SWFL NowVERIFIED NEWS. LOCAL IMPACT.83°F in Cape Coral,Sunny · Cape Coral
The Southwest Florida stories that are too local, too early or too ongoing for the evening news.
Fort Myers Mayor Kevin Anderson sent a written statement to The News-Press on Nov. 4, the day after losing his re-election bid to Amber Ware. He called serving the city an honor, thanked supporters and said Fort Myers' next chapter looks promising. Ware won about 54% of the vote in unofficial results.
Source: News-Press and 2 more
Challenger Amber Ware defeated incumbent Mayor Kevin Anderson in the Nov. 3 Fort Myers election, about 54% to 46% in unofficial results. Ware, a longtime city employee who directs the city's STARZ youth program, campaigned on ordering a full audit of city finances. The results become final once the county certifies them.
Source: WINK News and 2 more
Protesters led by the Lee County NAACP gathered outside Fort Myers City Hall before the Nov. 2 council meeting, again calling on Mayor Kevin Anderson to resign over sexual misconduct allegations made by two men. Anderson has denied the allegations, and a state law enforcement review of one complaint closed without charges; council member Fred Burson said he supports the mayor. Anderson faces challenger Amber Ware on Tuesday's ballot.
Source: WINK News and 1 more
Fort Myers police on Monday arrested a 19-year-old Fort Myers man, Rolando Velasquez-Castro, accused of spray-painting three limestone columns at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, the 1933 former post office downtown. He is charged with criminal mischief involving historic property, a third-degree felony, and police say surveillance footage led to the arrest. Conservators say the porous stone needs careful treatment so the paint isn't pushed deeper; no cost or timeline has been given.
Source: WGCU and 1 more
FDOT is closing the northbound outside lanes and shoulder of Business U.S. 41 on the Edison Bridge in Fort Myers from 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2, for bridge plate maintenance. The lanes should reopen by about 6 a.m. Tuesday; drivers should slow down and allow extra time, with live updates on FL511.
Source: WINK News (citing FDOT) and 1 more
Saturday, November 14
The Lee County Clerk & Comptroller will hold its seventh Big Shred from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Lee County Elections Center in Fort Myers. Residents can bring papers with sensitive information, such as Social Security numbers, for free professional shredding; documents must be in boxes, and bags and electronics won't be accepted. The events have destroyed more than 45,000 pounds of paper since 2023.
Source: WGCU and 1 more
Two Fort Myers residents, an 18-year-old woman and a 29-year-old man, died after a crash on eastbound I-75 near mile marker 45 in Broward County about 9:53 p.m. Saturday, Florida Highway Patrol said. Troopers said their car left the road, hit a parked U-Haul truck on the shoulder and then struck an SUV, which overturned; two Port Charlotte residents in the SUV were hurt, one seriously. FHP has not released names or said why the driver lost control.
Source: WINK News and 1 more
Someone spray-painted the exterior limestone columns of the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, the 1930s former post office at 2301 First Street in downtown Fort Myers, the center said in an Oct. 31 post. Because the historic stone is fragile, the paint can't simply be covered or scrubbed off, and the center is working with the city, which owns the building, and restoration professionals. No one has been identified as responsible.
Source: The News-Press (via Yahoo News)
Wednesday, November 11
Veterans and their families can ride the Lakes Park of South Florida Railroad in Fort Myers for free on Wednesday, Nov. 11, starting at 10 a.m. Riders should bring a DD-214, military ID or other proof of service. A flag-raising at the train station marking the nation's 250th anniversary is set for 2:50 p.m.
Source: WINK News
Southwest Florida International Airport will run its RSWRemote lot on the north side of the airport from Nov. 23 to 29. Parking is a flat $60, must be reserved and paid in advance, and isn't refundable. Shuttles run to the terminal from 3 a.m. to 7 p.m. starting Nov. 23.
Source: Lee County Port Authority via Airport Improvement and 1 more
Friday, October 30
Gulf Coast Symphony performs music from the Harry Potter films at the Music & Arts Community Center in Fort Myers on Friday, Oct. 30, with shows at 6 and 8 p.m. Tickets start at $76, and costumes are welcome.
Source: Gulf Coast Symphony and 1 more
The News-Press toured the construction site of Southwest Florida International Airport's new Concourse E on Oct. 22 and published dozens of photos of the work. The roughly $1 billion second phase of the expansion will add 14 gates, nine TSA lanes and 37,000 square feet of shops and restaurants.
