Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Obituaries.
Mary Naylor Donahue passed away peacefully on October 19, 2025, following a courageous battle with kidney and heart disease. She was 85 and a devoted parishioner at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church in Boca Grande, Florida. Mary was born on January 11, 1940, in Greenville, South Carolina, to Mary Amelia Metts and Edward Wood […]
Written by Angela McPhillips on . Posted in Police & Fire, Profiles.
New firefighter-paramedic at BGFD When firefighter-paramedic Pat Sherman joined the Boca Grande Fire Department, he wasn’t looking for a change of scenery so much as a closer sense of community. After nearly a decade in the fire service, he was ready to work in a smaller department where teamwork and connection still define the job. […]
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Community, Opinion, Sports & Outdoors.
From Illinois, turtle appreciation BY RICK MUSGROVE When I first arrived at the west side of Gasparilla Island in Boca Grande four and a half months ago, the beach was littered with stakes. Up and down the coastline were stakes in groups of three with a colored ribbon at the top that went from stake […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community History.
FIVE YEARS AGO The north end of the island and town were undergoing road construction and detours as sidewalk improvement, sewer improvement and a manual bridge lift was being tested. TEN YEARS AGO All four age levels of the Englewood Cats Cheer teams competed in the Peace River Cheer Competition and brought home a first-place […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Columns, Sports & Outdoors.
BY CAPT. WILL WATERHOUSE Another amazing week of fall fishing here in Boca Grande! The weather has been very comfortable and the fish have been biting! We are mainly targeting snook right now with lots of smaller sized fish keeping days action packed, along with some really nice fish measuring over 30 inches. Along with […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Breaking News, News.
Lee County has created an email address for questions about the new Boca Grande parking regulations. It is BocaGrandeParkingCommittee@leegov.com. The email address came about after merchants and residents were concerned that signs, including a “By Permit Only” resident sign, had gone up across the island before parking permits were ready or even announced. Potential fines […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in News, Uncategorized.
As signs go up across Boca Grande for a new parking ordinance, some merchants are already worried about placement, including an area on 4th Street that is marked on the ordinance with one side of the street for permits, and another side as 3-hour. “We are concerned that our entire front entry will be completely blocked,” […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
There are four nests left on the island after the fall sea turtle season. As the season is wrapping up there isn’t much of anything happening as we wait for those last nests to hatch. If you’d like to learn more about the BGSTA and what we do, as well as how you can volunteer […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Entertainment, Events, News.
This upcoming season marks the beginning of the Johann Fust Library Foundation’s milestone 75th year, and the 2025-2026 Literary Series offers the community the opportunity to see and hear exceptional authors and speakers. Most of these events are free to attend, with only two exceptions. Additionally, in honor of its 75th Anniversary, the foundation has […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Police & Fire.