DeSantis signs bill allowing in-person visitors in Florida hospitals, nursing facilities
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a โNo Patient Left Aloneโ bill into law Wednesday, establishing in-person hospital and nursing home visitation rights throughout the state regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status.
โHeโs in danger of losing his arm:โ Video, 911 call released after man mauled by tiger at Florida airboat attraction
The Collier County Sheriffโs Office released body camera video and a 911 call Friday in connection with a tiger attacking a man earlier this week at an airboat attraction in Southwest Florida.
WATCH LIVE: Gov. Ron DeSantis holds news conference in North Port
Gov. Ron DeSantis held two press conferences today, in Collier and Sarasota counties, where he announced $5.8 million to fund a new technical college location in Collier County and $1.7 million to fund the installation of wastewater infrastructure in the city of North Port.
Florida panther struck and killed by vehicle
FORT MYERS, Fla. โ An endangered Florida panther has died after being struck by a vehicle. Itโs the sixth panther death attributed to fatal collisions, out of nine total deaths this year, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. On Friday, the remains of a male panther cub were found on private land near the Collier County landfill, officials said. Florida panthers once roamed the entire Southeast, but now their habitat mostly is confined to a small region of Florida along the Gulf of Mexico. Up to 230 Florida panthers remain in the wild.
Florida man pulls out โDank Gummiesโ instead of ID after nearly hitting gas pump, deputies say
COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. โ A Florida man who nearly hit a gas pump pulled out a package of โDank Gummiesโ instead of his driverโs license to show a deputy who was trying to help him, according to the Collier County Sheriffโs Office. Lopez said he didnโt have the keys to the vehicle but then rummaged through his pockets and pulled out the keys, according to the report. Deputies said Lopez also had a package of โMedicated Nerds ropesโ that contained 400 mg of THC per rope. Lopez claimed his girlfriend had a medical marijuana card due to a cancer diagnosis, according to the affidavit. Use the form below to sign up for the ClickOrlando.com Strange Florida newsletter, sent every Friday.
Florida man accused of decapitating hamster, discarding body in box near his home
COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. โ A Florida man is accused of decapitating a hamster and leaving its body in a box near the road he lives on not long after he purchased it from a pet store, according to the Collier County Sheriffโs Office. Deputies said a woman who lives in the area was walking along 27th Avenue NE on Jan. 5 when she noticed a small pet store box discarded along the road and found the dead hamster inside. She said sheโs found five other boxes within the past year that also contained โsadistically mutilatedโ small animals, records show. Deputies said he admitted to buying the hamster and providing a false name on the sales record. AdโAnimal cruelty can never be justified,โ Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said.
Florida street racing suspect blares โCopsโ theme song during traffic stop, deputies say
COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. โ A man accused of trying to street race in the Naples area blared the โCopsโ TV show theme song from his speakers after he was pulled over, according to the Collier County Sheriffโs Office. Deputies said they had just finished up a call around 11:15 p.m. Wednesday on U.S. 41 North when they saw a red Ford Mustang and a silver Infiniti slow roll past them. Then, according to authorities, the passenger of the Mustang leaned out the window and yelled โ20 roll on three,โ which deputies said means to start racing at 20 mph. The drivers were going 80 mph to 95 mph in a 55 mph zone, a news release said. Aguilar Hernandez is accused of knowingly riding as a passenger and coordinating a race between vehicles.
Officials: Florida panther struck and killed by vehicle
IMMOKALEE, Fla. โ An endangered Florida panther has died after being struck by a vehicle. It's the 15th panther death attributed to fatal collisions, out of 18 total deaths this year, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The remains of the 3-year-old male panther were found Friday in Collier County on a rural road east of Immokalee, wildlife officials said. Florida panthers once roamed the entire Southeast, but now their habitat mostly is confined to a small region of Florida along the Gulf of Mexico. Up to 230 Florida panthers remain in the wild.
Florida migrant towns become coronavirus hot spots in US
IMMOKALEE, Fla. When much of the world was staying at home to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, Elbin Sales Perez continued to rise at 4:30 a.m. to report to his landscaping job in a rural Florida town. If we dont, then who does it? said Sales Perez, 31, who noted that his job was deemed essential. Sales Perez knows many people who have gotten sick in this rural town known for its tomato farms. This week, health authorities expanded testing from weekends to weekdays after seeing hundreds lining up in the Florida heat two Sundays in a row. We are worried as we hear a lot of people are getting sick, she said, holding her 4-year-old daughters hand.
Sanford plane makes emergency landing on I-75, no injuries reported, deputies say
COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. A small plane carrying two people made an emergency landing on a busy Collier County interstate Friday much to the surprise of drivers on the road. According to the Collier County Sheriffs Office, a small, single-engine, two-seat Cessna plane made an emergency landing on southbound Interstate 75 around 10 a.m. The plane was coming from Sanford and was making its final approach to Naples Municipal Airport when it began experiencing engine failure, deputies said. Neither the pilot, nor the passenger was injured in the crash, and the Federal Aviation Administration was called in to investigate the emergency landing, as is standard procedure. Deputies said the incident caused the southbound entry ramp to be shut down, but I-75 remained open to traffic.
CDC offers interactive atlas on heart disease statistics in every county
ORLANDO, Fla. โ The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers an interactive atlas online on heart disease statistics in every county. CLICK HERE FOR INTERACTIVE ATLAS ON HEART DISEASE IN THE UNITED STATESThe map compares different statistics with county numbers, state numbers, and a national average. It allows the user to look at how many people in a specific county are impacted by heart disease. The charts show how health insurance costs compare with heart disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women, according to the CDC.
ATV overturns, kills 12-year-old Florida girl, FHP says
NAPLES, Fla. โ A 12-year-old driver was fatally injured when her all-terrain vehicle flipped and landed on her, the Florida Highway Patrol said. Officials said Kaeli McCormick, of Naples, was critically injured Sunday in Collier County and hospitalized. She was pronounced dead Monday. Itโs unclear what caused the ATV to overturn. Authorities said she wasnโt wearing a helmet.