News
EcoWatch: Barred owl vs the spotted owl: A fight for survival
January 8, 2026
Barred owls are expanding their habitat because the forest in the East has been cut down. That’s called adaptive range expansion. And do you know what? Whether you believe in God or nature, whatever…
Getting prepped for Gasparilla Island Tennis Classic
January 2, 2026
The Boca Beacon’s Gasparilla Island Tennis Classic opens on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026.
The annual all-island tournament will be held at the Boca Bay Pass Club, The Gasparilla Inn Tennis Club and th…
Corkscrew Swamp will open new Discovery Center in February
January 2, 2026
Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Spurlino Foundation Discovery Center on Tuesday, Feb. 3, from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at the sanctuary, 375 Sanctuary Road. The…
Gasparilla Island Water Association sets annual meeting and nominates officers
January 2, 2026
The Gasparilla Island Water Association, or GIWA’s, Annual Membership Meeting will be held at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 20.
Stewardship of drinking water remains a high priority for the Associatio…
Calusa Blueway speaker series begins on Tuesday, Jan. 6
January 2, 2026
Kayaking the Everglades is the first talk in a series of free Calusa Blueway Paddling Trail-related programs set for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 6, at the Wa-Ke Hatchee Recreation Center, 16760 Bass Roa…
Lee-Charlotte Meeting on Jan. 5
January 2, 2026
A meeting between Charlotte and Lee Counties regarding the Boca Grande Parking Ordinance will occur on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, in Punta Gorda. The meeting will be at the Punta Gorda Library. The meeti…
EcoWatch: Make 2026 a New Year of kept promises and action
January 2, 2026
A resolution starts with a goal, A promise made within your soul, To grow, to learn, to start each day, To let old habits fall away. It’s not perfection that we seek, But steady steps, week by week…
Sheriff: Vigilant islander finds fraud activity on credit report
January 2, 2026
Monday Dec. 15, Deputy Angelo Lanni of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, responded to an island man who had found fraudulent activity during a review of his credit reports.
The man found that som…
SW Florida Fishing: Adventures around every turn…
January 2, 2026
BY CAPT. JOE LECLAIR
Fishing in and out of the boat recently has brought us to meet some new friends. Sometimes the fish we catch are only part of the story. The Dalai Lama defines sentient being…
Palm Island Estates sets Annual Meeting
January 2, 2026
Palm Island Estates will hold their Annual Membership Meeting on Jan. 3, 2026 at 10 a.m. at the Fire House on Gasparilla Way.
Check-in starts at 9:30 a.m. Meeting starts at 10 a.m. They will revi…










