Collier County JROTC instructor fired for alleged sexual misconductRedeveloping plan to modify East Fort Myers
NAPLES Collier County JROTC instructor fired for alleged sexual misconduct A teenage girl claims her JROTC instructor made sexual comments, touched her, asked her on a date and told her to keep her mouth shut.
EAST FORT MYERS Redeveloping plan to modify East Fort Myers Southwest Florida is often called paradise, but some areas like East Fort Myers don’t live up to that. Now, the city is looking to change that.
FORT MYERS Dunbar High School works to beat the heat during spring practice Spring practice is heating up in more ways than one. High school teams are braving the elements right now.
Collier County Escaping an abusive partner – the ins and outs of injunctions for protection Survivors of domestic violence often seek an injunction, but for some, it may not be the best option to get out of a bad situation.
ESTERO Gulfshore Business honors 10 women for their contributions to business and Southwest Florida Lois Thome emceed a Gulfshore Business luncheon Thursday recognizing 10 local women for their contributions to SWFL.
NORTH NAPLES North Naples golf pro will have his sister caddy at PGA Championship Evan Bowser, the first assistant golf pro at LaPlaya Golf Club, will have his sister Elayna caddy for him at PGA Championship.
Person airlifted after crash on SR-31 near Bermont Road At least two people are hurt in another wreck on the roads on State Road 31 in Charlotte County.
Palm Beach Blvd. crash caused massive backups Two lanes are closed on Palm Beach Boulevard because of a crash near Orange River Boulevard.
Getting people back into their homes after storms For months, parts of our community have been involved in a back and forth with FEMA over the 25% flood insurance discount.
Lehigh Acres State Road 82: A road marked by tragedy and a plea for safety improvements State Road 82, specifically the stretch between Interstate 75 and Immokalee Road, is not just a highway; it’s a place marked by tragedy and danger.
Mixing meds can make a dangerous cocktail One thing doctors have to consider when prescribing meds is whether they will interact with any drugs the patient is currently taking.
LEHIGH ACRES Caught on camera: thieves end dream of new family home in Lehigh Acres Thieves in the night destroyed a family’s dream of building a new home, and their acts were caught on camera.
PORT CHARLOTTE HyperFiber internet service planned for Port Charlotte HyperFiber, an independent, high-speed fiber-optic internet service, will be available to more than 31,000 homes in Port Charlotte, said the company’s president and CEO, Dan Kennedy.
FORT MYERS What changes do you want to see on Cleveland Avenue? A drive down Cleveland Avenue in Fort Myers is a reminder of what used to be for many. Whether it’s the abandoned doctor’s offices, shopping plaza units or the old Sears; there’s room for improvement.
HyperFiber internet service planned for Port Charlotte HyperFiber has collaborated with Charlotte County’s engineering division, and the first Port Charlotte customers began to receive HyperFiber’s connection at the end of April.
NAPLES Collier County JROTC instructor fired for alleged sexual misconduct A teenage girl claims her JROTC instructor made sexual comments, touched her, asked her on a date and told her to keep her mouth shut.
EAST FORT MYERS Redeveloping plan to modify East Fort Myers Southwest Florida is often called paradise, but some areas like East Fort Myers don’t live up to that. Now, the city is looking to change that.
FORT MYERS Dunbar High School works to beat the heat during spring practice Spring practice is heating up in more ways than one. High school teams are braving the elements right now.
Collier County Escaping an abusive partner – the ins and outs of injunctions for protection Survivors of domestic violence often seek an injunction, but for some, it may not be the best option to get out of a bad situation.
ESTERO Gulfshore Business honors 10 women for their contributions to business and Southwest Florida Lois Thome emceed a Gulfshore Business luncheon Thursday recognizing 10 local women for their contributions to SWFL.
NORTH NAPLES North Naples golf pro will have his sister caddy at PGA Championship Evan Bowser, the first assistant golf pro at LaPlaya Golf Club, will have his sister Elayna caddy for him at PGA Championship.
Person airlifted after crash on SR-31 near Bermont Road At least two people are hurt in another wreck on the roads on State Road 31 in Charlotte County.
Palm Beach Blvd. crash caused massive backups Two lanes are closed on Palm Beach Boulevard because of a crash near Orange River Boulevard.
Getting people back into their homes after storms For months, parts of our community have been involved in a back and forth with FEMA over the 25% flood insurance discount.
Lehigh Acres State Road 82: A road marked by tragedy and a plea for safety improvements State Road 82, specifically the stretch between Interstate 75 and Immokalee Road, is not just a highway; it’s a place marked by tragedy and danger.
Mixing meds can make a dangerous cocktail One thing doctors have to consider when prescribing meds is whether they will interact with any drugs the patient is currently taking.
LEHIGH ACRES Caught on camera: thieves end dream of new family home in Lehigh Acres Thieves in the night destroyed a family’s dream of building a new home, and their acts were caught on camera.
PORT CHARLOTTE HyperFiber internet service planned for Port Charlotte HyperFiber, an independent, high-speed fiber-optic internet service, will be available to more than 31,000 homes in Port Charlotte, said the company’s president and CEO, Dan Kennedy.
