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.
lehigh acres LCSO: Lehigh Acres shooting investigation underway The Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting in Lehigh Acres early Saturday morning.
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.
Lee County mother continuing fight to get children a bus stop The school district already told her she lives too close to the school to qualify for a bus route but she has not given up.
NORTH NAPLES Grant Thornton Invitational returns to Tiburon Golf Club Stars on the PGA and LPGA Tours are back in Southwest Florida for the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club.
FORT MYERS Black Flag brings classic punk energy to The Ranch in Fort Myers Legendary punk band Black Flag made their mark in Southwest Florida during the Fort Myers stop of their “First Four Years” tour.
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.
lehigh acres LCSO: Lehigh Acres shooting investigation underway The Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting in Lehigh Acres early Saturday morning.
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.
Lee County mother continuing fight to get children a bus stop The school district already told her she lives too close to the school to qualify for a bus route but she has not given up.
NORTH NAPLES Grant Thornton Invitational returns to Tiburon Golf Club Stars on the PGA and LPGA Tours are back in Southwest Florida for the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club.
FORT MYERS Black Flag brings classic punk energy to The Ranch in Fort Myers Legendary punk band Black Flag made their mark in Southwest Florida during the Fort Myers stop of their “First Four Years” tour.
Boy watches a leatherback sea turtle lay a clutch of eggs. CREDIT: FWC Pretty soon, small areas of beaches will be taped off, as nesting season gets underway for an endangered sea turtle species in Florida. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, reports of close to a dozen leatherback sea turtle nests have been sent to the institute, and the nesting season is between March and July. Sea turtle nest. CREDIT: WINK News Leatherback turtles will nest every two or three years, creating several nets each season. The endangered species will lay about 80 eggs per clutch. While Lee County beaches are a known nesting ground for leatherback turtles, the species primarily nests on the east coast of Florida. On the east coast, the endangered species will nest from Martin to Palm Beach counties. During the 2023 nesting season, FWCRI counted at least 1,711 leatherback sea turtle nests. Where leatherback turtles will lay nests. CREDIT: FWC The leatherback sea turtle is the largest species of turtle in the world, weighing up to 1,500 pounds and reaching 6 feet long. RELATED: Sea turtle hatchling success plummets on Sanibel and Captiva following record nest Summer RELATED: Grant awarded to help sea turtles nesting on Fort Myers Beach Though record numbers of nests were found in 2023, areas like Captiva and Sanibel saw the numbers of nests plummet. Captiva saw a meager 2,268 sea turtle hatchlings emerge, equivalent to a 10% success rate. While on Sanibel, 24,961 hatchlings emerged, equal to a slightly improved 32% success rate. View this post on Instagram A post shared by FWRI (@fwcresearch) “While we should be encouraged by these impressive nest numbers and proud of the ongoing conservation efforts leading up to this point, they only tell half the story,” said SCCF Coastal Wildlife Director and Sea Turtle Program Coordinator Kelly Sloan. Taking a step in the right direction, a grant worth more than $7 million was awarded from the Florida Division of Emergency Management to help sea turtles that nest on Fort Myers Beach. Beach development is a land-based threat to the endangered species. As development continues on beaches it shrinks the amount of space the turtles can use for nests. It also adds to artificial lighting which can be fatal to turtle hatchlings. Leatherback hatchling emerging from nest. CREDIT: FWC FWCRI reminds people to avoid using lights on the beach and to bring down beach-facing curtains and blinds. This helps hatchlings know which way the ocean is and gives the endangered species a better chance to survive. Some of the primary threats facing the species in the water are getting tangled in fishing gear, such as longlines, monofilament fishing lines, nets and crab trap lines. The endangered species is also illegally harvested for their meat and eggs. Click here for more information on leatherback sea turtles from FWC.