The former greyhound racing track on Bonita Beach Road has been sitting largely underutilized since parimutuel racing ended years ago. Several concepts have come and gone for the site. Now Alfie Oakes, the Naples businessman behind Seed to Table, wants to take a swing at it.

Oakes Farms has submitted a proposal to the City of Bonita Springs for a project called Oakes Landing, a major entertainment destination on approximately 12 acres at the former dog track site on Bonita Beach Road along Old U.S. 41. The approximately 100,116-square-foot building would include bars, restaurants, a stage for live events, pools, a playground, and other recreational amenities.

Plans included in the application show the site being transformed into a walkable mixed-use entertainment campus centered around dining, recreation, live events, family activities, and outdoor gathering spaces.

🏗️ What's Being Proposed

The site currently includes a 32,616-square-foot facility that houses a card room, simulcasting, and a restaurant, along with an indoor and outdoor sports challenge facility. The Oakes Landing proposal would replace that with something significantly larger and more ambitious.

The proposed venue would include a stage for concerts and live entertainment alongside the dining, bars, pools, and family recreation components. The concept appears aimed at creating a regional destination capable of hosting major events and drawing visitors from throughout Southwest Florida, not just a local commercial development.

As part of the application, Oakes Farms is also requesting a deviation to allow parking that is 43% above the minimum required number of spaces, well beyond the 15% limit typically allowed along the Bonita Beach Road corridor. That parking request alone tells you something about the scale of crowds the project is designed to accommodate.

🌴 The Seed to Table Comparison

Oakes Farms operates Seed to Table in North Naples, which has become one of the region's best-known entertainment destinations for combining restaurants, bars, grocery shopping, live music, events, and nightlife into one high-energy complex.

Oakes Landing reads like an attempt to build a pure hospitality and entertainment version of that model, without the grocery anchor, on a larger footprint in a city that has been actively seeking a destination attraction for this underperforming corner of town.

⚠️ The Complications

The Planning & Zoning Board hearing on Oakes Landing was already scheduled — and then wasn't. Oakes Farms requested a formal 60-to-90-day continuance, giving the development team additional time to refine site plans, update traffic studies, and address pushback from neighboring residential property owners before presenting the master plan to city council members.

Nearby homeowners have raised concerns about traffic, noise, and late-night concerts. Those are legitimate concerns for a 100,000-square-foot entertainment venue with a live music stage that is seeking 43% more parking than the corridor typically allows. The continuance suggests the applicant knows the current plan isn't ready to withstand a public hearing.

There is also the matter of context. Alfie Oakes and Oakes Farms are currently at the center of an active federal fraud investigation involving the USDA's Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. As NNN has reported, nine people connected to the Oakes Farms enterprise have entered federal guilty pleas. Oakes himself has not been charged. The Oakes Landing proposal is a separate business venture, but in a community where many residents are aware of the ongoing federal case, the name on the application carries weight beyond the planning merits.

🔭 What Comes Next

When the Planning & Zoning Board reconvenes later this summer, Oakes Farms will need to present concrete engineering responses to the traffic and noise concerns raised by neighboring residents before the project can advance to city council consideration.

The former dog track site is one of the most visible underutilized properties in Bonita Springs. What goes there matters, and the city will have its say before anything breaks ground.

Information sourced from WINK News, Gulf Shore Business, and Leane Suarez Group development analysis.

In 2020, multiple detectives at the Collier County Sheriff's Office did exactly what they were told to do when they witnessed something wrong: they reported it up the chain of command.

Three of the four detectives under Det. Sgt. Kristine Whittaker's command demanded transfers and complained she interfered negatively in their work, berated them, ordered them not to interview certain suspects, ran secretive shadow investigations behind their backs, and was hardly ever in the office, according to investigative memos obtained by the Florida Trident.

The most serious concern wasn't management style. Her direct supervisor, then-acting Lt. Andrew Dunn, was most concerned about another issue raised by the detectives, suspected time card fraud, a potential crime.

What happened next is the subject of a joint investigation published this week by WGCU and the Florida Trident.

📉 What Happened to the Deputies Who Reported Her

After reporting the concerns, Dunn met with Undersheriff Jim Bloom, and the matter was sent to Command Action Review. When promotions came up, Dunn did not receive the lieutenant position he had been in line for and was instead demoted back to sergeant. In a deposition taken as part of a separate civil lawsuit against CCSO, Dunn said he believed his demotion was in retaliation for reporting Whittaker. When asked whether anyone had given him an indication why he did not receive the lieutenant position, Dunn answered, "Basically because of the Kristine Whittaker incident."

The other deputies who came forward fared no better. Multiple former Collier deputies described an agency where justice was turned on its head, where Sheriff Kevin Rambosk and Undersheriff Bloom operate CCSO as a clique that protects command staff and favored deputies at the expense of fairness, ethics, and the law.

📈 What Happened to Whittaker

Kristine Whittaker is now a lieutenant at the Collier County Sheriff's Office, having been promoted after the complaints against her were filed. She began her career with CCSO in 1998 and has served as a jail technician, 9-1-1 dispatcher, patrol deputy, detective, and detective sergeant before reaching her current rank.

🔍 A Pattern, Not an Incident

The Whittaker case is the latest in a series of investigations by WGCU and the Florida Trident into the culture and leadership at the Collier County Sheriff's Office under Sheriff Rambosk.

Former Collier Sheriff Don Hunter, Rambosk's predecessor, reviewed the Whittaker case and said it follows a well-worn pattern of whitewashing internal complaints involving favored staff to protect the image of individual deputies and of Sheriff Rambosk and the agency itself. Hunter noted that the deputies involved did exactly what they were told to do, "When you see something, say something," and were forced out for it, while the person they reported was promoted.

This is the same Sheriff Hunter who in May 2026 raised concerns about the investigation into Undersheriff Bloom's receipt of company stock months after approving a body armor purchase. In that case, the investigation into Bloom was overseen by an attorney hired by Rambosk himself. The attorney concluded the complaint was not sustained. Hunter described the investigation as flawed and superficial and said it was not designed to detect the truth.

The case involving Whittaker was buried for years before being revived in an unrelated civil lawsuit. It may have stayed buried entirely if not for the deposition testimony that surfaced in that separate proceeding, testimony that put Dunn's account of what happened to his career on the official record.

📌 CCSO's Response

Rambosk and Bloom have declined interview requests from the Florida Trident in connection with previous investigations. The sheriff's office has issued statements characterizing outside investigations as involving theoretical leaps to suggest improper conduct. CCSO did not provide a substantive response to the Whittaker investigation prior to publication, according to WGCU.

🔭 The Larger Question

The pattern documented across multiple investigations is consistent: deputies or officials who raise concerns about favored members of CCSO's command staff face consequences. The subjects of those concerns face none. The investigations into the concerns are handled internally, by hand-picked attorneys, and produce findings of insufficient evidence.

For the Collier County community, which funds the Sheriff's Office through its tax dollars and depends on it for public safety, the pattern documented by WGCU and the Florida Trident raises questions that go beyond any single case. A law enforcement culture that punishes people for reporting misconduct doesn't just fail the individuals who come forward. It fails everyone who depends on those deputies to do their jobs without fear of retaliation.

The deputies who reported Kristine Whittaker in 2020 learned that lesson the hard way.

Information sourced from WGCU's June 12, 2026 investigation, Florida Trident reporting, CCSO public personnel records, and deposition testimony from civil proceedings in Collier County. The Collier County Sheriff's Office declined to participate in the investigation.

Two people are dead and one person was hospitalized following a shooting inside a North Naples gated condominium community that the Collier County Sheriff's Office is investigating as an apparent murder-suicide.

The shooting occurred at a residence on Avellino Isles Circle in North Naples. Deputies responded to the scene and confirmed two fatalities. A third person, the father, was transported to a hospital. The extent of that person's injuries has not been publicly released.

The Collier County Sheriff's Office has not yet released the identities of those involved or additional details about the circumstances surrounding the incident. The investigation is active and ongoing.

Naples Daily News reported the victims were a mother and son.

