An insidious scam method that preys on people being oblivious to their actions has been seen in Florida but doesn't appear to have filtered down to our neck of the woods. A Facebook Reel made by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office offers a warning for those copying a QR code while parking.

The boardwalk connecting Florida Gulf Coast University’s South Village residential area to the academic core is temporarily closed to pedestrian use from dusk to dawn. The closure is due to an act of vandalism that damaged the lighting system, creating hazardous conditions overnight.

Fort Myers Beach is issuing an alert regarding fraudulent invoices for special event permit after it was made aware of fraudulent invoices being sent to individuals who have recently submitted Special Event Permit applications.

Marion County was riddled with storefront gambling dens — until it passed a local ordinance in 2021 that gave deputies more power to shut them down. Within months, the slot-machine parlors vanished.Sumter County saw similar results after adopting its own rules that same year. The 13 gambling businesses once scattered across the rural county are now gone, local officials said.Now Manatee County is preparing to follow their lead. Commissioners voted this week to move forward with a proposal modeled on those counties’ ordinances, hoping to replicate their success in wiping out illegal “arcades” that have long operated with little consequence.

An Estero Fire Rescue Battalion Chief is facing multiple charges after his arrest Sept. 26.Albert “Shane” Sibert, 54, of North Fort Myers was arrested on charges of scheming to defraud, grand theft, official misconduct, digital voyeurism dissemination, unlawful use of a tracking device, aggravated stalking, violation of injunction for protection against stalking, battery and money laundering.Sibert is also charged with 16 counts of unlawful interception of wire or oral communications and six counts of video voyeurism.

Charlotte County deputies caught three members of an alleged statewide diesel fuel theft ring in the act at a gas station in Punta Gorda.Just before midnight on Monday, Charlotte County deputies were made aware of some vehicles of interest (semi trucks) in multiple diesel fuel thefts entering Charlotte County.

Two Lee County residents who were arrested after posting social media images of their alleged mid-September robberies are now facing charges of Hobbs Act robbery. The could receive up to 20- years in prison if convicted.A criminal complaint charging Taleah Williams, 21, North Fort Myers, and Javion Ward, 21, Fort Myers, with Hobbs Act robbery was filed Monday.