Fort Myers

Herald Bundles Controversial Documentary with Sunday's Paper

Photos that won't help the "MMA is not gay!" cause

Deep Throat Director Goes to the Big Porno Theater in the Sky

Plies' New Album, Da Realist, in Stores Today

For those that don't already know, Plies' highly anticipated second album of the year, Da Realist, is available in stores today. It's not common for artists, especially rappers, to release multiple albums in one year, but Plies, who was born and raised in Fort Myers, seems determined to prove someth ... More >>

Virginia Resident Connie Mack Waiting for Charlie Crist Before He Declares Senate Intentions

Connie Mack IV represents Florida's 14th congressional district in Southwest Florida. He recently celebrated his first year of wedded bliss to California congresswoman Mary Bono (Sonny's non-Cher wife), but the two don't really split their time between Florida and California, instead raising their f ... More >>

Death Row Inmate Wants to Be the Next Supreme Court Justice

Who says the electric chair should stand in the way of your dream job? Not Michael Lambrix. Sure, the 48-year-old waits on death row for fatally bludgeoning and strangling two people outside Fort Myers in 1983. But that hasn't stopped the articulate, overachieving inmate from applying to be Florid ... More >>

Get Ready to Care About Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp

Did anyone really care about Lt. Gov Jeff Kottkamp before, say, a few weeks ago? You know, when those rumors surfaced that Charlie Crist might resign to run for Senate, leaving Kottkamp as our 45th governor. All of a sudden, media attention bumped up ever so slightly. The Sun-Sentinel did a little d ... More >>

Live From The Barack Obama Stimulus Tour

Riptide is live today from Ft. Myers, Florida for Barack Obama's first visit to Florida as President of the United States of America. He'll be continuing the themes from his stop in Elkhart, Indiana and his first press conference last night, talking up the need for a stimulus package. The event ... More >>

Is There an Ulterior Motive to Picking Fort Myers?

Riptide just settled in at the Harborside Event Center in Fort Myers. President Obama is scheduled to kick off the next stop on his Stimulus Tour in about 30 minutes, and we'll begin the live blog then.So, why of all places is Obama in Fort Myers? The official line is that the city is suffering from ... More >>

Crist Could Be Elected Ms. Florida if He Wanted, but Floridians Like Him as Gov

Oh, that Charlie Crist -- he's so popular. Quinnipiac, always interested in exactly how popular, finds that Charlie can be pretty much elected to anything he wants. But 41 percent of Floridians prefer he seeks re-election as governor, compared to 22 percent who would like to see him run for Senate. ... More >>

Crist's Admirable Stim Support Makes 2012 Prez Run Unlikely

The economic stimulus is likely to be one of the defining actions of President Obama's first term. If it's perceived to be successful by November 2012, we're more than likely looking at four more years. But if, even as Obama himself admitted last week in Fort Myers, it's not, we might just have ours ... More >>

Kevin Burns Has a Campaign Gimmick Too

With a field for the 2010 Senate Race filled with a bunch of long shot candidates, everyone has to have a gimmick, because, hey, it worked for Walkin' Lawton Chiles and Bob "Work Days" Graham. Dan Gelber promises to complete 100 days of public service and buy up a million Google ads (net roots!). Ke ... More >>

Shear Delight

With a field for the 2010 Senate Race filled with a bunch of long shot candidates, everyone has to have a gimmick, because, hey, it worked for Walkin' Lawton Chiles and Bob "Work Days" Graham. Dan Gelber promises to complete 100 days of public service and buy up a million Google ads (net roots!). Ke ... More >>

The Robes of Justice

Death row inmate wants seat on state supreme court.

Letters from the Issue of May 15, 2008

"The public school system has created a shameful legacy."

Commemorate Your Ponzi Scheme Losses with a Nice Decorative Tile

Have you been swindled out of your life savings in a massive Ponzi scheme? Are you looking for the perfect way to remember all those heady days of 15 percent returns before the market collapsed? Do you just love R. Allen Stanford's manly Texas mustache? via eBay listing We suggest you buy en ... More >>

Breakaway

Against long odds and even longer distances, a group of Miami-Dade teens competes for a shot at hockey glory

Street Team Dream

Rising rappers get close to fans on Memorial Day -- sometimes too close

BEST WEEKEND GETAWAY

Captiva Island

Musical Feast

Lumpy Sue Acoustic Musicfest

Kulchur

How to win friends and influence people, el exilio style

Prosecution Complex

The strange saga of a smooth-talking hit man, jealous secretaries, and a ruined prosecutor

Where Man Meets Mud

Behold the swamp buggy races, South Florida's oddest racing tradition, where the engines roar, the muck flies, and the vehicles sometimes sink

A Bull Market

Interested in Miami's new minor-league hockey team? Prepare to shell out big bucks.

