INSIDE: Legal Notices
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Wednesday, May 15, 2024
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City awarded $25 million utility grant By MEGAN BRADBURY
news@breezenewspapers.com
A $25 million grant is up for approval by the Cape Coral City Council Wednesday night, which would benefit the current North 1 UEP project. Councilmember Tom Hayden said the $25 million will go towards the current UEP project as a refund for property owners, which could be a couple thousand dollars. “We can continue to apply for it,” he said regarding the city’s future UEP projects. “We know the assessments can be
significant. The state is recognizing septic to sewer projects are important for the environment.” The Florida Department of Environmental Protection for a Water Quality Improvement Grant was awarded to the city for $25,000,000. The Office of Capital Improvements applied for the grant, which is funding for the purchase and installation of gravity sewer infrastructure for the North 1 UEP. This will provide more than 7,000 parcels in the northeast quadrant of Cape Coral with municipal utilities as part of the
North 1 UEP. The extension will convert wells and septic systems currently onsite to central water and sewer. According to the city, the term of the agreement will end on April 30, 2028, unless both parties approve an extension in writing. Pension benefits also are among the agenda items for Wednesday’s meeting with the city asked to consider extending its deferred retirement option plan to align an increase in years provided for in recent state legislation. According to Ordinance 42-24, “The
Cape Coral to host CRA Businesses Roundtable May 24
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See UTILITY GRANT, page 4
Family members accused of threatening witness released on bond
NEWS OF NOTE
The city of Cape Coral will host a Business and Industry Roundtable for Community Redevelopment Agency businesses Friday, May 24, at City Hall. Coffee and light refreshments will be served. This event aims to bring together those who operate businesses in the CRA, providing a platform for insightful discussions in this diverse industry ecosystem. Organizations interested in attending must register by contacting Andreana Petersen with the Economic and Business Development Office at apetersen@capecoral.gov. The Business and Industry Roundtable Series aims to: ■ Allow industry leaders to connect and discuss challenges specific to Cape Coral ■ Provide a forum for the economic outlook and opportunities for industries ■ Determine future initiatives and programs needed to retain businesses and industries to strengthen the local economy
City of Cape Coral Municipal General Employees’ Retirement Plan provides a deferred retirement option plan (DROP) and a BAC-DROP as optional retirement benefits.” If approved by Council at a second public hearing, the ordinance would increase the allowable participation from five years to eight years. The DROP program, implemented in Florida in 1998, allows eligible government employees to continue working when they become pension eligible and to
By CJ HADDAD
cjhaddad@breezenewspaprs.com
Class of ‘24 High school graduations step off Thursday By MEGHAN BRADBURY
news@breezenewspapers.com
ape Coral High School and Oasis High School seniors will be the first to step across the stage and receive their diplomas as part of the Class of '24. Both schools' graduations will be held at 7 p.m., Thursday, May 16, although the locations are different. Oasis High School's ceremony will be held at Florida Gulf Coast University, Alico Arena, 12181 FGCU Lake Parkway, E., Fort Myers, with 160 seniors graduating. Oasis High School Principal Jackie Corey said students have to purchase tickets for those who wish to attend the graduation. Cape Coral High School's ceremony will be held at Suncoast Arena at Florida SouthWestern State College, 13351 FSW Parkway, Fort Myers, with 363 seniors. Lee County School District Spokesperson Rob Spicker said each graduate attending a cere-
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mony was allotted six tickets. Graduations will be streamed live and can be found at https://www.leeschools.net/cms/one. aspx?portalId=676305&pageId=1372336. “For $20, anyone can purchase the ability to watch the ceremony on demand or download a copy. The link for that is on each school's page,” Spicker said. Those who are attending graduations in person are asked to familiarize themselves with security protocols for the graduation venue before attending. “The most important thing for families to know is that graduation ceremonies will follow the security protocols for the host venue, so they should review what is and is not allowed into the venue before arriving at graduation to avoid any issues on the way inside,” Spiker said. There are various venues for the graduations this year, with the two main venues at Alico
See CLASS OF ‘24, page 4
Three family members accused of interfering with a teen homicide investigation by threatening a witness have been released from the Lee County Jail. The mother, father and aunt of Christopher Horne Jr., the second of two teens arrested in the homicide of 15-yearold Kayla Rincon-Miller, who was shot on March 17 while walking to McDonald’s with two friends after seeing a movie at the Coralwood Shopping Center, have each been released on $50,000 bond. Between May 9 and 10, Christopher D. Horne, 39, and Shanice Stewart, 36, Horne Jr.’s parents, and his aunt, Varaka Stewart, each were charged with obstructing justice by threatening, tampering with and coercing a witness. Cape Coral Police Department’s Violent Crimes Unit detectives say the victim reported that the day after Kayla was shot and the day before the arrest of Thomas Stein, the first teen suspect, Horne Jr. and his parents came to the victim’s home. According to the police, the parents told the victim that Horne Jr., known as “Buster,” and Stein were involved in the fatal shooting. They allegedly told the victim to follow them and to bring along Stein. The victim told police that they had a “sinking feeling” they would be killed. Police say the victim and Stein said they feared for their lives and felt they had no choice but to follow them to the area of Gator Circle in Cape Coral. It was there that the victim told police she and Stein were “threatened to keep quiet and not cooperate with law enforcement” and that
See THREATENING WITNESS, page 2