Taylor Wirtz

A husband-and-wife team of food truck owners is giving back to frontline health care workers in Fort Myers in a tasty way to thank them for their hard work during the COVID-19 surge and before. A hot lunch may seem like a simple gesture of gratitude, but it can come freighted with meaning as well […]

Starting Thursday, Florida businesses can be fined $5,000 if they ask you to prove you’re vaccinated. But the statute may not be constitutional, and the rules could be different if businesses ask for a negative COVID-19 test instead. The difference is that the statute specifically states you can’t require documentation of vaccination status from customers, […]

The demand on college campuses for mental health counseling is growing so quickly that schools are struggling to meet the need; nationwide, more than 40% of college students are experiencing depression The trends Florida Gulf Coast University is seeing are on par with colleges around the rest of the country—these include an increase in anxiety, […]

Your drive through downtown Fort Myers will look very different in a year: Both 1st Street and 2nd Street will become two-way roads, and already you can see work beginning. Those who travel that way will notice parts of Palm Beach Boulevard have intermittently been taken down to one lane. Once the project is complete, […]

On Tuesday morning, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office honored one of its own, Corrections Deputy William Diaz, who died from COVID-19. He was not only a deputy, but a father, a husband, and friend to many. A service to celebrate his life was held at McGregor Baptist Church at 3750 Colonial Blvd. in Fort Myers. […]

There’s a new leader in the fight against homelessness in Southwest Florida, Therese Everly became the executive director of the Lee County Homeless Coalition last week, and she has fresh ideas for how the community can come together to make real change. Everly hopes her background will provide a unique perspective, having worked in real […]

Your recycling efforts are paying off: In the whole state of Florida, Lee County is one of the best counties at recycling. Since tracking began in 2000, it has been in the top 10 counties, coming in second in 2020. It was a tie between Charlotte and Pinellas counties for the top spot, with 78% […]

Doctors in Southwest Florida are treating 19 children hospitalized for COVID-19, and many parents are now wondering when their young children be able to get vaccinated. But doctors say it’s going to be a lot longer before that under-12 age group sees any sort of vaccine. With kids 5 to 11, it’s difficult to get […]

Cape Coral will re-evaluate its bus stop bench project Wednesday and figure out what’s next when it comes to the 200 benches across the city. A school district survey showed that out of 179 benches by school bus stops, 26 were used at least 50% of the time, while 125 of them were used less […]

Business is booming at Fort Myers Beach despite the dramatic surge in coronavirus cases, as tourism all around Southwest Florida sets new records. It’s doing so well, in fact, that those working in hospitality are struggling to keep up with demand. At this point in the year, with school starting up again, the influx of […]