Naples News Network will update this story as CCSO releases additional information.

📞 Crisis Resources

If you or someone you know is in crisis, help is available 24 hours a day:

National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788
The Shelter for Abused Women & Children — Naples: 239-775-3862

Information sourced from WINK News and Naples Daily News. The investigation is active. Naples News Network will update as information is released by the Collier County Sheriff's Office.

This Week in Naples🔥 THIS WEEK IN NAPLES

🔥 THIS WEEK IN NAPLES

Naples continues to evolve in ways both big and small.

This week brought new restaurants, major development milestones, legal cases that continue to make headlines, and new laws that could affect everything from homeowners and drivers to businesses and families across Florida.

At the same time, residents are navigating rising costs, shrinking health insurance options, mosquito season, and some difficult questions about growth, affordability, and public policy. Yet among the headlines was also a reminder of what makes this community special: a rescue effort that began with a call for 10 cats and ultimately saved 46.

👉 From what's opening and changing around town to the stories that could directly affect your wallet and quality of life, here's everything you need to know this week.

Here's everything you need to know 👇

⚡ THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

🍽️ What's opening, closing, and changing across Naples right now

⚖️ 87 new Florida laws take effect July 1

🐱 A Naples rescue effort saved 46 cats instead of the expected 10

🏗️ A 30-foot sculpture just arrived as the Ritz-Carlton Residences move closer to opening

💰 Why many Naples residents are still feeling the squeeze of rising costs

🦟 Mosquito complaints surge as summer arrives in Southwest Florida

🚨 Major developments in both the Oakes Farms and permit fraud investigations

🏥 Florida ACA health insurance options continue to shrink

🌴 Your guide to everything happening in Naples this week

📰 Now Let’s Get Into The Stories

🔗 What's Opening, Closing, and Changing in Naples Right Now

🔗 The Road That Took 15 Years to Build Opens This Friday Morning. Here's What Changes the Moment You Drive It.

🔗 The Key Oakes Farms Witness Still Hasn't Been Sentenced. His October Date Just Became the Most Important One in the Case. 

🔗 87 New Florida Laws Take Effect July 1. Here Are the Ones That Actually Affect Naples Residents. 

🔗 The Man at the Center of Naples' Biggest Permit Fraud Case Just Agreed to a Fine. The Homeowners Are Still Waiting for Justice. 

🔗 A Call for 10 Cats Turned Into a Rescue Mission for 46. Here's How a Naples Group Pulled It Off. 

🔗 Things To Do in Naples This Week (June 11–17, 2026)

🔗 A 30-Foot Sculpture Just Went Up at Vanderbilt Beach Road. The Ritz-Carlton Residences Are Almost Ready to Open.

🔗 12% of Americans Cannot Afford a $400 Emergency. In Naples, That Number Has a Face. 

🔗 Collier County's Mosquito Control District Got 1,500 Service Requests in One Week. Here's What You Should Know Right Now. 

🔗 Collier County Is Asking for $8 Million in Florida Immigration Enforcement Funds. Here's Exactly What It Would Buy. 

🔗 If You Buy Health Insurance Through the ACA Marketplace in Florida, Your Options Are Shrinking. Here's What to Do Before November. 

🔗 She Jumped From a Balcony in California to Escape. He Followed Her Back to Southwest Florida Anyway.

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Fifteen years of planning. Three years of construction. Three new canal bridges. Seven miles of new pavement through what used to be nothing but Estates back roads and open sky.

This Friday morning at 10 a.m., you can drive it.

The Vanderbilt Beach Road Extension — the project stretching from Collier Boulevard east to 16th Street NE — has reached substantial completion and is scheduled to open to traffic Friday, June 12 at or shortly after 10 a.m. A brief ribbon-cutting ceremony is being planned for July 1. Maricopa County Attorney's Office

🛣️ What Was Actually Built

This isn't a widened road or a resurfaced pavement job. The county built a brand new seven-mile corridor through eastern Collier County from the ground up — and the scope of what got constructed is worth understanding.

The new roadway includes a six-lane divided section with pedestrian and bicycle facilities from Collier Boulevard east to west of Wilson Boulevard, tapering down to a new two-lane road from Wilson east to 16th Street NE. Improvements were made to Massey Street and to existing intersections at Collier Boulevard, Weber Boulevard, Danbury Boulevard, and Douglas Road. New signalized intersections were built at Wilson Boulevard, 8th Street NE, and 16th Street NE. Maricopa County Attorney's Office

The project also includes three new canal bridges, stormwater management ponds, and a canal relocation from 31st Street NW to 15th Street NW along the south side of the new road. Maricopa County Attorney's Office

Three canal bridges. A relocated canal. Seven miles of divided roadway with signals, bike lanes, and pedestrian paths. This is not a modest infrastructure upgrade. It is the most significant road project Collier County has ever completed.

⏱️ What Changes Friday at 10 a.m.

For the tens of thousands of residents living in Golden Gate Estates, this road changes daily life in a way that's hard to overstate.

The drive from the Estates to North Naples commercial centers — Seed to Table, the Target on Immokalee Road, the Naples Daily News corridor — currently routes most residents through either Immokalee Road or Pine Ridge Road, both of which are heavily congested during peak hours. Vanderbilt Beach Road has historically dead-ended at Collier Boulevard, forcing a merge into that same congestion.

Starting Friday, Estates residents between Wilson Boulevard and 16th Street NE have a direct new east-west route that bypasses the worst of it. New signals at Wilson, 8th Street NE, and 16th Street NE make the connections usable — not just theoretically accessible but practically integrated into the grid.

The county also expects the extension to reduce response times for emergency service providers — a genuinely important safety benefit for a community that has historically been one of the longest-response-time areas in Collier County due to its distance from fire stations and hospitals. Maricopa County Attorney's Office

📅 The Road to Friday — and What Comes Next

The groundbreaking for this project happened in September 2022. Before that, the plans sat on a shelf for over a decade after the 2009 economic downturn killed the project's momentum. People who were fighting for this road in 2009 have been waiting through a pandemic, a historic hurricane, and three years of construction watching the pavement slowly come together.

Friday is their morning.

Phase Two of the Vanderbilt Beach Road Extension — which will stretch the road from 16th Street NE further east to Everglades Boulevard — is in the final stages of design and may begin construction as early as next year. That second phase will complete the vision that planners drew up 15 years ago: a full east-west corridor from Collier Boulevard to Everglades Boulevard, connecting the Estates to the broader Naples road network in a way it has never been connected before. Maricopa County Attorney's Office

For now, set your alarm. Friday at 10 a.m., a new road opens. Go drive it.

Ribbon-cutting ceremony planned for July 1. For information, contact Collier County Transportation Management Services at 239-252-8192, option 5, or TECM@collier.gov.

Naples doesn't sit still. Not in January when the snowbirds are here and every table is full. Not in June when the locals take back their city and the real story of this place comes into focus. Every month, new businesses open their doors, familiar spaces get new names, and the map of this community shifts a little. Here's everything worth knowing right now.

🥩 Eddie V's Prime Seafood Is Finally Here — and It's Exactly What Waterside Needed

After months of watching construction wrap up on the Waterside Shops outparcel, Eddie V's Prime Seafood opened its doors June 7 — and Naples officially has one of the country's most celebrated upscale dining chains parked one block from the Gulf of Mexico.

This is not a casual restaurant. Eddie V's sits at the same tier as Capital Grille in Darden Restaurants' portfolio — a premium, full-service dining experience built around hand-carved steaks, creative cocktails, and seafood sourced from some of the best waters in the world. Signature dishes include Chilean sea bass, crab fried rice, and parmesan sole. The V Lounge runs live music nightly from local musicians — meaning you can walk in for a drink, stay for the set, and end up ordering the sea bass at 10 PM on a Tuesday. That's exactly how it should work.

The location — the former bank office on the southwest corner of Waterside at Seagate Drive and Myra Janco Daniels Boulevard — is the right address for this concept. It anchors a mall in the middle of its biggest transformation in years and gives Naples diners a reason to go back to Waterside on a weeknight even after Buck & Rider and RH Restaurant eventually join the lineup.

