Mold Remediation in Fort Myers Beach, FL

It's summer, so anyone can use a beach day − including this black bear, captured on video taking a swim near a Florida shoreline.

Kylie Nelson and her son were on the beach when they spotted that bear swimming at a beach in Naples, Florida on Friday, May 30th, according to Storyful.

The mother and son duo spotted the bear while they were out for a morning walk, Nelson told Storyful.

In the video recorded by Nelson's son, the bear is seen swimming close to the shoreline as Nelson calls 911.

"Mom, run," her son is heard saying in the video.

Nelson later captured another video of the bear exploring part of a beach residence. Watch the video encounter above.

Bears spotted in Naples, Florida

This bear isn't the first to be spotted by residents in the area, according to the Naples Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Network.

James Paul Mayo, a nature photographer, told the outlet that he'd seen a mother bear and her three cubs walking down a street near homes in Naples, a city located on the southwest coast of Florida, about 40 miles south of Fort Myers.

What to do if you encounter a bear

If a bear gets too close for comfort, it's essential to remember not to run away.

"Remain calm," Maggie Peikon, the manager of communications for the American Hiking Society, previously told USA TODAY. "I know it's a scary situation."

Those facing a bear should do the following, according to Peikon:

"You don't want to run and you don't want to turn your back on a bear," she said.

How to use bear spray

Homeowners can also keep a can of bear spray nearby in case a bear attempts to enter their house.

Aim the bear spray slightly downward in front of the bear's head for a couple of seconds when it is 20 to 30 feet away, instructs the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Be cautious of wind direction.

If a bear does try to attack, protect your head and neck, said Peikon. Get as low to the floor as possible so it's harder for the bear to roll you over and have access to any vital organs.

FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. — Fort Myers Beach is seeing more rebuilding activity as plans move forward for a popular beachfront restaurant and a timeshare resort that owners have been waiting to return to.

Watch as Fort Myers Beach Community Correspondent Anvar Ruziev breaks down the details of the new developments:

Nearly 4,000 people owned timeshares at Estero Island Beach Club before Hurricane Ian. They used to visit their unit annually for one to two weeks. Since the hurricane, the resort's property board members say around 300 owners have turned away.

"Hopefully we don't lose anymore but we've lost those 300, some of them have deeded their unit back to us, they just couldn't justify it, they couldn't afford it," said an Estero Island Beach Club board member.

Approximately $600 a year was the annual maintenance fee for the property. But soon those owners would be paying more as the planners for the property presented their new build. The new design is heavily revised from the previous one.

For the public, the new property will include a bench, along with public parking spots for beach access, that the management will turn over to the town after building.

"It passes unanimously congratulations, I usually tell people you can't clap in these meetings, but that deserves a clap," said Anita Cereceda, Fort Myers Beach Local Planning Agency Chair.

Another project was also unanimously recommended for approval by the Local Planning Agency. The former Salty Crab restaurant is looking to elevate their new building to comply with code. The restaurant wouldn't have any parking spaces, and it's a tight fit between Margaritaville and Crescent Beach Park.

"How will you construct this building with literally no space around you?" asked Cereceda.

"The ownership is working with several contractors and investigating off site places to marshall," said the development planner.

The Salty Crab hopes to have their restaurant completed by fall of 2026, and the Estero Island Beach Club hopes to finish construction by summer of 2027.

Now the developers will be seeking final approval for their project from the Fort Myers Beach Town Council.

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/Fort Myers Beach News

Two and a half years after they were elected in the wake of Hurricane Ian, Fort Myers Beach councilmembers John King and Karen Woodson are facing a recall effort from political opponents that could lead to an early election being called.

The recall effort is being organized by former town councilmembers Ray Murphy and Bill Veach. The recall process requires under state law that the organizers first collect signatures from 10% of the Town of Fort Myers Beach electorate in order to bring charges of misfeasance or malfeasance.

While the terms of King and Woodson are not up until November of 2026, the recall effort could lead to a special election as soon as the end of this year if successful.

The recall petition involves broad allegations that King and Woodson violated the Sunshine Law and also received unreported gifts from parties seeking land use approvals from the town council, as well as other alleged violations of the Town of Fort Myers Beach Charter.

King denied any violation of the Sunshine Law or receiving gifts, while Woodson did not respond to a request for comment.

Both King and Woodson are alleged to have received unreported gifts of meals from parties who were seeking land use approvals from Town Council in violation of Florida’s Code of Ethics for Public Officers and in violation of the Town of Fort Myers Beach Town Council Policies and Procedures Manual.

King denied receiving any gifts of a meal from a developer when contacted Friday though he said he had bought a meal for a developer during a meeting.

The allegations also include charges that King engaged in private conversations to coordinate with Woodson in attempting to replace former Town Attorney John Herin with a preferred firm (who ultimately did not accept the job) in violation of Florida’s Government-in-the-Sunshine Law, Chapter 286, Florida Statutes and in violation of the Town of Fort Myers Beach Town Council Policies and Procedures Manual.

