Written by Arlene Hall on . Posted in Columns, News, Sports & Outdoors.
BY ARLENE HALL, BOCA GRANDE SEA TURTLE ASSOC. On June 26, Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association (BGSTA) turtle patrollers documented the 400th sea turtle nest of the 2026 nesting season. Coincidentally, on the very same day, the first nest hatched! Over 100 hatchlings came out of the sand overnight and made the mad dash to […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Real Estate, Sports & Outdoors.
Centennial Fishing Pier located at 14021 Gasparilla Road in Placida will be closed for repair work starting July 13. The pier is anticipated to reopen on July 27. The pier closing is on Coral Creek, to the north of Gasparilla Road. Both the Boca Grande Fishing Pier on Gasparilla Island and Placida Fishing Pier are […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Entertainment, News.
Above, the July/August Gasparilla Magazine cover image captured by H Wetzel in Key West in 2023. The new Gasparilla Magazine is out for July/August 2026. Inside are a bevy of stories in one of Florida’s award-winning magazines. The lead story is “Summer in Paradise,” a guide to resort deals across Florida. As things slow down […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, Entertainment, Featured News, News.
The Boca Grande Fourth of July Golf Cart Parade is set for Saturday morning. The event is an annual July 4th tradition on the island. There are no entry fees, and you just need to line up around 8:30 a.m. at the Scarpa’s Coastal parking lot at 321 Park Ave. The lineup will leave at […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community History, News, Real Estate.
The Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board will consider two items at its upcoming meeting next week on July 8, including raising the parsonage on the First Baptist Church of Boca Grande campus to protect it from flooding and removing the historic designation from a house at 1000 10th Street West. The item relating to First […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Community, Featured News, News.
As the 2026 election season approaches, Gasparilla Island residents will have several local races on their ballots, including three seats on the Lee County Board of County Commissioners. There are two upcoming elections in Florida: the Aug. 18 primary election and the Nov. 3 general election. The November election will include federal, state and local […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Breaking News, News, Police & Fire.
On Sunday, a two-year-old almost drowned near the Range Light. The call came in at 12:41 p.m. on June 28. “We had another near drowning,” said C.W. Blosser, Boca Grande Fire Department chief. The call described a two-year-old; it is unclear what caused the child to lose consciousness. The child, reported to be a boy, […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community.
Boca Blooms crew with their golf cart all ready for the parade on Saturday. Shown from left: Inga Egilsson, Jennifer Gulli, Tina St. Onge and Terese Iammarino. They still have lots of decorations for carts at their shop at 411 Palm Ave., Boca Grande. Photo by Bonnie
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Obituaries.
Dr. Thomas P. James, radiologist and passionate sailor, passed away in Tidewell Hospice House in Venice on June 13. He was 92. Tom and his wife, Nancy, who survives, have been longtime Boca Grande winter residents, spending their summers in Michigan. A funeral mass will be celebrated on August 29 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community History, Profiles.
Perhaps one of the most useful trends unleashed by the Bicentennial in 1976 was a nationwide interest in family history. And what it took was often some family member, the family historian, who not only cared about the family’s stories but had the time and inclination to put all the facts and pictures together in […]