🍝 Adoré Just Opened Where Davis Larry's Used to Be. People Are Already Talking About the Chicken Parm.

Sometimes a restaurant opens quietly and the neighborhood finds it on its own. Adoré is one of those.

The new Italian concept just opened in the former Davis Larry's space — brought to you by the same ownership group behind GG's. But regulars of GG's who walk in expecting the same experience are going to be pleasantly surprised. This is a step up. A significant one.

The chicken parm has become the early conversation piece — thick, juicy chicken, excellent breading, fresh pasta cooked properly, house-made tomato sauce, and a plating that makes it clear someone in that kitchen cares about what they're sending out. They're also pouring their own red ale brewed specifically for the restaurant, which is either a sign of ambition or a very good reason to order a second round before your food arrives. Probably both.

If you've driven past the old Davis Larry's spot a hundred times without stopping, now is the time.

🥗 Juice Society Opened on 9th Street North — and It's Exactly What That Stretch Needed

The former Duck Donuts space at 4233 Ninth St. N. in Park Shore Plaza sat empty after Duck Donuts closed last summer. Juice Society moved in, and the swap feels right.

Owned and founded by Kallie and Matt Isadore, Juice Society opened May 13 serving superfood bowls, organic cold-pressed juices, smoothies, and aqua frescas made from real ingredients — no fillers, no artificial flavors, nothing that makes you regret the decision an hour later. Hours are Monday through Saturday 8 AM to 5 PM, closed Sundays. Their original location is at Coconut Point in Estero, and the Naples outpost brings the concept to the U.S. 41 corridor where healthy, grab-and-go options have been thin.

For the morning crowd that was already stopping at this plaza, it's a meaningful upgrade. For the Park Shore neighborhood more broadly, it's a welcome addition to the kind of local, owner-operated business ecosystem that makes this part of Naples feel like a neighborhood rather than just a commercial strip.

🍕 Papa Joe's Pizzeria & Trattoria & Is Coming to the Old Zen Asian Space — and It's Weeks Away

If you've driven past the former Zen Asian BBQ location on Tamiami Trail North in North Naples recently, you've probably noticed it's no longer a sushi bar. Signage is up, construction is wrapping, and the space is becoming Papa Joe's Pizzeria Trattoria — an Italian concept from owner Mike Cardascia, who previously operated the Zen Asian brand.

NNN first spotted this months ago. Opening is weeks away. A full-service Italian pizzeria with a trattoria vibe on one of the most trafficked stretches of US-41 in North Naples fills a real gap in a corridor that skews heavily toward chain restaurants. Watch for a hard opening announcement — and when it comes, go early.

🥂 Naples Now Has a Mobile Caviar Bar. Seriously.

Gourmet Chariot is a new upscale mobile culinary concept operating across Southwest Florida — and it is not your typical food truck. Think caviar flights, hand-assembled charcuterie boards, and Champagne poured tableside at private parties, corporate events, and high-end weddings across the Naples area.

The concept was built specifically for this market. Naples has no shortage of people throwing events where the bar for catering has been set very high — and Gourmet Chariot is positioning itself as the answer when the host wants something that will genuinely impress guests who have seen everything. It's the kind of business that only works in a market like this one, which is exactly why it launched here.

🔨 East Naples Got Its Third Home Depot

Collier County's third Home Depot opened June 3 at 11880 Tamiami Trail East with a grand opening June 4 — sitting on the southeast corner of U.S. 41 East and Barefoot Williams Road in East Naples. The new store covers 107,709 square feet with a 28,018-square-foot garden center attached.

For East Naples homeowners who were driving to Airport-Pulling Road or Pine Ridge for a big-box home improvement run, this one changes the math significantly. It's also arriving at exactly the right moment — construction activity across eastern Collier County is at one of its highest levels in years, with thousands of new homes in various stages of permitting and construction. The demand for lumber, fixtures, landscaping supplies, and contractor materials in that corridor is real and growing.

🛒 Publix Neapolitan Way Opens July 2 — And It's Completely Brand New

The Publix at Neapolitan Way Shopping Center at 4601 9th St. N. has a reopening date: July 2. And this isn't a remodel or a refresh — the 38-year-old store and an adjacent vacant retail space were both torn down to the ground, and what's rising in their place is a brand new 52,000-square-foot modern facility built from the foundation up.

If you've been shopping at this Publix your entire Naples life, walking in on July 2 is going to feel different. Everything is new. The layout, the lighting, the scale — all of it reflecting what Publix builds in 2026, not what it built in 1988. It's one of the more quietly significant retail openings of the year for the corridor between Tamiami Trail and Airport-Pulling Road.

🐔 Korean Fried Chicken Is Coming to Pebblebrooke Center

Napoli on the Bay has closed at Pebblebrooke Center in North Naples. Taking its place is bb.q Chicken — a Korean fried chicken brand marking its first Southwest Florida location. The chain has expanded aggressively across the U.S. and is known for an unusually crispy preparation style that has developed a loyal following in cities where it operates. No confirmed opening date yet, but the space transition is underway. For North Naples residents who've been driving to Fort Myers for Korean fried chicken, the wait is almost over.

🛒 Aldi Is Coming to Golden Gate — But Not Until 2027

When Winn-Dixie vacated its anchor space at Golden Gate Shopping Center on the corner of Golden Gate Parkway and Coronado Parkway over Memorial Day weekend, it left a significant gap in a neighborhood that had counted on it for decades. Aldi is filling nearly half of that space — roughly 49,000 square feet — with a new location targeted to open in 2027.

That's a year away, but it's worth knowing. For Golden Gate residents who lost their closest grocery anchor, Aldi is a practical and genuinely useful replacement — a discount grocery chain that has earned real loyalty in working-class communities across the country by delivering quality basics at prices that respect how people actually live. A 25,967-square-foot anchor space on the eastern edge of the center is still available for a tenant to be announced.

We'll be back next month with another full roundup. If you know about something opening, closing, or changing in Naples that you think NNN should cover, reply to this email @ info@NaplesNewsNow.com or reach out at NaplesNewsNow.com. This community runs on people paying attention — and so do we.

Florida has more people buying health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace than any other state in the country. Almost one out of every five ACA marketplace enrollees nationwide is in Florida. That's why what's happening to the marketplace right now matters more here than almost anywhere else.

Two major insurers have exited in the past year. A third is leaving at year's end. And the federal subsidies that made coverage affordable for millions of Floridians have expired, pushing premiums up sharply.

📋 What Just Changed — and What's Coming

Aetna exited the Florida ACA marketplace at the end of 2025. Now Cigna has announced it will exit at the end of 2026, meaning Florida marketplace enrollees with Cigna plans will need to select new coverage during open enrollment, which begins November 1.

Cigna currently offers plans in 11 of Florida's 67 counties. In 2026, Florida's marketplace includes 16 private insurance companies, with plan availability varying by county. That number will drop when Cigna exits.

Nationally, Cigna's exit affects approximately 369,000 enrollees across 11 states. Company executives described the ACA marketplace as a small and shrinking portion of their business, noting enrollment dropped 17% from 2025 to 2026, from 446,000 to 369,000 enrollees.

💰 Why Premiums Are Rising

The departures are happening against a backdrop of rising costs that most ACA enrollees are already feeling.

Congress failed to extend enhanced federal subsidies that had made coverage free for the lowest-income enrollees and meaningfully reduced costs for households earning above $63,000 annually. With those subsidies gone, initial ACA sign-ups fell by approximately 1.2 million people this year, and more are likely to follow as bills arrive that people can't pay.

The math is self-reinforcing and ugly. The people most likely to drop coverage when premiums rise are younger and healthier, leaving sicker, higher-cost patients as a larger share of the remaining pool. That pushes insurers to raise rates further to cover higher claims, which drives out more healthy enrollees, and so on.

At least five insurers total have announced they will no longer offer marketplace plans after the end of 2026, including Cigna, Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, and others. Rural markets are particularly vulnerable; insurance companies have historically been reluctant to operate in rural areas to begin with, and additional departures could leave some communities with limited options.

