Man loses teeth, jaw wired together after e-cig explodes

ENGLEWOOD, Fla.- A man lost eight teeth and had to have his jaw wired after he said his e-cigarette exploded in his face. Chris Thompson was on his way to breakfast with his dad, Mike, on Sunday when he said suddenly his e-cigarette exploded in his right hand. “I was about to take a puff […]

Officials: Armed travelers trying to board planes set record

WASHINGTON (AP) – Federal officials say a record number of airline passengers were caught last year trying to take guns on planes, and most of the weapons were loaded. The Transportation Security Administration says 2,653 firearms were found in carry-on bags in 2015, a 20 percent increase over the previous year, which had been a […]

Road upgrades unveiled in East Naples

NAPLES, Fla.- A $20 million construction project is bringing major changes to U.S. 41 and Collier Boulevard in East Naples. On Thursday, drivers began enjoying the wider lanes that mark the beginning of an even bigger project as the population of East Naples continues to rise. “Explosive is the perfect word for it,” said Collier County Commissioner Donna Fiala, describing […]

Shots fired at unoccupied CCSO patrol vehicle

NAPLES, Fla. – An unoccupied Collier County Sheriff’s Office vehicle was shot at while parked at an apartment complex on Thursday. Two bullet holes were found on the front passenger door of the marked vehicle, which was parked at the Bermuda Isles Apartments at the intersection of Vanderbilt and Livingston roads, authorities said. The deputy […]

Naples man’s identity stolen days after death

NAPLES, Fla.- A Naples woman says thieves stole her husband’s identity just days after he passed away. “Most of the time they get the information from the obituaries. They will actually scour newspapers looking for obituaries so that way, they know that person’s identity is wide open to be used,” said security expert Carrie Kerskie. The victim’s […]

Union president says Miami officer stabbed in face at casino

MIAMI (AP) – A Miami police officer is recovering after being stabbed in the face by a patron at Magic City Casino. Miami Fraternal Order of Police President Javier Ortiz said via email that the officer also discharged his gun to protect himself and the public early Thursday. The Miami Herald (http://hrld.us/1npbFc4 ) reports witnesses […]

1 of Jacksonville’s formerly conjoined twins heads home

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) – One of the formerly conjoined twin boys born in Jacksonville in December 2014 is now at home. The Florida Times-Union reports (http://bit.ly/1V9YPbO) Conner Mirabal was released from Wolfson Children’s Hospital on Wednesday. His brother, Carter Mirabal, has had a slower recovery and remains hospitalized. Their mother, Michelle Brantley, says both boys […]

Woman suspected of vandalizing Punta Gorda ATM

PUNTA GORDA, Fla.- Police are looking to identify a woman in connection with the tampering of multiple ATMs in Punta Gorda. ATMs at a Publix on Burnt Store Road, and another one at the Busey Bank on the 2800 block of Tamiami Trail, had their cash outlets super-glued shut, Punta Gorda police said. “The banks have addressed those […]

Army secretary nominee worried about cuts to Army’s size

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Obama administration’s nominee to be the Army’s top civilian official said Thursday he is worried about plans to reduce the Army’s size to about 450,000 active-duty troops. Eric Fanning told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday that improving the Army’s state of readiness is challenging because of the threat posed […]

NC public universities break record at nearly 225K students

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) – Students are flocking back into North Carolina’s public universities. The 16-campus system’s governing board is scheduled to hear Thursday that University of North Carolina schools broke an enrollment record this fall with nearly 225,000 students. A new report says that’s an increase of nearly 3,000 students for the fall semester over […]