360-degree storm documentation: A closer look at Hurricane Ian’s aftermath FGCU catcher Neely Peterson returns to Gainesville for NCAA Tournament
West Palm Beach 360-degree storm documentation: A closer look at Hurricane Ian’s aftermath At the Governor’s Conference exhibit hall, Dylan Faraone, Regional Director of Mosaic, showcased his work using a 360-degree camera mounted on his car to document the aftermath of major storms, including Hurricane Ian’s impact on southwest Florida.
GAINESVILLE FGCU catcher Neely Peterson returns to Gainesville for NCAA Tournament FGCU catcher Neely Peterson returns to Gainesville, where she fell in love with the sport again playing for Santa Fe College.
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.
CAPE CORAL Suspect in custody after a North Fort Myers family loses everything in a fire Their investigation led them to the area of Hancock Bridge Parkway in Cape Coral. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office confirmed a suspect from the Bogart Drive incident is in custody.
FORT MYERS Deadly motorcycle crash shuts down roads on Fowler and Winkler Ave. Fort Myers Police Department has confirmed that a motorcyclist has died in a crash on Fowler and Winkler Avenue on Thursday.
Sarasota How well does a diverging diamond really work? The Sarasota diverging diamond is located at Interstate 75 and University Parkway. It was put in to alleviate heavy traffic.
FORT MYERS RSW experiencing terminal expansion delay Lee County commissioners gave us an update on the RSW terminal expansion project, which is long overdue. Now we know why.
IMMOKALEE National Weather Service surveys storm damage in Immokalee The National Weather Service in Miami concluded after a survey the damage wasn’t from a tornado. It was from a downburst of straight-line wind between 60 – 70 mph.
SANIBEL Sanibel considering e-bike changes Biking is almost as common as driving on Sanibel, and the city’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee wants to keep that trend going.
CAPE CORAL Family of victim sues Lee County School District, claiming it failed to protect student Family sued Lee County School District for failing to keep their student safe.
CAPE CORAL Former Cape Coral teacher who sent inappropriate pictures to student reaches plea deal Reynolds’ plea agreement includes 12 years in prison followed by an additional 96 months of probation.
BONITA SPRINGS 12 vehicle crash shuts down all lanes of I-75 near MM 116 Bonita Springs firefighters are working the scene. Tow trucks are helping to get the affected vehicles off the road.
IMMOKALEE Strong storms cause wind damage in Immokalee, power outages reported Powerful storms leading to flood advisories and severe thunderstorm warnings have been impacting Southwest Florida for most of Thursday.
NAPLES Busy summer on horizon for top SWFL recruit The wide receiver has more than 30 offers from NCAA Division I programs, the majority of which are in power five conferences.
Port Authority, Lee County to work together on terminal expansion project A delay of at least a year in finishing the Southwest Florida International Airport terminal expansion construction project prompted elected officials to make a change.
West Palm Beach 360-degree storm documentation: A closer look at Hurricane Ian’s aftermath At the Governor’s Conference exhibit hall, Dylan Faraone, Regional Director of Mosaic, showcased his work using a 360-degree camera mounted on his car to document the aftermath of major storms, including Hurricane Ian’s impact on southwest Florida.
GAINESVILLE FGCU catcher Neely Peterson returns to Gainesville for NCAA Tournament FGCU catcher Neely Peterson returns to Gainesville, where she fell in love with the sport again playing for Santa Fe College.
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.
CAPE CORAL Suspect in custody after a North Fort Myers family loses everything in a fire Their investigation led them to the area of Hancock Bridge Parkway in Cape Coral. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office confirmed a suspect from the Bogart Drive incident is in custody.
FORT MYERS Deadly motorcycle crash shuts down roads on Fowler and Winkler Ave. Fort Myers Police Department has confirmed that a motorcyclist has died in a crash on Fowler and Winkler Avenue on Thursday.
Sarasota How well does a diverging diamond really work? The Sarasota diverging diamond is located at Interstate 75 and University Parkway. It was put in to alleviate heavy traffic.
FORT MYERS RSW experiencing terminal expansion delay Lee County commissioners gave us an update on the RSW terminal expansion project, which is long overdue. Now we know why.
IMMOKALEE National Weather Service surveys storm damage in Immokalee The National Weather Service in Miami concluded after a survey the damage wasn’t from a tornado. It was from a downburst of straight-line wind between 60 – 70 mph.