🌴 What This Means for Collier County

Collier County sits in Southwest Florida, a region with a significant population of self-employed residents, small business owners, seasonal workers, retirees not yet eligible for Medicare, and independent contractors who rely on the ACA marketplace for coverage. The teachers, nurses, restaurant workers, and trades professionals whose housing costs we've been covering for months are often the same people buying marketplace insurance.

If you currently have a Cigna ACA plan, whether through Cigna Health & Life or Cigna Healthcare of Florida, your coverage continues through December 31, 2026. After that, you need a new plan. Open enrollment begins November 1, 2026. That's the window to compare remaining options and pick a replacement before the January 1 deadline. WGCU

✅ What to Do Right Now

1. Check whether you have a Cigna ACA plan. Log into your coverage portal or call the number on your insurance card to confirm your insurer.

2. Don't wait for November. Use the time between now and open enrollment to compare what other carriers are available in Collier County and what their plans cost. healthcare.gov is the official comparison tool.

3. Consider consulting a licensed navigator or insurance broker. Florida has a network of free, certified ACA navigators who can help you understand your options without charging a fee. Find one at floridaplanfinder.com or call 800-318-2596.

4. Know your subsidy status. If your household income has changed, your subsidy eligibility may have changed too. Updated income information at open enrollment could meaningfully change what you pay.

This article provides factual health insurance information for Naples and Collier County residents. It is not insurance or financial advice. Information sourced from healthinsurance.org, Bloomberg, The Hill, NPR, and KFF's Health System Tracker.

A federal judge has once again pushed back the sentencing date for Steven A. Veneziano Jr., the former Oakes Farms executive who pleaded guilty to COVID fraud and claims he did it at the behest of company owner Alfie Oakes.

District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell agreed Friday to move Veneziano's sentencing from July 26 to October 26. The decision came after his attorney and federal prosecutors filed a joint motion June 3 saying they "believe that additional information that the court should consider at the time of Mr. Veneziano's sentencing has not been, and will not be, fully developed by the currently scheduled sentencing date." What that information was is not disclosed.

This is the third time Veneziano's sentencing has been delayed. The original date was March 23. It moved to July 26. Now it's October 26.

🔍 Why This Delay Matters

In federal cooperation cases, sentencing delays almost always mean one thing: the cooperating witness is still providing valuable information to prosecutors, and the government isn't ready to close that chapter yet.

Veneziano pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with a $5.18 million scheme against the USDA's Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. Each count carries a potential 20-year sentence. The longer prosecutors delay his sentencing, the more it signals they're still actively building something, and that Veneziano's cooperation is still producing results.

💥 The Bombshell He Dropped

The stakes in Veneziano's case have grown considerably since his initial guilty plea. In a countersuit filed against Oakes Farms, Veneziano is now claiming that he didn't steal from Alfie Oakes; he was stealing for him. His court filings allege that Oakes had direct knowledge of and involvement in the schemes that Veneziano is accused of executing, and Veneziano was acting on his boss's explicit instructions throughout.

Oakes Farms filed a civil lawsuit in Collier County alleging Veneziano stole $12.5 million in funds, equipment, and assets from the company. That case was ordered moved to federal court, where both the fraud cases and Veneziano's counteraccusations are now playing out in front of the same judge.

Alfie Oakes, the founder of Seed to Table on Immokalee Road and a prominent Collier County political figure, has not been charged. He remains referenced throughout the case only as an unindicted party.

📋 Where the Full Case Stands

The Oakes Farms federal investigation has now produced at least nine guilty pleas across multiple defendants, former executives, farm managers, accountants, and harvesting company owners. Here's where key sentencings currently stand:

Steven Veneziano, sentencing now October 26, 2026

Christopher Lee, former Oakes Farms farmland manager — sentencing pending

William Brittenham, former VP of Oakes Farms Food Distribution, sentencing pending after guilty plea in May 2026

Thomas Unsworth, Naples CPA, sentencing pending after January 2026 guilty plea

Multiple other cooperating defendants with sentencing dates still to be set.

The fact that the federal investigation has now stretched across multiple years, multiple defendants, and multiple guilty pleas, with the key cooperating witness's sentencing pushed to October, tells you this is not a case that is wrapping up. It's a case that is still moving toward something.

October 26 is now the date to watch.

Steven Veneziano has pleaded guilty. He has not yet been sentenced. Alfie Oakes has not been charged with any crime. Information sourced from Business Observer, WINK Investigates, Gulf Shore Business, and federal court records from the Middle District of Florida.

destabilizing but

The Federal Reserve surveys nearly 13,000 American households every year on how they're actually doing financially, not how they feel about the economy but what they can actually cover when something goes wrong.

The 2026 Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking, released in May and reflecting 2025 data, found that 63% of Americans could cover a $400 emergency expense with cash or a credit card paid in full at the next statement. Only 43% could cover it with cash alone. And 12% said they could not afford a $400 emergency expense by any means.

Read that last number again. One in eight American households cannot cover an unexpected expense the size of a car repair, a trip to urgent care, or a broken appliance, by any means.

📊 The Savings Picture Is Worse Than It Looks

55% of Americans have three months of emergency savings, level with 2024 and down from 59% in 2021. The peak was 2021, when pandemic-era relief payments temporarily padded household balance sheets. That effect has fully unwound.

About three in ten Americans have more credit card debt than emergency savings. Just 30% of people say they would use savings to pay for a major unexpected expense like a $1,000 emergency room visit or car repair. The rest would take on debt, credit cards, borrowing from family, and personal loans.

The typical U.S. emergency savings balance is far lower than most financial advisors recommend. The median emergency savings amount nationally is approximately $600.

🌴 What This Means in Naples

Naples is one of the wealthiest communities in the United States. Median household income in Collier County exceeds $113,000. The top three home sales last month totaled $89 million. The Ritz-Carlton Residences just sold out their 11th-floor penthouses.

None of that wealth is evenly distributed, and the Federal Reserve data is a reminder of what exists alongside it.

The Collier County teachers who packed the school board meeting in April and walked out before the vote ended aren't outliers. The 52,000 people who commute into Collier County daily for jobs they can't afford to live near aren't outliers. The teacher pay fight, the housing crisis, and the workforce housing shortage are the local expressions of a national financial fragility that the Federal Reserve is documenting year after year.

In a county where housing costs rank among the highest in Florida, the gap between what households earn and what they need to build a genuine financial cushion is larger than in most of the country. A teacher earning $57,000 in Naples, in a rental market where a one-bedroom apartment averages over $2,000 per month, is not building three months of emergency savings on what's left.

🔍 A Few Things Worth Noting

The Federal Reserve's $400 benchmark was chosen because it reflects the kind of expense that is both common and destabilizing, not catastrophic enough to set off a chain of financial consequences for a household with no buffer.

Most financial experts recommend three to six months of essential expenses as an emergency fund. For households with variable income or major life changes on the horizon, the recommendation is closer to twelve months. By the Fed's own data, only about half of American households have even cleared the three-month minimum.

Growing emergency savings is positively correlated with higher incomes, according to Bankrate financial analyst Stephen Kates, who noted that households looking to build savings in 2026 will be more likely to succeed by finding ways to increase their income rather than finding more expenses to cut.

For many Collier County workers, both options are constrained simultaneously, wages aren't keeping pace with costs, and there isn't much left to cut.

Data sourced from the Federal Reserve's 2026 Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking (SHED), Bankrate's 2026 Emergency Savings Report, Motley Fool Money, and WGCU.

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Florida's Cabinet is preparing to award another $90 million in immigration enforcement funds to local law enforcement agencies across the state, and the Collier County Sheriff's Office has submitted the second-largest request in the state, a little over $8 million.

The request is specific. Here's what CCSO says it would do with the money.

📋 What Collier Is Asking For

About $5 million of the $8.2 million request would be used for communication equipment, including portable radios.

The county is asking for $600,000 for two Skywatch mobile towers to "enhance situation awareness and support immigration enforcement operations." Skywatch towers are elevated, mobile surveillance platforms used by law enforcement for crowd monitoring and high-visibility patrol in open areas.

