‘The eyes always draw me in’; Immokalee portrait artist turns dark times into colorCollier commissioners approve agreement for golf complex in Golden Gate
Immokalee ‘The eyes always draw me in’; Immokalee portrait artist turns dark times into color One of Southwest Florida best portrait artist, Martha Maria Cantu, almost gave up art. Now she’s on the forefront of the city of Immokalee, to make her community filled with color.
GOLDEN GATE Collier commissioners approve agreement for golf complex in Golden Gate Collier commissioners unanimously approved a long term lease and operating agreement to reopen the Golden Gate golf course Tuesday.
PUNTA GORDA Motorcyclists ride in SWFL to help veterans battle suicide A group of veterans from the American Legion are grabbing their helmets and boots for a motorcycle ride to bring awareness to the staggering rates of suicide among veterans.
SARASOTA Alleged sexual abuse victims of Port Charlotte priest comes forward Father Riley worked at three churches in Charlotte County and another in Naples. On Friday, new allegations emerged from a news conference in Sarasota.
PORT CHARLOTTE Port Charlotte priest accused of sexual abuse appears in court A priest accused of sexually abusing four altar boys in Iowa nearly 40 years ago returned to Charlotte County court.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema prepares for opening at Mercato The newest movie theater in Southwest Florida opens April 29, and it does so with an array of entertainment offerings that go beyond the usual options across the region.
Let’s Waffle opens in Cape Coral Let’s Waffle is one of two businesses the Feix family launched locally, with the FMS Florida Boat Tours and Limousine Service owned and operated by Feix’s husband, Alexander.
Planned Punta Gorda hotel, pub, brewery faces construction delay Kevin Doyle, owner of Celtic Ray Public House Irish pub in downtown Punta Gorda, and his partner, S4 Global Investments, were found in violation of the city’s exposed soils code.
Three Sisters Spring Toast the manatee released by FWC, SeaWorld and Casey DeSantis near Crystal River A manatee named Toast was released back into the Florida waters after a final medical evaluation from wildlife officials.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Man arrested and charged with over 90 counts of fraud The Cape Coral Police Department arrested a man for allegedly stealing items from a business and then pawning them.
Man accused of pulling gun on someone ordering at Collier County Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru A man has been arrested after allegedly pulling a gun on someone ordering at a Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru in Collier County.
League Club of Naples awards record $683K in grants to Collier, Lee nonprofits At a mid-April breakfast event, the 35 area nonprofit agencies—chosen from a record number of applicants—were awarded grants from the women’s volunteer organization in areas ranging from arts education, to fighting hunger and homelessness, to providing bikes and wheelchairs to children in need
Tim Aten Knows: Chick-fil-A drive-thru proposal faces criticism in Naples Chick-fil-A is proposing a drive-thru restaurant at the site of the former Red Lobster restaurant on U.S. 41 in Naples, but the project is facing early criticism.
Judge: man sentenced to life as teen for murder of 17-year-old will stay in jail for life A man who was supposed to be resentenced in a murder he committed as a teenager almost 20 years ago will stay behind bars for life, according to a judge’s ruling.
NAPLES Friday’s Furry Friends: Holly, Slim For this week’s Friday’s Furry Friends, WINK visits the Collier County Domestic Animal Services to showcase two adorable animals ready to be adopted.
Immokalee ‘The eyes always draw me in’; Immokalee portrait artist turns dark times into color One of Southwest Florida best portrait artist, Martha Maria Cantu, almost gave up art. Now she’s on the forefront of the city of Immokalee, to make her community filled with color.
GOLDEN GATE Collier commissioners approve agreement for golf complex in Golden Gate Collier commissioners unanimously approved a long term lease and operating agreement to reopen the Golden Gate golf course Tuesday.
PUNTA GORDA Motorcyclists ride in SWFL to help veterans battle suicide A group of veterans from the American Legion are grabbing their helmets and boots for a motorcycle ride to bring awareness to the staggering rates of suicide among veterans.
SARASOTA Alleged sexual abuse victims of Port Charlotte priest comes forward Father Riley worked at three churches in Charlotte County and another in Naples. On Friday, new allegations emerged from a news conference in Sarasota.
PORT CHARLOTTE Port Charlotte priest accused of sexual abuse appears in court A priest accused of sexually abusing four altar boys in Iowa nearly 40 years ago returned to Charlotte County court.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema prepares for opening at Mercato The newest movie theater in Southwest Florida opens April 29, and it does so with an array of entertainment offerings that go beyond the usual options across the region.
Let’s Waffle opens in Cape Coral Let’s Waffle is one of two businesses the Feix family launched locally, with the FMS Florida Boat Tours and Limousine Service owned and operated by Feix’s husband, Alexander.
