Community overwhelmingly supports principal accused of paddling student
Published: May 4, 2021 10:11 PM EDT
Updated: May 4, 2021 10:41 PM EDT
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Dozens of people showed up wearing “Central Strong” T-shirts and told us they supported the principal who was recorded paddling a student.
No decision was made by the board during the meeting.
We pressed Superintendent Michael Swindle after the meeting, but he still would not answer any of our questions.
Teachers and friends of Principal Melissa Carter who appeared at the meeting were loud and clear what they wanted to see happen. They said they stand with Carter.
A room full of red “Central Strong” T-shirts took over the Hendry County school board meeting, as community members showed their support for Principal Carter.
A longtime CEO who served the community for decades is retiring after 17 years.
The St. Matthew’s House board of directors announced Vann Ellison’s retirement last week. For years, he worked with other nonprofits to help people all over Southwest Florida, from the homeless to the hungry to those suffering from addiction.
Those who worked with him recalled his legacy of giving.
“He’s very pastoral. He really cares for the people that we care for as an organization,” said Peter Johnson, vice president of development at St. Matthew’s House.
“From time to time, he would get victims in his shelter, refer them over to us. We would end up getting women in our shelter who were homeless that needed to be referred to Vann’s program over at St. Matthew’s House,” said Linda Oberhaus, CEO at the Shelter for Abused Women and Children.
Firefighters put out fire at home in Lehigh Acres, no one injured
Published: May 3, 2021 9:08 PM EDT
Updated: May 3, 2021 11:33 PM EDT
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Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District responded to a house fire on Corinne Drive in Lehigh Acres Monday.
According to the the fire district’s tweet, firefighters responded to the home after the report of the fire was received just before 6 p.m.
Crews found the fire in the garage of the home, which had been turned into an “efficiency-type living area.”
The fire district says it was extinguished quickly, and no one was injured.
Some boys riding through the neighborhood on their bikes were witnesses to the house fire.
Food banks preparing for hurricane season
Published: April 28, 2021 6:15 PM EDT
Updated: April 28, 2021 6:21 PM EDT
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Food banks say they learned a lot from past hurricanes, and that’s to be overprepared.
If the pandemic has taught the Harry Chapin Food Bank anything, it’s to be flexible, take food to where the need is great, and work with partners like St. Matthew’s House to reach even more people.
You can bet if a hurricane comes through Southwest Florida, that will be the plan again.
Beckie Tokarski’s family suffered through hurricanes Charley and Irma.
“We had lost electricity and I had to throw all my food away,” the Port Charlotte resident said.
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