Woman, 54, killed in Fort Myers Beach deputy-involved shooting

FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. A 54-year-old woman was killed Thursday in a deputy-involved shooting, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said. Deputies responded to a 911 complaint call at around 5:15 p.m. on the 400 block of Lazy Way, the sheriff’s office said. Debi Lynn Thorkelson was armed and barricaded herself inside the home. Deputies pleaded with […]

President Trump to donate $1 million in personal funds to Texas relief efforts

HOUSTON (AP) President Trump will donate $1 million towards Hurricane Harvey relief in Texas, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday. The president said he will donate his personal money, according to Sanders, although she could not say with certainty that the president meant his own bank account and not the Donald J. […]

Groups seek ban on high-dose opioids citing overdose danger

CHICAGO (AP) Safety advocates and state health officials are formally calling on the Food and Drug Administration to ban high-dose opioid painkillers to prevent accidental overdose deaths among patients and people who abuse drugs. A petition filed Thursday asks the FDA to ban opioid pills that, when taken as directed, would add up to a […]

Medicaid fueling opioid epidemic? New theory is challenged

WASHINGTON (AP) An intriguing new theory is gaining traction among conservative foes of the Obama-era health law: Its Medicaid expansion to low-income adults may be fueling the opioid epidemic. If true, that would represent a shocking outcome for the Affordable Care Act. But there’s no evidence to suggest that’s happening, say university researchers who study […]

Filing jeopardizes scheduled start of Collier murder trial

NAPLES, Fla. A man accused of killing his wife and five children by slitting their throats wants a new judge on his case. Mesac Damas, 41, filed a motion Thursday for judge Frederick Hardt to recuse himself. The motion casts doubt on whether the trial will start as scheduled on Tuesday. Damas faces six counts of first-degree murder […]

Credit card skimmers becoming harder to detect

FORT MYERS, Fla. Stealth devices that steal credit card information are becoming even sneakier. Skimmers are increasingly smaller and harder to distinguish from the credit card slots they prey on at gas stations, ATMs and other places. “You would never know it was there,” Collier County Sheriff’s Sgt. Brian Sawyer said. “As the public becomes […]

International Overdose Awareness event to take place in Naples

NAPLES, Fla. Overdose victims will be remembered Thursday at Lowdermilk Park in honor of International Overdose Awareness Day. The free event will take place from 6 p.m. to dusk at Lowdermilk Park on 1301 Gulf Shore Boulevard North. Guest speakers will raise awareness of drug addictions. “It’s anybody’s child, it’s your child, it’s your neighbors child, […]

Flood insurance rates could spike as federal program drowns in debt

FORT MYERS, Fla. The federal program for paying out flood insurance claims is severely in debt. And some in the industry believe an increase in rates is inevitable. The national flood insurance program, which is run by FEMA, is $25 billion dollars in debt, according to industry experts. Numerous claims are expected after torrential rains in […]

Man facing charges for Golden Gate sexual battery

GOLDEN GATE, Fla. A 31-year-old man was arrested Thursday in connection with a June sexual battery, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office said. Roberto Alfonso Amezaga, of 2057 51st St. Southwest, was accused of entering the victim’s home in June and attacking her while she slept, the sheriff’s office said. He is a suspect in two other […]

Suspect identified in Englewood murder

ENGLEWOOD, Fla. A 34-year-old man has been identified as a suspect in an Aug. 20 killing. Edwin Lee Randall would face murder and armed home-invasion charges if caught, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office said. One person was found dead and two people were hurt at a home on the 2700 block of 11th Street, according […]