FORT MYERS The future of the Fort Myers yacht basin The Fort Myers yacht basin is lacking in the “yacht” part right now, or any boat for that matter. It’s been that way since Hurricane Ian hit.
VENICE BEACH Diving duo makes prehistoric discovery Half a mile off Venice Beach, deep below the surface of the water, two divers, Blair Morrow and Alex Lundberg, found a sign of prehistoric times buried in the sand.
Commissioner reacts to state attorney ruling in death of Christopher Jordan On Monday, the detective who fired the fatal shot that killed Christopher Jordan in his Fort Myers home went back to work.
PORT CHARLOTTE Is Sunseeker Resort losing money? It’s a place designed to bring in people and a lot of money to Charlotte County. The Sunseeker Resort opened on December 15 and features 785 rooms, 20 different food and beverage places, and 60,000 square feet of convention space.
NORTH PORT North and SB lanes shut down near Mile Marker 195 due to brush fire North Port Fire Rescue said to expect significant delays. They recommended drivers take an alternate route.
FORT MYERS Roundabout incoming for Winkler and Challenger intersection A new roundabout is coming to the City of Fort Myers at the intersection of Challenger Boulevard and Winkler Avenue.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach church selling two acres of land Pastor Sean Critser’s congregation voted unanimously on Sunday to sell the front two acres of the church’s property for $4 million.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Boaters at a loss with boat ramp closed There have been no boats coming out of the Punta Rassa boat ramp since 2022, after Hurricane Ian hit southwest Florida.
Realtor stops thief trying to steal and sell land Imagine someone pretends to be you and sells your home or land right from underneath you. Deed or property fraud happens more often than you think.
NORTH FORT MYERS Body cam footage of woman and her dog rescued from Prairie Preserve Pines A woman and her exhausted dog fight to survive while trapped in the elements and oppressive Florida heat.
NAPLES Local surgeon removing cancer through the mouth Surgery to remove cancers in the head and neck can sometimes leave patients with negative impacts long after the cancer is gone. But a new approach is cutting back on damage.
CAPE CORAL Byron Donalds holds town hall in Cape Coral From flood insurance to pythons and rebuilding from Ian nearly two years later, Southwest Florida has a lot on its plate.
Naples Airport move study finds 4 possible sites There’s a study looking at the possibility of moving the Naples Airport.
NAPLES Playing like a girl in Naples flag football league Through having a positive outlet and strong role models commissioner Lorna McLain hopes flag football makes a difference in the community.
FORT MYERS Caloosahatchee River Bridge to close for 10 weeks to speed up bridge project The Florida Department of Transportation announced a busy Fort Myers bridge is closing for more than two months.
FORT MYERS The future of the Fort Myers yacht basin The Fort Myers yacht basin is lacking in the “yacht” part right now, or any boat for that matter. It’s been that way since Hurricane Ian hit.
VENICE BEACH Diving duo makes prehistoric discovery Half a mile off Venice Beach, deep below the surface of the water, two divers, Blair Morrow and Alex Lundberg, found a sign of prehistoric times buried in the sand.
Commissioner reacts to state attorney ruling in death of Christopher Jordan On Monday, the detective who fired the fatal shot that killed Christopher Jordan in his Fort Myers home went back to work.
PORT CHARLOTTE Is Sunseeker Resort losing money? It’s a place designed to bring in people and a lot of money to Charlotte County. The Sunseeker Resort opened on December 15 and features 785 rooms, 20 different food and beverage places, and 60,000 square feet of convention space.
NORTH PORT North and SB lanes shut down near Mile Marker 195 due to brush fire North Port Fire Rescue said to expect significant delays. They recommended drivers take an alternate route.
FORT MYERS Roundabout incoming for Winkler and Challenger intersection A new roundabout is coming to the City of Fort Myers at the intersection of Challenger Boulevard and Winkler Avenue.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach church selling two acres of land Pastor Sean Critser’s congregation voted unanimously on Sunday to sell the front two acres of the church’s property for $4 million.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Boaters at a loss with boat ramp closed There have been no boats coming out of the Punta Rassa boat ramp since 2022, after Hurricane Ian hit southwest Florida.
Realtor stops thief trying to steal and sell land Imagine someone pretends to be you and sells your home or land right from underneath you. Deed or property fraud happens more often than you think.
NORTH FORT MYERS Body cam footage of woman and her dog rescued from Prairie Preserve Pines A woman and her exhausted dog fight to survive while trapped in the elements and oppressive Florida heat.
NAPLES Local surgeon removing cancer through the mouth Surgery to remove cancers in the head and neck can sometimes leave patients with negative impacts long after the cancer is gone. But a new approach is cutting back on damage.
CAPE CORAL Byron Donalds holds town hall in Cape Coral From flood insurance to pythons and rebuilding from Ian nearly two years later, Southwest Florida has a lot on its plate.
Naples Airport move study finds 4 possible sites There’s a study looking at the possibility of moving the Naples Airport.
NAPLES Playing like a girl in Naples flag football league Through having a positive outlet and strong role models commissioner Lorna McLain hopes flag football makes a difference in the community.
FORT MYERS Caloosahatchee River Bridge to close for 10 weeks to speed up bridge project The Florida Department of Transportation announced a busy Fort Myers bridge is closing for more than two months.
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.