The Lee County Department of Transportation asks motorists in the Pine Island-Matlacha area to use caution Wednesday, Jan. 28, and Thursday, Jan. 29, as intermittent lane closures occur on the Matlacha Drawbridge.
The intermittent, single-lane closures are anticipated from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days. A flagging operation will ensure that emergency vehicles will be given priority and that traffic can continue to move throughout the daytime work.
The drawbridge will not be closed both directions; one lane will remain open.
Lee County DOT’s contractor will work on the traffic signals and sign assemblies on the bridge. (Signals are used when the drawbridge opens and closes.) A ...
Let’s Flamingle Island Expo will be held Saturday, Jan. 17, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., hosted by Castaways Island Realty at 3366 Stringfellow Road, St. James City.
Connect with local businesses, talk with local Realtors, shop island artists and vendors, enjoy food trucks and raffle prizes. There will also be swag bags, face painting and more!
For information, contact Castaways Island Realty at (239) 282-0770
This Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, the Greater Pine Island Civic Association will once again join forces with the Pine Island Garden Club and the Calusa Land Trust to show Pine Island some love during a special pine tree giveaway.
The effort will provide free longleaf pine seedlings to Island residents to help repopulate Pine Island with native trees lost due to the stress and subsequent beetle infestation from hurricanes Ian, Helene and Milton.
The trees come from the Florida Forest Service, which produces more than 4 million bare-root pine seedlings at its Andrews Nursery in Chiefland, Florida, annually and sells them in bulk to non-commercial growers. By purchasing in bulk, the ...
This Thursday, Jan. 15, the Pine Island Garden Club, at its monthly meeting beginning at 9 a.m. at the Fishers of Men Lutheran Church, will host Robert Ballard, who will provide a history and the restoration plans of the Calusa Land Trust’s newest preserve, the Chipley Sandpatch Preserve.
Ballard is a fifth generation Floridian who was raised on Pine Island. He has lived in New England and traveled extensively throughout the US, Europe and South America. After retiring from a sales career, he returned to his island roots. He has been active in civic organizations throughout his career and is a past president of CLT and presently serves as its chief steward over its ...
An in-person book discussion of “Broken Country” by Claire Leslie Hall will be held Tuesday, Jan. 20, beginning at 1:30 p.m.
The Friends of the Pine Island Library will gather in the Pine Island Library Meeting Room for a lively discussion led by librarian Jackie McGuire.
After ...
The focus of the Greater Pine Island Civic Association’s January general meeting was an update from the zoning committee on pending projects, as well as an invitation to the general public attending the meeting about topics that could possibly be discussed in the future.
GPICA board president Chris Blum Began by inviting members to share these ideas with the group.
“We’re gonna throw some ideas around of maybe what we want to see in 2026 — who do we want to see? Who do we want to hear from? If we can think about that, before we get to that and have some ideas to share,” Blum said.
GPICA board secretary Steve Eldredge shared with members that he last shared a Pine ...
Due to the upcoming expected cold weather, The Salvation Army of Fort Myers will be opening its Center of Hope at 2400 Edison Ave. as a temporary warming station and shelter in coordination with Lee County partner agencies.
Summary Details:
• What: Salvation Army Cold Weather Warming ...
Future and current Southwest Florida homeowners can get an up-close-and-personal look at some of the region’s residential builders, as the Cape Coral Construction Industry Association’s annual Showcase of Homes kicks off Friday.
CCCIA’s 2026 Builders’ Showcase of Homes begins today, as ...
There were cattle in Florida before there were cattle in Texas. Ranchers would move their herds up and down the state, throughout the inland areas.
In fact, many of the events you see at a rodeo, such as steer wrestling and calf roping, were used to doctor the animals, not for ...
Bridge is played at 12:30 pm every Wednesday at the Fishers of Men Lutheran Church, 10360 Stringfellow Rd., St. James City.
Anyone wishing to play is welcome and does not need a partner. It costs $3 to play, some of which goes back to the winners of the game.
Winners on Jan. 7: Mary ...
For those of us old enough to remember the ‘60s, the times they aren’t a-changin.’
The current administration’s decision to wage a boots-on-the-ground “police action” is not the first time an administration, citing preservation and protection of country ideals, has been willing to ...
