ELYSA DELCORTO

Southwest Florida firefighters were busy Thursday evening after more than a half-dozen brush fires broke out in quick succession. What’s unusual right now is that fire officials don’t typically begin to see fires started by lightning until the rainy season ...

The U.S. Census Bureau released additional housing data from the 2010 Census, which show that the housing vacancy rates were not as bad as some claimed in March.

Authorities say they found the body of missing Estero woman Mary Ann Zarb this morning and have arrested and charged two people.

Letters dispute the notion that Nuno was a bully and ask that his accused killer, 15-year-old Jorge Saavedra, not be judged lightly

The brush fire near the intersection of Shady Hollow Boulevard and Immokalee Road temporarily closed Immokalee Road in both directions earlier this afternoon.

A Three Oaks Middle School band teacher critically injured in an accident last Monday has died.

Some Southwest Florida parks will close, veterans’ services will continue and the U.S. Postal Service will remain on its schedule if the federal government shuts down at midnight Friday as has been predicted. Locally, those operations to remain open include ...

Former first lady Laura Bush said hello to people as she signs copies of her book, "Spoken From The Heart," at Books-A-Million at Mercato on Wednesday, April 6, 2011 in North Naples. About 350 people showed up for the event.

Lee County Commissioner Tammy Hall wants to set the record straight — she is not running against Congressman Connie Mack (R-Fort Myers) for Florida’s District 14 seat.

The housing vacancy numbers for Southwest Florida were picked up by national media outlets, which noted that Lee had the highest vacancy rate among Florida’s 10 largest counties. But a top Census official, former Census supervisors in Southwest Florida and ...

Collier residents can travel back in time today — without the need for a DeLorean. The 22nd annual Old Florida Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, at the Collier County Museum, 3331 U.S. 41 E.

Both Collier and Lee counties were ranked among the top 20 most populous counties in the state. Collier was ranked 17th, up one place from 2000. Lee was ranked eighth, up three spots from 2000.

On Friday the club, at 15495 U.S. 41 North #111 in North Naples, was shuttered after it received a cease and desist order over safety concerns. Monday night, the owner said the club was closed for good.

A boat ride on the Marco River turned into a once-in-a-lifetime adventure after Isles of Capri fire officials said a 600- to 700-pound dolphin jumped into the deck of the boat.

The music is on hold at Club Ultra in North Naples. On Friday the club was shuttered, after it received a cease and desist order over safety concerns.

A review hearing in the case of a teenager charged in last month’s fatal stabbing of a fellow Palmetto Ridge High School student, turned into an under the radar arraignment and agreement to release the suspect from detention.

An indigency hearing is slated this afternoon in the case of a teenager arrested in last month’s fatal stabbing of a fellow Palmetto Ridge High School student.

The teacher accused of taunting a North Naples Middle School student who expressed concern about dissecting frogs has been reassigned temporarily.

Ava’s grandmother, Pamela Slaby, said on Tuesday that MacLeod told her the child drowned in the home’s bathtub. She recalled receiving a frantic phone call from MacLeod early Tuesday morning, before the arrival of paramedics.

The Bush family attended the 11th Annual Celebration of Reading at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa in Bonita Springs.

Her husband awaits deportation to Mexico and there’s the specter of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials swooping into town to take her away from her children. Yet Modesta Velasco takes it one day at a time.

The Collier County Sheriff's Office is at the scene of a North Naples community where a person is barricaded inside a vehicle.

The community is turning out to help the one of the three victims injured during Monday’s gas explosion at the Mangrove Café on Fifth Avenue South in downtown Naples.

After a yearlong investigation, the Collier County Sheriff's Office is saying it cracked an insurance fraud ring in Southwest Florida.

Nearly a year after an earthquake rocked Haiti, the recovery is still a work in progress. Naples-based Hope for Haiti continues to try to help. More than 200,000 Haitians died and an estimated 1.5 million people were left homeless by ...

Between 300 and 400 people attended the event at Bethel Assembly of God in Immokalee, where 230 bikes were given to children in need.

