16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier CountyNew bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashes
16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier County According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, two airboats crashed south of U.S. 41 east between mile markers 74 and 75, leaving well over a dozen people injured.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashes There could be new detectives on the block, located in your nearest auto shop. A new state bill aims at trying to stop hit-and-run drivers from getting away.
CAPE CORAL New leash on life; Cape Coral shelter dog beats cancer with drug being tested for humans A drug now being studied in human trials to kill cancerous tumors, is already approved and helping animals.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral planning a new interchange with I-75 The city of Cape Coral is in the early stages of planning a new interchange with I-75, an idea that has been discussed for more than a decade.
Tracking invasive species after hurricanes Hurricanes Helene and Milton didn’t just bring wind and rain, they brought new threats to southwest Florida’s ecosystem.
PUNTA GORDA Woman in Punta Gorda shooting charged with 2nd degree murder A woman in a homicide investigation on Nasturtium Drive in Punta Gorda has been charged with 2nd-degree murder.
Lee County mother continuing fight to get children a bus stop The school district already told her she lives too close to the school to qualify for a bus route but she has not given up.
NORTH NAPLES Grant Thornton Invitational returns to Tiburon Golf Club Stars on the PGA and LPGA Tours are back in Southwest Florida for the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club.
FORT MYERS Black Flag brings classic punk energy to The Ranch in Fort Myers Legendary punk band Black Flag made their mark in Southwest Florida during the Fort Myers stop of their “First Four Years” tour.
Charlotte Technical College breaks ground on aviation facility The Charlotte County School District is flying high and keeping its “Space Academy” designation with a new aviation training facility for students.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested in connection with Cape Coral home invasion The Cape Coral Police Department has announced the arrest of one of three men suspected in a home invasion that took place earlier this month.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral residents react to $100M North Cape land deal The city of Cape Coral is seeing two projects that will change the city. One is called one of the most lucrative deals in county history.
Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association breaks ground on new Fort Myers headquarters As Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association’s president pointed out, about 1,000 people are still moving to Florida every day, and many of them are finding their way to Southwest Florida.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County drug trafficker sentenced to 10 years A Charlotte County man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug trafficking.
lehigh acres ‘How to sign away parental rights?’; Lehigh Acres woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby.
16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier County According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, two airboats crashed south of U.S. 41 east between mile markers 74 and 75, leaving well over a dozen people injured.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashes There could be new detectives on the block, located in your nearest auto shop. A new state bill aims at trying to stop hit-and-run drivers from getting away.
CAPE CORAL New leash on life; Cape Coral shelter dog beats cancer with drug being tested for humans A drug now being studied in human trials to kill cancerous tumors, is already approved and helping animals.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral planning a new interchange with I-75 The city of Cape Coral is in the early stages of planning a new interchange with I-75, an idea that has been discussed for more than a decade.
Tracking invasive species after hurricanes Hurricanes Helene and Milton didn’t just bring wind and rain, they brought new threats to southwest Florida’s ecosystem.
PUNTA GORDA Woman in Punta Gorda shooting charged with 2nd degree murder A woman in a homicide investigation on Nasturtium Drive in Punta Gorda has been charged with 2nd-degree murder.
Lee County mother continuing fight to get children a bus stop The school district already told her she lives too close to the school to qualify for a bus route but she has not given up.
NORTH NAPLES Grant Thornton Invitational returns to Tiburon Golf Club Stars on the PGA and LPGA Tours are back in Southwest Florida for the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club.
FORT MYERS Black Flag brings classic punk energy to The Ranch in Fort Myers Legendary punk band Black Flag made their mark in Southwest Florida during the Fort Myers stop of their “First Four Years” tour.
Charlotte Technical College breaks ground on aviation facility The Charlotte County School District is flying high and keeping its “Space Academy” designation with a new aviation training facility for students.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested in connection with Cape Coral home invasion The Cape Coral Police Department has announced the arrest of one of three men suspected in a home invasion that took place earlier this month.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral residents react to $100M North Cape land deal The city of Cape Coral is seeing two projects that will change the city. One is called one of the most lucrative deals in county history.
Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association breaks ground on new Fort Myers headquarters As Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association’s president pointed out, about 1,000 people are still moving to Florida every day, and many of them are finding their way to Southwest Florida.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County drug trafficker sentenced to 10 years A Charlotte County man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug trafficking.
lehigh acres ‘How to sign away parental rights?’; Lehigh Acres woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby.
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.”