Cold Saturday morning, warmer afternoons on the wayNeighbors react to deputy-involved shooting of man with machete
the weather authority Cold Saturday morning, warmer afternoons on the way The Weather Authority says Southwest Florida woke up to the coldest temperatures in 3 years.
Neighbors react to deputy-involved shooting of man with machete New body camera footage shows the moment Charlotte County deputies opened fire on a man armed with a machete.
FORT MYERS 21st annual Caloosahatchee Celtic Festival underway in Fort Myers The 21st Caloosahatchee Celtic Festival is underway. Despite the colder weather, visitors are enjoying the festivities in Fort Myers.
New video shows alternate angle of I-75 multi-county chase A theft ring in Lee County led to a dramatic car chase involving Paul Fritzson, who allegedly carjacked a couple in Collier County.
Meet the kids benefiting from Naples’ charity wine festival: Kolson’s story The Naples Winter Wine Festival, known as the largest charity wine auction in the world, kicked off on Friday with a focus on benefiting children in Collier County.
Iona Firefighter rescues homeowner from blaze A firefighter bravely rescued a homeowner from a burning house on Whiskey Creek Drive.
LEHIGH ACRES Father and son face off in hoops for the first time Gateway guard Quran Pettyjohn Jr. faced off against his dad, East Lee County head coach Quran Pettyjohn Sr., for the first time Thursday night.
NAPLES School burglars in Collier County make off with guns The Collier County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in identifying four people who broke into Golden Gate Middle School and stole guns that were locked in a safe.
NAPLES Local veteran impresses Trump and Stallone with handcrafted flags A local veteran has always had a passion for art. After serving in the military, he found a new mission through his hobby of wood cutting.
FORT MYERS Dunbar High cross-country runner makes history as first girl in state finals A Dunbar High senior is making history. Jennifer Gonzalez is the first girl from the school to reach the state finals in cross country.
NORTH NAPLES Meet the Kids Day! Big dollar donors hear how their money helps Tooday is Meet the Kids Day. People who bid on high-dollar auction items at the Naples Winter Wine Festival get to see who benefits.
CAPE CORAL American Legion Post 90 to hold Four Chaplains ceremony American Legion Post 90 is holding the Four Chaplains ceremony commemorating the sinking of an American troop ship during World War II.
SUV crashes into Hendry County canal Hendry County Sheriff’s Office deputies are investigating after an SUV crashed into a canal in Hendry County.
Falling back on New Year’s resolutions Here we are in the last half of January, but the majority of people who made New Year’s resolutions have already given up.
Charlotte County Sheriff: suspect shot 12 times in Englewood deputy-involved shooting The suspect in a deadly deputy-involved shooting was shot 12 times after deputies fired 17 rounds when the man charged them with a machete.
the weather authority Cold Saturday morning, warmer afternoons on the way The Weather Authority says Southwest Florida woke up to the coldest temperatures in 3 years.
Neighbors react to deputy-involved shooting of man with machete New body camera footage shows the moment Charlotte County deputies opened fire on a man armed with a machete.
FORT MYERS 21st annual Caloosahatchee Celtic Festival underway in Fort Myers The 21st Caloosahatchee Celtic Festival is underway. Despite the colder weather, visitors are enjoying the festivities in Fort Myers.
New video shows alternate angle of I-75 multi-county chase A theft ring in Lee County led to a dramatic car chase involving Paul Fritzson, who allegedly carjacked a couple in Collier County.
Meet the kids benefiting from Naples’ charity wine festival: Kolson’s story The Naples Winter Wine Festival, known as the largest charity wine auction in the world, kicked off on Friday with a focus on benefiting children in Collier County.
Iona Firefighter rescues homeowner from blaze A firefighter bravely rescued a homeowner from a burning house on Whiskey Creek Drive.
LEHIGH ACRES Father and son face off in hoops for the first time Gateway guard Quran Pettyjohn Jr. faced off against his dad, East Lee County head coach Quran Pettyjohn Sr., for the first time Thursday night.
NAPLES School burglars in Collier County make off with guns The Collier County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in identifying four people who broke into Golden Gate Middle School and stole guns that were locked in a safe.
NAPLES Local veteran impresses Trump and Stallone with handcrafted flags A local veteran has always had a passion for art. After serving in the military, he found a new mission through his hobby of wood cutting.
FORT MYERS Dunbar High cross-country runner makes history as first girl in state finals A Dunbar High senior is making history. Jennifer Gonzalez is the first girl from the school to reach the state finals in cross country.
NORTH NAPLES Meet the Kids Day! Big dollar donors hear how their money helps Tooday is Meet the Kids Day. People who bid on high-dollar auction items at the Naples Winter Wine Festival get to see who benefits.
