Florida
Florida prisoners file federal lawsuit over deadly heat with no A/C
2024 breaks 2023 heat record, hottest summer on record, scientists say
Climate experts say 2024 has recorded the hottest summer on record, with human activity being the contributing reason for the high temperatures.
Stifling heat at a Miami-area concrete prison without air conditioning contributed to four deaths and subjected prisoners to cruel and unusual punishment, according to a federal lawsuit filed Thursday.
Three Dade Correctional Institution prisoners, represented by the Florida Justice Institute, said in the class-action suit that the state facility’s heat index surpasses 100 degrees in the summer. Prisoners are “routinely treated” in the infirmary for heat rashes, heat exhaustion and related illnesses, the lawsuit said, before they are returned to the “dangerously hot conditions” that sickened them.
Florida Justice Institute attorney Andrew Udelsman told USA TODAY the nonprofit law firm has received a rising number of prison heat complaints over the last decade.
“In Miami-Dade County, it’s considered cruelty to animals to leave a dog in a parked car in the summer,” Udelsman said. “And here, basically, (the Florida Department of Corrections) is incarcerating at this prison 1,300 people in these concrete boxes all summer along, and basically ignoring their pleas for relief.”
The Dade Correctional Institution and Florida Department of Corrections did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s requests for comment.
The lawsuit comes as meteorologists warn of abnormally hot temperatures across the globe. In the hottest summer on record this year, researchers said people in prison were made especially vulnerable to heat-related illnesses – or death – in confined spaces often with no air conditioning.
A recent study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found more than 98% of prisons in the United States experienced at least ten days that were hotter than every previous summer, with the worst of the heat-exposed prisons concentrated in the Southwest.
Lawsuit alleges grueling prison conditions in summer heat
According to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, most men in the 28-year-old prison suffer from at least one form of heat-related illness during the summer.
“Some have died of heat stroke or heart-related conditions that were exacerbated by prolonged exposure to extreme heat,” the complaint said.
The only air conditioning is in the officers’ control rooms, and plaintiffs said guards stationed in the dining area will rush prisoners to eat so they can return to the cooled spaces.
In a desperate attempt to escape the heat, the lawsuit said many prisoners wet their sheets and sleep on the concrete floor.
People in solitary confinement spend about 23 hours a day in hot, badly ventilated cells that are smaller than an average parking space, where they sleep, eat and use the toilet, according to the complaint. They are allowed a limited number of showers a week.
One person who spent months in confinement bathed himself with toilet water at night because it was cooler than the sink water, the complaint said.
The lawsuit comes after a disappointing legislative session in Florida for prison reform advocates. State lawmakers declined to consider several bills aimed at improving prison conditions, including legislation that would have made air-conditioning mandatory in every housing unit in all of Florida’s correctional institutions.
Extreme heat contributed to deaths in prison, lawsuit says
The lawsuit alleges that heat played a role in four deaths and the toll could rise as more information comes to light, Udelsman told USA TODAY.
One prisoner, identified as “J.B.” in the lawsuit, had complained for weeks of chest pains and difficulty breathing, the lawsuit said. The 81-year-old man was in a wheelchair, so he was assigned to a one-person cell, which had poor ventilation.
On Sept. 20, plaintiff Dwayne Wilson said he heard J.B. hollering for help from the cell. Wilson found him lying on the floor and gasping for breath, so he alerted a guard to the medical emergency, and J.B. was given breathing treatment before he was ordered back to his cell.
“The medical staff accused J.B. of coming to the air-conditioned infirmary simply to get out of the heat,” the complaint said. “Prisoners attempted to advocate on J.B.’s behalf, telling medical staff and officers that he was very ill.”
J.B. was found dead in his cell on Sept. 24. Court filings said the heat index reached 104 degrees that day – within the National Weather Service’s “danger” zone – and the exhaust fans in his cell were not working.
“It is likely that prolonged exposure to the hot, unventilated air at (Dade Correctional Institution) contributed to J.B.’s death,” the lawsuit said.
Plaintiffs say they fell sick from heat
The three plaintiffs named in Thursday’s lawsuit all said that they fell sick from heat in the prison this summer and “have exhausted all available administrative remedies.”
