Local non-profit, Family Initiative, has big plans after receiving $5 million from GolisanoCharlotte County deputies bust park drug deal after community tip
CAPE CORAL Local non-profit, Family Initiative, has big plans after receiving $5 million from Golisano A multi-million dollar donation is helping people with autism have priceless experiences.
PORT CHARLOTTE Charlotte County deputies bust park drug deal after community tip One man’s drug deal in Charlotte County wasn’t exactly a walk in the park.
Dog alerts Lee County woman to home intruder The Lee County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 22-year-old man for burglary and loitering after he broke into a woman’s home and stood inches away from her bed as she slept.
NAPLES Naples business owner accused of rape In 2023, 14,021 domestic violence 911 calls came into Collier County.
manasota key Charlotte County Commissioners vote ‘Yes’ to changes and redevelopment on Manasota Key The Charlotte County Commissioners voted to pass charges that residents on Manasota Key have been dreading.
The debate over fluoride in Florida’s water The water you drink and use to brush your teeth is fueling a community, state and national conversation.
SANIBEL Phase 2 of Sanibel Beach renourishment project set to begin Eric Jackson, Sanibel’s Public Information Officer, is encouraging residents and visitors to still come to the beach.
NAPLES Riding toward a brighter future for kids: The story of Bikes for Tykes For nearly four decades, Bikes for Tykes has been on a mission to give children and adults in need in Southwest Florida a chance to ride refurbished bicycles.
ENGLEWOOD SWFL agencies bring chaplains on staff to offer support to first responders First responders across the country face the devastating impact of suicide nationwide those numbers are rising.
NORTH FORT MYERS Lee County deputies arrest man for ATV and UTV thefts, fence destruction A North Fort Myers man has been arrested after allegedly stealing a four-wheeler, crashing it into a property fence, and later trying to flee on a second stolen vehicle.
‘I saw God twice:’ Boating accident survivor thanks Lee Health After surviving an unthinkable accident in Matlacha, one woman wants to thank the medical team that saved her.
MATLACHA Blue Dog restaurant in Matlacha thankful for decade of support The Blue Dog Bar & Grill in Matlacha has survived multiple hurricanes over the past decade. Now, they’re thanking the community for supporting them every step of the way.
NAPLES Nominee of Gulfshore Life Men and Women of the year volunteers for STARability Gulfshore Life has nominated Anne Fleming as one of its Men and Women of the Year for volunteering her time to raise money for a new home store for Starability.
WINK NEWS Holiday gift exchange scams targeting social media users During the holiday season, tidings of joy and goodwill can be shrouded by scammers seeking to take advantage of holiday shoppers.
New cancer fighting machinery arrives at Southwest Florida Proton All the pieces are in place now, but it will take about a year of calibrating and fine-tuning before the proton machine is up and running.
CAPE CORAL Local non-profit, Family Initiative, has big plans after receiving $5 million from Golisano A multi-million dollar donation is helping people with autism have priceless experiences.
PORT CHARLOTTE Charlotte County deputies bust park drug deal after community tip One man’s drug deal in Charlotte County wasn’t exactly a walk in the park.
Dog alerts Lee County woman to home intruder The Lee County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 22-year-old man for burglary and loitering after he broke into a woman’s home and stood inches away from her bed as she slept.
NAPLES Naples business owner accused of rape In 2023, 14,021 domestic violence 911 calls came into Collier County.
manasota key Charlotte County Commissioners vote ‘Yes’ to changes and redevelopment on Manasota Key The Charlotte County Commissioners voted to pass charges that residents on Manasota Key have been dreading.
The debate over fluoride in Florida’s water The water you drink and use to brush your teeth is fueling a community, state and national conversation.
SANIBEL Phase 2 of Sanibel Beach renourishment project set to begin Eric Jackson, Sanibel’s Public Information Officer, is encouraging residents and visitors to still come to the beach.
NAPLES Riding toward a brighter future for kids: The story of Bikes for Tykes For nearly four decades, Bikes for Tykes has been on a mission to give children and adults in need in Southwest Florida a chance to ride refurbished bicycles.
ENGLEWOOD SWFL agencies bring chaplains on staff to offer support to first responders First responders across the country face the devastating impact of suicide nationwide those numbers are rising.
NORTH FORT MYERS Lee County deputies arrest man for ATV and UTV thefts, fence destruction A North Fort Myers man has been arrested after allegedly stealing a four-wheeler, crashing it into a property fence, and later trying to flee on a second stolen vehicle.
‘I saw God twice:’ Boating accident survivor thanks Lee Health After surviving an unthinkable accident in Matlacha, one woman wants to thank the medical team that saved her.
MATLACHA Blue Dog restaurant in Matlacha thankful for decade of support The Blue Dog Bar & Grill in Matlacha has survived multiple hurricanes over the past decade. Now, they’re thanking the community for supporting them every step of the way.
NAPLES Nominee of Gulfshore Life Men and Women of the year volunteers for STARability Gulfshore Life has nominated Anne Fleming as one of its Men and Women of the Year for volunteering her time to raise money for a new home store for Starability.
WINK NEWS Holiday gift exchange scams targeting social media users During the holiday season, tidings of joy and goodwill can be shrouded by scammers seeking to take advantage of holiday shoppers.
New cancer fighting machinery arrives at Southwest Florida Proton All the pieces are in place now, but it will take about a year of calibrating and fine-tuning before the proton machine is up and running.
Huge clumps of sargassum seaweed washed up on a beach near Miami, May 2023. Credit: CBS Beachgoers along Florida’s east coast are encountering enormous clumps of seaweed from a colossal seaweed blob drifting in from the Atlantic Ocean. Known as sargassum, the brown seaweed has the ability to blanket beaches as far as the eye can see, and the influx could persist for months. Oscar Vasquez, who has owned a Miami Beach condo for over 20 years, said he has never seen this much sargassum this early in the season. “There are parts of the beach where there’s so much sargassum on the shoreline where it’s undesirable and difficult to get into the water,” Vasquez said. Specialized tractors tirelessly rake up the brown weed clusters that litter the beaches, yet by each following morning, the seaweed tends to return. The collected sargassum is eventually destined for landfills, but in the interim, it is piled just offshore, emitting a foul odor. Vasquez expressed concern over whether he made the right choice in purchasing his retirement property and said the sargassum is not what he bargained for. While sargassum is a naturally occurring phenomenon, the extent of this year’s sargassum bloom has caught the attention of scientists. The Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt swelled to an estimated 13.5 million metric tons of seaweed this year, and it could wash up on the beaches of Florida and the Caribbean in the coming months. Afeefa Abdool-Ghany, a doctoral candidate studying sargassum at the University of Miami, attributes the phenomenon to a rise in nutrient-rich wastewater resulting from the growing global population. The nutrients, which are discharged into rivers and ultimately reach the ocean, act as fertilizers for the sargassum, contributing to its exponential growth. Researchers like Abdool-Ghany are actively investigating potential productive uses for sargassum. “Instead of putting it into a landfill, we wanted to compost it into a usable product can be made from it,” Abdool-Ghany said. The efforts are still in the research stage, and viable solutions are yet to be implemented. In the meantime, Miami-Dade County officials are ensuring daily beach cleanups to protect the region’s vital tourism revenue and maintain property values. Miami-Dade County has allocated $3.9 million for cleanup efforts this year and are requesting an additional $2 million from the state. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava emphasized the delicate balance required to protect both the beaches and the local wildlife from sargassum. Federal guidelines and permits restrict certain cleanup methods to prevent harm to native species, including sea turtles and fish hatchlings.