English Bulldog Puppies for Sale in Cape Coral, FL

Don’t go to Dino Scoops expecting to order chocolate, black cherry or moose tracks ice cream. Instead, you’ll find Choco-Saurus, Cherry-Dactyl and T-Rex-Tracks.

And the dinosaur-inspired names continue from there: Jurassic Jelly (bubblegum), Brew-O-Saurus (coffee), Dough-Ceratops (cookie dough), Party-Saurus Rex (birthday cake) and the list goes on.

Chris Scuderi, owner of Cape Coral’s popular Gator Mike’s Family Fun Park, says he wanted to have fun with his new ice-cream shop. And what’s more fun than dinosaurs — especially when there’s a dino-themed mini golf course right next door?

Scuderi says he was struggling with what to do with the place after taking it over from the short-lived XCream Cones, Candy & Cakes, a privately owned business that opened in April 2025 and permanently closed a few months later.

He didn’t want to open another boring ice-cream shop in Southwest Florida, he says. “They're all over the place, right?"

Then it hit him: “Holy cow, why don't I make it a dinosaur-themed thing?”

Dino Scoops opens in same Gator Mike's spot as former Latitude 78

And that’s just what he did.

Painted dinosaur tracks lead Gator Mike’s visitors from Dinosaur Falls Mini Golf to Dino Scoops. That's where they'll find colorful dinos painted on the tabletops, a baby dino statue greeting visitors at the front door, and decadent ice-cream creations with names liked Tar Pit, Lava Flow and Waffle-Saurus Rex.

Dino Scoops opened March 14, and word’s still getting out about the place. Gator Mike’s visitors keep popping into the shop and asking for its former occupant, Latitude 78 bar, which closed about two years ago.

But Scuderi thinks people will love the new place once they discover it. The ice cream comes from Tampa distributor DeConna Ice Cream, and Scuderi and his staff have put a lot of work into the 3,200-square-foot shop since taking it over in November.

They opened up the blacked-out windows and added fluorescent lights to brighten up the place. They installed TV screens to display the menu. Local artist Marty Wisher painted the tabletops with smiling, ice-cream loving dinosaurs. And they added lots of fun things to do, as well.

Those include a Balloon Bot machine that makes long-lasting balloons (moved over from the Gator Mike’s game room), a mining sluice where kids can sift for toy fossils and gemstones, and a dinosaur-themed gift shop that offers everything from stuffed animals and action figures to jigsaw puzzles and science kits.

“It's the largest collection of dinosaur toys, games, gadgets and educational items anywhere in Southwest Florida...” Scuderi says. “So if you're not into ice cream, but your kid loves dinosaurs, come on in and treat them to some dinosaur trinkets.”

Dino Scoops: Prices, hours for new Cape Coral ice cream shop

Dino Scoops can be found on the southwestern corner of Gator Mike’s Family Fun Park, 35 N.E. Pine Island Road, Cape Coral.

Prices range from $4.49 for a single-scoop cup or cone to $9 for three scoops.

You can also buy “rawr’in epic creations” such as the the Tar Pit (three scoops of chocolate ice cream, chocolate sauce, chocolate cookie crumbs, gummy worms and pretzel sticks) or Lava Flow (three scoops of strawberry ice cream, sandy cookie crumbs, strawberry sauce, Pop Rocks and sugar cone). Prices for those creations are $10-$14.

Ice cream toppings include cosmic brownie, apple pie, cinnamon roll, cotton candy, cookie dough, red velvet, gummy dinosaurs, chocolate rocks, M&M pieces and more.

Dino Scoops is open noon to 8 p.m. daily. For more information, call (239) 574-4386 or visit gatormikes.com/dinoscoops.

Charles Runnells covers arts and entertainment for The News-Press and the Naples Daily News. To reach him, call 239-335-0368 or email crunnells@usatodayco.com. Follow or message him on Facebook(@charles.runnells.7), Instagram (@crunnells1) and X (@CharlesRunnells).

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CAPE CORAL, Fla. —

Florida is one of 18 states where marrying your first cousin is legal, a fact that surprises many residents and has sparked questions about why the practice remains permissible.

West Virginia, which is often joked about for cousin marriages, banned the practice in 1955, but Florida has yet to follow suit.

If Florida lawmakers had passed House Bill 733, cousin marriages would have been banned, but the bill did not pass. Doug Schmidt from Cape Coral commented, "It's pretty unusual they would have that still in the state. It should have been banned many years ago."

