Adam” Big A” Sanchez, Jr, age 70, of Immokalee, Florida went home to be with the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Sunday, October 11, 2026, in Naples, Florida.
Adam was born on October 1, 1956, in Brownsville, Texas to the late Adan and the late Adela Alvarez Sanchez. Big A as he was known married April Bex on July 3, 1977, in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Big A and April ran a food truck for over 20 years in the Immokalee area. If you ever need anything, Big A had you covered, he enjoyed collecting knives, cooking and grilling for family get togethers, watching sports, but most of all he enjoyed spending time with his family. Big A will be remembered by his family for his boisterous laughter and his determination. Once Big A put his mind to it, he saw it through. Big A’s favorite saying was “Its all good if God is in it”
Big A leaves fond memories with his loving wife of almost 50 years, April Sanchez of Immokalee, his children; Adam Sanchez, IV, Joshua Sanchez, Sr, Annie Jimmie, Justin Sanchez, Trent Sanchez, his loving grandchildren; Adam Sanchez, V, Tynan Sanchez, Isaiah Warden, Joshua Sanchez, Jr, Jillian Sanchez, his sisters will remember him with their own memories; Blanca Aguilar, Isabel Sanchez, Rosa Estrada, and Evangelina Thorpe, along with many extended family members and family friends.
Big A was preceded in death by his parents, Adan Sanchez and Adela Alvarez Sanchez, sister; Alicia Sanchez.
Celebration of Big A’s life will be held Friday, October 16, 2026, at First Seminole Baptist Church in Immokalee. Viewing begins at 6:00 p.m. directly followed by Funeral service at 7:00 pm.
Funeral services provided by Akin-Davis Funeral Home – LaBelle.
Wednesday, October 14, 2026
David Luis Martinez Reyes Arrested In LaBelle Homicide
LABELLE, FL. --- On Monday, October 12, 2026 at approximately by 7:40pm, Hendry County Deputies responded to the area of El Faro Assembly of God located on Bryan Ave. in LaBelle, Florida.
Photo: Suspect David Martinez Reyes, Age 18
When deputies arrived on scene they found a young man lying in the parking lot of the church with another young male performing CPR. The victim was identified as 18-year-old Angel CuaCua-Vasquez of LaBelle and was allegedly found with five gunshot wounds in his body.
Witnesses reported that Angel and three of his friends were walking in the neighborhood when they were approached by another juvenile male in a truck and unknown passenger; an argument ensued between both the victim and the driver of the truck. It was at this time witnesses heard several gunshot wounds and the victim fell to the ground.
When deputies arrived on scene they found a young man lying in the parking lot of the church with another young male performing CPR. The victim was identified as 18-year-old Angel CuaCua-Vasquez of LaBelle and was allegedly found with five gunshot wounds in his body.
Witnesses reported that Angel and three of his friends were walking in the neighborhood when they were approached by another juvenile male in a truck and unknown passenger; an argument ensued between both the victim and the driver of the truck. It was at this time witnesses heard several gunshot wounds and the victim fell to the ground.
It later appeared that the male that had fired the shots, attempted to also shoot at the witnesses who were running from the scene.
Upon the arrival of EMS, life-saving efforts were taken over by medical personnel, however, CuaCua-Vasquez was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Hendry County Detectives were able to speak with witnesses and were able to identify a juvenile male who was the driver of the vehicle and the passenger, later identified as 18 year old David Luis Martinez Reyes of 5018 Pike Lane, LaBelle in Port LaBelle. Detectives arrived at Pike Lane and located both the driver of the truck and Martinez Reyes.
It was at this time both subjects were transported to the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office for questioning.
Hendry County Detectives were able to determine through the efforts of a search warrant, that 18 year old David Luis Martinez Reyes did in fact possess and did fire a weapon. Martinez Reyes was arrested and charged with one count of Homicide and three counts of Attempted Homicide. Martinez Reyes is currently being held without bond.
Hendry County Detectives were able to speak with witnesses and were able to identify a juvenile male who was the driver of the vehicle and the passenger, later identified as 18 year old David Luis Martinez Reyes of 5018 Pike Lane, LaBelle in Port LaBelle. Detectives arrived at Pike Lane and located both the driver of the truck and Martinez Reyes.
It was at this time both subjects were transported to the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office for questioning.
