Cape Coral’s new council eliminates stipend on day oneMan arrested for fatal hit-and-run crash with motorcyclist in Lehigh Acres
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral’s new council eliminates stipend on day one People in Cape Coral are getting what they voted for: the new city council members were just sworn in, and they eliminated the stipend.
LEHIGH ACRES Man arrested for fatal hit-and-run crash with motorcyclist in Lehigh Acres A man has been arrested in connection with a hit-and-run crash that killed a motorcyclist on Tuesday night.
Latest details on fatal Alligator Alley crash ; 1 killed According to the arrest report, a man told troopers he got a minivan from a pastor but did not get permission to take it out because he left in the middle of the night
Enforcing state law on street camping in Punta Gorda More than a month since the new state law banning sleeping in public places went into effect the city of Punta Gorda voted on if an ordinance change was needed.
Cape Coral home vandalized; homeowner calls it a “hate crime” A man returned to his unfinished Cape Coral home to find it’s been violated and vandalized. Cape Coral police are searching for the suspect.
SWFL organizations putting donated money to good use 41 Southwest Florida organizations are still in shock about the millions of dollars they received from philanthropist Tom Golisano.
Utility scams awareness day: what you need to know Wednesday is utility scams awareness day. These types of scams target customers by going door-to-door, sending phone calls or texts and using false information online.
NAPLES Salvation Army of Collier County kicks off annual Christmas toy drive The Salvation Army of Collier County has kicked off its annual Christmas toy drive, and you won’t have to travel far to get involved.
Record Store Day Black Friday: Where to go in SWFL Record Store Day Black Friday is approaching quickly, and if you’re not looking for a new TV or a video game console, go to your local record store, as they will have exclusive deals to expand your record collection.
Manasota Key residents concerned over new development on the island Residents of a small island community are expressing their concerns about potential changes to their neighborhood.
FORT MYERS Resident reacts to plan for new Amazon facility in Fort Myers Amazon has paid $66.5M for 143 acres in Fort Myers to build a new warehouse. A resident who lives by the property said she has reservations about the facility.
ESTERO Caught on Camera: Woman accused of stealing from Kate Spade outlet A Cape Coral woman has been arrested for grand theft after she was allegedly caught on camera shoplifting at a Kate Spade store in Estero.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers basketball player returns to the court after two years Fort Myers High School basketball player Karsten Schafer played his first game in two years Tuesday night after having a spinal surgery.
Southwest Florida Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for November 20, 2024 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for November 20, 2024.
Boy’s journey of overcoming short bowel syndrome The road can be long and difficult for children born with short bowel syndrome. Rare and sometimes fatal, the best shot at good quality of life involves a transplant.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral’s new council eliminates stipend on day one People in Cape Coral are getting what they voted for: the new city council members were just sworn in, and they eliminated the stipend.
LEHIGH ACRES Man arrested for fatal hit-and-run crash with motorcyclist in Lehigh Acres A man has been arrested in connection with a hit-and-run crash that killed a motorcyclist on Tuesday night.
Latest details on fatal Alligator Alley crash ; 1 killed According to the arrest report, a man told troopers he got a minivan from a pastor but did not get permission to take it out because he left in the middle of the night
Enforcing state law on street camping in Punta Gorda More than a month since the new state law banning sleeping in public places went into effect the city of Punta Gorda voted on if an ordinance change was needed.
Cape Coral home vandalized; homeowner calls it a “hate crime” A man returned to his unfinished Cape Coral home to find it’s been violated and vandalized. Cape Coral police are searching for the suspect.
SWFL organizations putting donated money to good use 41 Southwest Florida organizations are still in shock about the millions of dollars they received from philanthropist Tom Golisano.
Utility scams awareness day: what you need to know Wednesday is utility scams awareness day. These types of scams target customers by going door-to-door, sending phone calls or texts and using false information online.
NAPLES Salvation Army of Collier County kicks off annual Christmas toy drive The Salvation Army of Collier County has kicked off its annual Christmas toy drive, and you won’t have to travel far to get involved.
Record Store Day Black Friday: Where to go in SWFL Record Store Day Black Friday is approaching quickly, and if you’re not looking for a new TV or a video game console, go to your local record store, as they will have exclusive deals to expand your record collection.
Manasota Key residents concerned over new development on the island Residents of a small island community are expressing their concerns about potential changes to their neighborhood.
FORT MYERS Resident reacts to plan for new Amazon facility in Fort Myers Amazon has paid $66.5M for 143 acres in Fort Myers to build a new warehouse. A resident who lives by the property said she has reservations about the facility.
ESTERO Caught on Camera: Woman accused of stealing from Kate Spade outlet A Cape Coral woman has been arrested for grand theft after she was allegedly caught on camera shoplifting at a Kate Spade store in Estero.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers basketball player returns to the court after two years Fort Myers High School basketball player Karsten Schafer played his first game in two years Tuesday night after having a spinal surgery.
Southwest Florida Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for November 20, 2024 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for November 20, 2024.
Boy’s journey of overcoming short bowel syndrome The road can be long and difficult for children born with short bowel syndrome. Rare and sometimes fatal, the best shot at good quality of life involves a transplant.
Seagrass in Charlotte Harbor. CREDIT: WINK News The amount of seagrass around Florida has suddenly and severely plummeted. In 2021, the seagrass shortage contributed to a record number of manatee deaths. The question is, why is it dying off? Moreover, how can we help the seagrass recovery efforts? It’s an eye-opening monitoring program to document the health and status of seagrass in upper Charlotte Harbor and Lemon Bay. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences sea grant agent, Kate Rose, calls these blades the unsung heroes of the ocean. “You know, 70% of our fishery species here in Florida are dependent on seagrass meadows, at some point in their lifetime,” said Rose. For food, habitat and water clarity, between 2018 and 2021, Charlotte Harbor and Lemon Bay lost an average of 23% of seagrass coverage. “Which is drastic, and, you know, that’s an average, so you break it out, the east wall lost about 50% of its coverage,” said Rose. “There’s not much that can survive in that kind of an ecosystem. It’s not a vibrant ecosystem,” said David Schutz, CEO of Heal our Harbor. Heal our Harbor is a non-profit dedicated to protecting and restoring Charlotte Harbor. The team is just one of many citizen scientist groups keeping an eye on seagrass. Schutz has personally seen the waters in his backyard go from pristine to impaired. “We’ve had some pretty intense weather events that have disturbed the seagrass, and of course, we have lots of pollution, so that there’s always algae in the harbor,” said Schutz. “That blocks the sun, it’s like putting a tarp over your lawn. You’re not, you know, you’re not surprised that the grass underneath dies.” Although, it’s not all gone. The middle west wall of the harbor has luscious, healthy and long seagrass. The group measures then create a straight line in the water, called a transect, then place down PVC squares at controlled lengths to document what’s inside. “We’re looking at coverage of seagrass coverage of algae species that are there,” said Rose. Finally, the team uses a net to get a gauge of what fish and creatures are present. The goal is for the data to help inform better decision-making. In turn, Charlotte Harbor can hopefully become pristine again. The Sea Grant Program hopes to expand the Eyes on Seagrass program to lower Charlotte Harbor, Pine Island Sound and Matlacha.