Students react to threat made at Florida Gulf Coast UniversityMissing and endangered boy found in Lehigh Acres
Students react to threat made at Florida Gulf Coast University Students at Florida Gulf Coast University said they don’t know the specifics of a threat made last week, but they do know it was taken care of.
Missing and endangered boy found in Lehigh Acres Authorities have found a missing and endangered boy in Lehigh Acres. Police asked for the public’s help in locating Zachariah McKelvin.
School District denies bus service to student despite mother’s measurements When we think of the bus stop, we typically think of it as a safe place for our children, but one mother says the Lee County School District told her they live too close to the school to get a bus route.
MATLACHA 2 stranded dolphins rescued from mangroves near Matlacha Two stranded dolphins were pulled from mangroves near Matlacha.
CAPE CORAL NAACP honors Cape Coral Police Chief after acknowledging hate crime NAACP President, James Muwakkil, was so impressed with Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore that he wanted the entire city to know.
NAPLES Jingled Elves trolley tour underway Breaking out your best dance moves and spreading Christmas cheer. These ‘jingled elves’ are breaking it down with a purpose.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs Elementary School’s demolition plans There’s a new lesson plan at Bonita Springs Elementary School: Demolition 101. The school is set to be knocked down, and there’s good reason.
MARCO ISLAND Marco Island Councilmember’s dogs allegedly attack 13-year-old girl Councilor Tamara Goehler is coming under fire after her dogs allegedly attacked a 13-year-old girl and the girl’s five-month-old puppy.
PUNTA GORDA Gilchrist Park’s future brightens as boat cleanup commences The boats blocking Gilchrist Park are ready to be moved two years after Hurricane Ian.
Lee County Department of Health issues red tide alert for Bowman’s Beach The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a health alert for the presence of red tide near Bowman’s Beach.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral working on project to address canal safety An older Cape Coral couple drove into a canal last year. Neighbors are now saying something needs to be done about canal safety.
NAPLES Collier County mental health center receives $4 million donation A giant donation is dedicated to providing people with better mental health care in southwest Florida.
LABELLE City of LaBelle under precautionary boil water notice A water main break has the City of Labelle under a precautionary boil water notice.
ESTERO FGCU student wins ice dancing national championship FGCU sophomore Lucas Appel wins his second US Senior Solo Dance National Championship in three years.
Lee County Sheriff’s Office: Parent brings weapon to Lehigh Acres school According to a Lee County Sheriff’s Office report, there is probable cause to believe a woman unintentionally brought a firearm to school.
Students react to threat made at Florida Gulf Coast University Students at Florida Gulf Coast University said they don’t know the specifics of a threat made last week, but they do know it was taken care of.
Missing and endangered boy found in Lehigh Acres Authorities have found a missing and endangered boy in Lehigh Acres. Police asked for the public’s help in locating Zachariah McKelvin.
School District denies bus service to student despite mother’s measurements When we think of the bus stop, we typically think of it as a safe place for our children, but one mother says the Lee County School District told her they live too close to the school to get a bus route.
MATLACHA 2 stranded dolphins rescued from mangroves near Matlacha Two stranded dolphins were pulled from mangroves near Matlacha.
CAPE CORAL NAACP honors Cape Coral Police Chief after acknowledging hate crime NAACP President, James Muwakkil, was so impressed with Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore that he wanted the entire city to know.
NAPLES Jingled Elves trolley tour underway Breaking out your best dance moves and spreading Christmas cheer. These ‘jingled elves’ are breaking it down with a purpose.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs Elementary School’s demolition plans There’s a new lesson plan at Bonita Springs Elementary School: Demolition 101. The school is set to be knocked down, and there’s good reason.
MARCO ISLAND Marco Island Councilmember’s dogs allegedly attack 13-year-old girl Councilor Tamara Goehler is coming under fire after her dogs allegedly attacked a 13-year-old girl and the girl’s five-month-old puppy.
PUNTA GORDA Gilchrist Park’s future brightens as boat cleanup commences The boats blocking Gilchrist Park are ready to be moved two years after Hurricane Ian.
Lee County Department of Health issues red tide alert for Bowman’s Beach The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a health alert for the presence of red tide near Bowman’s Beach.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral working on project to address canal safety An older Cape Coral couple drove into a canal last year. Neighbors are now saying something needs to be done about canal safety.
NAPLES Collier County mental health center receives $4 million donation A giant donation is dedicated to providing people with better mental health care in southwest Florida.
LABELLE City of LaBelle under precautionary boil water notice A water main break has the City of Labelle under a precautionary boil water notice.
ESTERO FGCU student wins ice dancing national championship FGCU sophomore Lucas Appel wins his second US Senior Solo Dance National Championship in three years.
Lee County Sheriff’s Office: Parent brings weapon to Lehigh Acres school According to a Lee County Sheriff’s Office report, there is probable cause to believe a woman unintentionally brought a firearm to school.
Blue-green algae build up in a SWFL canal. Photo via WINK News. A new state website vows to help with our water crisis. The governor said on Tuesday you could use it to check on blue-green algae, red tide and nutrient issues in the Caloosahatchee River. But, the site has only been up for about a day and there are already concerns. A “neat, new initiative” that Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Tuesday is a website called ProtectingFloridaTogether.gov. The governor said it would be “a one-stop-shop for water quality information about our state’s water bodies.” But some have called the timeliness of the information on the website into question. Dr. Serge Thomas, an associate professor at the Florida Gulf Coast University Water School, said he has the same problem as the expensive government website as he has with his own. The website has some recent red tide samples on our coast, but nutrient and chlorophyll results in the Caloosahatchee date back to November 2018. Thomas believes part of the delay could include making sure the numbers are accurate. In a statement, the Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection, said the following: “This website is a huge step forward. For the first time ever, we are consolidating data and information from multiple sources and putting it in one place to communicate the most relevant information to the public, which was informed initially by stakeholder research. It is true that South Florida Water Management District and other partners sample at more sites, but there is a process to get that data uploaded and there is a balance between having the most up-to-date data and having data from sites that are regularly sampled. We intend to provide as much information that we can that is also meaningful to the public. “This is only the first phase of the website and is one step of many to come. The conversation we’re are seeing, is exactly the conversation this website was intended to drive. Based on these conversations we will be able to continually improve this website. For example, as a result of this dialogue, yesterday the South Florida Water Management District committed to improving their process to increase their reporting frequency of nutrient data to monthly. “The sites reflected on the map are sentinel stations in the 3 featured water bodies. These stations were chosen because they are sampled frequently and reported to DEP’s Watershed Information Monitoring Network (WIN) and were actively sampled in 2019 for all three parameters of interest (nitrogen, phosphorus, and chlorophyll a). DEP and the water management district are committed to ensuring that the data reported on the website is an accurate representation of water quality and additional sites will be added as necessary to meet that goal. Nutrient data monitoring and reporting schedules are variable, with sampling frequency ranging from annually to weekly, depending on the site. To ensure that the data reflects the most current information, the South Florida Water Management District committed to improving their process to increase their reporting frequency of nutrient data. “We are committed to continuous improvement, transparency and accountability. As more citizens use the site and more feedback is received, we will enhance the site to provide the information our citizens need to feel protected and reassured that we are committed to water quality improvement.” The governor’s office has not returned our request for comment nor answered our questions. “Nothing is really perfect the first time,” Thomas said. And perhaps, the website brings us another step closer to cleaning up our environment.