Planned Punta Gorda hotel, pub, brewery faces construction delay Kevin Doyle, owner of Celtic Ray Public House Irish pub in downtown Punta Gorda, and his partner, S4 Global Investments, were found in violation of the city’s exposed soils code.
Three Sisters Spring Toast the manatee released by FWC, SeaWorld and Casey DeSantis near Crystal River A manatee named Toast was released back into the Florida waters after a final medical evaluation from wildlife officials.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Man arrested and charged with over 90 counts of fraud The Cape Coral Police Department arrested a man for allegedly stealing items from a business and then pawning them.
Man accused of pulling gun on someone ordering at Collier County Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru A man has been arrested after allegedly pulling a gun on someone ordering at a Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru in Collier County.
League Club of Naples awards record $683K in grants to Collier, Lee nonprofits At a mid-April breakfast event, the 35 area nonprofit agencies—chosen from a record number of applicants—were awarded grants from the women’s volunteer organization in areas ranging from arts education, to fighting hunger and homelessness, to providing bikes and wheelchairs to children in need
Tim Aten Knows: Chick-fil-A drive-thru proposal faces criticism in Naples Chick-fil-A is proposing a drive-thru restaurant at the site of the former Red Lobster restaurant on U.S. 41 in Naples, but the project is facing early criticism.
Judge: man sentenced to life as teen for murder of 17-year-old will stay in jail for life A man who was supposed to be resentenced in a murder he committed as a teenager almost 20 years ago will stay behind bars for life, according to a judge’s ruling.
NAPLES Friday’s Furry Friends: Holly, Slim For this week’s Friday’s Furry Friends, WINK visits the Collier County Domestic Animal Services to showcase two adorable animals ready to be adopted.
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) — Kaden Peifer and his Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, teammates use the same word over and over when describing what it’s like to be playing two hours from home in front of 35,000 fans at the Little League World Series. “Crazy,” the 12-year-old catcher said while taking a break Thursday from signing autographs outside Lamade Stadium. “It’s just hard to believe that so many people are coming out just to see us,” he said. About 40,000 people are expected on Saturday to watch undefeated Lewisberry take on Pearland, Texas, for the United States championship. Officials say the crowd could challenge the stadium’s single-game record of 44,800 set in 2001. Fans are expected to fill the large hill behind the outfield fence, which is normally empty enough for younger fans to use as an alpine slide with cardboard sheets. Pearland lost 3-0 to Lewisberry on Wednesday, but beat Bonita, California, 9-7 in extra innings Thursday night to earn a rematch with the Pennsylvania team. The winner will play the international champion, either undefeated Tokyo or Mexicali Baja California, Mexico, on Sunday for the World Series title. Many believe the home-field advantage makes Lewisberry the favorite. “Obviously it’s not easy to play before 35,000 people when 34,900 are rooting for Pennsylvania,” said Pearland manager Andrew Solomon. And Pearland players said the fans were doing more than just rooting for Lewisberry, describing some of them as downright hostile. Thirteen-year-old Ben Gottfried said they sounded like “my mother when she’s mad.” “They’re mean, they were really rude,” added pitcher/first baseman Zack Mack. “They complained a lot.” But Peifer said playing in front of that crowd is not easy for the home team either. The 12- and 13-year-olds have tried to block out the distractions and just focus on baseball, he said. But, they know a Pennsylvania team has not won the World Series title since Levittown in 1960 or the U.S. title since Shippensburg in 1990. “At some points, I think it can be a little harder on us, because the fans expect us to beat everybody,” Peifer said. “But we’re not going to mercy-rule every team.” Their opponent hails from just outside Houston and has the advantage of getting to practice outside year-round. The Lewisberry players had to deal with about 40 inches of snow between November and March, according to the National Weather Service. They stayed sharp, the players said, by going to an indoor baseball training facility owned by pitcher Cole Wagner’s uncle. “We did a lot of batting practice, fielding practice, lifting and stuff,” said outfielder Jarrett Wisman. “We train a lot.” Texas has been embracing the underdog role throughout the series. Solomon has said his team felt a bit slighted by the attention given to Pennsylvania and California, which hit 15 home runs in its five games here, but lost twice to Pearland. “We have a really good team,” he said. “We might not hit the most home runs or have a kid that throws 82 mph, but we are a very good, fundamentally sound team.” And while Texas doesn’t have the home field, it has plenty of motivation. This is the organization’s third trip to the Little League World Series in the last five years. In both 2010 and 2014, Pearland lost to the eventual U.S. champions. Solomon, who sports long dreadlocks, has told his players that if they win the World Series this year, they can cut his hair. ___ AP freelance writer Cody Butler contributed to this report.