Social media influencer arrested for theft at Cape Coral TargetFort Myers woman pleads guilty to possessing loaded firearm as person with felony convictions
CAPE CORAL Social media influencer arrested for theft at Cape Coral Target The Cape Coral Police Department arrested a woman accused of stealing items worth nearly $500 from a Target.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers woman pleads guilty to possessing loaded firearm as person with felony convictions Fort Myers woman pleaded guilty to possessing a loaded firearm and ammunition as a person with felony convictions.
CAPE CORAL What’s next for Cape Coral City Council after repealing stipend? The City of Cape Coral elected five new council members Wednesday night, and their first motion was to repeal the controversial self-imposed stipend.
FORT MYERS California man pleads guilty to distributing drugs to Lee County A California man has pleaded guilty to conspiracy with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl to Lee County.
Holiday events scheduled in Lee County throughout December It is the most wonderful time of the year, as Lee County is preparing for several Christmas and holiday-themed events in December.
FORT MYERS BEACH 34th annual American Sand Sculpting Companionship begins on Fort Myers Beach The resilience of the Southwest Florida community is on display Thursday morning in the form of sand on Fort Myers Beach.
the weather authority Decreasing humidity and mostly sunny skies for your Thursday The Weather Authority is tracking a cold front dropping humidity and temperatures on this Thursday afternoon.
The Salvation Army of Collier County launches annual toy drive The annual Toys for Tots donation drive in Collier County has officially begun, aiming to bring Christmas joy through generosity.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral’s new council eliminates stipend on day one People in Cape Coral are getting what they voted for: the new city council members were just sworn in, and they eliminated the stipend.
LEHIGH ACRES Man arrested for fatal hit-and-run crash with motorcyclist in Lehigh Acres A man has been arrested in connection with a hit-and-run crash that killed a motorcyclist on Tuesday night.
Latest details on fatal Alligator Alley crash ; 1 killed According to the arrest report, a man told troopers he got a minivan from a pastor but did not get permission to take it out because he left in the middle of the night
Enforcing state law on street camping in Punta Gorda More than a month since the new state law banning sleeping in public places went into effect the city of Punta Gorda voted on if an ordinance change was needed.
Cape Coral home vandalized; homeowner calls it a “hate crime” A man returned to his unfinished Cape Coral home to find it’s been violated and vandalized. Cape Coral police are searching for the suspect.
SWFL organizations putting donated money to good use 41 Southwest Florida organizations are still in shock about the millions of dollars they received from philanthropist Tom Golisano.
Utility scams awareness day: what you need to know Wednesday is utility scams awareness day. These types of scams target customers by going door-to-door, sending phone calls or texts and using false information online.
CAPE CORAL Social media influencer arrested for theft at Cape Coral Target The Cape Coral Police Department arrested a woman accused of stealing items worth nearly $500 from a Target.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers woman pleads guilty to possessing loaded firearm as person with felony convictions Fort Myers woman pleaded guilty to possessing a loaded firearm and ammunition as a person with felony convictions.
CAPE CORAL What’s next for Cape Coral City Council after repealing stipend? The City of Cape Coral elected five new council members Wednesday night, and their first motion was to repeal the controversial self-imposed stipend.
FORT MYERS California man pleads guilty to distributing drugs to Lee County A California man has pleaded guilty to conspiracy with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl to Lee County.
Holiday events scheduled in Lee County throughout December It is the most wonderful time of the year, as Lee County is preparing for several Christmas and holiday-themed events in December.
FORT MYERS BEACH 34th annual American Sand Sculpting Companionship begins on Fort Myers Beach The resilience of the Southwest Florida community is on display Thursday morning in the form of sand on Fort Myers Beach.
the weather authority Decreasing humidity and mostly sunny skies for your Thursday The Weather Authority is tracking a cold front dropping humidity and temperatures on this Thursday afternoon.
