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LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Historical Society announces new executive position job opening

May 23, 2021
To the Editor: The Boca Grande Historical Society is announcing changes in the organization. The Society has grown significantly in the last several years and now plans to increase its staff. Kimbe…

Another shot across the bow at the NHR

May 17, 2021
BY SUSAN HANAFEE – Even as the Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board was conducting its routine monthly meeting this Wednesday, the skirmish over a controversial plan to nominate 129 downtown res…

Sabalo takes first in 2021 Ladies Day Capt. Van Hubbard almost ‘Had’Em,’ placed second

May 17, 2021
BY WESLEY LOCKE – For the 30th Anniversary of the Ladies Day Tarpon Tournament, we were promised no fish and rough waters. It’s no secret that women and mothers know how to take on a stormy situati…

Rest easy, Mike Weddle: 1954-2021 … A local legend as a friend, as a musician

May 17, 2021
BY MARCY SHORTUSE – Back in the day when Gasparilla Island was more about community and less about being an exclusive second-home or vacation destination, there was a guy named Mike Weddle and his …

A ‘dream house’ in the making, an eyesore in the meantime

May 17, 2021
BY SUSAN HANAFEE – Sometimes it takes time for dreams to come true. That appears to be the case for the Puerto family, out of Miami, who have been building a 5,000-plus square foot home on the sout…

Advances in understanding Alzheimer’s provide new hope

May 17, 2021
BY RAYMOND JAMES, D.O., BOCA GRANDE HEALTH CLINIC – While the nation was justly focused on fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia death increased 16 percent according to t…

Hurricane season begins June 1, and now is the time to prepare

May 17, 2021
STAFF REPORT – With June 1 on the horizon, signifying the beginning of hurricane season, one errand you should prioritize is making sure your hurricane hang tags, issued by the Boca Grande Fire Dep…

Tennis and Gasparilla Island: They’ve been synonymous for more than a century

May 17, 2021
BY T MICHELE WALKER – Boca Grande is famous for tarpon fishing, golf carting and spectacular views of the Gulf of Mexico, but it also boasts more tennis clubs and pros per capita than any island i…

POLICE BEAT: Mysterious van filled with fuel found abandoned at Placida boat ramp, CCSO asks all island residents to lock up their boats, tackle and other gear

May 17, 2021
On Friday, May 7 Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office investigators and Charlotte County Fire were on scene at the Placida boat ramp investigating a van found abandoned, filled with barrels of fuel.  …

OBITUARY: Mike Weddle

May 17, 2021
Michael Lee Weddle, born September 29, 1954, passed away on May 7, 2021 in Englewood at his home in Englewood, FL.  He was born in Compton, Calif. to parents Bob and Gene Weddle, but lived most of …