Cape police believe retail burglaries are linkedDriver charged with DUI after crashing SUV into restaurant in Gulf Coast Town Center
ESTERO Driver charged with DUI after crashing SUV into restaurant in Gulf Coast Town Center The driver of an SUV that crashed into a restaurant at the Gulf Coast Town Center in Estero has been charged with DUI.
Tesla issues sixth Cybertruck recall in a year, over 2,400 vehicles affected Tesla stock might be up, but their Cybertrucks have another recall for their drivers to deal with.
Great Wolf Lodge celebrates grand opening, economic impact in Collier County With pomp, circumstance and an appearance from retired NFL player Rob Gronkowski, Great Wolf Lodge celebrated both its grand opening and its economic impact for Collier County.
CAPE CORAL Orientation for new Cape Coral City Council members Five fresh new faces are on the Cape Coral City Council.
the weather authority Tropical Storm Sara forms in the Caribbean The Weather Authority is tracking Tropical Storm Sara in the Caribbean.
Local builder Paul Beattie gives up license, agrees to pay fine Beattie Development has been accused of taking customers’ money and not completing work promised, and now the company’s owner is surrendering his license.
NAPLES Naples Botanical Garden performs prescribed burn in garden area The Naples Botanical Garden is conducting a prescribed fire as part of its maintenance of the nature preserve.
NEAR FORT MYERS Jerry Seinfeld to perform at Barbara B. Mann in SWFL Comedian and co-creator of a popular sitcom of the same name, Jerry Seinfeld, is set to perform near Fort Myers.
COLLIER COUNTY DOH-Collier cautions of blue-green algae at Lake Avalon The Florida Department of Health in Collier County (DOH-Collier) wants to caution the public of the presence of blue-green algae in Lake Avalon.
City, Naples Beach Club to preserve green space in perpetuity More than 104 acres of recreation and open space at the former Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club’s golf course will be forever preserved.
FORT MYERS The 52nd annual Fort Myers Boat Show begins An annual Fort Myers tradition has returned as the region’s premier display of boats and boating products, which will be on full display for enthusiasts to enjoy.
the weather authority Gorgeous Thursday afternoon with highs in the mid 80s The Weather Authority is tracking pleasant afternoon conditions with temperatures in the mid-80s this Thursday.
SANIBEL Failed air quality tests push back reopening date for The Sanibel School The tentative reopening of The Sanibel School has been pushed back once again after being closed since Hurricane Milton.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers Police respond to rollover crash; driver flees scene The Fort Myers Police Department responded to a rollover, single-vehicle on Colonial Gardens Circle and Colonial Boulevard.
FORT MYERS West End residents frustrated by security failures, lack of response A nearly $64 million luxury apartment complex that close to 500 people call home, but somehow, security seems to fall through the cracks.
ESTERO Driver charged with DUI after crashing SUV into restaurant in Gulf Coast Town Center The driver of an SUV that crashed into a restaurant at the Gulf Coast Town Center in Estero has been charged with DUI.
Tesla issues sixth Cybertruck recall in a year, over 2,400 vehicles affected Tesla stock might be up, but their Cybertrucks have another recall for their drivers to deal with.
Great Wolf Lodge celebrates grand opening, economic impact in Collier County With pomp, circumstance and an appearance from retired NFL player Rob Gronkowski, Great Wolf Lodge celebrated both its grand opening and its economic impact for Collier County.
CAPE CORAL Orientation for new Cape Coral City Council members Five fresh new faces are on the Cape Coral City Council.
the weather authority Tropical Storm Sara forms in the Caribbean The Weather Authority is tracking Tropical Storm Sara in the Caribbean.
Local builder Paul Beattie gives up license, agrees to pay fine Beattie Development has been accused of taking customers’ money and not completing work promised, and now the company’s owner is surrendering his license.
NAPLES Naples Botanical Garden performs prescribed burn in garden area The Naples Botanical Garden is conducting a prescribed fire as part of its maintenance of the nature preserve.
