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Students First - IHS success story

IMMOKALEE - Friday, May 28, is Graduation Day for Collier County Public Schools (CCPS)! As we get ready to celebrate the Class of 2021, we’ll take a moment to share just one success story

Ave Maria School of Law announces new institute for business law

Ave Maria School of Law announced, on May 15, at the school’s 21st commencement ceremony in the establishment of the Ave Maria Institute for Business Law...

Some annual Florida festivals canceled, others go on

The Sugar Festival was canceled. Black Gold Jubilee went on as planned.

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Community

Collier County Airports receive grants for improvements

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Current conditions

Observed from: Fort Myers, Southwest Florida International Airport

Fog/Mist, 79 °F

Scattered showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 89. Heat … Get the full forecast

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Coronavirus

- CDC advises all eligible Americans be vaccinated against COVID-19
  
  The Centers for Disease Control last week warned the highly contagious COVID-19 delta variant is likely to become the dominant strain in United …
- State shuts down COVID-19 dashboard
  
  According to the Centers for the Disease Control, those who are fully vaccinated can safely go out in public...
- West Palm Beach VA to host a walk-in COVID-19 vaccine evening clinic June 9
  
  The West Palm Beach VA COVID-19 Vaccine crew is leaving their doors open and extending hours of operation to offer the vaccine to veterans...

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Police/Fire

DeSantis signs bill supporting LEO canines

Governor Ron DeSantis supports bill to help LEO K9s injured in the line of duty

FHP conducts Operation P.E.D.S. in Immokalee

On June 18, 2021, the Florida Highway Patrol conducted Operation P.E.D.S. (Pedestrian Education and Developing Safety details) in the vicinity of Main Street in Immokalee from 8 til 10 a.m.

UPDATED: One year after a tragic loss, the Julian Keen Foundation makes an announcement

IMMOKALEE — It has been one year since the community suffered the tragic loss of beloved FWC officer, Julian Keen.

Nine FDC correctional institutions earn Reaccreditation by the ACA

Over the last year, ACA audit teams from across the country visited Apalachee, Liberty, Hamilton, Baker, Columbia, Okeechobee...

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Sports

$5,000,000 in scholarship funds for SWFL youth at Immokalee Freedom Day event

IMMOKALEE- A Juneteenth Freedom Day Block Party is planned for June 19, 2021. Jonas Mervilus, owner and founder of MySpeedyX, has announced $5,000,000 in scholarship funding will be available

Watch the Undersea World of the Florida Keys from anywhere!

This summer Friends of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park will install a webcam at the Mosquito Banks patch reef, one of only a handful of underwater webcams...

Don’t quit hunting just because it’s summer - try wild hog hunting instead

If you’re looking for a hunting opportunity this time of year, you might want to consider wild hog hunting.

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Schools

Taste of Immokalee receives donation of $100,000 to fund expansion of the company and the Youth Entrepreneurship Program

IMMOKALEE – Taste of Immokalee is rapidly expanding.

Babcock Ranch executives share career insights with The Immokalee Foundation’s students

Executives from Babcock Ranch discussed careers and employment possibilities with students in The Immokalee Foundation’s Career Pathways program...

Free virtual series to share home maintenance tips

The next series in the free “Living Well Wednesdays” virtual workshop will offer tips to repair and maintain common issues seen inside and outside the home...

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Wildlife & Environment

UF wildlife ecologists teach public to help boost bluebird population

As pest-eaters, Eastern bluebirds benefit Florida farmers. Not only that, they’re cute. Two good reasons Hance Ellington has started a program to preserve them.

Monitoring has occurred so far at one week, two weeks and four weeks after outplanting and will continue monthly for two years. The photographs and observations are now being entered into a database. Information on the fate of these corals during this critical time will be available in early July.

Reef-wide outplanting of corals susceptible to stony coral tissue loss disease begins

Reef restoration experiments in Florida have never been replicated on such a large scale before, with 24 outplanting sites spanning from Martin County down the coast of southeast Florida to Key West.

Harmful Algal Blooms have been visible from LaBelle Bridge, in the Caloosahatchee River, for over a month now.

CDC begins new study on the health effects of cyanotoxins

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will start a new study in south Florida during the 2021 algal bloom season to assess the health effects of exposure to …

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Agriculture

Florida farmers meet with national lawmakers

Florida farmers, ranchers and small business owners spoke up for agriculture during Florida Farm Bureau Federation’s Hill to the Field Advocacy Week, June 1-4, 2021.

UF/IFAS, Miami chocolatier cook up winning recipes with Florida-grown vanilla

What happens if you mix a cacao bean with a vanilla bean produced from a specific Florida-grown vanilla cultivar? The outcome was a winning combination...

