IMMOKALEE ROAD 3 injured in deadly crash on Immokalee road The Florida Highway Patrol is currently investigating a deadly crash on Immokalee road.
NAPLES Collier deputies investigating car submerged in water The Collier County Sheriffs Office is investigating the scene of a submerged vehicle in Naples.
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball reflects on season and team’s legacy FGCU softball reflects on the historic season following their elimination doubleheader Saturday as well as what made this team special.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA The Weather Authority: Scattered storms in the forecast for your Sunday Expect sun and clouds throughout the day, along with scattered rain. Some of the storms have the potential to become severe.
CAPE CORAL Do we need a federal gun database for mental illness? One family says yes One family is on a mission to create a new national gun database. It would require medical professionals to enter mental health information.
ALVA Three dead in triple drowning near the Franklin Lock in Olga The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is responding to a scene of a water rescue where three people were recovered.
PUNTA GORDA The Weather Authority helps you prepare for the hurricane season at the 2024 Charlotte County Hurricane Expo With hurricane season less than two weeks away, it’s important to start preparing.
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball senior balances EMT training and Regional play Ahead of NCAA Regional play, FGCU senior outfielder Riley Oakes started EMT training as she works toward being a trauma surgeon.
PUNTA GORDA Homes For Our Troops grants veteran new home Through all the cheers and a community-wide escort, it’s a ‘welcome to your forever home for army sergeant veteran Brandon Rethmel and his family.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Beat the Heat: Stay safe during extreme weather The Weather Authority has issued a heat advisory for portions of South, Southeast, and Southwest Florida from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday.
FORT MYERS Leaders discuss possibility of shutting down Caloosahatchee Bridge Should residents endure two years of partial lane closures, or fully shut the Caloosahatchee bridge down for 10 weeks?
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball parents cherish NCAA Tournament experience The parents of the FGCU softball team are relishing seeing their daughters play in the NCAA Tournament.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA The Weather Authority: Hot, hot, hot Heat advisory in place for Saturday until 8 p.m.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers teen finds dead body in bed of his truck A 16-year-old in Fort Myers drove to school, drove home, drove to the barbershop and back home again. Then, he noticed a swarm of flies in the back of his truck.
Scottie Scheffler facing felony charges; local attorney reacts The attorney we spoke with told us that, at a minimum, we’d spend the night in jail before having our first appearance and getting bail.
IMMOKALEE ROAD 3 injured in deadly crash on Immokalee road The Florida Highway Patrol is currently investigating a deadly crash on Immokalee road.
NAPLES Collier deputies investigating car submerged in water The Collier County Sheriffs Office is investigating the scene of a submerged vehicle in Naples.
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball reflects on season and team’s legacy FGCU softball reflects on the historic season following their elimination doubleheader Saturday as well as what made this team special.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA The Weather Authority: Scattered storms in the forecast for your Sunday Expect sun and clouds throughout the day, along with scattered rain. Some of the storms have the potential to become severe.
CAPE CORAL Do we need a federal gun database for mental illness? One family says yes One family is on a mission to create a new national gun database. It would require medical professionals to enter mental health information.
ALVA Three dead in triple drowning near the Franklin Lock in Olga The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is responding to a scene of a water rescue where three people were recovered.
PUNTA GORDA The Weather Authority helps you prepare for the hurricane season at the 2024 Charlotte County Hurricane Expo With hurricane season less than two weeks away, it’s important to start preparing.
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball senior balances EMT training and Regional play Ahead of NCAA Regional play, FGCU senior outfielder Riley Oakes started EMT training as she works toward being a trauma surgeon.
PUNTA GORDA Homes For Our Troops grants veteran new home Through all the cheers and a community-wide escort, it’s a ‘welcome to your forever home for army sergeant veteran Brandon Rethmel and his family.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Beat the Heat: Stay safe during extreme weather The Weather Authority has issued a heat advisory for portions of South, Southeast, and Southwest Florida from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday.
FORT MYERS Leaders discuss possibility of shutting down Caloosahatchee Bridge Should residents endure two years of partial lane closures, or fully shut the Caloosahatchee bridge down for 10 weeks?
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball parents cherish NCAA Tournament experience The parents of the FGCU softball team are relishing seeing their daughters play in the NCAA Tournament.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA The Weather Authority: Hot, hot, hot Heat advisory in place for Saturday until 8 p.m.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers teen finds dead body in bed of his truck A 16-year-old in Fort Myers drove to school, drove home, drove to the barbershop and back home again. Then, he noticed a swarm of flies in the back of his truck.
Scottie Scheffler facing felony charges; local attorney reacts The attorney we spoke with told us that, at a minimum, we’d spend the night in jail before having our first appearance and getting bail.
Governor Ron DeSantis ordered the National Guard to deal with all the Cuban migrants landing in the Florida Keys. More than 300 migrants were picked up over New Year’s weekend. After days at sea, landing ashore on US soil is a sigh of relief for Cuban migrants. Arriving in Key West since the 1800s, they’re part of the local culture we see today through cigar factories and coffee shops. “I don’t think it’s going to ever stop or diminish, you know, the ties that we have here. I mean, that’s just, we’re too close,” said Corey Malcom, the lead historian at the Florida Keys History Center. Cuba is so close that the federal government says at least 50 Cuban migrants arrive each day. Since the start of 2023, hundreds have arrived by boat on Florida’s coastlines. Overwhelmed by the influx, local authorities had to shut down Dry Tortugas National Park on New Year’s Day. Kinsey Beck is a dive captain who said you can’t miss the new arrivals. “It’s almost at least three times a week minimum, we’ll see a new boat pull up on the beach or be left on the beach from the night before.” Migrants are still using homemade vessels; a prime example of how history isn’t going away in south Florida. “We’ve had people coming in, refugees essentially, coming since the 1860s, and now, you know, you meet native Key Westerners, half of them have, you know, Hispanic surname because of that huge influx,” said Malcom. Malcom has lived in Key West for 40 years. He said the recent influx doesn’t come close to the 1980 Mariel boatlift. He just hopes officials will use that event to create a safer pathway for Cubans coming to the United States. “If something can be done to stop people from taking that risk, that’s good. You certainly want to see people find freedom and find a way that their lives can be better,” Malcom said. People in Key West can only watch as the migrants arrive, but they feel for them. “Sometimes, we find the boats out floating out at sea. If they don’t have an orange circle with a ‘K’ on it, that means the Coast Guard hasn’t approached it yet,” said Beck. Hundreds of migrants have made it on land since the new year, but the Coast Guard isn’t letting their guard down. On Sunday, they sent 273 migrants back to Cuba, a sight Beck has witnessed in the past. “I was out to sea two months ago, and a boat with over 100 people on it was intercepted right in front of my boat.” On top of interceptions, Malcom said he spotted three abandoned boats over the weekend on Smathers Beach. Over the 40 years he’s lived on Key West, migrant arrivals haven’t been a problem to him. “It’s always touching to see people make those crossings. These tiny boats, they just really have to be desperate to do that. So, for me, all I can say is I wish them the best,” Malcom said. He’s not the only one not bothered. Many locals said they wish things were different so Cubans wouldn’t have to risk their lives for freedom. For now, they’re accepting the policies for what they are. “It’s just a way of life out here. It’s part of life. It’s something we deal with. It’s something we see,” Beck said.