Hendry County Detectives were able to determine through the efforts of a search warrant, that 18 year old David Luis Martinez Reyes did in fact possess and did fire a weapon. Martinez Reyes was arrested and charged with one count of Homicide and three counts of Attempted Homicide. Martinez Reyes is currently being held without bond.
Two Lottery Winners Chose $3 Million Lump Sum Payment
FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Florida Lottery announces that Julie Phillips, 67, of Sebring, claimed a $5 million top prize from the $5,000,000 CROSSWORD CASH Scratch-Off game at the Lottery’s Fort Myers District Office on June 18. Phillips chose to receive her winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $3,262,138.00. Phillips purchased her winning ticket from Saunak’s Corner, located at 306 N. Ridgewood Drive in Sebring.
Georgia Smith, of Arcadia, claimed a $5 million top prize from the MEGA 7’s Scratch-Off game at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee on June 30. Smith chose to receive her winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $3,089,000.00. Smith purchased her winning ticket from Murphy USA, located at 2769 S.E. Highway 70 in Arcadia.
Georgia Smith, of Arcadia, claimed a $5 million top prize from the MEGA 7’s Scratch-Off game at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee on June 30. Smith chose to receive her winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $3,089,000.00. Smith purchased her winning ticket from Murphy USA, located at 2769 S.E. Highway 70 in Arcadia.
Editors Note: We do not recommend playing the lottery as payoff odds are so much against profiting from chance betting schemes.
Monday, October 12, 2026
Lisa Curry Wilson Dies At 68
Lisa Curry Wilson went home to be with Jesus on October 3, 2026, at Hope Hospice in Lehigh Acres, Florida, with her lifelong friend Brenda Highfill by her side. She would have turned 69 years old on October 13th.
Lisa was a fifth-generation Floridian, having lived in LaBelle, Florida, since birth with her parents, Lena Williams Curry and Jackie Curry, both of whom are now deceased. The family later moved to Fort Myers, where Lisa graduated from high school. She married David Wilson, and they settled in Cape Coral. Later, they moved to North Carolina, where Lisa worked at the University of Western Carolina.
After David's passing, Lisa returned to Fort Myers to care for her mother during her final days. She lived at the Sandpiper Retirement Home with her cat, Star. Lisa enjoyed helping with activities, decorating common areas, and being a caring friend to many of the residents. She had a special gift for touching lives with thoughtful small gifts.
Her smile and gentle laugh will be missed by her half-brother, Justin Curry; her stepmother, Shelly Curry, of Alva; her aunt, Edna (Eddie) Reynolds, of Lake City; and several cousins. Donations may be made to the Fort Myers Humane Society.
Graveside services will be held on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, at 11:00 AM at Fort Denaud Cemetery in Fort Denaud.
Lisa was a fifth-generation Floridian, having lived in LaBelle, Florida, since birth with her parents, Lena Williams Curry and Jackie Curry, both of whom are now deceased. The family later moved to Fort Myers, where Lisa graduated from high school. She married David Wilson, and they settled in Cape Coral. Later, they moved to North Carolina, where Lisa worked at the University of Western Carolina.
After David's passing, Lisa returned to Fort Myers to care for her mother during her final days. She lived at the Sandpiper Retirement Home with her cat, Star. Lisa enjoyed helping with activities, decorating common areas, and being a caring friend to many of the residents. She had a special gift for touching lives with thoughtful small gifts.
Her smile and gentle laugh will be missed by her half-brother, Justin Curry; her stepmother, Shelly Curry, of Alva; her aunt, Edna (Eddie) Reynolds, of Lake City; and several cousins. Donations may be made to the Fort Myers Humane Society.
Graveside services will be held on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, at 11:00 AM at Fort Denaud Cemetery in Fort Denaud.
Why Primary Voting Ballots May Not Arrive At Your Home
Florida voters may not receive their mail-in ballot for the 2026 midterm elections primarily due to a state law requiring voters to re-request their vote-by-mail ballots every two-year election cycle. Because ballots are not mailed automatically in Florida, anyone who has not explicitly submitted a new request for the current cycle will not receive a ballot in the mail. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Several factors contribute to why voters may miss out or fail to receive their ballots for the upcoming general election:
If you intend to vote by mail, you can submit a new request or track your status directly through your specific county's supervisor of elections using the Florida Division of Elections Vote-by-Mail Portal.
