Critically injured man transported by Med-Flight following 2 vehicle crash on Palm Beach Blvd.D-SNAP available to those affected by hurricanes in Charlotte and Sarasota counties
Critically injured man transported by Med-Flight following 2 vehicle crash on Palm Beach Blvd. The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a two-vehicle crash on Palm Beach Boulevard, which led to a Med-Flight being called.
D-SNAP available to those affected by hurricanes in Charlotte and Sarasota counties The Department of Children and Families has launched its Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in Charlotte and Sarasota counties.
naples Rehabilitated manatee to be released into Port of the Islands Marina in Naples The Manatee Sightseeing and Wildlife Adventures is set to release a rehabilitated manatee back into the waters at the Port of the Island’s Marina.
the weather authority Wednesday morning showers slowly move out through the day The Weather Authority is tracking rain and showers expected throughout the day before an approaching cold front drops temperatures.
CAPE CORAL New Cape Coral City Council members to be sworn in The City of Cape Coral is experiencing a change in leadership, as two new councilmembers are set to be sworn in.
lehigh acres Florida Highway Patrol investigating fatal hit-and-run involving motorcyclist The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a hit-and-run that left a motorcyclist dead in Lee County.
FEMA agrees to outside investigation into avoiding homes with Trump signs FEMA’s administrator has agreed to an outside investigation to find out why her employee gave orders to deny trump supporters aid after Hurricane Milton.
Denise Carlin sworn in as Lee County Schools superintendent It’s a big night for families with kids attending Lee County Schools! Dr. Denise Carlin was just sworn in as superintendent.
PORT CHARLOTTE 8 illegal immigrants arrested in Charlotte County Eight people have been arrested in Port Charlotte for being in the country illegally.
SANIBEL Memorial statue unveiled for exotic birds at Jerry’s Foods on Sanibel Island For over 40 years, Dick Muench displayed many of his exotic birds from Central and South America at Jerry’s Foods on Sanibel.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers veteran worried about FEMA code compliance letter One marine veteran is worried sick over having to raise his home.
Residents oppose U-Haul storage unit development in Collier County A lush line of trees in Collier County may turn into storage units, and neighbors are unhappy.
LEHIGH ACRES Parents want changes made to Lee County Schools JROTC The Lee County School District is making changes after 25 students were treated by emergency services for heat exhaustion at a local high school on Friday.
FORT MYERS BEACH La Ola speaks out a day after FEMA deadline A day after the FEMA deadline for temporary structures on Fort Myers Beach to be removed, the scenery remains largely unchanged.
FORT MYERS Neighbors react to plans for new Amazon warehouse in Fort Myers Amazon will soon have the largest building in Southwest Florida.
Critically injured man transported by Med-Flight following 2 vehicle crash on Palm Beach Blvd. The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a two-vehicle crash on Palm Beach Boulevard, which led to a Med-Flight being called.
D-SNAP available to those affected by hurricanes in Charlotte and Sarasota counties The Department of Children and Families has launched its Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in Charlotte and Sarasota counties.
naples Rehabilitated manatee to be released into Port of the Islands Marina in Naples The Manatee Sightseeing and Wildlife Adventures is set to release a rehabilitated manatee back into the waters at the Port of the Island’s Marina.
the weather authority Wednesday morning showers slowly move out through the day The Weather Authority is tracking rain and showers expected throughout the day before an approaching cold front drops temperatures.
CAPE CORAL New Cape Coral City Council members to be sworn in The City of Cape Coral is experiencing a change in leadership, as two new councilmembers are set to be sworn in.
lehigh acres Florida Highway Patrol investigating fatal hit-and-run involving motorcyclist The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a hit-and-run that left a motorcyclist dead in Lee County.
FEMA agrees to outside investigation into avoiding homes with Trump signs FEMA’s administrator has agreed to an outside investigation to find out why her employee gave orders to deny trump supporters aid after Hurricane Milton.
Denise Carlin sworn in as Lee County Schools superintendent It’s a big night for families with kids attending Lee County Schools! Dr. Denise Carlin was just sworn in as superintendent.
PORT CHARLOTTE 8 illegal immigrants arrested in Charlotte County Eight people have been arrested in Port Charlotte for being in the country illegally.
SANIBEL Memorial statue unveiled for exotic birds at Jerry’s Foods on Sanibel Island For over 40 years, Dick Muench displayed many of his exotic birds from Central and South America at Jerry’s Foods on Sanibel.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers veteran worried about FEMA code compliance letter One marine veteran is worried sick over having to raise his home.
Residents oppose U-Haul storage unit development in Collier County A lush line of trees in Collier County may turn into storage units, and neighbors are unhappy.
LEHIGH ACRES Parents want changes made to Lee County Schools JROTC The Lee County School District is making changes after 25 students were treated by emergency services for heat exhaustion at a local high school on Friday.