Robots may eventually help kill weeds that impede strawberry yield

With their research, Boyd and Schumann hope to eventually help growers unleash surgical strikes on weeds – without vanquishing their fruit.

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Human Interest

Okeechobee's Trail of Hope Rescue has puppies galore

OKEECHOBEE – If you’re in the market for some puppy love, check out the Trail of Hope rescue in Okeechobee.

As Florida enters termite swarm season, UF/IFAS scientists tell consumers what to know

Termites cause $5 billion a year in damage to structures across America

A Natural Treasure: Florida’s Sandhills & Grasslands

A few miles southeast of Lake City, a 439-acre pristine sandhill ecosystem thrives.

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Government

Scam Alert: FEMA calling? It’s yet another government impostor scam

A new United States federal program is helping to pay funeral expenses of people who died from COVID-19. Unfortunately, scammers are using this...

Collier Clerk’s Office to hold a Job Fair

The Office of the Collier County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller will hold a Job Fair from 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, June 12...

Hunker down for Hurricane Season

Hurricane season started June 1 and ends Nov. 30, and making a hurricane plan ahead of time and stocking up on vital supplies will go a long way toward helping you and your loved …

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Traffic/Road Work

Collier County Road Watch report for the week beginning Sunday, June 20

The following column is the Road Watch report for Collier County for the week beginning Sunday, June 20, provided by the Florida Department of Transportation.

Collier County Road Watch report for the week beginning Sunday, June 13

The following column is the Road Watch report for Collier County for the week beginning Sunday, June 13, provided by the Florida Department of Transportation.

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Veterans

Stories sought for Veterans History Project

VENICE, FL – U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-FL) is encouraging local veterans to share their stories.

The Grey Team: Major James Hall, Cary Reichbach, Rep. Al Baldasaro (NH), Dr. Frank Marangos, and David Kirkland.

Local nonprofits joins forces to help veterans R.I.S.E.

The Salvation Army of Palm Beach County is proud to announce its partnership with The Grey Team, a local nonprofit organization whose primary mission is to prevent PTSD-related veteran suicides.

Missing In America Project – Florida coordinator Kathy Church issues statement

Today, February 25, 2021, at 11:00am, MIAP – Florida, in cooperation with Van Orsdel Family Funeral Chapels in Miami-Dade County, and the...

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Meet the Firefighter: David Sexton strives to be better at his job

Firefighter David Sexton was born in Lakeland, and his parents moved to Naples soon after his birth.

Business

Locally famous hot sauce wins Golden Chile award

FELDA- Some like it hot, and local hot sauce and BBQ expert Buddy Taylor knows it. “After years of fine tuning, taste-testing and fiddling around with a pinch of this and a dash of …

Amtrak 2035 expansion worth $195 billion to U.S. economy

The Rail Passengers Association applauded Amtrak’s Corridor Vision document released earlier May 28, which provides additional details on the railroad’s plan...

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Entertainment

Monthly Nights at the Museum return to South Florida Science Center

The South Florida Science Center and Aquarium is bringing back everyone’s favorite monthly nighttime event starting on June 25.

Vibra Urbana Music Festival announces phase one artist lineup

On May 10, Vibra Urbana Music Festival announced its biggest artist lineup to date, bringing a diverse array of Latin music’s brightest stars and respected veterans...

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Weather

Make a hurricane plan for your pets

When a hurricane threatens, do you have a plan for your pets? Do you have a safe spot for them in your home? What will you do with them if you can’t stay in your home?

2021 Hurricane Season: Be prepared

Weathering storms is a part of every Floridian’s life. As the 2021 Hurricane Season begins, please take a few minutes to review some of the mandatory supplies.

Stock up on storm supplies before a hurricane threatens

As hurricane season approaches (June 1-November 30), all residents and visitors of Okeechobee County are encouraged to get prepared by creating a family hurricane plan

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State

Bodies of two young girls pulled from South Florida canal

LAUDERHILL, Fla. (AP) — The bodies of two young girls were found, hours apart, in a South Florida canal, and investigators are treating the case as a homicide. The body of the first girl, who …

Florida governor: Students will be taught communism is evil

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Civics education will be expanded in Florida, including instruction about communist and totalitarian governments, and state universities will be prevented from quashing …

Death penalty phase next in Florida double slaying trial

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Jurors will determine if a Florida man should get the death penalty or life in prison after he was convicted of killing his girlfriend and disabled daughter. The penalty phase …

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Nation & World

Witnesses say airstrike in Ethiopia's Tigray kills dozens

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — An airstrike hit a busy market in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray village of Togoga on Tuesday, according to health workers who said soldiers blocked medical teams from traveling …

Israel approves demolition of Palestinian home after attack

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