Source: The News-Press and 2 more
Riverdale High School girls basketball coach Ryan Magiera has been placed on leave while the Lee County school district investigates, the News-Press reported Oct. 28. No reason for the investigation has been released. Delair Osnac will serve as interim head coach until it concludes.
Source: News-Press and 2 more
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced $100 million for 45 water projects on Oct. 28, split evenly between springs restoration and alternative water supplies expected to add more than 60 million gallons a day. Six reclaimed water projects, including one in Fort Myers, share $19.1 million; WINK reports the Fort Myers money supports reuse expansion at the city's Central Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility.
Source: WINK News and 1 more
Twila Mae's Chicken Salad, a fixture at Southwest Florida farmers markets since 2020, opened its first storefront Oct. 23 at 18011 S. Tamiami Trail in the San Carlos Park area. Owner Landon Stevenson named the business for his grandmother, whose recipe is the base for seven flavors plus a seasonal one. The stand will keep working its weekly markets, including Captiva and Marco Island.
Source: News-Press and 1 more
Saturday, October 31
Edison & Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers holds its Fall Festival on Saturday, Oct. 31, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Entry to the festival grounds is free, with separate fees for activities such as the pumpkin patch and banyan tree climb, plus craft and food vendors and live music. Museum and lab tours need a separate ticket.
Source: Edison & Ford Winter Estates and 2 more
Saturday, October 31
The Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers runs its séance-themed haunted house, Stage Fright Nights: Summoning the Damned, on select nights through Oct. 31. Remaining nights include a discount night Oct. 28, a free FreakArt After Dark fundraiser Oct. 29 and a Boos & Booze Halloween night Oct. 31. General admission is $20, or $15 for members.
Source: Alliance for the Arts and 1 more
Saturday, October 31
Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium's outdoor Haunted Walk: Face Your Fears has its last nights Friday, Oct. 30, and Saturday, Oct. 31, from 7:15 to 10:30 p.m. Proceeds support care for the center's animals, and a free shuttle runs from Fort Myers Seventh-day Adventist Church on Ortiz Avenue because of road construction.
Source: Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium and 1 more
Saturday, October 31
The Ghost of the Coast 5K and 1-mile fun run/walk starts at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, at Eastwood Golf Course in Fort Myers. Costumes are encouraged, and proceeds go to the Fort Myers Police Athletic League. Registration is $40 until the price rises after 11:59 a.m. Oct. 29.
Source: Apex Promoz and 1 more
Saturday, October 31
Southern Fresh Farms in Fort Myers wraps up its free weekend fall festival with Boo at the Farm on Saturday, Oct. 31, from 1 to 4 p.m., featuring trick-or-treating at candy stations around the farm. The festival also has a pumpkin patch, hayrides, farm animals, food trucks and live music, and admission and parking are free.
Source: Southern Fresh Farms and 2 more
A school bus crash around 6:12 a.m. Monday closed all lanes of Tice Street near Country Lakes Drive, in front of Manatee Elementary and Oak Hammock Middle schools in Fort Myers. The Lee County Sheriff's Office says no students were hurt; it confirmed other injuries in the crash but gave no details. While deputies worked the scene, one deputy was hit by a vehicle and taken to a hospital with injuries that are not life-threatening.
Source: WINK News and 1 more
Wednesday, November 11
Lee County will close the Midpoint Bridge from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, for the Midpoint Madness Veterans Day 5K Run/Walk, which starts at 6:30 p.m. Race activities are based at Royal Palm Square, 1400 Colonial Blvd., at the foot of the bridge. Drivers can use the Cape Coral Bridge or the U.S. 41 and Business 41 bridges; county message boards go up Nov. 2, and closure questions go to 239-533-9400.
Source: WINK News and 1 more
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Angie Nixon scheduled three Fort Myers stops Monday, Oct. 26: the Quality Life Center on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard from noon to 1:30 p.m., the Ella Piper Senior Center from 1:45 to about 2:30 p.m., and Mildred's Restaurant on Michigan Avenue. Nixon is challenging Republican U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody, who spoke at President Trump's Fort Myers rally on Friday. Election Day is Nov. 3.