Wilson, 66, in August fainted in his dormitory on a day the heat index reached 100 degrees, according to the complaint. He was carried to a medical unit and administered an IV, and a healthcare provider told him to “stay as cool as possible.”
Another plaintiff, 54-year-old Tyrone Harris, said in the lawsuit that he had to be taken to the medical unit for a one-hour breathing treatment two to three times a week this summer. Harris has asthma and takes medication for high-blood pressure and cholesterol, which make him more susceptible to heat illness, the lawsuit said. He often gets heat cramps, heat rashes and feels lightheaded.
Court filings noted Dade Correctional Institution’s population is especially vulnerable to heat exhaustion as more than half are over the age of 50 and nearly 25% are over 65. Many prisoners have medical conditions or disabilities that increase susceptibility to heat illness.
Majority of US prisons don’t have universal A/C
A USA TODAY analysis in 2022 found at least 44 states did not universally air-condition their prisons and only one – Tennessee – said it was fully air-conditioned.
In Florida, about 24% of state prison housing units are air-conditioned, corrections department spokesperson Molly Best previously told USA TODAY. Fans and exhaust systems are used in lieu of A/C units.
People in prisons often face especially dire conditions when extreme heat hits as facilities are ill-equipped for blazing temperatures. And while some states aren’t typically known for oppressive heat, experts said they should be prepared for the realities of a changing climate.
“A lot of these prisons were not built to be comfortable or humane in the first place,” said Ufuoma Ovienmhada, lead author of the MIT study on prison heat. “Climate change is just aggravating the fact that prisons are not designed to enable incarcerated populations to moderate their own exposure to environmental risk factors such as extreme heat.”
Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, Javier Zarracina, Jennifer Borresen, USA TODAY; Elena Barrera, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida
Charmaine Hickey, of Lang Realty in Port St. Lucie, was named in KNOW Women’s “100 Women to KNOW in America” list.
A Treasure Coast woman was named in a “100 Women to know in America” list for 2026.
KNOW Women is a global media company dedicated to giving women leaders connections and visibility. The company released a list of “100 Women to know in America” for 2026 to highlight the most influential women in business and leadership.
Charmaine Hickey, who works for Lang Realty in Port St. Lucie, was on the list.
“Charmaine’s recognition on a national stage like this comes as no surprise,” said Scott Agran, president of Lang Realty in a news release. “Her leadership, integrity, and commitment to both her profession and her community exemplify what this award stands for. She represents the very best of our industry.”
Hickey holds many industry designations and is known for her expertise in complex real estate transactions, as well as her client-first approach defined by honesty, patience and attention to detail, according to the news release.
Her community involvement includes serving on nonprofit boards, mentoring emerging leaders and supporting initiatives focused on education, women, families and youth.
“I am truly honored to be recognized among such an inspiring group of women,” said Hickey in the news release. “This award reflects not just individual achievement, but the power of community, mentorship, and lifting others as we grow. I’m grateful to be part of a network of women who are building meaningful impact every day.”
To see the full list go to theknowwomen.com.
Olivia Franklin is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at olivia.franklin@tcpalm.com, 317-627-8048 or follow her on X @Livvvvv_5.
A Florida surgeon who is facing criminal charges after allegedly removing a patient’s liver instead of his spleen has said he is “forever traumatized” by that person’s death.
In a deposition from November that was recently obtained by NBC, 44-year-old Thomas Shaknovsky described the death of 70-year-old William Bryan as an “incredibly unfortunate event that I regret deeply”.
Bryan died after the botched surgery; and in April, a grand jury in Tallahassee indicted Shaknovsky on a charge of manslaughter.
“I’m forever traumatized by it and hurt by it,” Shaknovsky added, also saying that wrong-site surgeries can happen “during difficult circumstances”.
The deposition provided Shaknovksy’s first detailed account of the operation that killed Bryan and eventually garnered national news headlines.
According to Shaknovksy’s deposition, after removing Bryan’s liver, the surgeon instructed a nurse to label the organ as a “spleen” – and he also identified it as a spleen in Bryan’s postoperative notes. Shaknovsky later said he had been “mentally compromised” at the time of Bryan’s death, explaining that he was “devastated, demoralized, crying over his passing, felt that I failed him”.