Compliance may increase operational costs for USPS and election officials. The ballot design review process and ballot portal could impose additional costs on USPS. Similarly, election officials may face costs associated with redesigning balloting materials, implementing the use of IMbs and STIDs, and complying with new postal standards and procedures. For example, USPS notes that it is developing new, unique STIDs for federal and nonfederal elections, but it does not specify the cost for this change either internally or for ballot mailers.
Additionally, some argue the compressed timeline may create confusion for election officials, authorized mailers, or others, including participating voters. For example, the optional 90-day period for election officials to notify USPS of a state's intent to use mail-in and absentee ballots has already passed for the November 3, 2026, federal election.
Sources:
[1] https://www.facebook.com
[2] https://www.gulfcoastnewsnow.com
[3] https://www.youtube.com
[4] https://www.wesh.com
[5] https://www.cbsnews.com
[6] https://my.lwv.org
[7] https://www.youtube.com
[8] https://allvotingislocal.org
[9] https://pinellasdemocrats.org
[10] https://www.colliervotes.gov
[11] https://mynews13.com
[12] https://dos.fl.gov
Several factors contribute to why voters may miss out or fail to receive their ballots for the upcoming general election:
1. Expired Voter Requests
The Law Change: Previous law allowed requests to last longer, but the updated statute mandates that all vote-by-mail requests expire at the end of the calendar year of the next regularly scheduled general election. [5, 6]
The Law Change: Previous law allowed requests to last longer, but the updated statute mandates that all vote-by-mail requests expire at the end of the calendar year of the next regularly scheduled general election. [5, 6]
Voter Awareness: Consult official supervisor of elections resources to verify if your request is active, as voters must manually renew their requests for each election cycle. [4, 7]
2. Missing Database and Voter Information
Registration Data: Check with your local election office to confirm that your current registration and necessary identification credentials match the records on file so that your request can be processed normally. [8, 9]
3. Mail Delivery and Deadlines
Deadlines and Routing: For details on request deadlines, cutoff times, and mail routing or forwarding rules for the 2026 general election, consult official state or county election portals. [7, 10, 11]
How to Fix It
2. Missing Database and Voter Information
Registration Data: Check with your local election office to confirm that your current registration and necessary identification credentials match the records on file so that your request can be processed normally. [8, 9]
3. Mail Delivery and Deadlines
Deadlines and Routing: For details on request deadlines, cutoff times, and mail routing or forwarding rules for the 2026 general election, consult official state or county election portals. [7, 10, 11]
How to Fix It
If you intend to vote by mail, you can submit a new request or track your status directly through your specific county's supervisor of elections using the Florida Division of Elections Vote-by-Mail Portal.
Alternatively, voters who miss the mail-in window can still vote early in person or at their designated polling place on Election Day. [3, 7, 12]
How Post Office Rules Will Affect Future Voting
- The new USPS rule sets new standards for how ballots get mailed out in federal elections. There are two overarching parts:
- New envelope design rules: Ballot envelopes need to meet new formatting requirements – this applies both to outgoing ballots and to the return envelopes voters use to send them back.
A new verification step for outgoing ballots: Before a county can mail ballots to voters, election officials must upload voter mailing data to a new USPS system called the Federal Ballot Mail Portal. USPS then checks the barcode on the ballot batch against what was submitted. If a mailing doesn’t match up or doesn’t meet the design standards, USPS won’t accept it – it gets kicked back to the county to fix and resubmit.
Compliance may increase operational costs for USPS and election officials. The ballot design review process and ballot portal could impose additional costs on USPS. Similarly, election officials may face costs associated with redesigning balloting materials, implementing the use of IMbs and STIDs, and complying with new postal standards and procedures. For example, USPS notes that it is developing new, unique STIDs for federal and nonfederal elections, but it does not specify the cost for this change either internally or for ballot mailers.
Additionally, some argue the compressed timeline may create confusion for election officials, authorized mailers, or others, including participating voters. For example, the optional 90-day period for election officials to notify USPS of a state's intent to use mail-in and absentee ballots has already passed for the November 3, 2026, federal election.
Sources:
[1] https://www.facebook.com
[2] https://www.gulfcoastnewsnow.com
[3] https://www.youtube.com
[4] https://www.wesh.com
[5] https://www.cbsnews.com
[6] https://my.lwv.org
[7] https://www.youtube.com
[8] https://allvotingislocal.org
[9] https://pinellasdemocrats.org
[10] https://www.colliervotes.gov
[11] https://mynews13.com
[12] https://dos.fl.gov
New Post Office Rules for mailing ballots to homes:
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