Boundary changes vote for Collier County schoolsStars shine in 36th annual Rotary South All-Star Football Classic
Boundary changes vote for Collier County schools The Collier County School Board is set to vote on the proposed boundary changes.
Warmer weather continues this Tuesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a warm afternoon with temperatures in the lower to mid-80s.
FORT MYERS Stars shine in 36th annual Rotary South All-Star Football Classic Blue beats Gold 27-7 in the 36th annual Rotary South Football Classic, which brings the top senior high school football players in Lee County.
CAPE CORAL Purring and persevering: Neighborhood cat survives bullet wound Purring and persevering through the pain, a neighborhood cat named Tommy survived being shot in the leg.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach lights up with resilience and Christmas spirit The poinsettia tree in Times Square is now shining bright; the community joined together Monday evening for the second annual tree lighting ceremony.
Miracle Moment: Two kids celebrating being cancer-free It’s time for a miracle moment. Two kids are celebrating being cancer-free this holiday season.
FORT MYERS Street name dedicated to Fort Myers Civil Rights Activist Reverend Isadore Edwards may be gone but his legacy will be forever tied to the city of Fort Myers.
ESTERO Several motorcycles stolen near Florida Gulf Coast University There is a trend of motorcycles being taken from parking lots. In Estero, two men unlocked a bike and then loaded it in the back of a van.
FORT MYERS Suntex provides update on Fort Myers Yacht Basin makeover The City of Fort Myers has promised that the Yacht Basin downtown will get a makeover, and the company running the show gave an update at the city council meeting.
BOKEELIA Popular Bokeelia restaurant demolished following damage from Milton There was hope for Capt’n Con’s Fish House in Bokeelia after the damage from Hurricane Helene in September.
NAPLES Grace Place raises more than $1.8 million at gala An organization dedicated to helping children and families just raised a whole lot of money.
NAPLES Naples parking problems frustrating residents Naples has a parking problem, but city leaders are stuck between a rock and a hard place trying to find a solution. The city’s rapid growth makes it harder every day to find a place for everyone to park.
NORTH FORT MYERS LCSO deputies use Taser to de-escalate armed standoff in North Fort Myers Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputies de-escalated a dangerous situation by using a Taser to save lives.
Trump’s comments bring hope for Dreamers President-elect Donald Trump said he wants to work out a plan for Dreamers to stay in America.
World War II veteran celebrates 100th birthday A World War II veteran just turned 100 years old and celebrated with his community.
Boundary changes vote for Collier County schools The Collier County School Board is set to vote on the proposed boundary changes.
Warmer weather continues this Tuesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a warm afternoon with temperatures in the lower to mid-80s.
FORT MYERS Stars shine in 36th annual Rotary South All-Star Football Classic Blue beats Gold 27-7 in the 36th annual Rotary South Football Classic, which brings the top senior high school football players in Lee County.
CAPE CORAL Purring and persevering: Neighborhood cat survives bullet wound Purring and persevering through the pain, a neighborhood cat named Tommy survived being shot in the leg.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach lights up with resilience and Christmas spirit The poinsettia tree in Times Square is now shining bright; the community joined together Monday evening for the second annual tree lighting ceremony.
Miracle Moment: Two kids celebrating being cancer-free It’s time for a miracle moment. Two kids are celebrating being cancer-free this holiday season.
FORT MYERS Street name dedicated to Fort Myers Civil Rights Activist Reverend Isadore Edwards may be gone but his legacy will be forever tied to the city of Fort Myers.
ESTERO Several motorcycles stolen near Florida Gulf Coast University There is a trend of motorcycles being taken from parking lots. In Estero, two men unlocked a bike and then loaded it in the back of a van.
FORT MYERS Suntex provides update on Fort Myers Yacht Basin makeover The City of Fort Myers has promised that the Yacht Basin downtown will get a makeover, and the company running the show gave an update at the city council meeting.
BOKEELIA Popular Bokeelia restaurant demolished following damage from Milton There was hope for Capt’n Con’s Fish House in Bokeelia after the damage from Hurricane Helene in September.
NAPLES Grace Place raises more than $1.8 million at gala An organization dedicated to helping children and families just raised a whole lot of money.
NAPLES Naples parking problems frustrating residents Naples has a parking problem, but city leaders are stuck between a rock and a hard place trying to find a solution. The city’s rapid growth makes it harder every day to find a place for everyone to park.