A lawsuit filed by Bryan’s widow, Beverly Bryan, accuses Shaknovsky of medical malpractice. The suit alleges that he “wrongfully omitted any reference to Mr Bryan’s liver being removed in order to ‘cover up’ his gross negligence/recklessness and to hopefully avoid the embarrassment due to such derelict care”, as NBC reported.
In April, the Walton county sheriff’s office said in a statement that Shaknovsky’s actions inflicted on Bryan “catastrophic blood loss and the patient’s death on the operating table”.
Shaknovsky’s deposition testimony described the chaos in the operating room after Bryan began bleeding extensively, causing his heart to stop. Medical staff performed chest compressions, and Shaknovsky attempted to find where the bleeding was coming from.
“I couldn’t tell the difference because I was so upset,” he said, referring to the organ he mistakenly identified.
“It was like a overflown sink that’s clogged up, and I am looking for a fork at the bottom, trying to feel and find the bleed, and I was not able to do so,” Shaknovsky said. He added: “After 20 minutes of struggling – desperately trying – to save his life, that’s when the wrong-site event took place.
“It’s a devastating thing, which I will have to live with the rest of my life,” Shaknovsky said in the eight-hour deposition reviewed by NBC. “I think about it every single day.”
After the medical team was unable to resuscitate Bryan, Shaknovsky said he went to the hospital’s medical library. “I went there to cry because I was devastated,” he said. “I didn’t want the staff to see me like that.”
Despite a spleen typically being significantly smaller than a liver, Shaknovsky said he believed Bryan’s spleen was “double the size of what is normal” because of a mass on it. Beverly Bryan’s lawsuit, however, states that a medical examiner told her that her husband’s spleen was anatomically “nearly normal”, according to NBC.
Shaknovsky would face up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 if eventually convicted as charged.
Omelet, taco and chicken salad joints are in, while spaghetti gelato, pizza and (for now) wing places are out.
At least when it comes to recent openings and closings on the Southwest Florida foodie scene, that is.
Let’s begin this recap of events in Cape Coral, where a popular breakfast-and-lunch restaurant made its long-awaited debut.
This is where the omelets come in…
House of Omelets
The fourth location of this popular breakfast and lunch restaurant made its highly anticipated debut along Cape Coral Parkway on Monday, May 4.
“It’s amazing,” owner Toni Dedaj said. “I’m very happy. I like this area, the way Cape Coral is growing. And this building is beautiful.”
That building is the eye-catching Bimini Square off Cape Coral Parkway. House of Omelets, which anchors the first-floor northeast corner unit, has a classic European feel. With seating for 89 inside and 40 outside, it’s about half the size of Dedaj’s Pine Island Road location.
“We like it,” he said. “We still have the big menu, but we like the smaller seating area. Service is more personal.”
And speaking of that menu (the same you’ll find at all House of Omelets locations), it is indeed huge, with about 30 signature omelets alone. Add in all the egg dishes (House Slam is a best seller), favorites (like corned beef hash and chicken & waffles), off the griddle dishes (multiple pancake, French toast and waffle options), Benedicts and crepes, and we’re already up to huge without even getting to the lunch items.
Those include appetizers, salads, signature sandwiches (from lobster grilled cheese to Philly steak), burgers & melts, and pitas & wraps. Free parking can be found in the parking garage, shared with neighboring Bimini Basin Seafood.
“It’s easy in and out,” Dedaj said. “Very easy. Come visit us.” Find it at 440 Cape Coral Parkway; (239) 360-8083; there are two locations in Cape Coral and one each in Fort Myers and Naples. Go to houseofomelets.com or follow on Instagram.
Chicken Salad Chick
More than 100 customers were waiting outside when this chicken salad-loving, fast-casual restaurant opened its new Cape Coral location on April 29. Located in the Shops at Del Sol (near Swig!), Chicken Salad Chick has 13 different types of chicken salad, including traditional, fruity & nutty, savory and spicy flavors. Get it in one or two scoops, in a sandwich, in a melt (Bacon cheddar or chicken) or in a BLT. A turkey club is also available. It’s all scratch-made, just like the sides which include broccoli, grape and pasta salads, fresh fruit, mac ‘n cheese and soup. A few desserts (white chocolate layer cake and signature cookies) are also on the menu. Get it all by dining in, driving through, taking out, or by delivery. It’s open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Go to chickensaladchick.com or follow on Facebook for more.