The Salvation Army of Collier County launches annual toy drive The annual Toys for Tots donation drive in Collier County has officially begun, aiming to bring Christmas joy through generosity.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral’s new council eliminates stipend on day one People in Cape Coral are getting what they voted for: the new city council members were just sworn in, and they eliminated the stipend.
LEHIGH ACRES Man arrested for fatal hit-and-run crash with motorcyclist in Lehigh Acres A man has been arrested in connection with a hit-and-run crash that killed a motorcyclist on Tuesday night.
Latest details on fatal Alligator Alley crash ; 1 killed According to the arrest report, a man told troopers he got a minivan from a pastor but did not get permission to take it out because he left in the middle of the night
Enforcing state law on street camping in Punta Gorda More than a month since the new state law banning sleeping in public places went into effect the city of Punta Gorda voted on if an ordinance change was needed.
Cape Coral home vandalized; homeowner calls it a “hate crime” A man returned to his unfinished Cape Coral home to find it’s been violated and vandalized. Cape Coral police are searching for the suspect.
SWFL organizations putting donated money to good use 41 Southwest Florida organizations are still in shock about the millions of dollars they received from philanthropist Tom Golisano.
Utility scams awareness day: what you need to know Wednesday is utility scams awareness day. These types of scams target customers by going door-to-door, sending phone calls or texts and using false information online.
Alex Nickell catches a big snake near Bear Island. CREDIT: ALEX NICKELL Catching invasive Burmese pythons in Florida is challenging; some hunters grab the snakes by the back of the head, others try to be safer and grab them by the tail, but one hunter decided to catch a 14-foot python by sitting on it. By day, Alexander Nickell is a carpenter, but when the sun goes down, and the predators come out, he pursues his passion project: hunting Burmese pythons. Nickell has been hunting the invasive species in Florida since 2008. In those 16 years, Nickell has caught a lot of snakes. “I’ve got a little in the hundreds, about 140, I think, in that range,” said Nickell. “Year to date from about this date to last year in around about 40.” While heading to Bear Island, Nickell came across a 14-foot, 10-inch Burmese python slithering across the road late at night. “I got control of the head real quick,” said Nickell. “She wrapped around both my legs. She tied herself pretty tight.” CREDIT: ALEX NICKELL Then, in a moment of creative improvisation, Nickell got the upper hand on the python by taking a seat. “I could actually just lean forward and just sat on her, and she couldn’t move after that. It kind of ended pretty quick because she messed up,” said Nickell. Quick thinking to overcome the constricting strength of an apex predator. However, Nickell mentioned, back in 2010 was the only time he caught a bigger snake measuring a bit longer than 16 feet. That said, this isn’t the average python size he finds while hunting. “Most of the ones just driving down the road you’ll end up seeing are usually at least six foot,” said Nickell. Nickell has seen how startling the invasive constrictor’s impact on ecological balance has been since the species’ proliferation in Florida. Burmese python caught. CREDIT: ALEX NICKELL “From what it was when I was a kid out here, if you stopped off on the side of the road anywhere in the Everglades and maybe had a sandwich, you’d be having to fight raccoons for your sandwich. I’ve been out here solid for the last two years, just out there about every three days at least, and I haven’t seen a raccoon in two years. They’re wiped out and devastated the population of native animals,” said Nickell. RELATED: Burmese python, longer than an African elephant’s height, captured in Collier County RELATED: Burmese pythons found slithering further north For Nickell, hunting Burmese pythons is a fun hobby. Sure, it isn’t your typical hobby like painting, exercising or traveling, but it is something he is passionate about. Nickell hopes this passion will help bring balance to the Florida ecosystem and the environment he calls home. Burmese python skin. CREDIT: ALEX NICKELL “Helping out at the Everglades because a breeder that size would put a lot more little babies back out there,” said Nickell. Luckily for Nickell, python hunting in Florida has become a pretty big deal. In fact, hunters from around the world migrate every year to the Sunshine State for the Florida Python Challenge. In 2023, Nickell competed for the first time, but he isn’t planning on stopping any time soon. “I just started it last year, so I’m gonna definitely be in from here on out as long as they keep it up,” said Nickell.