Pedestrian dead after crash on McGregor BoulevardSunday brings sun and clouds with chance for a stray shower
FORT MYERS Pedestrian dead after crash on McGregor Boulevard The Fort Myers Police Department is investigating a crash that left at least one person dead Saturday night.
Sunday brings sun and clouds with chance for a stray shower The Weather Authority forecasts another seasonal day across Southwest Florida, with temperatures reaching the upper 70s to low 80s this afternoon.
Family of Eagles: FGCU volleyball star graduates with Master’s Degree Saturday marked a special day for Florida Gulf Coast University as more than 1,800 students graduated. For one student-athlete, graduating from FGCU runs in the family.
lehigh acres LCSO: Man shot by car owner protecting property The Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting in Lehigh Acres early Saturday morning.
NORTH FORT MYERS Lee County residents wait hours for D-SNAP assistance The supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) is at the Lee Civic Center all weekend, ready to help southwest Florida.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA First eaglet hatches in famous SWFL eagle nest Welcome E24! The third eaglet from the nest of M15 and F23 has hatched according to the Southwest Florida eagle camera.
Rock for Equality: SWFL non-profit hosts benefit concert for Palestine A Southwest Florida non-profit hosted a benefit concert on Friday night to help with humanitarian aid in Palestine.
Warm, breezy Saturday with a few showers possible The Weather Authority is forecasting a breezy, warm weekend in store across Southwest Florida, with the chance of a few showers, particularly on Saturday.
CAPE CORAL Active investigation underway in South Cape Coral Cape Coral police are investigating at a home on Southwest 49th Terrace in South Cape Coral early Saturday morning.
16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier County According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, two airboats crashed south of U.S. 41 east between mile markers 74 and 75, leaving well over a dozen people injured.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashes There could be new detectives on the block, located in your nearest auto shop. A new state bill aims at trying to stop hit-and-run drivers from getting away.
CAPE CORAL New leash on life; Cape Coral shelter dog beats cancer with drug being tested for humans A drug now being studied in human trials to kill cancerous tumors, is already approved and helping animals.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral planning a new interchange with I-75 The city of Cape Coral is in the early stages of planning a new interchange with I-75, an idea that has been discussed for more than a decade.
Tracking invasive species after hurricanes Hurricanes Helene and Milton didn’t just bring wind and rain, they brought new threats to southwest Florida’s ecosystem.
PUNTA GORDA Woman in Punta Gorda shooting charged with 2nd degree murder A woman in a homicide investigation on Nasturtium Drive in Punta Gorda has been charged with 2nd-degree murder.
FORT MYERS Pedestrian dead after crash on McGregor Boulevard The Fort Myers Police Department is investigating a crash that left at least one person dead Saturday night.
Sunday brings sun and clouds with chance for a stray shower The Weather Authority forecasts another seasonal day across Southwest Florida, with temperatures reaching the upper 70s to low 80s this afternoon.
Family of Eagles: FGCU volleyball star graduates with Master’s Degree Saturday marked a special day for Florida Gulf Coast University as more than 1,800 students graduated. For one student-athlete, graduating from FGCU runs in the family.
lehigh acres LCSO: Man shot by car owner protecting property The Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting in Lehigh Acres early Saturday morning.
NORTH FORT MYERS Lee County residents wait hours for D-SNAP assistance The supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) is at the Lee Civic Center all weekend, ready to help southwest Florida.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA First eaglet hatches in famous SWFL eagle nest Welcome E24! The third eaglet from the nest of M15 and F23 has hatched according to the Southwest Florida eagle camera.
Rock for Equality: SWFL non-profit hosts benefit concert for Palestine A Southwest Florida non-profit hosted a benefit concert on Friday night to help with humanitarian aid in Palestine.
Warm, breezy Saturday with a few showers possible The Weather Authority is forecasting a breezy, warm weekend in store across Southwest Florida, with the chance of a few showers, particularly on Saturday.
CAPE CORAL Active investigation underway in South Cape Coral Cape Coral police are investigating at a home on Southwest 49th Terrace in South Cape Coral early Saturday morning.
16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier County According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, two airboats crashed south of U.S. 41 east between mile markers 74 and 75, leaving well over a dozen people injured.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashes There could be new detectives on the block, located in your nearest auto shop. A new state bill aims at trying to stop hit-and-run drivers from getting away.
CAPE CORAL New leash on life; Cape Coral shelter dog beats cancer with drug being tested for humans A drug now being studied in human trials to kill cancerous tumors, is already approved and helping animals.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral planning a new interchange with I-75 The city of Cape Coral is in the early stages of planning a new interchange with I-75, an idea that has been discussed for more than a decade.
Tracking invasive species after hurricanes Hurricanes Helene and Milton didn’t just bring wind and rain, they brought new threats to southwest Florida’s ecosystem.
PUNTA GORDA Woman in Punta Gorda shooting charged with 2nd degree murder A woman in a homicide investigation on Nasturtium Drive in Punta Gorda has been charged with 2nd-degree murder.
Fentanyl’s grip on Southwest Florida is tightening, with frequent arrests and heartbreaking losses for families, but the threat extends beyond users, impacting law enforcement and first responders. Collier County Sheriff’s Office Cpl. Robert Palmer experienced this firsthand during a domestic-related call. Palmer lost consciousness after exposure to fentanyl, requiring two doses of Narcan to save him. In response, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office launched the “Laced & Lethal” campaign to raise awareness about fentanyl’s dangers. Moreover, there’s a strong push for legislation (SB 718: Exposures of First Responders to Fentanyl and Fentanyl Analogs) to impose tougher penalties on adults who expose first responders to fentanyl. Palmer testified before a state senate committee, advocating for a bill that would charge such individuals with a second-degree felony. “My scene wasn’t anything that had to do with drugs,” said Palmer. “It was a domestic disturbance that came through dispatch, and next thing you know, I’m falling out from an overdose from fentanyl.” The bill, if passed, would charge adults who unlawfully possess and “recklessly” expose first responders to fentanyl. “This is invisible,” said Palmer. “We have no way to see. We have no way to react to this until, God forbid, we get exposed to this and symptoms set in.” The bill would protect law enforcement officers like Palmer and first responders who risk their lives to protect others. However, the legislation would prohibit “the arrest, charging, prosecution, or penalizing under specified provisions of law of a person acting in good faith who seeks medical assistance for an individual experiencing, or believed to be experiencing, an alcohol-related or a drug-related overdose, etc.” Critics argue the bill would punish addicts. The bill passed through the Senate and is making its rounds through House committees. RELATED: Powdered, pills, no matter how you slice it – fentanyl kills RELATED: Fentanyl fueling fears after Collier deputy overcome by exposure RELATED: Fentanyl arrests surpass heroin arrests for the first time The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) released its latest numbers in a Bureau of Justice Statistics report. Highlights from Heroin, Fentanyl, and Other Opioid Offenses in Federal Courts, 2021 From fiscal year 2020 to 2021, the number of drug arrests the DEA made for fentanyl increased by 36%, from 2,305 to 3,138. The number of arrests the DEA made for fentanyl (3,138) surpassed those for heroin (2,591). Of the 28,224 total drug arrests by the DEA in 2021, 11% were for fentanyl, 9% were for heroin, and 2% were for other opioids. Most persons sentenced for drug offenses involving heroin (89%) or fentanyl (87%) had a prior criminal history.