Point Ybel Brewing
We recently checked out this brewery’s new downtown Fort Myers location off First Street in the Fortiner Building, and we love it. It’s all the good things from the original San Carlos Boulevard location plunked down in a lighter, brighter space (and it’s next to another Chocolattes location!!!). With 17 taps, you’ll find all the same award-winning beers Point Ybel is known for — including Sanibel Light, Snook Bite IPA, Sanibel Red and (our favorite) The Full Breakfast stout. Even though it’s only been open since April 11, it’s already right at home with a full slate of events — from live music and yoga to trivia and music bingo.
“This is a new chapter for us,” owner and brewer Jordan Weisberg said. “We’re excited for it. We want to build the same community downtown that we have (in south Fort Myers).”
It’s off to a great start. Drop by 2451 First St., Fort Myers; (239) 603-6565; pointybelbrew.com and on Facebook
Turco Taco
With three locations in Naples, this fast-casual taco joint has finally come to downtown Fort Myers. It opened April 24 at 2451 First Street. In a former office space, it’s across from Fort Myers Regional Library, on the northwest corner of First and Bay streets. Turco Taco is known for its fresh and bold gourmet Mexican-Turkish fusion tacos, gourmet quesadillas and organic salads. We can’t wait to check it out. (239) 344-7732; theturcotaco.com or on Facebook
Capriotti’s
We’ve already reported that this popular Delaware-founded chain opened a Cape Coral location on April 28 in the Shops at Del Mar off Pine Island Road. But can we just say that The Bobbie — billed as the original Thanksgiving sandwich — lives up to the hype? The slow-roasted turkey (cooked overnight and hand-pulled in the morning), house-made stuffing, cranberry sauce and mayo combination won us over on the first bite. Order it hot or cold, in 4, 8, 10 or 18-inch sizes. And if you’re not feeling Thanksgiving-y, Capriotti’s has plenty of other options, including cheesesteaks, tuna, classic Italian, BLT, meatball, Capastrami, Wagyu beef sandwiches and more. Find it all at 327 SW 10th Place, unit 202, Cape Coral; (239) 471-0469; capriottis.com or follow on Facebook.
Closings
The Fat Apple: The sign is down and the doors of this pizza joint in North Fort Myers are locked. After nine years, this staple in the Publix-anchored Eagle Landing plaza off Bayshore Road has permanently closed. It steadily built a loyal following after Guy Beekman, who owned the legendary Birdie’s Pizza in Fort Myers for 20 years, opened it in July 2017.
Spaghy Gelato: This small Cape Coral shop in Chelsea Place off Del Prado Boulevard has closed. “Cape Coral … thank you,” an April 28 post on its Facebook page read. “Because of your support, your love, your energy … we’re taking the next step. We are officially relocating to the East Coast.” It was known for its viral spaghetti gelato — handcrafted gelato shaped into spaghetti form and topped with a variety of toppings. “Thank you for the memories, the laughs, and for believing in something a little different,” the post concluded.
Wingnuts: After spending the last 15 years at 231 Del Prado Blvd. in Cape Coral, this popular chicken wing restaurant is closing. For now, anyway. “Our time at this location has come to an end,” an April 30 post on the Pub & Grub’s Facebook page read. “Our last day will be May 16th. HOWEVER, we will be moving to a new location soon.” It’s currently in Moderna Plaza, north of Cape Coral Hospital and south of Hancock Bridge Parkway (where the recently closed Misto Bar & Grill was). “Although it will take us time to relocate the restaurant, we will keep you posted, EVERY STEP OF THE WAY,” the post continued. “… We look forward to seeing you in the very near future. Our thanks again for all your support.” Follow along on Facebook for updates.
Robyn George is a food and dining reporter for The News-Press. Connect at rhgeorge@fortmyer.gannett.com
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