Terrorism

The Fort Myers Philharmonic holds its inaugural concert in the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall on September 11. The concert is dedicated to honoring 9/11 heroes and first responders.

A number of events are planned across Southwest Florida and the nation to recall the events of the terror attack on America.

An entire generation has grown up since 9/11 that possesses no firsthand memories of that morning. To ensure that the lives lost, courage displayed and lessons learned will continue to be remembered, the Military Heritage Museum in Punta Gorda is observing the 25th anniversary of 9/11 by bringing together veterans, first responders, community leaders, and the public.

Stuyvesant High School is located three blocks from the World Trade Center. Students and faculty watched the terrorist attacks from the school’s windows, until the smoke cloud from the first tower’s collapse forced their hasty evacuation. On Sept. 11, Elevate Acting Studio will perform monologues students wrote about what they saw and experienced.

In 2001, Americans shared a horrific experience — the repercussions of which continue to reverberate 25 years later. In this special, which originally aired in September 2021, WGCU reflects on 9/11 with the voices of people in Southwest Florida who witnessed that historical moment and how that moment changed their lives.

State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota will host two 9/11 memorial ceremonies on Friday, Sept. 11.

Gov. Ron DeSantis wasted little time declaring two Islamic groups, various foreign cartels, and an anti-fascism movement as terrorist organizations on the first day a new law allows the state to impose such designations.

Alexander Lightner of Venice was sentenced in federal court today to 51 months in prison for possession of an unregistered firearm. His case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.Court documents said Lightner is a member of the Terrorgram Collective — an online organization promoting white supremacy. The group espouses that violence and terrorism are necessary to ignite a race war and accelerate the collapse of the government.

Two of the more than 30 people injured in what is being termed as a terror attack in New Orleans Wednesday morning have been confirmed as former students from the Canterbury School in Fort Myers.Congressman Byron Donalds on Wednesday posted the names of the two injured students, Elle Eisele and Steele Idelson, both 2023 graduates of Canterbury. Social media posts say Eisele is studying at the University of Georgia while Idelson is attending San Diego State University.Further details on their injuries were not available.

The hacking of the Municipal Water Authority of Aliquippa and other utilities around the country is prompting new warnings from U.S. security officials at a time when states and the federal government are wrestling with how to harden water utilities against cyberattacks.The danger, officials say, is hackers gaining control of automated equipment to shut down pumps that supply drinking water or contaminate drinking water by reprogramming automated chemical treatments. Besides Iran, other potentially hostile geopolitical rivals, including China, are viewed by U.S. officials as a threat.