The holiday décor makeover was made possible by FPL and West Palm Beach-based nonprofit Forgotten Soldiers Outreach.

Florida picked up two congressional seats Florida according to the 2010 Census numbers. That puts the number of Congressional seats in the Sunshine State at 27.

A Golden Gate Estates man was arrested by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials and charged with killing a black bear that was on his property Monday night.

A little help from Mother Nature spared Southwest Florida, as well as most of the United States, from the brunt of the 2010 hurricane season.

The week-long event runs every night this week, except for Thanksgiving, and features music and entertainment. And snow will be in the forecast all week.

As of Friday evening, Mario Santos, 26, remained in critical condition in Tampa General Hospital’s Regional Burn Center. The community has rallied to support him.

One of Southwest Florida’s premiere real estate companies is going international.

Paige Miles belted out a heartfelt and soulful rendition of Aretha Franklin’s ‘A Natural Woman’ during a press conference announcing she’d be headlining TheaterZone’s May production of “BEEHIVE The 60s Musical” at the stage where her singing career began.

A bitterly fought South Florida Congressional seat that’s been in the GOP fold was staying Republican, initial election results released tonight showed. Republican David Rivera had about 56.9 percent of the vote with 38,235 votes compared with 37.8 percent or ...

In the race for Florida’s Congressional District 25 seat, front-runners Joe Garcia and David Rivera are fighting for votes — and against each other. The latest in the contentious race occurred Monday, when the Rivera campaign released a statement about ...

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office responded to Sugden Park after an off-duty deputy shot her self in the chest on Friday night.

Miami-based attorney William Barzee filed a lawsuit Thursday in the 11th Judicial Circuit Court of Miami-Dade, asking that Republican David Rivera be disqualified as a candidate for congress. Rivera’s campaign didn’t take kindly to the lawsuit and called it a ...

More than 80 customers lined up outside the new Publix at the Marketplace at Pelican Bay, awaiting the 8 a.m. opening today. Meanwhile, about 60 members of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers protested outside the new hybrid store.

Instead of the issues, the fewer than 20 people who attended the event saw the debate devolve into a back and forth between front-runners Republican David Rivera and Democrat Joe Garcia.

Clapping, chanting and music filled the air as 800 to 900 people — mostly teens — took part in the program, which was aimed at getting teens to talk with their peers about leading a good Christian life.

The Cuban-American community is divided over what level of relations the U.S. should have with Cuba. National politicians likewise are split. So it’s no surprise that Cuba has become an issue in the contentious race for Florida Congressional District 25 ...

Is the United Farm Workers of America’s “Take Our Jobs” campaign, which is aimed at training U.S. citizens and legal residents who wish to replace farmworkers in the field, coming to Southwest Florida, too? Not quite yet. “In Florida the ...

In the first ever Republican primary for District 25, Rep. David Rivera defeated Doral residents Marili Cancio and Paul Crespo. In the Democratic primary, Miami resident Joe Garcia defeated Luis Meurice. Garcia received 11,673 votes, while Meurice got 3,661 votes.

News of Robert’s death made what was supposed to be a happy start for the new school year bittersweet, said Immokalee High Principal Linda Salazar, who fondly recalled the teen as being a very humorous student.

At least that's the word with the more than 75 people attending the first of five FEMA and Collier County sponsored flood map meetings.

On the heels of Arizona passing its own tougher immigration law, and the nationwide response for and against states taking matters into their own hands, no other issue has been more emotionally and politically charged this election season than immigration. ...

Thomas Klein, 63, remains in jail and bond was set at $20,000. Although he originally was charged with two counts of robbery with a weapon, as of Friday he is facing two counts of robbery with no firearm or weapon.

During a special School Board workshop Thursday, several members of the Jewish community asked the district to reschedule six high school football games set to be played on Sept. 17.

A seasonal Naples resident has pleaded guilty to operating a multi-million dollar “Ponzi” fraud scheme for more than a decade in Illinois.