Erika Jackson

Rental agencies have been preparing for this moment since the shutdown, and it’s just in time for Memorial Day weekend, one of the busiest of the year. The state has approved Charlotte County’s plan for short-term vacation rentals to resume. Hotels and motels were allowed to stay open during the pandemic, unless a local jurisdiction […]

Whether you’re a cat person or a dog lover, spending more time at home is much better with a pet, but the Better Business Bureau is warning that some animal lovers are getting ripped off. One of those was Pam Elcik of Fort Myers. She thought she found the perfect pets on Craigslist – two […]

The Sunseeker Resort project in Charlotte County is suspended indefinitely as Allegiant Air loses money amid the coronavirus pandemic. The gates surrounding Sunseeker Resort Charlotte Harbor are locked, and crews hired by Allegiant won’t resume construction until at least late 2021. “We have said from the outset, the most important component of our model is […]

Mother Nature started 2020 showing off her sweet side, putting “Citrus Sweet” crops on track for a 20% increase in harvest. “The crops were excellent this year. We had a warm season, relatively dry season,” said owner of Citrus Sweet, George Winslow. But now, you can see his losses on the ground — more than […]

A fire in the Placida Sands neighborhood in Charlotte County has already damaged one structure and forced two homes to evacuate. The fire in the area of Brig Circle and Linwood Road off of Gasparilla Road is currently at 60 acres with 95% containment, according to Charlotte County Fire. Fire at 95% contained at this […]

Dr. Anthony Fauci’s dire testimony comes as leaders here in Southwest Florida say they want more industries to get back to work. As customers make their way back inside restaurants, Charlotte County commissioners say it’s not as hard hit as other areas of our state. Hostess Jennifer Newman, at Wally’s Southern Barbecue in Port Charlotte, […]

Hair washing, fresh cuts, color and perms – hair salons and barbershops are back open. Southwest Floridians like Joan Herity of Placida are very eager to get back in the chair, saying, “I had so much hair that if you grab me on the hair on my head then you could swing me around.” Marie […]

Pick up your paddles and racquets! Tennis and pickleball courts re-opened across Charlotte County Friday morning, and clearly, they’ve been missed. Cheryl Bellio and her friend Susan Armo traded their AC, for the light breeze on a Punta Gorda tennis court. “It’s been great today,” Bellio said. “The weather has been perfect.” With Armo adding, […]

Some workers at Port Charlotte’s Fawcett Memorial Hospital said their colleagues are becoming their new patients with COVID-19, and now, the hospital’s CEO has abruptly resigned. “I think there are more positive employees than there are patients,” said Ann Stager, circulating RN in the surgery unit. Staff at Fawcett said that’s their concerning reality and […]

Patients of a doctor say they were sexually assaulted by the person they trusted. At least half a dozen women say Dr. Thomas Lohstreter of Sarasota violated them in their most vulnerable moments, during appointments in his office. Detectives say they were initially alerted in December 2019 to possible misconduct. We spoke to a lawyer […]