘jingled elves’ are breaking it down with a purpose.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs Elementary School’s demolition plans There’s a new lesson plan at Bonita Springs Elementary School: Demolition 101. The school is set to be knocked down, and there’s good reason.
MARCO ISLAND Marco Island Councilmember’s dogs allegedly attack 13-year-old girl Councilor Tamara Goehler is coming under fire after her dogs allegedly attacked a 13-year-old girl and the girl’s five-month-old puppy.
PUNTA GORDA Gilchrist Park’s future brightens as boat cleanup commences The boats blocking Gilchrist Park are ready to be moved two years after Hurricane Ian.
Lee County Department of Health issues red tide alert for Bowman’s Beach The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a health alert for the presence of red tide near Bowman’s Beach.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral working on project to address canal safety An older Cape Coral couple drove into a canal last year. Neighbors are now saying something needs to be done about canal safety.
NAPLES Collier County mental health center receives $4 million donation A giant donation is dedicated to providing people with better mental health care in southwest Florida.
LABELLE City of LaBelle under precautionary boil water notice A water main break has the City of Labelle under a precautionary boil water notice.
ESTERO FGCU student wins ice dancing national championship FGCU sophomore Lucas Appel wins his second US Senior Solo Dance National Championship in three years.
Lee County Sheriff’s Office: Parent brings weapon to Lehigh Acres school According to a Lee County Sheriff’s Office report, there is probable cause to believe a woman unintentionally brought a firearm to school.
Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. More than 1,600 domestic violence reports were made in Collier County alone in 2022, and those were the incidents that were reported. The Shelter for Abused Women and Children offers several resources to help victims. The moment Jacquie Lopez picks up the phone, the game begins. She’s part of the Shelter for Abused Women and Children’s Intimate Violence enhanced service team, also known as an INVEST advocate. “We get all of Collier County’s domestic police reports daily,” said Lopez. Lopez reads 20 to 25 reports each of those days, scanning for specific words and looking for domestic violence victims, women or men. Then, she will contact the victim through the INVEST text app or by calling through a safe line. “If they say, ‘No, I’m not safe,’ or ‘Yes, I am,’ and their abuser is next to them, I have to be very careful about what I’m about to say next,” said Lopez. Lopez credits her background in law enforcement for staying calm and identifying warning signs. “It’s really helpful that, with my background in law enforcement, I’m able to read in between them, so they use certain verbiage that is like ‘help me’ without saying help me,” said Lopez. “I make sure that I paced myself, I ensure their safety is priority.” Before the shelter, Lopez was a police officer at a local Southwest Florida agency, but she explained how the INVEST program gives her a bigger purpose. “I would leave cases that night, go home, and not know what was happening once that door closed, and so I needed to do more. I no longer have to write the reports. I get to read them,” said Lopez. Linda Oberhaus, the president and CEO of The Shelter, calls it a life-saving program. “We know, for example, if a woman is strangled, if she’s battered while pregnant, if she’s threatened with a weapon, if he says he’s gonna kill her. In many cases, these are the women that are being killed in these relationships, and so when we see those things identified in a police report, that’s when we make immediate contact with the victim,” said Oberhaus. Oberhaus said the goal is to educate victims on resources and get them out of a dangerous situation. “It’s really the shelter that’s going to, you know, has the ability to save their life,” said Oberhaus. And Lopez does just that. Over the past six months, she said she’s helped seven people leave abusive situations, one she said didn’t even know about the shelter until the call. “The fact that they were able to get help from us made it so much more for them to realize that there’s organizations in the community that are able to help them and want to help them,” said Oberhaus. It’s a job Lopez calls rewarding and necessary. “I’m able to help them in a way that they’ve never thought help was even available,” said Lopez. Click here to visit The Shelter for Abused Women & Children website for more information. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for more information. Click here for more information from the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Below are other domestic violence resources to contact for help. ACT 24-Hour Crisis Helpline: 239-939-3112 Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-500-1119 National Sexual Assault Hotline: 888-956-7273 National Human Trafficking Hotline: 888-373-7888