Apple AirPods lead LCSO to an arrest ; over $100,000 worth of stolen items recoveredHendry County rolls out cameras for school speed zones
FORT MYERS Apple AirPods lead LCSO to an arrest ; over $100,000 worth of stolen items recovered Through the use of Apple Airpods, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office was able to locate nearly $100,000 worth of stolen items, leading to an arrest.
LABELLE Hendry County rolls out cameras for school speed zones The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office has rolled out a new way of enforcing school zone speed limits by using cameras that will target drivers traveling over a certain speed in a school zone.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral officials approve replacement funding for hurricane-damaged stop signs The Cape Coral City Council has approved funding to replace stop signs damaged during Hurricane Milton, resulting in an emergency purchase.
Holiday events happening in Southwest Florida Southwest Florida is embracing the holiday spirit with a variety of festive events this Christmas season.
Collier man accused of supplying fentanyl-laced pills, enough to kill 531,500 people The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of supplying more than 10,000 fentanyl-laced pills disguised as prescription painkillers.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral council supports construction of I-75 interchange into city The Cape Coral City Council has approved a resolution requesting support from Lee and Charlotte counties to prioritize state and federal funding for the Interstate 75 Interchange at Slater Road.
PUNTA GORDA Crews removing derelict boats from Gilchrist Park Crews are working to remove derelict boats from Gilchrist Park after several of them washed ashore during Hurricane Milton in October.
33rd endangered Florida panther death of 2024; killed by vehicle in Hardee County Another Florida panther has been killed by a vehicle, this time in Hardee County, increasing the death toll of the endangered species to 33 for 2024.
the weather authority Cool and breezy for your Thursday afternoon After waking up to a cold morning, the Weather Authority is tracking warming conditions to the low 70s this Thursday.
Police release 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.
FORT MYERS Apple AirPods lead LCSO to an arrest ; over $100,000 worth of stolen items recovered Through the use of Apple Airpods, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office was able to locate nearly $100,000 worth of stolen items, leading to an arrest.
LABELLE Hendry County rolls out cameras for school speed zones The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office has rolled out a new way of enforcing school zone speed limits by using cameras that will target drivers traveling over a certain speed in a school zone.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral officials approve replacement funding for hurricane-damaged stop signs The Cape Coral City Council has approved funding to replace stop signs damaged during Hurricane Milton, resulting in an emergency purchase.
Holiday events happening in Southwest Florida Southwest Florida is embracing the holiday spirit with a variety of festive events this Christmas season.
Collier man accused of supplying fentanyl-laced pills, enough to kill 531,500 people The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of supplying more than 10,000 fentanyl-laced pills disguised as prescription painkillers.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral council supports construction of I-75 interchange into city The Cape Coral City Council has approved a resolution requesting support from Lee and Charlotte counties to prioritize state and federal funding for the Interstate 75 Interchange at Slater Road.
PUNTA GORDA Crews removing derelict boats from Gilchrist Park Crews are working to remove derelict boats from Gilchrist Park after several of them washed ashore during Hurricane Milton in October.
33rd endangered Florida panther death of 2024; killed by vehicle in Hardee County Another Florida panther has been killed by a vehicle, this time in Hardee County, increasing the death toll of the endangered species to 33 for 2024.
the weather authority Cool and breezy for your Thursday afternoon After waking up to a cold morning, the Weather Authority is tracking warming conditions to the low 70s this Thursday.
Police release 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.
Jeff Geffrard breaks down while speaking while speaking about his son during a news conference at the Broward Public Defenders office in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Thursday Feb. 1 2024. “I want to know what happened to my son,” he said of Janard Geffrard,29, who was beaten to death in the Broward Main Jail by a man who was awaiting trial on a vehicle theft charge and probation violations. According to Public Defender Gordon Weekes, there have been 21 deaths in the jail since 201. (Amy Bennett/ South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP) The NAACP is seeking a federal investigation of deaths in Florida’s second-largest county jail system, saying the Broward Sheriff’s Office does not adequately monitor inmates or provide them with proper medical treatment and mental health services. Marsha Ellison, the civil rights group’s Broward County president, stood with the relatives of some of the 21 inmates they say have died in the jail’s custody since 2019. Ellison said Sheriff Gregory Tony and his staff are often not transparent about the circumstances surrounding fatalities. She also said the company contracted by the sheriff’s office to provide medical and mental health services to inmates often fails to provide adequate care. The national NAACP filed a letter this week with the U.S. Justice Department seeking the investigation. It comes about six weeks after a 29-year-old inmate, Janard Geffrard, was allegedly choked and beaten to death by his cellmate. One death highlighted in the letter is that of Kevin Desir, a 43-year-old with bipolar disorder, who died of strangulation during a 2021 struggle with guards, according to an independent autopsy report. The letter also lists deaths by suicides and drug overdoses. It also mentions the 2019 case of a woman who gave birth alone in her cell and an inmate who cut off his penis with a razor in 2018. “We don’t want to hear we’ve investigated ourselves and found that we’ve done no wrong. We want to find out what’s really happening,” Ellison said during a news conference at the Broward County Public Defender’s Office. “I don’t honestly believe and don’t trust the process of the internal (sheriff’s office) to investigate themselves.” Public Defender Gordon Weekes, pointing to the families, said the lack of knowing exactly how their loved ones died “creates additional pain that these family members should not have to endure.” “Folks are dying when they are supposed to be protected (and) cared for,” Weekes said. “We have to look at how we can do better as a community and as a society and that starts with us having some transparency.” The Broward Sheriff’s Office issued a statement Thursday saying its jail system meets national accreditation standards and that even with “significant vacancy rates” among guards, it “has consistently maintained high levels of excellence.” Broward jails average about 3,600 inmates in custody per day with about 44,000 people spending at least one night in jail annually. The system houses inmates who have been sentenced to less than a year behind bars, and defendants who are on trial or awaiting trial. Anyone sentenced to more than a year gets transferred to a state prison. The Justice Department acknowledged Thursday that it has received the NAACP’s request, but declined to say whether an investigation will be opened. Monitoring by The Associated Press shows that about a dozen state prison and local jail systems are currently under federal investigation nationwide. Janard Geffrard’s father, Jeff Geffrard, told reporters that the sheriff’s office has not said anything to the family about the Dec. 16 attack. Investigators said in court documents that his son was beaten and choked for more than two minutes by his cellmate. Guards apparently didn’t notice anything was wrong until more than 20 minutes after the attack had ended. Janard Geffrard was taken to a hospital where he died two weeks later. He had been jailed awaiting trial for robbery and burglary. The sheriff’s office suspended two guards with pay pending the completion of an investigation. Jeff Geffrard said it was the sheriff office’s responsibility to protect his son. “I don’t want no other family to go through what I’m going through,” he said through tears. The sheriff’s office filed an attempted murder charge against the cellmate shortly after the attack. That has not been upgraded. The State Attorney’s Office said Thursday the law enforcement investigation is ongoing. The father of Corbin Moberg said his 25-year-old son’s death on Jan. 1 of a suspected drug overdose while at the Broward jail “doesn’t make any sense.” Moberg had been in custody for more than two years awaiting trial on drug trafficking charges. “Corbin was a good kid. Corbin just made a bad choice. I was hoping Corbin would be safe where he was at and that didn’t work out,” Robert Moberg said, his voice breaking. “Some nights I wake up and I can’t go back to sleep. I just lay there thinking about what could have been and how his life could have been in the future. Now, that’s not going to happen because somewhere somebody failed.”