Historically, notable figures such as Albert Einstein and President Franklin Roosevelt married their cousins. Kim Schmidt from Punta Gorda humorously remarked, "Well, it makes for a nice small wedding party."

The practice, though unusual, accounts for only about 250,000 marriages nationwide. One resident pointed out, "I mean, if you have the same grandpa, you don't want Grandpa Joe to be on both sides of the aisle at your wedding."

Cousin marriages are permitted in some countries, including those in the Middle East and North Africa. Margie Vanbentizen, a Polish native, stated, "No! Definitely not in Poland."

Doug Schmidt from Cape Coral expressed confusion over the lack of legislative action, saying, "I can't understand why you wouldn't take action just to get it off the legislation."

Several bills faced challenges, as the legislature experienced significant gridlock, failing to pass priorities, including a budget or decreases in property taxes.

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Newly released data from Realtor.com for December shows that potential buyers and sellers in Lee County saw higher home sale prices than the previous month's median of $346,937.

The median home sold for $360,000, an analysis of data from Realtor.com shows. That means December, the most recent month for which figures are available, was up 3.8% from November.

Compared to December 2024, the median home sales price was down 5.3% compared to $380,000.

Realtor.com sources sales data from real estate deeds, resulting in a few months' delay in the data. The statistics don't include homes currently listed for sale and aren't directly comparable to listings data.

Information on your local housing market, along with other useful community data, is available at data.news-press.com.

Here is a breakdown on median sale prices:

About recorded home sales in Lee County in Florida

In December, the number of recorded sales in Lee County rose by 15% since December 2024 — from 1,498 to 1,722. All residential home sales totaled $844.8 million.

Across Florida, homes sold at a median of $380,000 during December, up 1.3% from $375,009 in November. There were 32,437 recorded sales across the state during December, up 3.1% from 31,466 recorded sales in December 2024.

Here's a breakdown for the full state:

The median home sales price used in this report represents the midway point of all the houses or units listed over the given period of time. The median offers a more accurate view of what's happening in a market than the average sales price, which would mean taking the sum of all sales prices then dividing by the number of homes sold. The average can be skewed by one particularly low or high sale.

USA TODAY Co. is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Realtor.com. Please leave any feedback or corrections for this story here. This story was written by Ozge Terzioglu.

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

John Edmonds took his time.

And more than a decade in, it’s still a work in progress.

But Independent Pub in Cape Coral is finally open, and oh, what a job he’s done.

“I bought the building 15 years ago,” he said during a recent chat at his Irish pub on Lafayette Street in South Cape. “I completely renovated it myself. I built the bar and pretty much everything.”

He purchased the building with the intention of turning it into a neighborhood pub.

“But I realized right away I didn’t have the time or the money to do it,” Edmonds said.

After graduating from the University of Florida with a law degree, he became a prosecutor before turning to real estate.

“The renovations came in between doing all that,” he said.

Independent Pub finally opens

When it all finally came together, Edmonds opened in December for a few days a week. He waited until after the holidays to really get started.

Independent Pub, open 4 p.m. to midnight Tuesday to Sunday, is lovely even before you step inside.

The small but mighty building, located on a street behind the Cape Coral Parkway McDonald’s, has a weathered brick façade, matching pavered patio, three gridded inset windows, dark wood trim and a green neon sign in Celtic font above it all.

While the renovations took a while, the name came easily.

“I could envision it saying Independent across the top of the pub and on merchandise,” Edmonds said.

And the sign glows warmly, hinting at what’s inside.

“I really want it to feel like an Irish pub,” Edmonds said. “In Ireland, I went to as many pubs as I could.”

Inside, you’ll find dark wood, soft lights, elaborate ceiling panels, a warmly backlit L-shaped bar and seating for about 40. Photos of Edmonds’ trip to Ireland fill the walls, as do items he’s gathered along the way — including paperwork of a family member who came to the U.S. when he was 10 and became a citizen in 1892.

“I’m so proud of that,” Edmonds said.

It’s cozy and comfortable, inviting and ideal for enjoying a pint or two.

Plenty of beer, limited food at the Independent Pub

“I’m proud of the beer selection,” Edmonds said. “There are a lot of unique ones here.”

Nine beers are on draft — from Harp and Smithwick's Red to Warsteiner Dunkel and Hoegaarden. And of course, there’s Guinness.

“We’re flying through that,” he said. “It’s surprising to see how many kegs we go through.”