The proposal also includes funding for shackles and "inmate restraint chairs," described in the application as tools "to help support the safe and secure handling of immigration detainees."

The remaining portion of the request covers additional operational and detention-related equipment.

🏛️ How the Program Works

The funding comes from a $250 million allocation approved by Governor DeSantis to reimburse local agencies that participate in a federal immigration enforcement program. Florida's Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia has been administering the grants, which have been awarded in multiple rounds.

In total, Florida has spent approximately $458.5 million in emergency funds on illegal immigration enforcement over the past year. Those funds originally came from the state's Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund, a pool created in 2022 for hurricane preparation and natural disaster response. The division was barred from entering new contracts using the fund after February 17, when the Legislature failed to renew its authorization, though existing invoices can still be paid.

🔭 Collier's Role in Immigration Enforcement

The CCSO has been one of the most active sheriff's offices in Florida on immigration enforcement for over a decade. The Collier County Sheriff's Office participates in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's 287(g) program, under which individuals arrested on criminal charges and booked into the Collier County Jail are asked about their immigration status. Deputies in the community do not ask people their immigration status, nor does the agency conduct immigration sweeps.

The $8.2 million request represents a significant investment in the infrastructure and equipment to support that program's continued operation, particularly communication systems that deputies would use during enforcement operations.

Only the Orange County Sheriff's Office submitted a larger funding request in this round. The Cabinet vote on the awards has not yet been scheduled.

Information sourced from WGCU, WLRN, FlaglerLive, Orlando Weekly, and WUSF. This article reports factually on a government funding request. Naples News Network does not take a position on immigration policy.

Summer in Naples gets a bad reputation from people who've never stayed through one. The crowds thin, the parking gets easy, and the restaurants, the ones that stay open, start doing things for locals they'd never do in January. Here's the full picture of where the Naples dining scene stands right now.

🆕 What Just Opened

Claypot Turkish Restaurant 4910 Tamiami Trail N., Unit 310 | Open now The newest addition to the Naples dining scene opened in late May — a fast-casual Turkish concept where everything is made from scratch in actual clay pots using traditional methods. Think Cava or Chipotle, but Turkish, with a Mini Grand Bazaar of imported Turkish goods inside. NNN attended a preview dinner before opening and came away impressed. Hours: Mon–Thu 11 AM–9 PM, Fri–Sat 11 AM–10 PM, Sun 11 AM–9 PM. Catering available.

Heyday Cookshop 4691 Tamiami Trail N., Neapolitan Way | Open now Chef Kayla Pfeiffer, James Beard Emerging Chef semifinalist, Food Network Chopped Champion, opened her second Naples concept in late April at the former Ziggy D'Amico's space. Heyday runs a rotating chef residency program, a curated natural wine and low-ABV cocktail program, and a hi-fi vinyl listening room. Dinner nightly from 5 PM.

Olde Naples Hotel — Annie's Bistro 200 Broad St. S. | Open now The hotel that opened on the block where Naples was founded in 1889 also brought a new dining option to Old Naples. Annie's Bistro, Bar & Bakery evolves throughout the day from morning café to full bistro and bar. Open to non-hotel guests. Steps from Third Street South.

🏗️ What's Coming

Eddie V's Prime Seafood — Waterside Shops Outparcel Target opening: Summer 2026 Eddie V's Prime Seafood is a luxury dining destination known for seafood flown in from pristine waters around the world, as well as premium hand-carved steaks. The award-winning wine list has more than 300 wines. In the V Lounge, guests can enjoy classic and creative cocktails and signature appetizers with live music trios nightly. It's opening on a redeveloped outparcel at the southwest corner of Waterside Shops, the first Darden concept at this tier to open in Naples.

Buck & Rider — Waterside Shops Target opening: Late 2026 The Naples location will feature Buck & Rider's hallmark design elements, including an open kitchen, expansive raw bar, and breezy indoor-outdoor seating that reflects the coastal lifestyle. CEO Adam Strecker has personal ties to Southwest Florida and described Naples as a natural first choice for the brand's first expansion outside Arizona.

RH Restaurant — Waterside Shops Target opening: Late 2026 The fine-dining restaurant at the center of Restoration Hardware's new glass-atrium gallery on the former Nordstrom site. RH restaurants have become destinations in their own right at other locations, the Naples version will be one of the most anticipated openings of the year when it arrives.

💰 Summer Dining Specials — Where to Eat for Less Right Now

Summer is when Naples restaurants reward the people who stayed. Several downtown and North Naples spots are running meaningful deals; here's where to look:

Chops City Grill — 25% off entrees and steaks through summer. One of the best steakhouses on Fifth Avenue South offering its sharpest discount of the year.

Bistro 821 — Summer prix fixe menus with multi-course options at reduced price points. Fifth Avenue staple that plays particularly well for date nights during the off-season.

Ocean Prime — Recurring happy hour specials in the lounge area with reduced prices on cocktails and small plates. One of the best bar programs in Naples at off-season prices.

Waxin's Mercato — The natural wine bar and small plates concept at Mercato that has quietly become a local favorite continues through summer with its regular menu and consistent quality. No special needed, just easier to get a table.

Third Street South restaurants generally — As foot traffic drops from peak season, walk-in availability opens up at restaurants that require weeks of advance booking in January. Summer is the time to try the places that are usually fully committed.

🔒 What Closed

CAVO Lounge — Mercato (11 years, permanently closed)

Skyline Chili — Naples and Fort Myers (38 years, permanently closed)

Brio Italian Grille — Waterside Shops (20 years, permanently closed)

Häagen-Dazs — Waterside Shops (25 years, closing May 31)

Kunjani Craft Coffee & Gallery — Seagate Drive (10 years, permanently closed)

Information sourced from Waterside Shops, Naples Daily News, Gulf Shore Business, and restaurant direct announcements.

The Collier Mosquito Control District has received more than 1,500 service requests in just the past week as peak mosquito season hits Southwest Florida hard. Their phones are ringing, their inboxes are filling up, and their crews are busier than ever.

If you've stepped outside in the last two weeks and immediately regretted it, you're not imagining things. This year's rainy season arrived on schedule, and the mosquitoes came with it.

🚁 What the District Is Doing

The district began ramping up surveillance efforts back in April. Since then, crews have been treating mosquito larvae on the ground with larvicide while aircraft and helicopters target adult mosquitoes from above. The operation runs around the clock, ground crews and aerial units working in shifts to keep populations from becoming overwhelming.

This is peak mosquito season, and these aren't the kind of mosquitoes that wait for sunset. They can bite morning, noon, and night.

The spike in complaints is consistent with what happens every June in Collier County. The combination of summer rain accumulating in low-lying areas, warm temperatures accelerating the mosquito breeding cycle, and the general explosion of standing water across a county with significant wetland acreage creates ideal conditions for population surges. The district's job is to stay ahead of it, and right now, they're running hard to do that.

📞 How to Request Service

If your property or neighborhood is being hit particularly hard, you can submit a service request directly to the Collier Mosquito Control District:

📞 Phone: 239-436-1000 🌐 Online: cmcd.org

The district prioritizes requests based on surveillance data and complaint density. Submitting a request gets your area on the radar — and given the current volume, submitting early is better than waiting until your backyard becomes uninhabitable.

🏡 What You Can Do Right Now

The district's aerial and ground treatments address large-scale population control. What happens in your immediate yard is mostly up to you. The most impactful things:

Eliminate standing water. Mosquitoes can breed in as little as a bottle cap's worth of water. Walk your property and dump anything that's holding water, bird baths, plant saucers, clogged gutters, buckets, kids' toys, anything. Do it every few days during rainy season, not just once.

Fix screens. A compromised screen on a lanai or window is an open door. Peak season is the right time to check every screen on your property.

Wear repellent. EPA-registered repellents containing DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus are all effective. Apply before going outside — not after you've already been bitten.

Check your gutters. One of the most overlooked mosquito breeding sites on any residential property. Debris-clogged gutters hold water for days after rain and are difficult to see from the ground.