CAPE CORAL American Legion Post 90 to hold Four Chaplains ceremony American Legion Post 90 is holding the Four Chaplains ceremony commemorating the sinking of an American troop ship during World War II.
SUV crashes into Hendry County canal Hendry County Sheriff’s Office deputies are investigating after an SUV crashed into a canal in Hendry County.
Falling back on New Year’s resolutions Here we are in the last half of January, but the majority of people who made New Year’s resolutions have already given up.
Charlotte County Sheriff: suspect shot 12 times in Englewood deputy-involved shooting The suspect in a deadly deputy-involved shooting was shot 12 times after deputies fired 17 rounds when the man charged them with a machete.
Florida panther standing outside of a wildlife crossing. CREDIT: florida-panther-east-collier.jpg, fStop Foundation, Copyrighted, All Rights Reserved – Used by Permission, https://www.fws.gov/banner/florida-panther-east-collierjpg For the fourth time since the start of 2020, wildlife officials recorded two endangered Florida panther deaths on the same day. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Panther Pulse, a 4-year-old female Florida panther reportedly died after getting hit by a vehicle on Oil Well Road in Collier County. Cimarron, the Florida Panther at the Shy Wolf Sanctuary. CREDIT: Paul Dolan It’s rare that Panther Pulse reports same-day mortalities. Below is a list of every same-day Florida panther mortalities since the start of 2020. Nov. 12, 2023 Sept. 28, 2021 – three same-day mortalities April 1, 2021 Feb. 19, 2020 Officials say the 4-year-old panther was struck by a vehicle on Oil Well Road a little less than a mile west of Oil Well Grade in Collier County. This marks the seventh time in 2024 that authorities have discovered a dead Florida panther after a vehicle struck it, bringing the confirmed death toll of the endangered animal to nine for the year. Male panther at the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by FWS, 2018. “Vehicle collisions are the primary cause of death for Florida panthers,” FWC says in a press release. “The FWC encourages motorists to slow down and observe all posted speed limits, especially in panther zones, which are in place in several counties across South Florida and coincide with areas where panthers are known to cross. These panther speed zones help ensure the survival of the endangered Florida panther and protect motorists from personal injury.” RELATED: Train strikes endangered Florida panther in Glades County, fifth death of 2024 RELATED: 12 endangered Florida panther deaths in 5 months, latest on Alligator Alley Also, on Monday, wildlife officials discovered a second dead Florida panther. This was a 2-year-old male panther reportedly struck on Highway 70, about four miles west of Southwest County Road 721, in Glades County. In the last two months, wildlife officials have discovered five dead Florida panthers. On Feb. 1, a panther was discovered after getting struck by a train in Glades County. Then on March 8, another was found in the Picayune Strand State Forest. The third was discovered on Alligator Alley near the Broward and Collier County line, also struck by a vehicle. A female panther and her kitten, seen one month after being reunited in Naples by FWC biologists. Credit: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Monday’s discoveries were the second in Glades and Collier County. In years past, the majority of dead panthers have been discovered in Collier County. However, Hendry County accounts for the most in 2024 with three discoveries. Vehicle collisions are the most common way FWC discovers dead panthers. RELATED: Florida Panther Conservation: Protecting the State Animal of Florida “Early measures to reduce panther deaths from vehicle collisions included lowering the speed limit at night in critical stretches of highways, widening road shoulders to increase visibility, experimenting with special reflectors intended to make animals wary as headlight beams were reflected in their direction, public information campaigns and rumble strips,” says the FWC website. In 2023, all 13 reported deaths were the result of vehicle collisions. In 2022, 25 of the 27 discovered deaths were due to Florida panthers getting struck by a vehicle, while the other two were from unknown causes. In 2021, 21 of the 27 deaths were the result of a panther getting struck by a vehicle. Vehicle strike statistics for Florida panthers. CREDIT: FWC That means dating back to the start of 2021, 66 of the last 76 documented dead panthers by wildlife officials were the result of vehicle strikes. “The most effective but also the most expensive measure was adding wildlife crossings to highways,” says the FWC website. Panther Crossing is a Naples Zoo campaign that is designed to make roads a safer place for the state animal of Florida. Athena, the endangered Florida panther at Naples Zoo. CREDIT: PAUL DOLAN Panther crossing signs on the road remind drivers to slow down. While driving in a panther zone at night, drivers should slow down from 60 to 45 mph. The Florida panther has been on the Endangered Species List since 1967. Officials report just over 200 are left in the wild. “The subspecies is so critically endangered that it is vulnerable to just about every major threat,” says the National Wildlife Federation. Florida panther. CREDIT: NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION To report dead or injured panthers, call the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922) or #FWC or *FWC on a cell phone.