NORTH FORT MYERS LCSO deputies use Taser to de-escalate armed standoff in North Fort Myers Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputies de-escalated a dangerous situation by using a Taser to save lives.
Trump’s comments bring hope for Dreamers President-elect Donald Trump said he wants to work out a plan for Dreamers to stay in America.
World War II veteran celebrates 100th birthday A World War II veteran just turned 100 years old and celebrated with his community.
After a year off due to Hurricane Ian, the Fort Myers Beach Shrimp Festival is back and kicks off Saturday morning. What is pink shrimp? The shrimp being celebrated this weekend is wild-caught Gulf Pink Shrimp. This shrimp is a Fort Myers Beach delicacy. Caught only from the Gulf of Mexico to the Tortugas, this shrimp is said to have a “sweet” and “snappy” taste, said Ann Erickson with Erickson and Jensen. What to expect Expect LOTS of shrimp! Festivities start early, as the 5k Shrimp Run starts at 9 a.m. The race starts and finishes from Doc Ford’s along Matanzas Bridge. Directly after the run is the annual Shrimp Festival Parade from 10-12 p.m. From 9 to 12 p.m., the Matanzas Bridge will be closed for these two events. Matanzas Bridge ahead of Saturdays road closures for the “Shrimp Run” and parade. The fun doesn’t end there. The following events are also going on near Bayside Park on Fort Myers Beach Saturday: Arts and Crafts Fair, starting at 10 a.m. Shrimp Crawl, starting at 10 a.m. Queens Pageant 1-2 p.m. On Sunday: Arts and Crafts Fair, starting at 10 a.m. Shrimp Crawl, starting at 10 a.m. Blessing of the Fleet 10-1 p.m.; this is being held at the Erickson and Jenson Docks Shrimp Eating Contact 2 p.m. Shrimp Festival Closing Ceremony 4-7 p.m. Restaurants a part of the Shrimp Crawl each have their own specialty shrimp drink or dish. This is the “Shrimpy the Best Margarita” at The Whale. Did you know proceeds from this weekend’s event go back into the SWFL community? Shelby Stites, a member of marketing for the festival, said every year, money spent this weekend goes into the hands of those who need it most. RELATED: Miz Shirley’s Shrimp Shack after Hurricane Ian “We serve the youth. We do childhood cancer, diabetes saving the environment and a few other ones, but mainly these go to use scholarships for area students for secondary schools of their choice,” said Stites. Shrimp heritage in Matanzas Bay Erickson and Jensen Gulf Shrimp have been a part of the Southwest Florida seafood community for generations. Anna Erickson is a 4th generation shrimper. Erickson grew up being a part of this parade and now helps her family business continue its legacy. “We’re a big part of the community. We hope that it brings people down to Fort Myers Beach, knowing that we have such a special product here. That is a heritage to the community,” said Erickson. Art along the Erickson and Jensen’s docks was just redone ahead of this weekends festivities. More than a job, being a part of her families shrimping business is Ericksons life. After Hurricane Ian damaged several of their boats, along with their dock and other parts of their business, it has taken some work to bring them to this weekend’s festivities. But they are thrilled to be celebrating their seafood again! RELATED: Dealing with traffic on Fort Myers Beach Erickson said, “For this weekend, Sunday will be kind of our big day. We’ll be doing the blessing of the fleet. And we’re also doing new to this year, a church service that will be at 10. Then the blessing will be at 11, after that. St. Raphael’s church will be doing a shrimp boil here. And thanks to Storm Smart, we will be having shirts on donation, as well as thanks to Brandt Adamski, Fitch, Fletcher and Sanchez; we will have beers on donation.” Blessing the shrimp boats More than just a ritual, these boats mean something to this community. They help provide jobs, bring seafood back to our restaurants and keep our Southwest Florida economy going. The men and women who work on these shrimp boats are out for 30 days at a time, year-round, catching the best shrimp for our community. Blessing their boats is the community’s way of seeing where their beloved shrimp come from while giving the shrimpers a chance to connect with Fort Myers Beach. This is one of the few boats that survived Hurricane Ian at the Erickson and Jensen docks. Erickson said this prayer means more to these shrimpers than many know. “They love that the community cares. It means the world to them that, you know, as fishermen, most of their lives are spent at sea. So to have the community come down and give them that moment. I mean, honestly, it means it means the world to them.”