🔭 The Bigger Context

This mosquito season connects to two other stories NNN has been covering. Google's Verily subsidiary has applied to the EPA to release millions of Wolbachia-infected male mosquitoes in Florida, a program specifically targeting Aedes aegypti, the disease-carrying invasive species that traditional spraying struggles to control. If approved, that program could eventually change the game for how Florida handles its most dangerous mosquito species.

In the meantime, the Collier Mosquito Control District, one of the most well-resourced mosquito control operations in the state, founded in 1950, is doing the work the old-fashioned way. Larvicide, aerial spraying, and 1,500 phone calls in a week.

Welcome to summer in Southwest Florida.

Information sourced from WINK News and the Collier Mosquito Control District.

⚽ Mexico vs. South Africa Watch Party at Felipe's Park Shore
📅 Date: Thursday, June 11, 2026
⏰ Time: 3:00 PM
📍 Location: 4255 Tamiami Trail N, Naples, FL
🌮 Details: An afternoon match on every screen with tacos and cold drinks to match. The soccer crowd starts the World Cup buildup here, so expect a loud, friendly room.

🎶 Evening on Fifth
📅 Date: Thursday, June 11, 2026
⏰ Time: 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM
📍 Location: Fifth Avenue South, Downtown Naples
🎸 Details: One of Naples' favorite monthly traditions. Stroll Fifth Avenue while enjoying live music, outdoor dining, shopping, and entertainment throughout downtown.

🍺 The Wager Pop-Up Pub Series: USA vs Paraguay
📅 Date: Friday, June 12, 2026
⏰ Time: 8:00 PM
📍 Location: 801 Gulf Shore Boulevard North, Naples, FL
🇺🇸 Details: A Friday-night pop-up pub built around the USA match. Pub feel, beachfront address, and a crowd that actually cares about the result.

🌴 Island Vibes Party
📅 Date: Saturday, June 13, 2026
⏰ Time: 1:00 PM
📍 Location: 3555 Bayshore Dr, Naples, FL
🍹 Details: A Saturday afternoon gathering on Bayshore featuring music, food, drinks, and a neighborhood atmosphere that feels like summer.

🦸 Lake Park Diner 1st Responder Day
📅 Date: Saturday, June 13, 2026
⏰ Time: 2:00 PM
📍 Location: Lake Park Diner, Naples, FL
🚒 Details: A community event honoring local first responders. Bring the family, grab lunch, and thank the men and women who keep Naples running.

🎵 Music in the Garden
📅 Date: Saturday, June 13, 2026
⏰ Time: 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
📍 Location: Naples Botanical Garden, 4820 Bayshore Drive, Naples
🌺 Details: Relax on the lawn while local musicians perform in one of Naples' most beautiful outdoor settings. Bring a chair or blanket and enjoy an easygoing afternoon surrounded by tropical gardens.

🏳️‍🌈 Naples Pride Pool Party
📅 Date: Sunday, June 14, 2026
⏰ Time: 12:00 PM
📍 Location: Inn of Naples, Naples, FL
🌈 Details: Music, cocktails, poolside fun, and one of the biggest social gatherings of Naples Pride Month. Arrive early if you want a good spot by the pool.

🎬 Films Al Fresco at Mercato
📅 Date: Tuesday, June 16, 2026
⏰ Time: Evening
📍 Location: Mercato, Naples
🍿 Details: Grab a lawn chair and enjoy a free outdoor movie under the stars. Family-friendly and one of the area's most popular recurring summer events.

💼 Professional Career Networking Workshop
📅 Date: Wednesday, June 10, 2026
⏰ Time: 12:30 PM
📍 Location: 3050 Horseshoe Dr N, Naples, FL
🤝 Details: A practical workshop focused on resumes, interviews, networking, and career transitions. Ideal for job seekers and professionals exploring new opportunities.

One of the most anticipated luxury residential projects in Naples history is nearly done.

Construction on The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Naples, a six-acre waterfront condominium development at the corner of Vanderbilt Beach Road and Gulf Shore Drive, is nearing completion and remains on track to open this fall. The project has been years in the making, and the pace of final work signals that the long wait for its 128 buyers is almost over.

🗿 The Sculpture That Just Appeared

One of the latest milestones at the property is the installation of "Vivacious," a 30-foot-tall stainless-steel sculpture by Arkansas-based artist Hunter Brown. The artwork was assembled on site just prior to Memorial Day and now stands at the project's primary entrance at the intersection of Vanderbilt Beach Road and Gulf Shore Drive.

Recent photos show the sculpture arriving on site before mobile cranes lifted, maneuvered, and set the artwork into its permanent position within the entrance plaza. Crews coordinated the placement alongside the development's water feature and landscaped arrival sequence.

Brown, who is also known for a 40-foot sculpture along Interstate 4 in downtown Orlando, said the title was inspired by Naples itself. He wanted to create something that reflected the energy, beauty, and elegance of the community while also encouraging people to engage with the piece and experience it differently depending on where they're standing. Brown personally oversaw the installation following the artwork's transport from his studio in Little Rock, Arkansas.

🏗️ What's Been Built

The six-acre development is positioned between Vanderbilt Beach and the Gulf of Mexico to the west and Vanderbilt Lagoon to the north at 250 Center Street North, giving owners access to both a beachfront setting and a 22-slip full-service marina.

The project comprises 128 residences, penthouses, and grand penthouses spread across five boutique buildings, with more than 50,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenity space managed by The Ritz-Carlton. The Vanderbilt Club, a 28,000-square-foot residents' facility, will include a Grand Owner's atrium and lobby lounge, a private restaurant, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a full-service spa, rooftop lounges, a kids' room, a teen room with a Formula 1 simulator, and a club lounge with a golf simulator and private theater.

The development recently sold out its entire collection of 11th-floor penthouses. Residences start at $3.7 million and feature expansive terraces, 10 to 12-foot ceilings, Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances, and private elevator entrances.

👥 The Team Behind It

The project is being developed by STOCK Development and its luxury condominium division STOCK Residences, with design by Curts Gaines Hall Jones Architects. Suffolk Construction is serving as general contractor, Susurrus is leading interior design, Booth Design Group is the landscape architect, and JKM Lighting Design is the lighting designer.

STOCK Development, founded by Naples-based CEO Brian Stock, is one of the most active luxury developers in Southwest Florida, with a portfolio that spans master-planned communities, high-rise condominiums, and commercial projects across the region.

🌴 Part of a Bigger Picture

The Ritz-Carlton Residences joins a wave of luxury hospitality and residential projects reshaping Naples' built environment in 2026. The Four Seasons opened earlier this year at the former Naples Beach Hotel site. The Olde Naples Hotel opened on Third Street South. The Aquarius Hotel is under construction on Tamiami Trail. And the Ritz-Carlton Residences, originally conceived as One Naples before landing the Ritz-Carlton brand in 2022, is the capstone of that wave, sitting directly on one of the last undeveloped beachfront parcels in North Naples.

When it opens this fall, there will be nothing else quite like it on the Gulf Coast.

Information sourced from Florida YIMBY, STOCK Development press releases, and Business Wire.

📋 The Settlement

The Florida Board of Architecture and Interior Design approved a settlement with Octavio Sarmiento and his company, ASSA Designs LLC, at a general meeting on April 21. The board reduced the fine against Sarmiento to $100,000 to avoid the cost of a formal hearing, likened to a trial. On top of the fine, Sarmiento was ordered to pay $3,435 to cover the board's investigative costs.

The man at the center of one of the most brazen building fraud schemes in Collier County history has now agreed to pay a fraction of what regulators originally sought, and the criminal case that may carry real consequences is still working its way through federal court.

👴 The Victim — Gene Cravillion

The scheme involves hundreds of plans submitted to Collier County and to the cities of Naples and Marco Island for residential and commercial projects by multiple businesses and professionals, using the seal of Gene Cravillion, without his permission or knowledge. Cravillion is not only retired but also suffers from late-stage dementia. In his 90s, he has lived in a memory care center in Naples since 2022, unable to come and go.