NEAR FORT MYERS Jerry Seinfeld to perform at Barbara B. Mann in SWFL Comedian and co-creator of a popular sitcom of the same name, Jerry Seinfeld, is set to perform near Fort Myers.
COLLIER COUNTY DOH-Collier cautions of blue-green algae at Lake Avalon The Florida Department of Health in Collier County (DOH-Collier) wants to caution the public of the presence of blue-green algae in Lake Avalon.
City, Naples Beach Club to preserve green space in perpetuity More than 104 acres of recreation and open space at the former Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club’s golf course will be forever preserved.
FORT MYERS The 52nd annual Fort Myers Boat Show begins An annual Fort Myers tradition has returned as the region’s premier display of boats and boating products, which will be on full display for enthusiasts to enjoy.
the weather authority Gorgeous Thursday afternoon with highs in the mid 80s The Weather Authority is tracking pleasant afternoon conditions with temperatures in the mid-80s this Thursday.
SANIBEL Failed air quality tests push back reopening date for The Sanibel School The tentative reopening of The Sanibel School has been pushed back once again after being closed since Hurricane Milton.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers Police respond to rollover crash; driver flees scene The Fort Myers Police Department responded to a rollover, single-vehicle on Colonial Gardens Circle and Colonial Boulevard.
FORT MYERS West End residents frustrated by security failures, lack of response A nearly $64 million luxury apartment complex that close to 500 people call home, but somehow, security seems to fall through the cracks.
This green sea turtle is one of 58 that died in October 2019 in Collier County, Florida. (Collier County Parks & Recreation Department) As a toxic red tide continues to grip the coast of Southwest Florida, one county saw the highest number of sea turtle deaths it has ever recorded for a single month in October. Last month, 58 turtles were reported dead in Collier County and two others were reported sick or injured, according to Maura Kraus, the principal environmental specialist for the county’s parks and recreation division. The county’s records of sea turtle strandings — which includes sick, injured or dead turtles — date back to 1989. The uptick is striking. Over the past decade, Collier County has recorded an average of just under five sea turtle strandings a month in October. This past month’s count of strandings is about 12 times higher than the 10-year average, according to Allen Foley, a wildlife biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute and the lead coordinator for the state’s sea turtle stranding and rescue network. In all of last year, during one of the worst red tide outbreaks the region has ever seen, 133 turtles were stranded in Collier County. “It’s disturbing to us,” Kraus said. “It’s either that we have a lot more turtles out there, or we have a really big problem.” Of the turtles found dead in October, Kraus said that most were Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles — the world’s smallest and most endangered sea turtles. Red tide The timing of these turtle deaths tracks closely with the arrival of this year’s red tide in Florida, which began to spread along the state’s southwest coast early last month, Foley said. The red tide is a natural phenomenon that has occurred for centuries, but there are questions about what exactly is causing the intense outbreaks of the past several years. It typically forms in deeper waters and then is carried onshore by winds and currents, but this year’s event began closer to the coast, where scientists say nutrient runoff from fertilizer used on farms, lawns, and other sources can accelerate its growth. Scientists say this current outbreak is nowhere near as serious as the historically bad event that began in 2017 and lingered for 16 months until early this year. But high concentrations of the toxic algae are holding steady in the waters off the state’s southwest coast. “Red tide [toxins] can concentrate in the food sources of these turtles,” Kraus said. “Kemp’s Ridley’s are much smaller, so they are more prone to feeling the effects of the red tide.” Lee County, home to the Fort Myers area and located just north of Collier, also reported an abnormally high number of stranded turtles, with 40 found in the month of October. Foley says the turtles that are found dead or sick will undergo testing to confirm a cause of death, but with so many dying without any other apparent afflictions, there’s only one likely explanation. “There is really no reasonable doubt that the high number of strandings are caused by anything other than red tide,” he said. On the bright side, both Foley says that the turtle strandings have slowed over the last few weeks and appear to have peaked. As water temperatures drop as winter approaches, he says most of the turtles have likely moved away from the highest concentrations of the toxic algae.