Lee County father accused of aggravated child abuse

FORT MYERS, Fla. A 37-year-old man accused of aggravated child abuse is now in custody, the Fort Myers Police Department said. Jhonson Benel, of 1916 Grove Ave. in Fort Myers, was arrested Friday night for alleged child abuse and child neglect after police received information from the Department of Children and Families. “Thanks to the […]

Trump claims Obama had his phones wiretapped; no proof cited

PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) President Donald Trump on Saturday accused former President Barack Obama of having Trump Tower telephone lines “wire tapped” during last year’s election, but Trump didn’t offer any evidence or say what prompted the allegation. Trump, whose administration has been under siege over campaign contacts with Russian officials, said in a series […]

FGCU women’s basketball triumphs over UNF

FORT MYERS, Fla. Despite a sluggish first half, the FGCU women’s basketball team defeated the University of North Florida Ospreys 59-42 Friday night, advancing to the conference semifinals. The Eagles were trailing 23-18 at the start of the third quarter, but started playing with more energy and aggression in the second half. FGCU senior point […]

Lee County man accused of posing as doctor

LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. A 36-year-old man was arrested Thursday for allegedly posing as a doctor after a Crime Stoppers complaint, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said. Elio Fernandez-Trueba, of 525 S.E. Fifth St. in Cape Coral, is facing charges for practicing medicine without a license after an undercover detective caught him prescribing medications illegally at […]

Trump tours private school in Florida, promoting choice

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) President Donald Trump toured a private religious school in Florida on Friday, praising it as an ideal institution for “disadvantaged children” while re-emphasizing that his education agenda will focus on school choice. Trump visited St. Andrew Catholic School in Orlando, dropping in on a fourth-grade classroom and shaking hands with students who […]

Rep. Francis Rooney faces raucous crowds at town hall meetings

NORTH NAPLES, Fla. Hundreds of voters in Florida’s U.S. House District 19 were eager to voice their concerns at at Rep. Francis Rooney’s town meetings Friday. The first meeting took place in North Collier Regional Park, where nearly 300 people were in attendance. Emotions ran wild as environmental concerns, Planned Parenthood, immigration and gun laws […]

Cape Coral experiences water shortage emergency

CAPE CORAL, Fla.  The city is on the brink of a crisis, city officials said. Its supply for irrigation water is depleting, with only four weeks worth of useable water left in the canals. “As far as the freshwater supply in the canals, it’s definitely the lowest I’ve seen it since I’ve been here,” said […]

SWFL Jewish leaders react to anti-Semitic threats

SOUTH FORT MYERS, Fla. Despite Friday’s arrest in connection to threats made to multiple Jewish Community Centers nationwide, it’s not lost on Southwest Florida’s Jewish community. “We’re very upset about that but there haven’t been violent attacks against Jewish people — and we are grateful for that,” Rabbi Marc Sacks of Temple Judea said. This […]