Cravillion didn't consent to any of it. He likely doesn't know it happened. His professional seal, the credential he earned over a career as a licensed architect, was used without his knowledge on hundreds of building projects across Collier County and the cities of Naples and Marco Island while he sat in a memory care facility unable to respond.

🔍 How It Was Discovered

The fraud was discovered by a resident who reported suspicious activity to state and local agencies. Not by a building department audit. Not by a routine inspection. By one person who noticed something was wrong and made a call. That single tip unraveled a scheme that had been running undetected across hundreds of permit applications.

🏚️ What This Means for Homeowners

The fines collected will not go to the victims. That detail is buried in the settlement record and deserves plain language: the $100,000 Sarmiento agreed to pay goes to the state, not to the Collier County property owners whose homes were permitted using fraudulent architectural certifications and who now face questions about whether their construction meets the standards those certifications were supposed to verify.

For homeowners who went through the permit process using ASSA Designs during the relevant period, the administrative settlement doesn't resolve the most important question: is your home safe? Collier County's review of affected permit applications is ongoing. Homeowners with concerns about their permit history can contact the Collier County Building Department at 239-252-2400.

⚖️ The Criminal Case Is Still Coming

The $100,000 administrative fine is a regulatory outcome, not a criminal one. A criminal case is still pending. Federal investigators have been involved, and prior reporting confirmed the FBI is part of the investigation into how Sarmiento operated, including allegations that he visited Cravillion at his memory care facility to obtain a license renewal and took continuing education courses under Cravillion's name.

The administrative board reduced its fine to avoid litigation costs. A federal criminal case carries no such incentive to settle cheap.

Octavio Sarmiento has agreed to a civil fine. He has not been convicted of any criminal offense. Information sourced from Marco Island Eagle, Gulf Shore Business, and prior Naples Press reporting on the ASSA permit fraud investigation.

📋 What Happened

Floyd Stuck now faces charges including kidnapping, aggravated stalking, and fleeing law enforcement after a chase that ended in Collier County. Detectives say Stuck threatened his ex-girlfriend's family, took her phone and wallet, and kept her under his control as they traveled across the country.

To escape, she jumped from a balcony in California and made her way back to Southwest Florida. She got out. He came back too.

Investigators say Stuck also returned to Southwest Florida, this time allegedly attempting to place a tracking device on the victim's car. That attempt is what brought law enforcement back into the case.

The Lee County Sheriff's Office tracked Stuck into neighboring Collier County, where he was ultimately taken into custody following a vehicle pursuit and foot chase. K-9 units assisted in the search before he surrendered near a pond in Collier County.

🕵️ What Made This Case More Dangerous Than Most

Rich Kolko, a former FBI agent who reviewed the case for WINK News, noted that situations like this don't develop overnight.

Cases like this go through a series of escalating events that get worse over time, Kolko said. The threats against the victim's family were part of a larger effort to keep her isolated, cutting her off from the people who might intervene. KCRG

Kolko said it was possible Stuck was planning to track her vehicle and potentially kidnap her again when he attempted to place the tracking device. The attempt to surveil her after she had already escaped is what law enforcement describes as one of the clearest indicators of intent in domestic abuse escalation cases.

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno put it plainly at a press conference: there is no doubt in his mind that everything continued to escalate and that if law enforcement hadn't intervened, the results could have been and probably would have been homicide.

📋 The Fraud Case Running in Parallel

Stuck was out on bond in a separate Collier County fraud case involving more than $100,000 and dozens of alleged victims at the time of his arrest. He was allegedly committing a cross-country kidnapping while released on bond for an existing fraud case in the same county.

The investigation remains active. Authorities said additional charges could be filed in multiple states. Stuck remains in the Collier County jail.

📞 Resources

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or stalking, the following resources are available: 24 hours a day:

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or text START to 88788 Collier County Domestic Violence Resources: collierfl.gov or call 239-775-5461 The Shelter for Abused Women & Children — Naples: 239-775-3862

Floyd Stuck is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Information sourced from WINK News, Fox 13 Tampa Bay, and the Lee County Sheriff's Office press conference.

Well over 100 new pieces of legislation have been signed into law by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis so far this year, with 87 of them taking effect on July 1. Most of them won't change your daily life. Several of them will. Here's the breakdown of what matters most for Naples and Collier County residents.

🍽️ Restaurants and Hotels Must Now Disclose Fees Upfront

Public food service establishments are now required to include notice of operations charges — things like service fees, resort fees, and other mandatory add-ons, on menus, contracts, and websites starting July 1.

For Naples diners who have been blindsided by a 20% "service charge" appearing on the bill after choosing a restaurant based on menu prices, this is a meaningful change. The law doesn't eliminate fees, it requires them to be visible before you sit down. Restaurants that fail to disclose upfront will be in violation of the new statute.

💊 Fentanyl Distribution by Minors Can Now Mean Murder Charges

A new crime of third-degree murder takes effect July 1 for the unlawful killing of a person when an individual under 18 distributes a substance containing dangerous fentanyl or fentanyl analogs that results in the user's death. The offense is classified as a second-degree felony.

This is a significant escalation in how Florida treats teen-involved drug distribution. In communities like Collier County, where fentanyl has contributed to a significant number of overdose deaths in recent years, the law gives prosecutors a new tool, and sends a specific message to young people about the consequences of distributing the drug.

🚲 E-Bike Rules Tighten Statewide

High-powered e-bikes that exceed 750 watts and 28 mph are now redefined as electric motorbikes under state law, removing them from the bicycle category entirely and subjecting them to different registration and operation requirements.

This change arrives as the Naples City Council is simultaneously working on its own local e-bike ordinance, and in the direct aftermath of a teenager being hospitalized after an e-bike crash on US-41 in North Naples. The state law and the city ordinance are moving in the same direction. Parents with children on high-powered e-bikes should understand that those bikes are now regulated differently under Florida law.

🏢 Squatters Law Expands to Commercial Property

The bill establishes a nonjudicial procedure for property owners to request the removal of unauthorized persons from commercial real property, similar to the existing procedures already in place for residential properties. Penalties apply for wrongful removal, and crimes related to unlawfully occupying commercial properties are expanded.

Florida already had a faster squatter removal process for residential properties. This extends similar protections to commercial real estate owners, relevant for Naples landlords and business property owners dealing with unauthorized occupants.

🚗 Habitual Traffic Offenders — Broader Definition

House Bill 35 revises the term "habitual traffic offender" to add the offense of driving without a valid license to the list of offenses for which a certain number of convictions in a five-year period requires the state to designate the person as a habitual traffic offender.

Driving without a valid license will now count toward habitual traffic offender status, a change that affects how the courts and DHSMV track and respond to repeat offenders.

🏫 School Start Times — Exemption Granted

District school boards and charter school governing boards are now exempted from the requirement that middle schools start no earlier than 8 AM and high schools no earlier than 8:30 AM, provided they submitted a report to the Department of Education by June 1 detailing current start times, strategies considered, and potential impacts.

Collier County Public Schools has been navigating the state's later-start mandate for several years. This exemption gives school boards more flexibility — but requires the report to have already been submitted by June 1. Watch for a CCPS announcement on how this affects the 2026-2027 school year calendar.

🌿 Special Olympics Counts for P.E. Credit

Students with disabilities can now substitute one school year of participation in the Special Olympics for the P.E. requirement for a standard high school diploma. A quiet but meaningful change for families with students in special education programs.

🔑 What Isn't Changing July 1

The property tax amendment — which would expand the homestead exemption from $50,000 to $250,000 — is NOT a July 1 change. That goes to voters in November and, if approved, takes effect in 2027. July 1 is not the deadline to watch for that one. November is.

Information sourced from ClickOrlando's full July 2026 law list, Fox 13 Tampa Bay, and the Florida Legislature's official bill tracking system.

A routine spay and neuter call for 10 cats turned into a rescue mission for 46 felines when For the Love of Cats, a Collier County rescue group, arrived at a local home and found far more than expected.

