360-degree storm documentation: A closer look at Hurricane Ian’s aftermath FGCU catcher Neely Peterson returns to Gainesville for NCAA Tournament
West Palm Beach 360-degree storm documentation: A closer look at Hurricane Ian’s aftermath At the Governor’s Conference exhibit hall, Dylan Faraone, Regional Director of Mosaic, showcased his work using a 360-degree camera mounted on his car to document the aftermath of major storms, including Hurricane Ian’s impact on southwest Florida.
GAINESVILLE FGCU catcher Neely Peterson returns to Gainesville for NCAA Tournament FGCU catcher Neely Peterson returns to Gainesville, where she fell in love with the sport again playing for Santa Fe College.
CAPE CORAL Do we need a federal gun database for mental illness? One family says yes One family is on a mission to create a new national gun database. It would require medical professionals to enter mental health information.
CAPE CORAL Suspect in custody after a North Fort Myers family loses everything in a fire Their investigation led them to the area of Hancock Bridge Parkway in Cape Coral. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office confirmed a suspect from the Bogart Drive incident is in custody.
FORT MYERS Deadly motorcycle crash shuts down roads on Fowler and Winkler Ave. Fort Myers Police Department has confirmed that a motorcyclist has died in a crash on Fowler and Winkler Avenue on Thursday.
Sarasota How well does a diverging diamond really work? The Sarasota diverging diamond is located at Interstate 75 and University Parkway. It was put in to alleviate heavy traffic.
FORT MYERS RSW experiencing terminal expansion delay Lee County commissioners gave us an update on the RSW terminal expansion project, which is long overdue. Now we know why.
IMMOKALEE National Weather Service determining if possible tornado hit Immokalee The National Weather Service is looking into whether a possible tornado hit the area of Oakhaven Circle in Immokalee where some areas saw wind damage.
SANIBEL Sanibel considering e-bike changes Biking is almost as common as driving on Sanibel, and the city’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee wants to keep that trend going.
CAPE CORAL Family of victim sues Lee County School District, claiming it failed to protect student Family sued Lee County School District for failing to keep their student safe.
CAPE CORAL Former Cape Coral teacher who sent inappropriate pictures to student reaches plea deal Reynolds’ plea agreement includes 12 years in prison followed by an additional 96 months of probation.
BONITA SPRINGS 12 vehicle crash shuts down all lanes of I-75 near MM 116 Bonita Springs firefighters are working the scene. Tow trucks are helping to get the affected vehicles off the road.
IMMOKALEE Strong storms cause wind damage in Immokalee, power outages reported Powerful storms leading to flood advisories and severe thunderstorm warnings have been impacting Southwest Florida for most of Thursday.
NAPLES Busy summer on horizon for top SWFL recruit The wide receiver has more than 30 offers from NCAA Division I programs, the majority of which are in power five conferences.
Port Authority, Lee County to work together on terminal expansion project A delay of at least a year in finishing the Southwest Florida International Airport terminal expansion construction project prompted elected officials to make a change.
West Palm Beach 360-degree storm documentation: A closer look at Hurricane Ian’s aftermath At the Governor’s Conference exhibit hall, Dylan Faraone, Regional Director of Mosaic, showcased his work using a 360-degree camera mounted on his car to document the aftermath of major storms, including Hurricane Ian’s impact on southwest Florida.
GAINESVILLE FGCU catcher Neely Peterson returns to Gainesville for NCAA Tournament FGCU catcher Neely Peterson returns to Gainesville, where she fell in love with the sport again playing for Santa Fe College.
CAPE CORAL Do we need a federal gun database for mental illness? One family says yes One family is on a mission to create a new national gun database. It would require medical professionals to enter mental health information.
CAPE CORAL Suspect in custody after a North Fort Myers family loses everything in a fire Their investigation led them to the area of Hancock Bridge Parkway in Cape Coral. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office confirmed a suspect from the Bogart Drive incident is in custody.
FORT MYERS Deadly motorcycle crash shuts down roads on Fowler and Winkler Ave. Fort Myers Police Department has confirmed that a motorcyclist has died in a crash on Fowler and Winkler Avenue on Thursday.
Sarasota How well does a diverging diamond really work? The Sarasota diverging diamond is located at Interstate 75 and University Parkway. It was put in to alleviate heavy traffic.
FORT MYERS RSW experiencing terminal expansion delay Lee County commissioners gave us an update on the RSW terminal expansion project, which is long overdue. Now we know why.
IMMOKALEE National Weather Service determining if possible tornado hit Immokalee The National Weather Service is looking into whether a possible tornado hit the area of Oakhaven Circle in Immokalee where some areas saw wind damage.
SANIBEL Sanibel considering e-bike changes Biking is almost as common as driving on Sanibel, and the city’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee wants to keep that trend going.
CAPE CORAL Family of victim sues Lee County School District, claiming it failed to protect student Family sued Lee County School District for failing to keep their student safe.
