What SWFL Is Talking About 8/14
Governor Scott declared a state of emergency for seven Florida counties, including Lee, Collier and Charlotte, due to the impact of red tide. The state of emergency will provide funding and resources for Sarasota, Pinellas, Hillsborough and Manatee, as well. We’ve been dealing with red tide since October, and almost 3 million pounds of dead fish and sea life has been removed from area beaches
Lee County Commissioner John Manning has pleaded no contest to a drunk driving charge in connection with an arrest in September of last year. The plea agreement puts Manning on probation for a year, He’ll have to pay court costs and a fine. An he’s only allowed business related travel for the next six months.
Cape Coral Police arrested Louis Navarra on burglary and assault charges after he crashed a Cape Coral party , shoved a woman and apparently solicited votes. Navarra is a candidate for Lee County School Board and despite the arrest, Navarra told NBC-2 that he’ll remain in the school board race.
47-year-old Michael Drejka, the man who originally wasn’t charged under Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law after shooting and killing a father at a convenience store in Clearwater will now face charges. The State Attorney conducted a review of the shooting and decided to charge him with manslaughter. Drejka is in the Pinellas County Jail and is being held on a $100,000 bond.
Update on Aretha Franklin’s Condition:
Aretha Franklin’s Nephew Gives Update Aretha Franklin’s nephew, Tim Franklin, gave People magazine an update on her condition. He said Aretha is “alert, laughing, teasing, able to recognize people. Family is with her. She’s home.” Tim Franklin continued, “She’s watching TV, so god forbid she sees all of this ‘Aretha’s dead,’ so I don’t want to dampen her spirits on that.” A close friend of Franklin told People that Aretha has “been ill for a long time” and family has been told that her “death is imminent.” Some outlets are calling this hospice care. Tim said while his aunt is “sick,” they “believe she’ll pull through it” and “she believes she’ll pull through it, and that’s the important thing.”
You Could Own John Lennon’s Last Car
A piece of Beatles history and auto history could be yours this September. John Lennon’s first-of-its-kind station wagon is heading to auction. The Mercedes-Benz TD 300 diesel wasn’t available for sale in the US at the time of purchase. But Lennon had an assistant hop over to Europe with a $30,000 check, $90,000 in today’s dollars, and ship it back across the Atlantic. The car stayed in the family’s possession until 1986, when it was sold and has changed hands several times since. On September 1st, Worldwide Auctioneers will put it on the block at an event in Auburn, IN with no reserve price, where it’s likely to sell around $25,000. What’s the oldest used car you’d purchase? Is it the miles or age of a car that would put you off from buying? How old is your current car?