Creature Feature

Move over, Sasquatch. Beat it, Bigfoot. It's time you met South Florida's own: The great Skunk Ape.

When Vicki Met Syl, Part Two

Accused of bribery and public corruption, this power pair finds that love and justice prevail

When Vicki Met Syl

Fate introduced Miami lobbyist Sylvester Lukis to a rising political star named Vicki Lopez-Wolfe. Twenty-two felony charges later, South Florida is still reeling.

Girls in Bands To Kick Off Area 7's Avant-Garde Series on May 16

Area 7's new Avant-Garde Series will kick off May 16 wth "Girls in Bands," an event promoting acts that feature an experimental, noise, and/or indie sound and have at least one female member. The bands hail from across Florida, including Jacksonville, Miami, and Orlando. Curious Hair will open the s ... More >>

Pop-ska Band After The Fact to Play Area 7 on May 17

Fort Myers pop-punkers After the Fact will play Area 7 after streak-attacking the performers and audience at the Girls in Bands event the night before. The boys, though seemingly naked at all other shows as well as in this corresponding photo, will be dressed up as a chipmunk, pig and polar bear. Fo ... More >>

Let's Play Identity Politics For a Moment

So after the NRSC endorsed Charlie Crist over Marco Rubio in the Republican Senate primary, a lot of people implied it was a snub to Hispanics. We thought this was silly. Crist has won three statewide campaigns in a row, is an extremely popular governor, and has a national profile. He's going to win ... More >>

Study: Miami Amongst 20 Weakest Metro Areas

via Brookings InstituteFlorida is the only state that starts with an FHere's the bad news: According to a new study of the 100 most populous metro areas in America by the Brookings Institution, the Miami area, including the rest of South Florida, is one of the 20 economically weakest metro areas in ... More >>

Crist Denies Endorsing Stimulus Bill; Owns Up to Accepting Reality

Capture of an anti-Crist ad paid for by the Club for Growth​Charlie Crist went on CNN yesterday and said that he didn't endorse the stimulus package. Huh? What? Riptide was there when he appeared with President Obama touting the stimulus in Ft. Myers. Even though the White House is claim ... More >>

Slip N Slide DJ Purfiya Can't R.I.P. Because He's Not Dead

via myspace/djpurfiyaDJ Purfiya with Suga Shack from Wild 98.7​DJ Purfiya is from the city of Palmetto, Florida, just south of Tampa. He's affiliated with Miami's own Slip N Slide Records as one of their official DJs.Wednesday, rumors hit the Internet -- namely Twitter -- that he had died due to c ... More >>

Plies Surprises Fan by Paying for Her University of Miami Tuition

Fort Myers rapper Plies got criticized for tossing $50,000 into a crowd at a concert held by Atlanta radio station Hot 107.9 this summer.At the station's recent holiday concert, he returned, but this time instead of setting off a mellee after making it rain he brought one lucky fan onstage and prom ... More >>

Miami Beach Doctor Duped Out of $15K by Man Posing as a Maxim Model

via Maxim​Aren't there enough aspiring swim suit models on Miami Beach looking for a sugar daddy? So how did one Miami Beach doctor get duped into thinking he was having an internet fling with a former Maxim model only to find out that he was actually trading pictures and having phone conversation ... More >>

South Florida Voters and Winners in the Village Voice's New Pazz Jop Poll

​It's January, which means it's time for another edition of the Village Voice's annual Pazz and Jop poll of music critics. Yes, it's probably the latest, high-profile wrap-up of the best music of 2009, but it's also the biggest in sheer number of voices -- some 697 voters submitted ballots this ye ... More >>

Plies (And Young Jeezy) Cancel 2010 VH1 Hip-Hop Honors Appearances

​Contrary to music industry buzz, Fort Myers' hottest rapper, Plies, has just announced that he will not be performing at the 2010 VH1 Hip-Hop Honors airing next Monday, June 7 at 9 p.m. This is the first time ever that VH1 is honoring a particular geographic area for its contribution, and as you ... More >>