FORT MYERS What changes do you want to see on Cleveland Avenue? A drive down Cleveland Avenue in Fort Myers is a reminder of what used to be for many. Whether it’s the abandoned doctor’s offices, shopping plaza units or the old Sears; there’s room for improvement.
HyperFiber internet service planned for Port Charlotte HyperFiber has collaborated with Charlotte County’s engineering division, and the first Port Charlotte customers began to receive HyperFiber’s connection at the end of April.
For the second time this year, Lee County Commissioners voted 5-0 March 20 to allow a sewer extension into Alva. Unlike before the first vote, commissioners spoke in public about their reasons for voting and talked of scheduling a public workshop about the changes coming to what has been a rural area. Comprehensive land amendment votes occur twice, first to transmit the information to state reviewing agencies, then adopting the decision, Commissioner Brian Hamman explained. The second vote happened after state reviewing agencies found no issues with a sewer extension that would trigger developer Neal Communities to ask for a density boost on the property, from 788 homes to 1,099 homes on 788 acres off North River Road, a development order shows. Dozens of Alva residents—there were 61 during the first vote—spoke March 20 at the Old Lee County Courthouse, pleading with commissioners not to approve the sewer because of their fears it will end their community as they know it. Some Alva residents also expressed concerns with how the first vote came about, six weeks after developer Pat Neal and/or lobbyist Terry Miller met privately and separately with each of the five county commissioners. Four of those meetings were held Nov. 9, 30 minutes apart or within a three-hour span, records show. While such meetings are legal, lawyers with Sunshine Law expertise and other experts say they also pose the opportunity to have “daisy chaining,” in which messages are spread from one commissioner to the other—which taints the voting process and is illegal according to a circuit court judge’s decision in 1979, Blackford vs. School Board of Orange County. “A chain of such meetings involving multiple elected officials with the same stakeholders is illegal,” Alva citizen Elly Hagen said, after going through the timeline of events and Gulfshore Business’ reporting of public records. Alva resident Darius Cochran, whose wife, Amanda Cochran, is running against Commissioner Mike Greenwell in the District 5 election in August, questioned how Miller could both lobby and be a campaign manager for four of the five commissioners—all but Commissioner Cecil Pendergrass. “Terry gets all the money from all sides,” Darius Cochran said. “I’ve got to meet this guy. It’s unreal. How can this be legal? How does this look? How can not one of you not think that’s not a good look?” Commissioners did not answer Darius Cochran’s questions after public comment, and they all declined interview requests after the meeting. Miller deferred comments to Neal, and Neal declined to comment. Neale Montgomery, an attorney representing Neal Communities, said she consulted her Sunshine Law book. “I had to pull mine out to read it,” Montgomery said during Neal Communities’ response to public comment. “The case [Gulfshore Business] is referencing, too. The problem is, [Gulfshore Business] left out the rest of the story. If you need more on that, I suggest you consult the county attorney’s office.” The county has yet to respond to an interview request for the county attorney. Commissioner Kevin Ruane was the only commissioner who addressed the Sunshine Law issue brought forth during public comment. Although records show he met privately with Neal, records show Ruane was the only commissioner who did not meet with Miller in November. “This issue quite frankly is insulting because the facts aren’t there,” Ruane said. “But to violate Sunshine, to break the law for a job I get paid nothing for, it’s so un-factual, so incorrect and so insulting, in so many ways.” Ruane then explained why he voted for the amendment. “But this is water and sewer transmission that we’re doing,” Ruane said. “In my professional opinion … sewer is much better than septic.” Hamman said, “Septic tanks, north of the river… we have data, we have laws and data that show us what septic tanks do to the water table, that nutrients get into an already impaired river. For me, I think it’s pretty reasonable to assume we’re going to be forced to put those homes on water and sewer someday.” Hamman said it would be better to get in front of those expenses, especially since Neal Communities will be paying for the sewer extension. “You get it done on the front end and get the folks who build the community to pay for it,” Hamman said. “It’s better for the environment, and we don’t have to put assessments on people in the future to retrofit it. “I think, so many times, you see news agencies completely omit the fact that we have an independent county staff of experts, who review this, that by the Lee County charter, we’re prohibited from influencing that staff. We can’t tell them what to do or how to analyze this. They came up with the report and presented it to us. Now, it’s up to us to make a decision for the entire community. I have to vote based on the evidence presented in front of me. I hate that gets omitted from all the news stories, but that’s just what happened.” Said Pendergrass: “Our staff reviewed this. The state reviewed it and had no comments or objections. When it comes back to us, who in their right minds would go against this? We do this beforehand, it’s better for the environment, better for the community and a whole lot cheaper for the taxpayers of Lee County.” Greenwell said he was planning a mid-to-late May workshop for concerned Alva residents to gather more information. “I want you to be informed,” Greenwell said. “You have to understand, as a commissioner, I’m not going to vote no on something that matters to a majority of our county and the future of our children.” Said Commissioner Ray Sandelli: “Look at the big picture. We’re growing. That’s our challenge. We can’t go any further west. We’re going east. Going east involves a lot of different processes. With that growth comes essential services. And this is an essential service. “If we have a developer that’s willing to pay for that, as opposed to that coming back to us as citizens, it makes sense. It also makes sense for the future.” To read more at Gulfshore Business, click here.