FORT MYERS BEACH La Ola speaks out a day after FEMA deadline A day after the FEMA deadline for temporary structures on Fort Myers Beach to be removed, the scenery remains largely unchanged.
FORT MYERS Neighbors react to plans for new Amazon warehouse in Fort Myers Amazon will soon have the largest building in Southwest Florida.
The library exhibit spotlights pillars of the Black community in Lee County, including the late Veronica Shoemaker, a prominent activist and the first Black member of the Fort Myers City Council. (James Greco, Photography) Step into “The Black Experience in Lee County” exhibition at the FGCU’s Archives and Special Collections, and several words immediately come to mind: resilience, tenacity, inspiration, community. “We focused on positive stories and pride,” says Bailey Rodgers, the archives coordinator. “We wanted to shine a light on how incredible the Black community is in Lee County.” The exhibition, which is free and open to the public, is a collaboration between FGCU and the Lee County Black History Society that will remain on display through April 28 in the archives gallery, room 332 of FGCU’s Bradshaw Library. Viewing hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. When Rodgers first sat down with archives assistant Viviana Whalen to discuss future projects, the pair knew they wanted to create an exhibit on Black history in Lee County. They began considering a possible exhibition in 2019, but they hesitated to move forward with it. “We didn’t feel comfortable because it’s not our story to tell,” Rodgers says. The two worked on other projects, including an exhibition on the fight to win the right to vote for Black Americans throughout the 20th century. That’s how they came to meet exactly the person they needed — Jarrett Eady, a fourth-generation native of Lee County and a former chair of the Lee County Black History Society Board of Directors. Eady agreed to serve as an advisor for the project and linked the Library Archives staff with the history society. Much of the memorabilia, primary source documents and archival information used for the exhibition is on loan from the Lee County Black History Society’s museum, the Williams Academy. Other items are on loan from Mt. Olive, the Trinity Church, the Dunbar Community School and Audrea Anderson, a former FGCU staff member whose late husband was the county’s first Black judge. Whalen and Rodgers remember one of their early meetings with Eady, when the pair were beginning to assemble the fragments of history for the exhibition. They wanted a piece of stained glass for one corner of the exhibit to visually highlight the role of churches, but they weren’t sure how to go about getting it. When they asked Eady, he simply nodded, pulled out his cell phone and began making calls. In less than five minutes, he’d tracked down just what they needed. Casola Stained Glass in Fort Myers was happy to loan a beautiful piece for the exhibit. “The beauty of this exhibit is that it’s able to harness the manpower of the university and the resources of the Black History Society,” Eady says. “And it shows a level of buy-in from the community itself — people trust the university enough to donate their artifacts, knowing they’ll be on display.” Much of the memorabilia, primary source documents and archival information used for the exhibition is on loan from the Lee County Black History Society. (James Greco, Photography) It’s going to be a great success,” says Charles Barnes, current chairman of the Black History Society. “I’m glad to see the connection this is creating between the university and the Dunbar community.” In curating the exhibition, the team knew they wanted to focus on pillars of the community and sacred spaces. The pillars were the early trailblazers and role models who laid a path for Black Americans to thrive in Lee County. They began with Nelson Tillis, the first Black man in Lee County, who arrived shortly after the Civil War in 1867. With his wife and children, Tillis farmed 110 acres on the north bank of the Caloosahatchee. Today, his descendants are successful members of the Fort Myers community. The exhibit also highlights Veronica Shoemaker, whose name many people in Lee County know because of the boulevard that bears her name in Fort Myers. But fewer may know the legacy of the prominent community activist and first Black member of the Fort Myers City Council. She ran 17 times before finally being elected in 1982. Also featured are Judge Isaac Anderson Jr., the first Black judge in Lee County, and Dr. Ann Knight, longtime city councilwoman and advocate for Black education. For sacred spaces, the exhibit touches on the importance of churches within the Black community, especially the four earliest churches. It also includes places like McCollum Hall, once a dance hall and the social heart of the community. “You drive down Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and you see these places,” Whalen says. “They’re not just buildings. Amazing things happened there — NAACP meetings, rallies for voting rights. It’s truly incredible, the history that has happened in Lee County.” A historical photo on loan from Mt. Olive African Methodist Episcopal Church in Fort Myers. (James Greco, Photography) When the Library Archives team began carefully assembling the pieces that would tell the story of the Black experience in Lee County, they chose to emphasize the themes of resilience and tenacity, foregoing the sadder parts of the narrative in favor of hope. They want visitors to leave with a better understanding of the Black experience in Lee County and also a deeper understanding of the shared human experience. “It ultimately goes back to the resiliency of the human spirit to overcome obstacles,” Eady says. “If we’re able to see the nexus that connects us all — our common interests, outside of demographics — that’s how we bring together a just society.”