Local:
Fort Myers Beach Restaurant Closed, Land for Sale
Fort Myers Beach restaurant, Plaka on the beach, will not reopen due to destruction from Hurricane Ian. After over four decades of the beach-front restaurant being open, the land is now for sale, according to News-Press. The restaurant was located in Times Square and had just passed the 42-year anniversary of its opening. After the hurricane, the money they received from insurance was not nearly enough to rebuild. The land is currently listed at $4,295,000, the description reads: “as is, where is”. The owners say reopening in a different location could be a possibility in the future.
July 4th Shooting at Fort Myers Culver’s
A shooting occurred at the Culver’s off Six Mile Cypress Parkway on July 4th, according to Wink News. There was one victim, a Culver’s employee, who was taken to Gulf Coast Hospital to be treated. The hospital deemed his injuries not life-threatening. The shooter has yet to be taken into custody or identified. The Fort Myers Police Department deemed the event an isolated incident that occurred around 9:15 p.m.. The news has shoppers on alert since the shooter has not yet been found.
Traffic Stop Turned RV Drug Bust In Fort Myers
An RV traffic stop early Friday morning led to the driver and passenger being arrested for drugs according to NBC-2. The drug bust occurred on the corner of Cypress Drive and South Cleveland Avenue. A deputy was searching the undercarriage of the RV to investigate storage units within the RV. Lee County Sheriff’s deputies brought in K-9 units to search the RV for further contraband. As for the RV, it will be towed.
Canterbury School Teacher Arrested for Lewd Contact
School teacher Thomas Deane has been charged with possession of child pornography and lewd contact, and could be facing more criminal charges. During his trial on Thursday, prosecutors announced they will amend information which would result in more charges against Deane, according to Fox4. In April 2022, Deane was arrested for lewd contact with a minor which occurred in December 2021. Child pornography was found on four of his computers, a phone and a hard drive after his arrest. Deane has pleaded not guilty to all of his charges and has not accepted any offers proposed by the court. After his trial on Thursday, he hired new attorneys to look over his case. The judge ordered a new court date for August 10 at 1:30 p.m..
State:
Permitless Concealed Carry is Now Legal in Florida
As of July 1, House Bill 543 allows lawfully owned weapons to be carried without a permit if concealed, according to Forbes. Governor Ron DeSantis signed HB 543 on April 3, 2023, strengthening the Florida citizen’s rights to the second amendment. The second amendment allows eligible citizens to keep and bear firearms and other weapons. Florida is continuing to relax its gun control, a nationwide hot topic. Opinions are swirling on this new law. Gun owners will no longer have to endure classroom learning time, firearm instruction, and an exam in order to conceal carry.
Florida Parents Arrested After Their Child Dies in Hot Car
Florida parents have been charged with aggravated manslaughter after they left their 18 month-old in their car overnight. The family of five, all three children under the age of nine, attended a Fourth of July party on Tuesday. Both parents were under the influence of alcohol and marijuana, the father also tested positive for meth according to NBC. The family returned home July 5 around 3 a.m., unloaded the car and both parents assumed the other had taken the toddler inside. The child was discovered in the car between 10 and 11 a.m.. Once discovered, the mother took the child to the hospital where she was pronounced dead at 2:42 p.m. with an internal body temperature of 104 degrees.
Shark Spotted in Navarre Beach, Florida
On a crowded beach in Navarre Beach, Florida, a shark was spotted swimming amongst beachgoers early this week. In a video taken from shore while the shark was seen in the water, it shows that some people panicked and yelled as they rushed back to shore, while others calmly made their way back to the sand. In a video posted by The Weather Channel, it states that if someone finds themselves swimming in shark infested waters, they should swim away slowly, not panic and keep their eyes on the shark at all times.
Florida Bans Driver’s Licenses of Immigrants Illegally Living in US
According to a Florida law that went into effect on July 1, Florida will no longer accept driver’s licenses issued to immigrants living in the country illegally by other states. This law was signed by Governor Ron DeSantis and is said to be “the strongest anti-illegal immigration legislation in the country” by the governor’s office according to Reuters.com. The out-of-state licenses are issued by other states and have been deemed invalid by the Florida Department of HIghway Safety and Motor Vehicles. They typically say “Not for Federal Identification” or “Driving Privileges only” and anyone driving with such license in Florida will be subject to citation or other penalties.
National:
Mass Shootings over Fourth of July Weekend
A rash of shootings last weekend left Americans worried for their festivities and their lives. Over the weekend at a holiday block party in Baltimore, a suspect opened fire and killed two people while injuring 28 others. Another holiday party in Louisiana was left with three killed and 10 others wounded. According to APnews, a 7-year-old was shot in Tampa, Florida after a fight broke out along a causeway. Nine people were shot while celebrating the Fourth of July just outside our nation’s capital, two were under the age of 18.
Earth Breaks its Record Average Temperature
The globe’s average temperature reached 62.6 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday, making it the hottest day since 1940, according to the New York Times. This number could be breaking records from centuries ago, but our temperature records only go back to 1940. Monday and Wednesday also had record high temperatures, making the beginning of this week the three hottest days in decades. This spike in temperatures does not come as a big surprise to forecasters who predict we are about to enter a “multiyear period of exceptional warmth” driven by continued emissions and the returning weather pattern El Niño.
US Supreme Court Revisiting Gun Control Measure
The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to revisit the gun rights ruling they made last year. It will now be tested whether or not the law that keeps firearms away from people under domestic-violence restraining orders violates the Constitution or not, according to Reuters.com. Last week, the justices wrapped up their nine-month term in which they rejected affirmative action, overturned abortion rights and made other influential rulings concerning lgbtq+ rights and student debt relief. This gun control case has been one of the biggest ruling they have decided to hear in the next upcoming term.
US Officials Expected to Send Controversial Cluster Munitions to Ukraine
President Joe Biden’s Administration has made the decision to provide Ukraine with the cluster munitions they have requested. This is a controversial decision as these particular weapons have a tendency to cause civilian casualties, although the Pentagon claims to have access to munitions with a reduced “dud rate” meaning they leave fewer unexploded rounds, according to APnews. These weapons will be part of a new military aid package worth up to $800 million for the war effort against Russia.