More beers in bottles and cans are available, along with ciders, seltzers, wine (by the glass or bottle), vermouth and prosecco.

Grab a seat at the main bar, along a rail, or at a low-top table.

Decorative windows in the back of the room show an open kitchen.

As he did with the pub, Edmonds is taking his time with the food.

“We only have burgers for now,” he said. “Beer cheese and pretzels are coming next."

That burger, served with potato chips, is exactly what you’d expect in a pub burger.

“I just hired a chef,” Edmonds said. “We’re trying to get through season with the limited menu. After season, we’ll work on getting a full menu. We’ll use summer to get it going.”

When he was doing his pub research in Ireland, one item stood out.

“One thing that was on every menu was meatloaf,” he said. “That will be coming eventually.”

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

Independent Pub is going big for St. Patrick’s Day, though (starting at 11:30 a.m Sunday, March 15, and noon Tuesday, March 17).

Edmonds owns the Irish flag-painted building next door, as well as the land between it and his pub.

“We’ll have inside and out going,” he said. “There will be live music and probably have bangers and mash, corned beef and cabbage. They might stay on the menu.”

Guns N Hoses will end a busy March 17 with a 7:30 p.m. performance at the pub.

More plans for the Independent Pub down the road

“I’m going to extend the business into the building next door,” he said. “Maybe pool tables, darts, shuffleboard. Maybe another bar, maybe a pizza oven.”

The space between the two buildings will one day feature a beer garden with a photo-worthy mural of a shamrock, a bar and lots of tables.

“I do have a vision of it,” Edmonds said. “It’ll eventually happen. It’ll be in a couple of years.”

In the meantime, the pub is open.

“Come have a pint and hang out,” Edmonds said.

And while it's still a work in progress, Independent Pub is off to a great start.

Independent Pub, 1219 Lafayette St., Cape Coral; (239) 673-1782; pubcapecoral.com or on Facebook

Robyn George is a food and dining reporter for The News-Press. Connect at rhgeorge@fortmyer.gannett.com

Cape Coral, FL, March 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cape Coral, FL - March 11, 2026 - IncredibleBank will host an official ribbon cutting ceremony the week of April 20 to celebrate the opening of its newly constructed Cape Coral branch, located at 2524 Liberty Park Drive near Pine Island Road. The new full‑service facility marks IncredibleBank’s continued investment in Cape Coral and Southwest Florida.

Just minutes from North Fort Myers and easily accessible from the area’s main commercial corridor, the branch provides a permanent home for the Liberty Park banking center and expands IncredibleBank’s presence in one of Florida’s most dynamic and rapidly growing communities.

Conveniently positioned to serve residents and businesses throughout Cape Coral and the surrounding area, the branch brings personalized banking services closer to where customers live and work. The facility was designed to enhance the customer experience, featuring modern technology, expanded service capabilities, and welcoming spaces for both personal and business financial conversations.

"Our investment in this new facility is about more than a building,” said Todd Nagel, President & CEO of IncredibleBank. "It’s about strengthening relationships, expanding our presence in Florida, and continuing to bring innovative banking solutions to the Cape Coral community.”

The grand opening celebration will include a public ribbon cutting and open house, providing an opportunity for community members to visit the new branch and meet the team.

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

When: April 22, 2026 | 3:30-4:00 p.m.

Where: 2524 Liberty Park Drive

Cape Coral, FL 33909

"We’re proud to open the doors to a space designed with our customers in mind,” said Sergio Nascimento, Market President - Florida. "This new Liberty Park location allows us to better serve our community while staying true to our promise of delivering an Incredible Customer Experience.”

The Liberty Park banking center is relocating from 2494 Liberty Park Drive to the newly constructed facility across the street.

With two established locations serving Cape Coral, IncredibleBank continues to invest in Southwest Florida while maintaining its community-focused approach to banking.

For more information about IncredibleBank, visit incrediblebank.com or contact the Customer Experience Center at 888-842-0221.

About IncredibleBank™

IncredibleBank, headquartered in Wausau, Wisconsin, is a full-service community bank offering personal banking, business banking, mortgage lending, and cash management solutions. Recognized nationally as an SBA Preferred Lending Partner and one of the top motorcoach lenders, IncredibleBank combines innovative technology with personalized service to deliver an Incredible Customer ExperienceSM. With 17 branch locations across Wisconsin, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and Cape Coral, Florida, we help individuals and businesses achieve financial success. Learn more about our checking accounts, loans, and business services at incrediblebank.com.