CAPE CORAL Former Cape Coral teacher who sent inappropriate pictures to student reaches plea deal Reynolds’ plea agreement includes 12 years in prison followed by an additional 96 months of probation.
BONITA SPRINGS 12 vehicle crash shuts down all lanes of I-75 near MM 116 Bonita Springs firefighters are working the scene. Tow trucks are helping to get the affected vehicles off the road.
IMMOKALEE Strong storms cause wind damage in Immokalee, power outages reported Powerful storms leading to flood advisories and severe thunderstorm warnings have been impacting Southwest Florida for most of Thursday.
NAPLES Busy summer on horizon for top SWFL recruit The wide receiver has more than 30 offers from NCAA Division I programs, the majority of which are in power five conferences.
Port Authority, Lee County to work together on terminal expansion project A delay of at least a year in finishing the Southwest Florida International Airport terminal expansion construction project prompted elected officials to make a change.
After a year off due to Hurricane Ian, the Fort Myers Beach Shrimp Festival is back and kicks off Saturday morning. What is pink shrimp? The shrimp being celebrated this weekend is wild-caught Gulf Pink Shrimp. This shrimp is a Fort Myers Beach delicacy. Caught only from the Gulf of Mexico to the Tortugas, this shrimp is said to have a “sweet” and “snappy” taste, said Ann Erickson with Erickson and Jensen. What to expect Expect LOTS of shrimp! Festivities start early, as the 5k Shrimp Run starts at 9 a.m. The race starts and finishes from Doc Ford’s along Matanzas Bridge. Directly after the run is the annual Shrimp Festival Parade from 10-12 p.m. From 9 to 12 p.m., the Matanzas Bridge will be closed for these two events. Matanzas Bridge ahead of Saturdays road closures for the “Shrimp Run” and parade. The fun doesn’t end there. The following events are also going on near Bayside Park on Fort Myers Beach Saturday: Arts and Crafts Fair, starting at 10 a.m. Shrimp Crawl, starting at 10 a.m. Queens Pageant 1-2 p.m. On Sunday: Arts and Crafts Fair, starting at 10 a.m. Shrimp Crawl, starting at 10 a.m. Blessing of the Fleet 10-1 p.m.; this is being held at the Erickson and Jenson Docks Shrimp Eating Contact 2 p.m. Shrimp Festival Closing Ceremony 4-7 p.m. Restaurants a part of the Shrimp Crawl each have their own specialty shrimp drink or dish. This is the “Shrimpy the Best Margarita” at The Whale. Did you know proceeds from this weekend’s event go back into the SWFL community? Shelby Stites, a member of marketing for the festival, said every year, money spent this weekend goes into the hands of those who need it most. RELATED: Miz Shirley’s Shrimp Shack after Hurricane Ian “We serve the youth. We do childhood cancer, diabetes saving the environment and a few other ones, but mainly these go to use scholarships for area students for secondary schools of their choice,” said Stites. Shrimp heritage in Matanzas Bay Erickson and Jensen Gulf Shrimp have been a part of the Southwest Florida seafood community for generations. Anna Erickson is a 4th generation shrimper. Erickson grew up being a part of this parade and now helps her family business continue its legacy. “We’re a big part of the community. We hope that it brings people down to Fort Myers Beach, knowing that we have such a special product here. That is a heritage to the community,” said Erickson. Art along the Erickson and Jensen’s docks was just redone ahead of this weekends festivities. More than a job, being a part of her families shrimping business is Ericksons life. After Hurricane Ian damaged several of their boats, along with their dock and other parts of their business, it has taken some work to bring them to this weekend’s festivities. But they are thrilled to be celebrating their seafood again! RELATED: Dealing with traffic on Fort Myers Beach Erickson said, “For this weekend, Sunday will be kind of our big day. We’ll be doing the blessing of the fleet. And we’re also doing new to this year, a church service that will be at 10. Then the blessing will be at 11, after that. St. Raphael’s church will be doing a shrimp boil here. And thanks to Storm Smart, we will be having shirts on donation, as well as thanks to Brandt Adamski, Fitch, Fletcher and Sanchez; we will have beers on donation.” Blessing the shrimp boats More than just a ritual, these boats mean something to this community. They help provide jobs, bring seafood back to our restaurants and keep our Southwest Florida economy going. The men and women who work on these shrimp boats are out for 30 days at a time, year-round, catching the best shrimp for our community. Blessing their boats is the community’s way of seeing where their beloved shrimp come from while giving the shrimpers a chance to connect with Fort Myers Beach. This is one of the few boats that survived Hurricane Ian at the Erickson and Jensen docks. Erickson said this prayer means more to these shrimpers than many know. “They love that the community cares. It means the world to them that, you know, as fishermen, most of their lives are spent at sea. So to have the community come down and give them that moment. I mean, honestly, it means it means the world to them.”