King denied the allegation on Friday regarding working with Woodson on finding a replacement for Herin in 2023. “It’s blatantly false,” King said. King said he and Woodson had both reached out to the same person regarding a local attorney’s services while Herin was in office. King said Friday he backed away once he realized Woodson had been speaking to the same person.

A local attorney offered his services to the town before the town council had even voted on whether to remove Herin. When the private discussions between the firm and councilmembers became public, the law firm backed out of the offer. The council ultimately chose another law firm (Vose Law Firm) to represent the town after a process in which Herin’s firm also applied to retain his representation of the town. That process included the town’s former interim managers Chris Holley and Keith Wilkins hiring a separate law firm to review the firms applying to represent the town.

King, separately, is alleged to have violated the Town Charter by dictating the removal of multiple Town contract employees, who aren’t named. King said he had suggested Wilkins look into a consultant who he said he did not believe respected the council.

While the town council is allowed to vote on replacing those who serve the town at the pleasure of the council such as the manager and attorney, individual councilmembers do not have the unilateral authority to order staff members fired or demoted.

King said “I would challenge anybody to have done as much as I have.”

King cited his service on the town council and donating his first year’s salary on the council to three local nonprofits, as well as sitting on the Lee County Metropolitan Planning Organization, Southwest Florida League of Cities Board and soon to the Florida League of Cities Board representing the town. King, who also serves as the town council’s liaison to the Fort Myers Beach Marine and Environmental Resources Task Force, said “I am working hard every day, putting in the time.”

King recently made waves for proposing the town annex San Carlos Island.

Woodson, separately, is alleged to have engaged in private conversations with Vice Mayor Jim Atterholt regarding rebuilding the Fort Myers Beach Pier (owned by Lee County) that was destroyed by Hurricane Ian. Florida’s Government-in-the-Sunshine Law doesn’t allow councilmembers to speak to each other about town business items that could be on the agenda of a town council meeting or concerning business before the town, or if they could reasonably expect such business to go before the town.

Atterholt declined to comment when reached.

Woodson went in front of the Lee County Board of County Commissioners to advocate that the county construct a larger pier than the current one, which will take longer to build and be more expensive. The replacement of the pier expected to be completed in 2027.

Veach said one of the allegations regarding unreported gifts that Woodson received was for assistance she received from Moss Marina at some point after Hurricane Ian. Ben Freeland, whose family operates Moss Marina and who currently are in front of the town council for a rezoning and Comprehensive Plan amendment to construct the Arches Bayfront hotel and commercial center at Moss Marina, did not respond to a voicemail left at his office.

“Florida has some strong ethics laws regarding elected officials accepting gifts from people who may have business with the Town and prohibiting elected officials from discussing matters of the board outside of properly advertised public meetings,” Veach said. “These laws are intended to ensure that the public is informed and that they will have a reasonable voice in the decisions that affect them. These violations are particularly troubling when they are used to bypass the public process to give disproportionate influence to developers and sideline the public. The irresponsible approval of the Seagate towers in a quiet neighborhood of single-family homes in the face of fierce and universal public opposition was a clear demonstration of the dangers of violating these laws. The public has voiced strong opposition to destructive council actions and their desire to hold those responsible to account.”

Veach, who stepped down from office last year over a new state ethics law covering financial disclosures (which has since been reversed) had previously attempted to tighten the ethics rules for councilmembers.

Murphy, who was on the first town council after the town voted to incorporate in 1995 and who lose his seat on the council in 2022 when Woodson and King were voted in, said the current town council had committed “flagrant violations of the comprehensive plan in approving the (Seagate) project.

“I take no joy in having to do anything like this. It’s a sad day for the town that it has come to this,” Murphy said. “It’s going to be up to the voters of Fort Myers Beach if they want these folks to continue to represent them.”

Veach expects it will take some work finding signatures this time of year in the town.

“We are now into the off-season where many snowbirds have flown north. But given the palatable public anger these councilmembers have generated we feel that we can obtain the signatures needed,” Veach said.

The town formerly limited terms for councilmembers to three years but this was changed in 2020 when voters in the town elected to extend the terms to four years. Councilmembers are also limited to two consecutive terms in office.

The first part of the recall process requires 10% of the town’s electorate to sign petitions, while the second part includes an opportunity for the councilmembers to challenge the allegations and then a second round of petitions follows to collect signatures from 15% of the registered voters in the town. There are more than 3,000 registered voters in the Town of Fort Myers Beach, a figure that has dropped in recent years.

Once the signatures are certified by the Lee County Supervisor of Elections, the councilmembers have five days to either resign or a recall election must be held within 60 days where the councilmembers would be challenged for their seats. The councilmembers could also potentially file lawsuits challenging the process or the allegations.

FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. — Concerns from the Southwest Florida Firefighters Union and community members brought them to a Fort Myers Beach Fire District Commissioners meeting on Wednesday. They learned 3 battalion chief positions could be removed from the town's fire department.

Some of the people Fox 4's Miyoshi Price spoke with believe this potential removal could impact emergency response on the island.

Watch Fort Myers Community Correspondent Miyoshi Price explain the reason for the potential removal:

Many people walked out of the meeting upset that the Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District Fire Chief Scott Wirth did not verbally comment during the meeting, following public comment.