Source: WINK News
A contractor working at the Walmart on Six Mile Cypress Parkway in Fort Myers was shocked around 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25, and flown to a burn center in Bradenton. Power went out in about half the store and shoppers were told to leave; South Trail Fire responded and FPL crews were on site. Walmart says the worker was not one of its employees, and the contractor's condition has not been released.
Source: WINK News and 1 more
At Friday's rally at FGCU's Alico Arena, President Trump pointed to two Lee County killings while making his case on immigration, WINK News reports. The president of the Haitian American Community Coalition of Southwest Florida said the community is grieving and worries about being judged by one person's actions. Relatives of both victims told WINK the renewed attention is emotional.
Source: WINK News
Fort Myers police arrested a driver on a DUI charge after spotting a vehicle going the wrong way near Fowler Street and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Police said the driver's blood alcohol level was nearly twice Florida's legal limit.
Source: WINK News and 1 more
President Donald Trump spoke for close to two hours Friday afternoon at Florida Gulf Coast University's Alico Arena, urging supporters to back gubernatorial nominee Byron Donalds and the rest of the Republican ticket. Gov. Ron DeSantis met him at Southwest Florida International Airport, and his remarks covered the economy, energy prices, foreign policy and his Democratic opponents. He finished around 4:20 p.m. and Air Force One left RSW shortly before 5 p.m.
Source: WINK News and 3 more
Legacy Harbour Marina on the Caloosahatchee River in downtown Fort Myers is taking boaters again after a roughly $15 million rebuild following Hurricane Ian. The 13-acre marina has 131 slips for boats from 40 to 140 feet, with stronger breakwaters and taller pilings. A soft opening came in late September, and a restaurant next door is due in December.
Source: WINK News and 3 more
Mayor Kevin Anderson, in office since 2020, is seeking another term on a platform of public safety, infrastructure, economic development and affordable housing. Challenger Amber Ware, a city employee since 2002, says her first act would be a complete audit of city finances, and she wants to restart neighborhood utility projects. The race is on the Nov. 3 ballot.
Source: WGCU News and 1 more
Boat House Tiki Bar & Grill is now open in the main terminal at Southwest Florida International Airport, in the pre-security hallway to Concourse B, in space that Dunkin' and Beaches Travelmart left in April. State liquor license records show a full license there took effect Oct. 5. The original restaurant at the Cape Coral Yacht Club remains closed after an October 2024 fire; the city approved a 30-year rebuild agreement in September 2025.
Source: Florida DBPR and 2 more
Fort Myers City Council's Monday, Oct. 19 meeting ended early when council members Liston Bochette, Fred Burson and Darla Bonk left during public comment, leaving the board without a quorum. Several speakers were urging Mayor Kevin Anderson to resign over sexual misconduct allegations, which he has denied; a Florida Department of Law Enforcement review closed without criminal charges. The city said its charter requires at least four members to conduct business, so the mayor adjourned the meeting.
Source: Gulf Coast News and 3 more
Lee County commissioners approved a $991,300 low-bid contract with Fort Myers-based Earth Tech Enterprises to lay interlocking concrete mats along the shoreline by the Punta Rassa Boat Ramp, at the mainland end of the Sanibel Causeway. The mats are meant to cut erosion and wave energy; work should start late this year and finish in spring 2027. The ramp stays open during construction, though parts of the parking lot may close at times, and federal Hurricane Ian recovery grants pay for the project.
Source: WGCU News and 1 more
A pedestrian died Monday after being hit by a driver who did not stop at Colonial Boulevard and Plantation Road, Fort Myers police said. Lanes in both directions were shut for several hours before reopening. Police have not identified the victim or described the vehicle.
Source: WINK News and 2 more
American Red Cross volunteers provided assistance to four adults following two residential fires in Fort Myers within a 12-hour period on October 17.
Source: WINK News
Saturday, October 17
Free family-friendly card and collectibles show at Edison Mall in Fort Myers from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today including vendors comics and a large bounce house.
Source: Cape Coral Breeze and 1 more
Friday, October 23
The midterm rally featuring President Trump on Oct. 23 is confirmed for Alico Arena at FGCU; the university is modifying campus operations due to expected traffic and parking impacts.
Source: Gulf Coast News and 2 more
Saturday, October 17
Weekly Saturday market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on First Street in the Culinary District featuring local vendors.
Source: SWFL Blog
A Mercedes-Benz was sandwiched in a three-vehicle crash on US-41 at Franklin Street; no injuries reported and road reopened.
Source: Gulf Coast News
