12-year-old collecting donations for the needy during the holidaysFort Myers man facing homelessness before the holidays
NAPLES 12-year-old collecting donations for the needy during the holidays A 12-year-old Naples boy isn’t worried about what he’s getting for Christmas. Instead, he’s working on his 6th annual “Holiday Sock Drive.”
Fort Myers man facing homelessness before the holidays A 75-year-old man is on the brink of homelessness despite working over 80 hours a week.
NAPLES Adoptee uses non-profit to provide suitcases for foster children This holiday season, a Naples woman is on a mission to bring foster children something many take for granted: a suitcase filled with dignity.
MARCO ISLAND City of Marco Island discusses lead awareness during city council meeting The city of Marco Island sent out 4900 letters to residents warning them that their pipes could contain plastic or lead.
NAPLES The future of electric planes in Southwest Florida Features of living near an airport include persistent headache-inducing engine rumbles and foul-smelling jet fuel, but electric planes could play a part in the solution.
PORT CHARLOTTE Neighbors awaiting answers on Port Charlotte Beach Park repairs Neighbors said a contractor hired by the Florida Division of Emergency Management mishandled the boats at Port Charlotte Beach Park.
FGCU introduces new technology for cognitive health screenings Ten minutes. That’s all it takes for doctors to assess how well you remember, how quickly you learn things, and how your brain is working overall.
WINK Investigates: Disgraced contractor faces new lawsuits and allegations Paul Beattie, a disgraced home builder is back doing business but legal challenges continue as another one of his businesses gets sued. Former employees of Beattie speak out, only to WINK.
SWFL reacts to UNC hiring Bill Belichick Southwest Florida reacts to North Carolina hiring Bill Belichick as its new head football coach and how that could impact the decisions of local recruits.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Some Floridians want more alone time during the holidays The holidays are all about spending time with family and friends, but nearly half of Americans say they really want more alone time during the holiday.
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.
Aggressive driving concerns on the rise in Southwest Florida The arrest of a man who, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said, killed a motorcyclist after crashing into him on purpose is raising concerns over aggressive driving in Southwest Florida.
SANIBEL Sanibel School students prepare for community Christmas performance The school that has had to claw and fight its way back more than once to reopen is getting the chance to celebrate.
FORT MYERS Rock For Equality: SWFL music scene to hold benefit concert for Palestine A two-venue, eight-band benefit concert is coming to Southwest Florida.
NAPLES Naples man sentenced in deadly bar shooting A man has been sentenced for a deadly shooting that took place at a Naples bar in March 2021.
NAPLES 12-year-old collecting donations for the needy during the holidays A 12-year-old Naples boy isn’t worried about what he’s getting for Christmas. Instead, he’s working on his 6th annual “Holiday Sock Drive.”
Fort Myers man facing homelessness before the holidays A 75-year-old man is on the brink of homelessness despite working over 80 hours a week.
NAPLES Adoptee uses non-profit to provide suitcases for foster children This holiday season, a Naples woman is on a mission to bring foster children something many take for granted: a suitcase filled with dignity.
MARCO ISLAND City of Marco Island discusses lead awareness during city council meeting The city of Marco Island sent out 4900 letters to residents warning them that their pipes could contain plastic or lead.
NAPLES The future of electric planes in Southwest Florida Features of living near an airport include persistent headache-inducing engine rumbles and foul-smelling jet fuel, but electric planes could play a part in the solution.
PORT CHARLOTTE Neighbors awaiting answers on Port Charlotte Beach Park repairs Neighbors said a contractor hired by the Florida Division of Emergency Management mishandled the boats at Port Charlotte Beach Park.
FGCU introduces new technology for cognitive health screenings Ten minutes. That’s all it takes for doctors to assess how well you remember, how quickly you learn things, and how your brain is working overall.
WINK Investigates: Disgraced contractor faces new lawsuits and allegations Paul Beattie, a disgraced home builder is back doing business but legal challenges continue as another one of his businesses gets sued. Former employees of Beattie speak out, only to WINK.
SWFL reacts to UNC hiring Bill Belichick Southwest Florida reacts to North Carolina hiring Bill Belichick as its new head football coach and how that could impact the decisions of local recruits.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Some Floridians want more alone time during the holidays The holidays are all about spending time with family and friends, but nearly half of Americans say they really want more alone time during the holiday.
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.
Aggressive driving concerns on the rise in Southwest Florida The arrest of a man who, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said, killed a motorcyclist after crashing into him on purpose is raising concerns over aggressive driving in Southwest Florida.
SANIBEL Sanibel School students prepare for community Christmas performance The school that has had to claw and fight its way back more than once to reopen is getting the chance to celebrate.
FORT MYERS Rock For Equality: SWFL music scene to hold benefit concert for Palestine A two-venue, eight-band benefit concert is coming to Southwest Florida.
NAPLES Naples man sentenced in deadly bar shooting A man has been sentenced for a deadly shooting that took place at a Naples bar in March 2021.
FWC tracking African Rock pythons. CREDIT: FWC Burmese pythons are not the only large invasive constrictor slithering through the Everglades, Florida wildlife officials also search for the Northern African rock python. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, with the help of several other organizations, authorities conducted a survey in the Everglades for the serpent native to Northern Africa. #DYK each year we team up with partners from multiple organizations to conduct surveys for Northern African pythons?Teams search for the nonnative constrictors in the Everglades Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area in Miami-Dade County. While no pythons were found… pic.twitter.com/y8nDPNHqcA — MyFWC (@MyFWC) March 1, 2024 Teams surveyed the Everglades Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area, an area in Miami-Dade County. Authorities didn’t find any of the invasive constrictors during their most recent survey in the Everglades. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services said Feb. 26 to March 3 is National Invasive Species Awareness Week. USFWS staff & partners recently participated in organized Northern African python (NAP) surveys in South Florida, seeking to find & remove the invasive snakes. 1/3#NationalInvasiveSpeciesAwarenessWeek📸Bill Thomas/USFWS pic.twitter.com/nLB0rcZKZq — US Fish and Wildlife (@USFWSSoutheast) March 1, 2024 On average, these constrictors can reach about 10 feet long when they’re found in Florida. However, they can reach a massive 20 feet long in their native environment. RELATED: Burmese python, longer than an African elephant’s height, captured in Collier County RELATED: Second-largest python captured in Big Cypress National Preserve Due to their size, the serpent native to Northern Africa lacks predators in Florida. Their size also means the species can pose a serious risk to native wildlife. This image shows a northern African python (left) and a Burmese python (right). Note the differences in coloration. CREDIT: FWC These constrictors were first reported in Florida in 2001. By 2009, some believed a breeding population began in western Miami-Dade County after finding more Northern African pythons. Despite Burmese pythons being more commonly seen in Florida than Northern African pythons, that doesn’t mean they haven’t also spread. A Northern African python was reported South of Englewood on July 24, 2019. Map showing where an African Rock python was found in Englewood. CREDIT: FWC CREDIT: FWC FWC has removed more than 70 of these African constrictors from Florida as of October 2020. A point that makes these constrictors difficult to contain is that females can lay up to 100 eggs every two to three years. According to the Everglades Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area website, Florida has more nonnative reptile and amphibian species than anywhere else in the world. CREDIT: FWC Click here to learn more about Northern African pythons from FWC. Click here to learn how to report sightings of invasive species to FWC. Click here to learn about the Everglades Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area.