Second man found guilty in Hendry party bus rape

LABELLE, Fla. A second man was convicted Friday in the 2013 rape of a 16-year-old girl on a party bus. Joshua Dale Bryan, 22, faces up to 60 years in prison, the state attorney’s office said. A sentencing hearing is set for Oct. 5. He was found guilty of two counts of sexual battery on […]

New judge in place for trial in North Naples murders

NAPLES, Fla. A new judge has been assigned to a high-profile murder case just days before it’s scheduled to go to trial. Judge Frederick Hardt granted a motion Friday to recuse himself from the trial of Mesac Damas, who’s accused of killing his wife and five children by slitting their throats in 2009 at their […]

UF leaves door ajar for white nationalist speech on campus

GAINESVILLE, Fla. White nationalist Richard Spencer may end up speaking at the University of Florida after all. The school says it didn’t mean to “permanently” bar Spencer last month when it rejected an application filed by the organization he leads, the Tampa Bay Times reports. An attorney for Spencer warned the university Thursday of a […]

Nurse refuses blood test on unconscious patient; gets cuffed

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) A Utah police officer’s body camera video shows a hospital nurse being handcuffed after refusing to draw blood on an unconscious patient. The video taken at University Hospital in Salt Lake City shows nurse Alex Wubbels calmly explaining to Salt Lake detective Jeff Payne that she couldn’t draw blood on a […]

Florida House bill targets bullying in senior communities

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (The News Service of Florida) Dubbed the “Stand Up for Seniors Act,” a newly filed House bill would seek to prevent residents of 55-or-older communities from bullying and harassing other residents. Rep. Emily Slosberg, D-Boca Raton, filed the bill (HB 123) for consideration during the 2018 legislative session, which starts in January. Under […]

Gas prices surge higher as drivers rush to fill their tanks

ATLANTA (AP) Gasoline prices rose several cents overnight amid continuing fears of shortages in Texas and other states in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey’s strike on the Gulf Coast. The national average for a gallon of regular gas rose in one day from $2.45 Thursday to $2.52 Friday, the American Automobile Association reported. In Fort […]

Iowa teacher fired for showing up drunk arrives at court drunk

DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) A woman convicted of being drunk at a preschool where she was employed appeared in court drunk, records show. Angela Hircock, 43, of Winterset, was charged in March with child endangerment after co-workers told police and the Iowa Department of Human Services they suspected she was intoxicated when she came to […]

Collier County tourist tax hike kicks in Friday

NAPLES, Fla. Tourists will pay more to visit Collier County starting Friday. A hike that takes the county’s tourist tax from 4 percent to 5 percent kicks in with the start of September. It funds an amateur sports complex planned for the City Gate property near Interstate 75 and Collier Boulevard. It’ll also go toward beach […]

Immigrants battle deportation fears in Harvey’s aftermath

HOUSTON (AP) Alain Cisneros walked past thousands of cots filled with storm victims at the Houston convention center holding up a poster with the words, “Do you have questions?” written in Spanish in bold black letters. He pulled up a chair next to a woman from Honduras and tried to deliver a reassuring message as […]

Storm chances greater Friday, Saturday than on Sunday, Monday

FORT MYERS, Fla. Rain chances will be higher Friday and Saturday than they will be on Sunday and Monday as Labor Day Weekend begins. Showers and storms will work their way from inland communities westward to the coast Friday afternoon, WINK meteorologist Zach Maloch said. Those will linger into the evening. The best chance for rain […]