SANIBEL Sanibel considering e-bike changes Biking is almost as common as driving on Sanibel, and the city’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee wants to keep that trend going.
CAPE CORAL Family of victim sues Lee County School District, claiming it failed to protect student Family sued Lee County School District for failing to keep their student safe.
CAPE CORAL Former Cape Coral teacher who sent inappropriate pictures to student reaches plea deal Reynolds’ plea agreement includes 12 years in prison followed by an additional 96 months of probation.
BONITA SPRINGS 12 vehicle crash shuts down all lanes of I-75 near MM 116 Bonita Springs firefighters are working the scene. Tow trucks are helping to get the affected vehicles off the road.
IMMOKALEE Strong storms cause wind damage in Immokalee, power outages reported Powerful storms leading to flood advisories and severe thunderstorm warnings have been impacting Southwest Florida for most of Thursday.
NAPLES Busy summer on horizon for top SWFL recruit The wide receiver has more than 30 offers from NCAA Division I programs, the majority of which are in power five conferences.
Port Authority, Lee County to work together on terminal expansion project A delay of at least a year in finishing the Southwest Florida International Airport terminal expansion construction project prompted elected officials to make a change.
Hurricane Andrew (By NOAA / Satellite and Information Service [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons) MIAMI (CBSMiami) It was 25 years ago this week that Hurricane Andrew pummeled south Miami-Dade. For many, it was a night of terror as pelting rains and whipping winds wrought destruction, leveling some neighborhoods. Before Hurricane Andrew, restaurant owner Jim Accursio had the mentality most longtime residents had about hurricanes. “We felt really confident. About midway through the hurricane I’m thinking to myself I killed my family because things were crashing all around us,” he said. It was the longest night of not just his life but for that of thousands across South Dade. And the storm was really just the beginning of a lot of sleepless nights. “It was the worst experience I have ever had in my life. In terms of what I saw and what we were forced to deal with. And you could see it in the faces of people around me,” said Florida City Mayor Otis Wallace. “It was like, I saw, ‘what am I going to do’ on everybody’s face. People were in daze. And for awhile there was a lack of hope. People thought that we wouldn’t come out of it. But not me, I am the eternal optimist.” Wallace said after the storm, he didn’t recognize his hometown. Every city building had been wiped away, most of his residents were now homeless. “They thought we had it all planned out, ready to go. Little did they know I was just as devastated as they were and initially there was no larger government entity here. There was no County here. I didn’t see Miami-Dade County until about three weeks after the hurricane when then President Bush came to town. I’m not being critical. They were overwhelmed as well,” he said. They literally had to rebuild entire cities across South Florida. Remarkably, Accursio’s family owned restaurant Capri survived the storm. The solid Dade pine roof may be to thank. Thirty days after the storm he re-opened, an attempt to return to normalcy in a place that was everything but. “Some people we never heard from again,” he said noting they went from 50 employees to just seven. The reality was that life was hard. No power at home or work. No phones. No stores. No jobs. “Everything changed. A lot of people left, never came back,” said Wallace. The mayor estimates roughly half his town left. The devastated Air Force base in Homestead closed. Much of the middle class disappeared. “So many people that were born and raised here or so many people who had lived here for twenty years, thirty years, they left. So that changed the core of the community,” said Accursio. Those who stayed were determined to rebuild. “There was shock but there was opportunity. Everything that we didn’t like about the city we had an opportunity to do it better out of necessity,” said Wallace. Federal funds, grants, and a boost from insurance checks and sales tax funded a post hurricane building boom. Mayor Wallace said development plans that were 20-30 years away were suddenly expedited because of Andrew. “The US 1 corridor was not what you see right now. We were able, with the infrastructure that we put in after the hurricane, to bring in some major venders, the Walmarts, the Home Depots, Best Buys, none of those things were in existence,” he said. Accursio said it took awhile for the customers to return. However within two years he was back to 50 employees. “I’m glad that I stayed. I’m glad that I was able to provide jobs for people. 100 percent,” he said. The community would re-emerge thanks to new residents who came for affordable housing. South Dade rode into a housing boom a decade later and then endure a foreclosure crisis. Today South Dade is once again on the rise. New businesses and residents moving in each day. Most say it’s recovered, it is different though. Wallace said he’s okay with that. “The grass is always greener on the other side of the hill. But when your hill gets devastated you learn to appreciate what you have a lot more,” he said.