When rescue specialist Matt arrived at the Collier County home, he discovered dozens of kittens, mama cats, and young cats, most under a year old, all living in what the group described as difficult conditions. Nearly all of the cats were found to be friendly and in need of care.

Volunteers brought 25 of the cats to the Way Station, where they are now receiving fresh food, clean water, litter boxes, and ongoing care. The remaining kittens were transported to Domestic Animal Services, while seven feral cats will be returned to the property after being spayed and neutered.

🏠 The Bigger Issue Behind the Story

Situations like this one, a household that starts with a manageable number of cats and grows far beyond what one home can safely support, are more common in Collier County than most people realize. The county's warm climate means cats breed year-round, and without sterilization, populations inside a home can multiply quickly.

Organizations like For the Love of Cats and SNIP Collier exist specifically to address this before it reaches crisis level. SNIP Collier is a boots-on-the-ground nonprofit that goes to where the problem is, working with the community to identify where the need is and responding by going to those locations to rescue abandoned and stray animals that are usually sick or injured. The group provides sterilization and vaccines before placing animals for adoption with shelter partners.

🐾 How to Help

The 25 cats currently in the Way Station are being cared for and will eventually be made available for adoption. If you're in a position to foster or adopt, contact For the Love of Cats directly. Fostering is one of the most impactful things a Collier County resident can do, it opens a space in the rescue system for another animal in need.

For spay and neuter assistance, SNIP Collier offers affordable services and can be reached at snipcollier.org. To report an animal welfare concern in Collier County, contact Collier County Domestic Animal Services at 239-252-7387 or collier.gov/das.

This Week in Naples🔥 THIS WEEK IN NAPLES

🔥 THIS WEEK IN NAPLES

Naples continues to find itself at the center of some surprisingly big conversations.

This week brought national recognition for local restaurants, major movement in the real estate market, a potentially game-changing property tax proposal, and infrastructure projects that could impact how thousands of residents move through Collier County for years to come.

At the same time, Southwest Florida saw one of its largest child recovery operations in recent memory, a growing professional soccer club continue its momentum, and even a cloud of Saharan dust travel thousands of miles before arriving over Naples.

👉 From Michelin stars to mosquito science, this week's headlines offer a fascinating snapshot of where Naples is heading next.

Here's everything you need to know 👇

⚡ THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

🍽️ Naples officially landed on the Michelin map with two restaurants making Florida's 2026 Guide

🏡 Pending home sales jumped 38% as inventory tightened and condo buyers face a major August deadline

💰 Florida voters may decide whether to slash property taxes by up to $250,000 this November

🌉 An $18 million bridge project could transform how Eastern Naples residents travel

👶 Twenty-one missing and endangered children were safely recovered across Southwest Florida

⚽ FC Naples' first season drew 68,000 fans and a playoff run — and year two is already underway

🎤 Riley Green and Tyler Hubbard are bringing one of Southwest Florida's biggest country music weekends back to Naples

🦟 Google wants to release 32 million mosquitoes in Florida — but not for the reason you think

🌴 Your guide to everything happening in Naples this week

📰 Now Let’s Get Into The Stories

🔗 Naples Just Put Itself on the Michelin Map. Two Local Restaurants Made the 2026 Florida Guide.

🔗 Naples Real Estate in April: Pending Sales Up 38%, Prices Up, Inventory Down. And a Deadline Coming in August That Every Condo Buyer Needs to Know About.

🔗 Florida Voters Will Decide in November Whether to Cut Property Taxes by $250,000. Here's What Naples Homeowners Need to Know. 

🔗 Collier County Just Approved an $18 Million Bridge That Will Change How Eastern Naples Drives

🔗 21 Missing and Endangered Children Were Just Found in Southwest Florida. A Bell Rang Every Time One Came Home. 

🔗 FC Naples' First Season Brought 68,000 Fans, $600K in Concessions, and a Playoff Run. Year Two Is Already Underway.

🔗 Riley Green and Tyler Hubbard Are Coming to Naples This December. Live Fest Just Announced Its 2026 Lineup. 

🔗 A Naples Permit Fraud Scheme Touched 400+ Buildings. One of the Key Players Just Settled for $100,000. 

🔗 Google Wants to Release 32 Million Mosquitoes in Florida. Before You Panic — Here's What They Actually Do.

🔗 That Hazy Sky Over Naples This Week? It Traveled 5,000 Miles to Get Here.

🔗 Things To Do in Naples This Week: June 4–10, 2026

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^{*According to Masterworks data. Investing involves risk. Past performance is not indicative of future returns. See important Reg A disclosures at masterworks.com/cd.}

Things to do in Naples

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Naples Deals/Promotions for

As high season begins to settle and traffic around town eases, the Naples real estate market is showing no signs of cooling off. The April 2026 Market Report from the Naples Area Board of REALTORS® landed with strong numbers across the board — and one under-discussed deadline that could reshape condo buyer activity before the year is out.

📊 The Numbers

Overall pending sales in April increased 38.2% to 1,388 contracts from 1,004 in April 2025. Overall closed sales rose 18.1% compared to the same month last year. The overall median closed price climbed 7.7% to $630,000 from $585,000 in April 2025.

Total inventory dropped from 7,492 homes a year ago to 5,919 in April 2026 — a 21% decline. Buyers are absorbing homes faster than sellers are listing them.

Breaking it down by property type:

Single-family home pending sales rose 28.4%. Condominium pending sales jumped 51.4% year-over-year — the sharpest surge in the report — while condo closed sales increased 20.5%. The condo median closed price declined 8% to $450,900 from $490,000, reflecting the continued price correction in that segment.

Single-family median closed prices moved in the opposite direction. In East Naples and the Immokalee/Ave Maria corridor — where most new home construction is concentrated — single-family median prices rose 12.6% and 6.2% respectively.

🗓️ The August Deadline Nobody Is Talking About Enough

Broker analysts reviewing the April report are predicting a solid summer market ahead — specifically before the August elimination of the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac limited review process for condominium buyers, which will require lenders to review significantly more data including a condominium association's reserve fund status before issuing financing.

This is a big deal and it deserves plain language. Right now, some condo purchases can close with a streamlined lender review that doesn't require a deep dive into the building's HOA financials and reserve fund health. Starting in August, that shortcut goes away. Lenders will be required to look harder at whether a condo building has adequate reserves — and buildings that don't pass that scrutiny will become harder or impossible to finance conventionally.

For buyers currently sitting on the fence about a Naples condo purchase, this creates a real incentive to act before August. For sellers in condo buildings with reserve fund questions, it creates a real incentive to price competitively and close before the window narrows. Expect this dynamic to keep pushing the condo pending sales number higher through the summer.

🏘️ Where Supply Is Tight and Where It Isn't

The market still has pockets of oversupply in historically desirable neighborhoods including Aqualane Shores and Park Shore. But east of I-75, neighborhoods like the Vineyards have less than a two-month supply of homes available — essentially a seller's market.

At the luxury end, the Old Naples single-family market over $1 million saw active listings drop 34.6% year-over-year, months of supply fall 59.2% to 13.8 months, and pending sales rise 59% to 62 contracts in March — the strongest demand signal Old Naples has produced in years.

The Four Seasons residences at the Naples Beach Club tell a similar story at the extreme high end: as of late April, approximately 3 of 58 beachfront residences remain available, with first closings beginning in early May. Phil McCabe's $20M-plus close as the first buyer there confirms the direction of luxury demand.

📉 The Correction That Made This Possible

The April surge in pending sales didn't come from nowhere. It came from sellers finally pricing for the market as it is, rather than the market as it was in 2022.

Despite higher mortgage rates and ongoing national economic uncertainty, Naples remains one of the most resilient luxury real estate markets in the country. The price corrections in the condo market over the past year have created genuine entry-level opportunity for buyers who previously felt priced out — and that renewed accessibility is driving the 51% jump in condo pending sales. WINK News

The full April 2026 numbers at a glance:

Source: NABOR® April 2026 Market Report, Southwest Florida MLS

All data sourced from the NABOR® April 2026 Market Report, released May 22, 2026, tracking Collier County residential sales via the Southwest Florida MLS, excluding Marco Island.