LCSO: Lehigh Acres shooting investigation underwayRock for Equality: SWFL non-profit hosts benefit concert for Palestine
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.
Charlotte Technical College breaks ground on aviation facility The Charlotte County School District is flying high and keeping its “Space Academy” designation with a new aviation training facility for students.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested in connection with Cape Coral home invasion The Cape Coral Police Department has announced the arrest of one of three men suspected in a home invasion that took place earlier this month.
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.
Charlotte Technical College breaks ground on aviation facility The Charlotte County School District is flying high and keeping its “Space Academy” designation with a new aviation training facility for students.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested in connection with Cape Coral home invasion The Cape Coral Police Department has announced the arrest of one of three men suspected in a home invasion that took place earlier this month.
Jose Ramirez,, 37. CREDIT: CCSO. A 37-year-old Immokalee man has been arrested, suspected of illegally harvesting saw palmetto berries. According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, Jose Ramirez’s arrest was the first of the season. Deputies arrested him Tuesday morning, just after 7:30 a.m., while patrolling the woodlands in Immokalee. Deputies say they caught Ramirez with a bucket full of Saw Palmetto Berries. According to the CCSO report, another man was seen collecting berries along with Ramirez, but he ran off before deputies could reach him. This arrest comes after a new law promises harsher punishments for illegal harvesting of the berry, which has healing properties. CCSO’s Agriculture Unit said the consequences will be different this year. In a Facebook video posted in early July, CCSO said, “Harvesting without a permit or without written permission is a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison; falsifying a harvesting document also is a third-degree felony.” RELATED: Illegal saw palmetto berry harvest leads to more than 15 arrests, hundreds of pounds recovered “You know, just like I can’t go into your house and help myself to, you know, something of yours. Why should anybody be able to go on private land and help themselves?” asked Gene McAvoy, a private consultant. CCSO said that those who want to buy the berries must have a harvesting permit, landowner permission, and a two-year, government-issued ID for the harvester. According to CCSO, failing to do so is a “first-degree felony punishable by up to one year in jail; buying and possessing unlawfully harvested palmetto berries is [a] third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison.” “Farming is a hard business. So anything you do to, you know, add another profit stream to your operation, it helps farmers stay in business and keep farmland in farming,” said McAvoy. McAvoy says the price of saw palmetto berries changes from season to season, but this berry’s value in fighting cancer means more than the profit. “Saw Palmetto is used medicinally to for the treatment of prostate cancer,” said McAvoy. “They extract the chemical, and I’m not exactly sure what the name of that chemical is from the berries, but it shrinks the tumors.” Saw palmetto berries are a valuable resource that grows here in Southwest Florida. Their healing powers are a reason for the influx of thieves. According to Jeremia Mudge, a harvester at J&B Palmetto Berries in LaBelle, the berries are used to treat prostate cancer and prevent the prostate line from swelling. When we spoke to Mudge earlier this month, he said that harvesters are looking for thieves. Arrests made in illegal saw palmetto berry harvest in Florida. CREDIT: INDIAN RIVER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE “We have cameras; we have drones; we put about eight to 15 people in jail a year. It’s an epidemic. It’s disgusting. I’ve been cut and injured,” Mudge said. The harvesting season is short, lasting from late summer into early fall. For more information on how to obtain a harvesting permit, go to the Florida Department of Agriculture’s website. Ramirez currently remains in custody.