Cessna Lands on Busy Fort Myers Road

A small plane with engine trouble made an emergency landing on Bayshore Road in North Fort Myers on Saturday, clipping a pickup truck as it touched down near Interstate 75.

The FAA says the Cessna 172, carrying two people, came down around 11:45 a.m.

Cellphone video shows the plane clipping the rear of the eastbound truck. Deputies and state transportation crews later moved the Cessna off the road.

No one was hurt, deputies said, and the FAA has taken over the investigation. The safe landing comes a week after a business jet crash killed nine in Palm Beach County.

Recount Begins in Tight Salazar Race

Miami-Dade officials begin a machine recount at 10 a.m. today in the District 27 race between Republican U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar and Democrat Eliott Rodriguez. Florida’s secretary of state ordered the count.

Salazar leads by 1,090 votes, or 0.44%, within Florida’s 0.5% threshold. Results are due Thursday, and a margin of 0.25% or less would trigger a hand recount.

Rodriguez, who calls the recount an “important safeguard,” sued Friday to remove Elections Supervisor Alina Garcia from the canvassing board, citing her son-in-law’s role as Salazar’s attorney.

Garcia denies any conflict, and Salazar accuses Rodriguez of undermining public confidence.

Flu Season Arrives Early

Flu season is running ahead of schedule, with federal data showing activity higher than usual this early.

The CDC estimates 1.7 million illnesses, 25,000 hospitalizations, and 1,400 deaths so far, with the Southeast, including Florida, posting the highest regional hospitalization rate.

Central Florida is now seeing an early H1N1 surge, and officials expect COVID-19 and RSV to follow in the coming weeks. A Johns Hopkins virologist says antivirals work best when started within a few days of symptoms.

Nearly all tested U.S. cases are H1N1, and this year’s strain carries a new mutation that may help it slip past existing immunity.

Even people who caught last winter’s H3N2 “super flu” can get sick again, though experts say this season’s vaccine should still offer protection.

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➤ Fort Lauderdale: Raw sewage overflowed from manholes after king tides and record rainfall overwhelmed city sewers, forcing restaurant closures. (More)

➤ Lee County: Five people were hospitalized on Saturday night after a Jeep struck an ambulance transporting a patient, with the Jeep driver and patient suffering serious injuries.  (See Details)

➤ Orlando: Eight high school debate students were injured near UCF when a hit-and-run driver rear-ended a vehicle into their group during a tournament trip. Troopers are searching for the driver. (More)

➤ Wildwood: City officials launched an online survey asking residents to help prioritize bicycle and pedestrian improvements for the city’s master plan. (More)

➤ High Springs: Residents disposed of old tires and bulky household waste during a free drive-through collection event aimed at making cleanup easier. (More)

➤ Escambia County: Crews broke ground Friday on Myrtle Grove Fire Station 11 west of Pensacola, part of a broader expansion of county fire facilities. The new station is expected to open in 2027. (More)

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➤ The Tampa Bay Buccaneers faced the Chicago Bears last night on Sunday Night Football. Tampa Bay entered the game at 3-5 after winning three of its previous four following an 0-4 start. (See Score)

➤ The Miami Dolphins fell to 1-7 with a 19-9 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Miami went 0-for-3 in the red zone and managed just 128 passing yards from Malik Willis. (More)

➤ Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy said he hopes the team and Nikita Kucherov can resolve their contract dispute after Kucherov requested a trade. (More)

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➤ What’s the best dog breed in America? We ranked the top 10, and the winner is hard to argue with. (Tune In Here)

In the latest episode of Flyover Focus, we count down the 10 dog breeds that make the best pets. So what separates a great dog from the rest? Is it how smart they are, loyalty, size, or how much hair ends up on your couch?

Everybody thinks their dog’s breed belongs at the top, so where does your four-legged friend actually land on our list? Find out here!

In case you missed it, last week’s Flyover Focus dug into the strange but important history of Daylight Saving Time. (Watch Here)

➤ Florida entrepreneurs filed paperwork to launch a record 474,039 businesses through September, up 5.8% from 2025, with Charlotte County posting an even bigger jump of more than 16%. (See Report)

➤ Jacksonville officials are looking for developers to give Snyder Memorial a new purpose, hoping to revive the long-vacant downtown Methodist church built in 1903 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (More)

➤ Johnston’s Meat Market in Monticello celebrated its 100th anniversary Saturday with live music, 33 local vendors, and fireworks, drawing more than 6,000 people as it prepares to open a second location in Tallahassee by year’s end. (See Details)

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➤ Save the Chimps, a Fort Pierce sanctuary, is seeking donations and four-wheel-drive vehicles after 19 inches of rain flooded the property, forcing staff to use a drone to feed a stranded chimpanzee. (Read Story)

➤ The Trash Pirates of Madeira Beach received keys to the city in recognition of nearly eight years of volunteer beach cleanups, a tradition the group continues on the first Saturday of each month. (Read Story)

➤ South Florida communities will celebrate Veterans Day on Wednesday with events including Miami Beach’s 18th annual Ocean Drive parade at 11:11 a.m. and Coral Gables’ inaugural Salute to Veterans ceremony at Giralda Plaza. (See List)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. 

➤ An impaired driver plowed into a pack of weekend cyclists outside Raleigh, and the man now facing 18 charges is 76 years old. (Hear More)

➤ Melania Trump showed up at the LSU-Alabama game with a $7.2 million gift, and it had nothing to do with football. (Listen Now)

➤ Two-thirds of kids have had an imaginary friend by age 7, and researchers say the invisible milk cartons and ballerinas are doing more than keeping them company. (Hear Details)

Which volunteer effort would you most likely join?

1. Beach cleanup
2. Animal rescue
3. Food distribution
4. Home repairs for neighbors
5. All of them
6. Other

Saturday’s Results:

How do you feel about students attending school in the metaverse?

1. What’s the metaverse?: 49%
2. That’s terrible: 28%
3. If they’re learning: 21%
4. It’s a great idea: 2%

Which Florida highway has the nation’s longest stretch without an exit?

Show me the answer