PUNTA GORDA FEMA to hold news conference in Punta Gorda The Federal Emergency Government Agency (FEMA) administrative director is set to hold a news conference regarding an update on the response to Hurricane Milton.
Several stores reopen on Pine Island The Matlacha/Pine Island Fire District announced several stores have reopened Friday on the island.
FORT MYERS Edison and Ford Estates: Cleaning up debris, re-opening soon The Edison and Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers will remain closed Friday, Oct. 11 due to the impacts of Hurricane Milton, including area power outages.
County by County: How to separate hurricane-related debris before pick up in SWFL Counties around Southwest Florida are reminding residents of the proper way to separate debris after Hurricane Milton.
FORT MYERS City of Fort Myers opens post-storm response hubs City employees and volunteers will be available at these locations to offer information and resources to residents, such as FEMA Individual Assistance.
City of Fort Myers distributing ice at the Skatium The City of Fort Myers staff is distributing ice at the Fort Myers Skatium until 4:00 p.m. Friday for anybody who needs it.
CHARLOTTE COUNTY No casualties found after door-to-door check by Charlotte County deputies 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.
PUNTA GORDA FEMA to hold news conference in Punta Gorda The Federal Emergency Government Agency (FEMA) administrative director is set to hold a news conference regarding an update on the response to Hurricane Milton.
Several stores reopen on Pine Island The Matlacha/Pine Island Fire District announced several stores have reopened Friday on the island.
FORT MYERS Edison and Ford Estates: Cleaning up debris, re-opening soon The Edison and Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers will remain closed Friday, Oct. 11 due to the impacts of Hurricane Milton, including area power outages.
County by County: How to separate hurricane-related debris before pick up in SWFL Counties around Southwest Florida are reminding residents of the proper way to separate debris after Hurricane Milton.
FORT MYERS City of Fort Myers opens post-storm response hubs City employees and volunteers will be available at these locations to offer information and resources to residents, such as FEMA Individual Assistance.
City of Fort Myers distributing ice at the Skatium The City of Fort Myers staff is distributing ice at the Fort Myers Skatium until 4:00 p.m. Friday for anybody who needs it.
CHARLOTTE COUNTY No casualties found after door-to-door check by Charlotte County deputies 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.
Republican Party of Florida chairman Christian Ziegler, left, greets former president Donald Trump at the RPOF Freedom Summit on Nov. 4, 2023, in Kissimmee, Fla. Ziegler is the subject of a rape investigation, though no charges have been filed and police are providing little information on the accusation. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP) The chair of Florida’s Republican Party says he will not resign over a woman’s allegation that he raped her, saying in an email to supporters that he is innocent. He did not address any specifics of the accusation that has roiled the state’s conservative politics. Christian Ziegler sent the statement to state Republicans on Saturday, saying that he and his wife, Bridget Ziegler, are being targeted because they are “such loud political voices.” His wife co-founded the conservative group Moms for Liberty, which has led a campaign with Gov. Ron DeSantis to roll back sex education in Florida schools. DeSantis said last week that while Christian Ziegler is innocent until proven guilty, he should resign to avoid becoming a distraction to their party. Ziegler insists he won’t quit. “We have a country to save and I am not going to let false allegations of a crime put that mission on the bench as I wait for this process to wrap up,” wrote Ziegler, 40. A longtime GOP activist, he ascended to the state party’s top post in February. No charges have been filed against Ziegler, but the Sarasota Police investigation remains open. The accuser, who has known Christian Ziegler for 20 years, told police in October that he forced his way into her apartment and raped her, according to search warrant affidavits filed by police. In his Saturday email, Ziegler did not address having told detectives that he did have sex with the woman but that it was consensual. He also didn’t address his wife telling detectives that the couple and the woman had group sex once, more than a year ago. “My family is rock solid. My wife is behind me 150% and we have methods in place to protect our (three) children, just as we have with all previous attacks that we have faced,” Christian Ziegler wrote. The Zieglers did not return calls and text messages Sunday seeking further comment. DeSantis spokesman Jeremy Redfern did not return a call and text message Sunday seeking comment on Ziegler’s refusal to resign. The police avadavits saying that the Zieglers had group sex with a woman have led Democrats and gay rights leaders to accuse the couple of hypocrisy, given that an organization Bridget Ziegler cofounded — Moms for Liberty — has joined DeSantis and the Florida GOP in pushing back against LGBTQ+ causes. Bridget Ziegler is also an elected member of the Sarasota County school board and was appointed by DeSantis to the board that now oversees Walt Disney World’s land development. DeSantis pushed through legislation last year disbanding a Disney-controlled board after the company opposed his bill that limits sex education in schools. The rape accusation against Christian Ziegler became public last week after the Florida Center for Government Accountability, an investigative news organization, obtained a police report and the search warrant affidavits detailing the allegations. The accuser’s name is redacted in the documents. The Associated Press does not name possible victims of sexual assault without their permission. According to text messages cited in the affidavit, the woman and the Zieglers had planned to again have group sex on Oct. 2, but the woman backed out after Bridget Ziegler “couldn’t make it.” The woman says she found Christian Ziegler in her apartment’s hallway later that day, that he pushed her inside and then raped her. In text and phone conversations monitored by investigators, Ziegler offered the woman “financial help” before becoming suspicious that they were being recorded. In a Nov. 2 interview with detectives, Ziegler said the sex was consensual and that he had recorded it. He said he deleted the video, then recovered it after the rape allegation surfaced. Detectives seized Christian Ziegler’s phone on Nov. 2, the affidavits say. None of what they have found has been made public.