Pat Riley Sued for Keeping Land Deal Profits to Himself

Famous for a different kind of suit. ​Heat President Pat Riley has bigger problems this summer than just trying to re-sign guard Dwyane Wade. Riley is being sued for $5.5 million by a real estate broker who says the Hall of Fame coach didn't live up to a promise he made to break him off a pi ... More >>

Video: Bobby V. Releases Miami-Filmed "Phone #," Featuring Plies

public domain image, via Wikimedia CommonsBobby V. ​The week of Rick Ross' Teflon Don release madness, a whole slew of artists were around town partying or working. One was Bobby V., formerly known as Bobby Valentino until he ran into legal trouble with a British violinist of the same stage n ... More >>

Fort Myers Cop Fired After Staging a Crime in Desperate Scheme to Propose to Ex-Girlfriend

​It's a story as old as time. Boy cop meets girl cop. Boy cop and girl cop date for a while. Girl cop dumps boy cop. Boy cop stages a fake crime in hopes that girl cop will show up at the scene so he can propose to her and save their relationship. Sounds right out of a fairy tale, doesn't it?

Alex Sink Picks Up Endorsement From Every Major Newspaper in the State

In an age when the broadsheets are struggling and anyone can make their own mini-endorsements on Twitter or Facebook, do newspaper endorsements still matter? The Democratic Governor nominee better hope so. She's walked away with the support of every major newspaper's editorial board in the state. Th ... More >>

Bulletproof Tiger's Kris Huseby Talks Boxed Wine, Groupies, and Handmade CDs

Bulletproof Tiger at play.​Kris Huseby is a local musician, chef, syndicated sports columnist, and thong-sandal model. But he's probably better known for having pounded the drums with Fireside Social and currently fronting Bulletproof Tiger. The latter band recently got back to South Florida ... More >>

Tara Solomon: Queen of the SoBe Night

Bulletproof Tiger at play.​Kris Huseby is a local musician, chef, syndicated sports columnist, and thong-sandal model. But he's probably better known for having pounded the drums with Fireside Social and currently fronting Bulletproof Tiger. The latter band recently got back to South Florida ... More >>

Chick-fil-A: Florida Students Disagree Over Restaurant's Right To Be On Campus

via Flickr SanFranAnnieShould good food outweigh common decency?​Some people are really serious about food. Chick-fil-A, a Christian restaurant chain, came in as the number one choice in a survey among Florida Gulf Coast University students when asked which restaurants they wanted in their student ... More >>

Miami Ranked 10th Most Dangerous Spring Break Destination

​It's that time of year when college students across the country take a break from their busy schedules of binge-drinking in hoodies and sweatpants in dorms and frat houses to change it up and binge-drink in bikinis on beaches. Yes, it's spring break. As always, South Florida attracts its fair sha ... More >>

Javarris James Arrested for Marijuana Possession in Fort Myers

​Well, at least he managed to keep out of trouble while he was with the 'Canes.Indianapolis Colts running back Javarris James was arrested last night by police in Fort Myers, Fl and charged with misdemeanor charges of marijuana possession. James, the cousin of former 'Canes and Colts legend Edgerr ... More >>

Florida Foot Fetishist Arrested After Apologizing for Touching Neighbor's Feet While She Slept

​Well, you can't say Salvatore Louise Pascucci isn't a pervert without manners. The 26-year-old Port Charlotte man developed a crush on his 36-year-old neighbor and decided the best thing to do was to break into her home late at night and put his hand on her thigh and feet while she slept. He ret ... More >>

Vapiano Brickell Will Cook Your Pasta While You Watch

Vapiano, a fast-casual Italian-food chain from Germany, is set to open this November at 1221 Brickell Ave. Already huge in Europe, the chain boasts 45 locations in Germany alone. And there are 11 Vapianos in the States.The concept is fresh fast food served in an upscale environment with cafeteria-st ... More >>

Nine-Year-Old Girl Told Not to Eat Candy on School Bus Tells Police: "I Will F***ing Kill You!"

​A nine-year-old Florida girls loves candy almost as much as she hates police: a lot.What started as a request by the girl's school bus driver to stop eating candy on the bus ended with the girl getting pepper-sprayed and charged with four felonies.

Florida Principal Reports Two Students Kissing As 'Possible Sex Crime'

photo by Yogi via Wikimedia CommonsSEX CRIME!!!​This really is the only logical endpoint in a state so obsessed with sex crimes that we literally banished sex offenders to live under a bridge and used to unleash prosecutors onto sexting teens: A teacher sees two 12-year-old students smooching in g ... More >>