

The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to authorize staff to pursue the purchase of two parcels – including an 80.5-acre parcel in Bokeelia – for the Conservation 20/20 land acquisition program. The Bokeelia parcel is near the Conservation 20/20 Smokehouse Bay Preserve and within the Matlacha Pass Aquatic Preserve on the northeastern portion of Pine Island. It is a former ornamental tree farm and plant nursery. The other parcel is 15.5 acres in the southeastern part of Lee County surrounded by state-owned conservation land within the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed. The Conservation 20/20 Land Acquisition and Stewardship Advisory Committee voted to ...
(Due to technical difficulties, last week’s Greater Pine Island Civic Association meeting live streamed without sound. The following meeting notes were taken by GPICA Board Vice President Nadine Slimak and presented as a wrap-up of the meeting.) GPICA Members Elect New Board and Provide Other Community Updates Members of the Greater Pine Island Civic Association (GPICA) elected new board members during the organization’s annual meeting, which took place Tuesday, Feb. 4, at the First Baptist Church of Pine Island. The meeting also included updates on a celebration of life for Calusa Waterkeeper and Pine Island resident Codty Pierce, new developments in the Seven Islands major ...
The Pine Island Garden Club, founded in 1975, is empowered with over 100 active members, who follow the mission of the promotion, protection and conservation of Pine Island’s natural beauty. Its annual fundraiser, the Pine Island Garden Gala, is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 22, beginning at 9 a.m. and continuing until 3 p.m., at the St James City Civic Association located off Lemon Street between 4th and 5th Avenues. Due to limited parking on site, the First Baptist Church of St. James City, located at the intersection of Oleander Street and 8th Avenue, has graciously allowed the use of its parking lot to operate a shuttle service to and from the event. This fun-filled family ...
A St. James City nurse has been arrested after she was accused of not properly feeding a child in her professional care. Kelly Perrigo, 62, was arrested Wednesday morning and charged with felony child neglect following an investigation conducted by Cape Coral Police. According to CCPD ...
Sue Dahod said she would describe herself as an environmental advocate, an outdoors person and a biologist. As a retired islander she said her activities as a volunteer have been largely focused on water quality. “Essentially I retired from a job where I was doing both engineering and ...
MATLACHA, Fla. – There will be intermittent bridge closures on Wednesday, Feb. 12, to allow crews to accept deliveries of concrete bridge piles to the Little Pine Island Bridge worksite and unload onto the barge. The deliveries will start as early as 6 p.m. and will continue until all piles are delivered. Crews will clear traffic in between deliveries to lessen the impact to motorists on and off the island. Motorists are asked to exercise caution and reduce their speed while driving through the work zone. To sign up for updates and access the weekly Road Watch, please visit the project website at 451937-2 Pine Island Causeway and Bridge Reconstruction Project. To access the bridge ...
Recent data released by Southwest Florida’s largest food bank showed a substantial increase in distributions in 2024 compared to the previous year. Harry Chapin Food Bank's 2024 Impact Report detailed a 10.6% increase in pounds of food distributed from 2023 to 2024, totaling 39.5 million ...
One of Southwest Florida’s largest charity car shows returns next Saturday to Mariner High School. The ninth annual Cape Coral Charity Car Show, sponsored by Cape Coral First Methodist Church, takes place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Feb. 22. The event is expected to be packed with nearly 400 ...
The limited scope audit conducted by Lee County Clerk and Comptroller Kevin Karnes for the Lee County School Board did not reveal any major problems. Karnes said the suggestions and recommendations that they made to the board were relatively normal and expected. “I didn’t have anything ...
When I tell guests on my boat that dolphins never completely sleep, they are astounded. But in truth, if dolphins fell completely asleep as humans do, they would drown. They have to surface to breathe and this is a conscious decision. Humans have prolonged periods of unconscious sleep and we ...
The Lee County School District is planning to adjust school bell times next year, something that will impact students and families. The proposed changes do have a down side — many elementary students will start their days later, which may affect working parents. There also is the ...