Michael Braun
Managing editorMike Braun is a formerly with the Fort Myers News-Press and Naples Daily News where he worked for 17 years as a page designer/copy editor and breaking news reporter.
He also worked for 25 years at The Vindicator in Youngstown, Ohio, serving as a general assignment reporter, rewrite editor, copy editor, Sunday edition editor, outdoors columnist, designer and chief of the design desk.
He graduated in 1977 with a degree in media communications from Youngstown State University where he was editor-in-chief of the school newspaper The Jambar.
He lives in Fort Myers and is originally from Peoria, Illinois.
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GL Homes conducted building of an unusual kind Monday — and ended up helping relieve hunger.The mission was for two teams combined from GL Homes communities in Lee and Collier counties to go can-to-can in the annual GL Homes CAN-tastic Competition.
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Oral arguments are June 4 in a long-running case involving a Florida bar complaint before the Florida Supreme Court against former Fort Myers attorney Christopher Crowley alleging bar rules violations.The Florida bar's complaint is that Crowley, during the 2018 political campaign for state attorney of the 20th Judicial Circuit "publicly disparaged his opponent through various political campaign materials, advertisements, and social media postings" among other rules violations.
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Habitat for Humanity celebrated Mother’s Day ahead of time this year with the blessing of a local mother’s future home in Lehigh Acres and honoring her homeownership journey as part of Habitat’s 15th annual Women Build program in Lee and Hendry counties.
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Protests in Naples and Fort Myers collected around 2,000 people and a similar number gathered elsewhere in Southwest Florida to make their feelings known about the current political situation in Washington, D.C.
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Most of the fireworks used for celebrating holidays such as the Fourth of July are made in China and subject to the 145 percent tariff on Chinese products levied by the Trump administration.Bruce Zoldan, president of Phantom Fireworks, one of the largest fireworks companies in the United States and based in Youngstown, Ohio, says that increased cost likely won't have an impact on celebrating the Fourth — this year.
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A water shortage in Cape Coral and Lee County. Parched soil and worsening drought throughout Southwest Florida. Wildfires are expected next, and not small ones.The restrictions were put into place to protect the Mid-Hawthorn Aquifer and drinking water supply in that area. The area affected is bound by NE Pine Island Road on the south, Neilson Road N on the west, NE 24th Avenue and Garden Boulevard on the east and the Gator Slough Canal on the north.
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A local educator who received a swastika armband anonymously in the mail said he was "absolutely disgusted" by the item and, at first thought to toss it in the trash.Don Dunn, an eighth-grade teacher at Bonita Springs Charter, received the armband with a note that said, “You’ve been selected to join our exclusive group.” "I will tell you that I was absolutely disgusted when I opened it," Dunn said. "Hated the fact that my children were present. In the beginning, I just thought maybe I should throw this away and not say anything. But I thought about it, and to me, that would be maybe responding with fear, and I didn't want to do that."
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In alignment with its mission of saving lives, the Sarasota County Fire Department (SCFD) has partnered with SunCoast Blood Centers to implement a groundbreaking prehospital whole blood transfusion program. This initiative aims to provide life-saving blood transfusions to patients suffering from severe bleeding or traumatic injuries before they arrive at the hospital.
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Glades County unveils new fleet of no-emission electric school buses -- a cool new ride for studentsThe normal rumble and hiss of big yellow school buses has fallen silent in Glades County for a good and environmentally sound reason — a new fleet of zero-emission, electric vehicles has been pressed into service.On Thursday, the Glades County School District celebrated the arrival of 13 new electric school buses, which replaced over half of the district's aging diesel fleet. The state-of-the-art buses offer students a cleaner, healthier transportation option and, for the first time, provide air-conditioned rides to the majority of district students.
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The death of both eaglets at the North Fort Myers nest along Bayshore Drive is being linked to H5N1 avian flu, an investigation by the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife has found.The eaglets, designated E24 and E25, started having seizures over the past few days. E24 died in the nest and E25 fell from the nest. Both remains were recovered by CROW.The avian flu diagnosis was announced at a press conference called by CROW officials Thursday morning to discuss the deaths.