"I think it's the most cowardly thing any chief or politician can do. No comment for something such, such a big issue," said a first responder in Southwest Florida.

Even though Wirth did not respond, he did send FOX 4 a statement:

On Tuesday morning last week (5/20), the Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District met with the President of the Southwest Florida Professional Firefighters & Paramedics. This meeting was to notify the Union of the District’s intent to reorganize the District, which includes the elimination of three (3) Battalion Chief positions. That afternoon, the Union President, Henry Garcia, responded back and set a meeting date for tomorrow, Thursday, May 29, 2025.

Tomorrow’s meeting will be our first opportunity to review this with the affected employees.

At this time, and for the sake of the employees, the District will respectfully withhold any further public comments until such a time as the employees have been fully apprised of the upcoming changes.

Wirth plans to eliminate three battalion chief positions in what he calls an "intent to reorganize the district."

"You have battalion chiefs their whole lives are on the line, you know, repeatedly, 24/7, and now the careers are on the line," a first responder said before he left the meeting upset.

Melody King, who lives on Fort Myers Beach, says it is imperative that people have well-led crews when something happens on the island.

"I don't know how anybody's going to get anywhere with the traffic. And if there's not a battalion chief on command. It's not going to happen for some of us that live in the middle," King said.

King has experience in search and rescue as a captain with the Skipper Ship 91 Sea Scouts of Southwest Florida. She is a licensed USCG 100-ton master.

"Could you imagine all of our firefighters union striking if the decision isn't changed. So today, maybe the no comment that you were saying was disgraceful. Maybe that's because he's going to change his mind, and we're going to urge you, chief worth, to change your mind," King said. "Take a look at the leadership. Take a look at the leadership flaws on the island of Fort Myers Beach."

King tells me her crews did airboat rescues during Hurricane Ian. She says having a full emergency response team will keep her community safe.

"We should never to shame them and take away their integrity and trying to fame their character. They should never lose a position," she said. "It should be maybe a vote by the people who are paying you."

Battalion Chief Tom Grow, with 31 years of service, and Battalion Chief Terry Brunson, with 23 years, are the men affected, along with a third vacant position that has yet to be filled.

Garcia and Wirth have a scheduled meeting on Thursday to discuss the potential removal.

"To understand his reasoning for the demotion or termination and what his vision is for the department, we're always open to have communications with the fire chief and the fire board, but communication goes both ways," said Henry Garcia, President of Southwest Florida Professional Firefighters and Paramedics Local 1826.

Chief Wirth says he notified the union about the district changes last Tuesday.

"It's only because we pressured the board for information that the chief was forthcoming," Garcia said.

Garcia says the elimination of the positions can discourage other firefighters who have leadership aspirations.

"It's important to keep the battalion chiefs on shift. They're the most crucial officer on a fire scene, their most tenured officer on a fire scene, and they provide that command structure that's needed to successfully handle emergency situations," Garcia said.

Garcia believes taking away battalion chiefs will have serious consequences.

"Going to destroy morale. There's been employees who have been preparing to promote up. When these battalion chiefs retire, it's going to destroy morale, because there isn't that leadership role in the firehouse. It's being eroded away, and you're essentially terminating to employees with 31 years and 23 years of service," Garcia said. "So what's the future for me at this fire department if I can't promote up after 31 years of service, they could just demote me or terminate me."

The meeting with the union, the two battalion chiefs, and the fire chief will be behind closed doors on Thursday at 3 p.m. at the administrative office.

This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Fort Myers Beach has a new leader at the helm. The town council appointed William McKannay as the new town manager.

McKannay is stepping into the role after Andy Hyatt, the former town manager, decided to step down due to threats.

Hyatt will stay on for a transitional period to ensure a smooth handover.

The Fort Myers Town Council unanimously approved a contract for McKannay earlier this week. McKannay, a retired Army colonel with more than 30 years of military experience, said he is ready for the challenge.

"One of my favorite positions and my senior command position in the army was what the Army calls a garrison commander, which is in essence a city manager of an army installation," said McKannay, "and I was in Fort Riley, Kansas, which is one of the larger army installations in the continental United States, as the garrison commander."

McKannay believes his military background has prepared him to handle natural disasters. He has faced severe weather challenges, including tornadoes and major winter storms, during his time in Kansas, equipping him for Florida's hurricane season.

"I've responded with Hurricane disaster relief in Honduras, and with disaster relief down in Haiti and Puerto Rico," said McKannay, “so I've got a lot of experience in working with local, state and federal entities, in responding to and then rebuilding from natural disasters."

Vice Mayor Jim Atterholt expressed confidence in McKannay's extensive experience.

"Here's somebody who spent six months in Honduras after Hurricane Mitch. I mean, handing out food and doing security and just being on the front lines after a major hurricane," said Atterholt. "He's also administered huge facilities like Fort Riley, Kansas, 67,000 different both civilian and military personnel, little different in a military base versus a local community, but a lot of similarities as well."

McKannay is in the process of moving to Fort Myers Beach and plans to start working in about two weeks.