Charlotte County

The Florida Highway Patrol and firefighting units were on scene of a brush fire near Northbound Interstate 75 at mile marker 150 Thursday evening.

For many, what happens after death is rarely discussed. For others, it becomes an ongoing and meaningful conversation. WGCU met with three families who embraced a different kind of farewell.

In 2019 married couple John and Kelley Doran fed the homeless at 3 a.m. from their hot dog truck in Bradenton. Since then, their passion for helping those in need has turned into a nonprofit organization called Hands & Feet Outreach Ministry in Port Charlotte with their efforts changing many lives.

A male suspect being sought in connection after a shot fired incident in Port Charlotte Monday afternoon is shot dead himself after confrontation with Charlotte County deputies and North Port police.

It was a show of protest, frustration, disaffection and concern and it was shared by thousands Saturday in various Southwest Florida sites, other parts of the state and across the United States and the world. The No Kings III event was billed as a protest rally and drew people of many different political affiliations who said they had concerns with how the current administration in Washington run by President Donald Trump was handling things.

The Charlotte County Commission has voted to rescind the countywide burn ban enacted on Dec. 9, 2025, following recent rainfall that have reduced the risk of wildfire throughout the county.

Citations are being issued in Punta Gorda for the enforcement of current watering restrictions to help conserve water during the dry season. Once-per-week watering is in effect for established lawns and landscaping through July 1. First-time violations get citations, not a warning.

A water service interruption is scheduled for customers between Dorchester and Yorkshire streets south of Quesada Avenue from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday, Feb. 2 through Wednesday, Feb. 4.

The odds of significant cold, coastal, and marine impacts across South Florida this weekend and beyond continues to increase. An Extreme Cold Watch is in effect for the Lake Okeechobee region and coastal Palm beach County and a Freeze Watch is in effect for inland Collier, Miami Dade and Broward counties. Wind chills could drop into the 20s across all of South Florida early Sunday morning. Very breezy conditions are expected on Saturday afternoon through early Sunday morning as the strong cold front pushes through the area. Sustained winds 15-25 mph could gust up to 40 mph, with highest winds likely along the immediate coastlines. A Gale Watch is in effect for local waters beginning on Saturday afternoon and evening. Sustained winds of 30-40 knots with higher gusts is possible across the Atlantic and Gulf waters through Sunday afternoon. Wave heights could peak as high as 12 feet across the Gulf and Atlantic waters during the day on Sunday as well.

TikTok -- you’re busted. An Englewood man found himself an influencer of a different kind Tuesday after his TikTok Challenge attempt to stay inside a Walmart store for 24 hours ended in his arrest.