Florida

Florida nurse accused of poisoning neighbor’s cats, pregnant dog

Published

2 years ago

January 4, 2024

Florida nurse accused of poisoning neighbor’s cats, pregnant dog

POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A Florida nurse is accused of poisoning two of her neighbor’s cats and a pregnant dog.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said on Thursday that Tamesha Knighten, 51, was arrested and faces several counts of felony animal cruelty.

Deputies said the two cats, Luna and Pancake, were found choking, foaming at the mouth and “in obvious significant pain.” The cats died within hours of each other. Then, four hours later, a pregnant Chihuahua, Daisy, was found dead by her owners, according to sheriff’s officials.

Knighten’s neighbors told deputies she threatened to poison their pets if the animals came into her yard.

“On the day that the pets died, they noticed Knighten pacing in her yard along the shared fence line. She had also yelled at the victims’ children that day, who were outside playing ball,” the sheriff’s office said in a release.

The neighbors said they noticed the cat “acting strangely” in the yard and Knighten, who was also outside, said the cat must be choking on a frog, according to sheriff’s officials.

Deputies found a white Styrofoam bowl near Knighten’s air conditioning unit that had “a white meaty substance mixed with a dark colored material.” Knighten denied having those kinds of bowls until deputies found a pack of them in her pantry, a release shows.

The sheriff’s office said deputies reviewed video from Knighten’s yard and saw her holding the bowl while wearing a blue glove. When asked why she was wearing the glove, she said it was to pick up papers in the yard, which deputies did not find evidence from, the release said.

“They told her the bowl looked like it contained tuna, to which she replied, ‘It wasn’t tuna, it was chicken.’ When asked what the chicken had on it, she called it her ‘special seasoning’ and said she put the bowl of food outside to ‘feed animals in the area,’” the sheriff’s office said.

Lab results showed the pets consumed Phorate, a pesticide found in insecticides, according to officials, which would have caused the animals to suffer.

“This suspect, despite all evidence to the contrary, repeatedly denied killing her neighbor’s pets, even telling our detectives that she’s a nurse and had too much to lose. Well guess what? These people lost their beloved pets in a most horrific way, and she lost her freedom by going to jail,” Sheriff Grady Judd said in the release.

In addition to animal cruelty, Knighten faces one count of depositing poison in a public area.

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Florida

Governor candidate says he’s banned from all Waffle Houses in Florida

Published

3 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Governor candidate says he’s banned from all Waffle Houses in Florida

A Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate has taken his grievances to social media, claiming that Waffle House has banned him from its locations across the state.

James Fishback, who is running to succeed fellow Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis as the next governor, said that the restaurant chain criminally trespassed on him and his team from all of its locations in Florida after he told his followers on the “Tucker Carlson Show” in January that he’d be touring every Waffle House across the state to speak to voters.

At the time of his announcement, Fishback, 31, said Waffle House allowed him to do just that.

However, on March 4, Waffle House “abruptly revoked our permission,” Fishback said, adding, “I am disappointed in Waffle House’s decision, especially since they had given us explicit permission to visit their restaurants just 3 weeks ago.”

Before Waffle House’s decision, Fishback had visited locations in Madison, St. Pete, Bonifay, Marianna and Jacksonville.

In an email to USA TODAY on March 11, Fishback confirmed that his permission was still revoked. USA TODAY emailed Waffle House on Wednesday, but has not received a response.

Fishback said he’d be fighting the decision by launching his own version of a Waffle House called the “Fishback Waffle Home,” a no-cost, pop-up restaurant coming to select cities in Florida to “keep meeting voters over hot coffee and warm waffles.”

“I want to thank the Waffle House staff who greeted me and our supporters, with warmth, kindness and awesome food,” Fishback wrote in the statement.

Florida gubernatorial election

Florida will elect its next governor on Nov. 3. DeSantis cannot run for the office again because the state’s constitution limits governors to serving two consecutive terms.

The primary will be held Aug. 18, in which residents will select their candidates for the general election.

There are 41 candidates in the election, including U.S. Congressman Byron Donalds, Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, Former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, Former U.S. Congressman David Jolly and Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, according to a report by Maxon-Dixon Polling and Strategy and the Tallahassee Democrat, part of the USA TODAY Network.

According to the Tallahassee Democrat, Fishback is the second favorite for the Republican nomination. He’s currently behind Republican frontrunner U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds.

Fishback is a former investor and hedge fund manager who was born in Davie, about 28 miles from Miami.

He notably suggested to President Donald Trump and Elon Musk that they should issue “DOGE Dividends,” which would be paid to Americans using funds the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) saved. The agency has since been dissolved.

Contributing: C.A. Bridges, Tallahassee Democrat

Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at mdelrey@usatoday.com

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Florida

Collier County’s most expensive home sold in February sold for $25M

Published

15 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Collier County’s most expensive home sold in February sold for M

These are the Top 10 most expensive homes sold in Collier County in February.

Data provided by: Royal Shell Real Estate.

