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Engineer at Gasparilla Bridge today to detail repairs

Hurricane Milton has undermined the roadway of the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority, including the roadbed and outbuildings. An independent engineer will arrive at the bridge today to recommend both a quick fix and a permanent solution. “This is a hard one,” said Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority Executive Director Kathy Banson by phone last night. “It’s […]

Gasparilla evacuation and the Gasparilla Island Water Authority, links to press conferences

Today on Gasparilla Island, everyone is buttoning up and preparing, and the streets are getting quieter. According to Ron Bolton, executive director of the Gasparilla Island Water Authority, the utility will be shutting down the water and sewer system either tonight, or tomorrow. That means that residents should get off the island, and make other […]

Charlotte County debris from Little Gasparilla staging at Eldred’s

Charlotte County will open a debris drop-off site at Eldred’s Marina, 6301 Boca Grande Causeway beginning Saturday, Oct. 5. The debris drop-off site is for residents of Little Gasparilla Island. No commercial debris is allowed. No perishable waste or household garbage is allowed. For a list of acceptable items to discard, visit www.CharlotteCountyFL.gov/solidwaste and click Mini-Transfer and Recycling […]

Island School hopes Monday open

BY CHRISTINE OLIVER, HEAD OF SCHOOL Students’ first day back to school is tentatively scheduled for Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. However, we still need the all-clear from the county. Lee County Facilities and several teams from Fireservice Emergency Disaster Response are currently at The Island School. They appear to be on schedule to be out […]

HELENE TIMELINE

Hurricane Helene brought the second highest water levels to Southwest Florida in 60 years (after Hurricane Ian). Below is an approximate timeline of Helene’s impacts on Gasparilla Island over the last week, gathered from Beacon reporting and local weather stations. Thursday, Sept. 26 1 p.m.: Wind gusts, minor bands of rain and high tides. Power […]

Lithium batteries and salt cause extra fire risk

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, local fire departments, including the Boca Grande Fire Department, are responding to alarms relating to lithium batteries. When exposed to water, these batteries can rapidly deteriorate, overheat, and release gasses that may cause explosions and fast-moving fires. The rule is that if they have been damaged by water, get […]

Boca Bargains moves merchandise 

BY WENDY FREEMAN, BOCA GRANDE WOMAN’S CLUB The interior of our building at the Community Center took in a lot of water and mud, and there was plenty of damage. Floors will need to be replaced. Most of our cabinets, shelving, rolling racks etc., will also need to be replaced. Our amazing team of Jinny […]

Health Clinic operations detailed

BY MARK DRISCOLL, CEO The Boca Grande Health Clinic is operational with a small team onsite and physicians on call for urgent care. As you can imagine, our doctors have been busy over the last few days mending broken bones, and attending to falls, bites and scrapes. All those injuries we typically see after major […]

Gasparilla recovery the subject of Lee Commission meeting on Tuesday morning

Lee County provided a hurricane recovery update at its regularly scheduled Board of County Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, including updates on the Boca Grande Community Center grounds. Assistant County Manager Robert Codie said that the Community Center and The Island School had between 2-22 inches of water intrusion. “Those buildings are old, […]