Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ STAFF REPORT Suncoast Humane Society is looking for its next “top model” to star in its 2019 Pet Calendar. The calendars are a major fundraiser for the organization, raising top dollars to benefit dogs, cats, and other small animals that live at Suncoast Humane Society until they can find their forever homes. Hundreds of […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ PROVIDED BY THE US NAVY OFFICE OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH A 2002 Lemon Bay High School graduate and Boca Grande, Florida, native is presently engaged in a critical mission for the security of the United States: deterring nuclear war. Lt. Cmdr. Kathy Paradis, a staff judge advocate, is supporting the world’s most advanced ballistic missile […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Editorial, Letters to the Editor, News, Opinion.
■ BY HALEY RUTGER, MOTE MARINE LABORATORY From October 2017 through July 2018, Mote and its partners have monitored extensively for Florida red tide designed to augment public information on the status of the bloom. (For monitoring updates, see the resource list at the bottom of this story.) Mote and FWC have jointly collected 608 water […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Editorial, Letters to the Editor, News, Opinion.
To the Editor: We are regular visitors to Boca Grande from England and are horrified by what is happening with the red tide this year. It was bad enough when we were there in February/March, but we understand from friends who are part-time residents that it is now far worse! We have seen a couple […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE When Lisa Haney and her husband, Mike, got to the Palm Island ferry landing on Tuesday night, July 31, they weren’t dressed for carrying manatees. That ended up being what happened though, as this particular sea cow was one of many that have been killed or made sick by red tide. […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY SUE ERWIN Pam DeFouw is the new director of operations at the Wildlife Center of Venice, but she certainly is not new to the facility. DeFouw started out as a volunteer for the organization in 2011, cleaning and feeding sick, injured and orphaned wildlife. She was quickly offered a position cleaning cages at […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ STAFF REPORT Lee County has hired its debris-removal contractor to supplement efforts currently underway by Parks & Recreation employees to clean county beaches affected by the recent red tide fish kill. Crowder Gulf will begin Thursday morning, concentrating first along county parks and beach accesses on the Sanibel Causeway, Lynn Hall Park to Bowditch […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY CAPT. VAN HUBBARD Unfortunately, the talk of our town now is red tide and water quality/polluted local waters. For now, our local marine economy is virtually shut down. A few offshore boats are getting out into the Gulf fishing, though. This current outbreak followed our May rains. We’ve had problems with red tide […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ STAFF REPORT Florida’s 2018 “Back-to-School” sales tax holiday is set for August 3 to August 5 this year. Parents and students can save sales tax as follows: Clothing, footwear and certain accessories selling for $60 or less per item are exempt. “Clothing” means any article of wearing apparel, including all footwear. Bicycle helmets marketed […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY SUE ERWIN Despite the effects of red tide, sea turtle nest numbers are continuing to grow, hatchlings are making their way to the water, and excavations are being done by patrol members on a consistent basis. As of July 27, the Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association reported 614 Caretta caretta (loggerhead) turtle nests […]