1. 4115 Cutlass Lane, Naples

List price: $28,750,000

Sold price: $25,000,000

Neighborhood/Development: Port Royal

Size: 6,291 square feet

Year built: 2022

Days on market: 355

Amenities: Gulf Access, Boat Dock/Lift, Jet Ski Lift, Beach Access, Private Pool/Spa, Outdoor Fireplace/Kitchen/Shower

View: Basin

2. 1365 Spyglass Lane, Naples

List price: $21,500,000

Sold price: $19,950,000

Neighborhood/Development: Port Royal

Size: 6,736 square feet

Year built: 2023

Days on market: 76

Amenities: Bayfront, Boat Dock, Beach Access, Clubhouse, Tennis Court, Private Pool/Spa, Built-In Gas Fire Pit/Grill, Deck, Fence, Outdoor Fireplace/Kitchen

View: Bay

3. 600 Galleon Drive, Naples

List price: $19,995,000

Sold price: $18,100,000

Neighborhood/Development: Port Royal

Size: 7,195 square feet

Year built: 2002

Days on market: 104

Amenities: Bayfront, Boat Dock, Tennis Court, Private Pool, Outdoor Kitchen

View: Bay

4. 1818 6th Street S., Naples

List price: $19,495,000

Sold price: $18,000,000

Neighborhood/Development: Aqualane Shores

Size: 6,305 square feet

Year built: 2025

Days on market: 0

Amenities: Gulf Access, Boat Dock, Private Pool/Spa, Built-In Grill, Deck, Outdoor Kitchen/Shower

View: Canal

5. 1640 Dolphin Court, Naples

List price: $15,995,000

Sold price: $15,150,000

Neighborhood/Development: Royal Harbor

Size: 6,500 square feet

Year built: 2025

Days on market: 65

Amenities: Bayfront, Private Pool/Spa, Built-In Gas Fire Pit/Grill, Deck, Outdoor Fireplace/Kitchen

View: Bay

6. 1040 2nd Street S., Naples

List price: $13,495,000

Sold price: $12,000,000

Neighborhood/Development: Olde Naples

Size: 5,486 square feet

Year built: 2020

Days on market: 20

Amenities: Private Pool/Spa, Built-In Grill

View: Landscaped Area

7. 436 Putter Point Court, Naples

List price: $10,900,000

Sold price: $10,100,000

Neighborhood/Development: The Moorings

Size: 5,156 square feet

Year built: 2025

Days on market: 62

Amenities: Private Pool/Spa, Fence, Outdoor Fireplace/Kitchen

View: Landscaped Area

8. 16961 Sud Cortile Court, Naples

List price: $7,897,000

Sold price: $7,650,000

Neighborhood/Development: Mediterra

Size: 5,128 square feet

Year built: 2015

Days on market: 49

Amenities: Lakefront, Beach Access, Clubhouse, Community Pool, Golf Course, Lap Pool, Private Membership, Putting Green, Tennis Court, Private Pool/Spa, Built-In Grill, Courtyard, Deck, Outdoor Fireplace/Kitchen

View: Golf Course, Lake

9. 2900 Indigobush Way, Naples

List price: $7,750,000

Sold price: $7,625,000

Neighborhood/Development: Grey Oaks

Size: 6,605 square feet

Year built: 2000

Days on market: 93

Amenities: Clubhouse, Community Pool/Spa, Concierge Services, Golf Course, Lap Pool, Private Membership, Putting Green, Sauna, Tennis Court, Private Pool/Spa, Built-In Grill, Outdoor Kitchen

View: Golf Course

10. 424 Spinnaker Drive, Naples

List price: $7,250,000

Sold price: $6,825,000

Neighborhood/Development: The Moorings

Size: 4,724 square feet

Year built: 2025

Days on market: 59

Amenities: Beach Access, Private Pool/Spa, Built-In Grill, Courtyard, Deck, Fence, Outdoor Fireplace/Kitchen

View: Landscaped Area

Please support local community journalism and stay informed about Southwest Florida news by subscribing to The News-Press and Naples Daily News; download the free News-Press or Naples Daily News app, and sign up for daily briefing email newsletter, food & dining and growth & development newsletters here.

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Florida

Florida woman confesses to stabbing 76-year-old roommate to death, authorities say

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Florida woman confesses to stabbing 76-year-old roommate to death, authorities say

A Florida woman confessed to stabbing her 76-year-old roommate to death before covering his body with a tarp, stealing his truck and driving away from the scene, according to authorities.

The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as Shannon R. Giblin, 48.

Shannon R. Giblin (Photo: Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office)

In a news release, the sheriff’s office said deputies were dispatched to a home on Sunday after they received a report about a person who was not breathing. When they arrived at the home, they found a man, later identified as Paul De Wayne Bradley, who was dead.

Police said they tracked Giblin down in Bradley’s truck, which was missing from the driveway, in Sarasota County.

“As Charlotte County detectives questioned Giblin, she provided a confession to stabbing Bradley following an argument,” Sheriff Bill Prummell said in the release.

“After realizing that the victim was beyond help, Giblin then covered Bradley with a tarp and left the scene in the victim’s pickup truck,” Prummell added.

Online jail records show Giblin was charged with second-degree murder, as well as grand theft of a motor vehicle.

“I want to recognize my Major Crimes detectives who worked this case through the night and identified the suspect quickly,” Prummell said. “They truly show a dedication to their craft and the results are irrefutable. I also want to thank the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office for their quick actions in locating and detaining her based on the intelligence my team was able to share. As I have always said, Southwest Florida is fortunate to have law enforcement who work together so effectively for the people we serve.”

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Giblin is being held without bond, according to the release.

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