Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Breaking News, News, Police & Fire.
Surgeons were able to reattach hand A little after noon on Wednesday, June 11, a nine-year-old girl was injured by an apparent shark bite on the 2200 block of Shore Lane, according to Lee EMS alerts. The 911 alert, which went out at 12:11 p.m., read: “SHARK IN THE WATER/KID ARM INJ; SERIOUS bleeding; ARM […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Breaking News, Community, News.
While there is no date for the reopening of the Boca Grande Post Office, the USPS has updated the island on repair status for the Beacon. “The repairs at the Boca Grande Post Office are ongoing,” said Carol Hunt, a strategic communications specialist with the USPS in Texas and Florida. “Customers can be assured that […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community History, Opinion.
BY KATHY Y. FUTCH It was 10 p.m., on a February evening in 1975 at the intersection of Hwy. 41 and SR 776, which was very dark and desolate back then and only used by those who lived off it. A young man, named Mark, had gotten off a bus from Tampa where he had […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, Opinion.
Southwest Florida seafood tasting memories BY JIM COCHRUN In the early days of Southwest Florida, all small coastal towns had key spots where townspeople gathered and chatted about the news of the day. In our town it was the post office, our only grocery store, church and, of course, our local fish market. This is […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Editorial.
It is the end of an era in Florida. Lu, the hippopotamus at Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, died June 8, 2025. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Alexandra Kuchta had the good sense to send out a tribute email over the weekend. They said that the state’s “beloved” citizen hippo “passed away […]
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Profiles, Sports & Outdoors.
Our water watchman A new Calusa Waterkeeper recently joined the mission of protecting Southwest Florida’s water resources from pollution, misuse and overdevelopment. Joe Cavanaugh now holds this position and is already working to build alliances, share his knowledge and put his experience to work for the public good. Joe brings with him years of experience. “I […]
Written by Delores Savas on . Posted in Columns, Sports & Outdoors.
The majesty of a tree,The warmth of a summer sun,The calm of a quiet sea,The generous soul of nature,The comforting arm of night,The wisdom of all ages,The power of the eagle’s flight,The joy of a morning in spring,The fate of a mustard seed,The patience of eternity,The depth of a family need,Then God combined these qualities, […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Breaking News, Community, News.
Church group questions wording Emails being sent out to support a proposed parking regulation in Boca Grande have not clarified details sought by Gilchrist Avenue churches. An email sent out by the Boca Grande Men’s Club regarding ongoing parking regulations being reviewed by Lee County for Gasparilla Island has resulted in an email sent to […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in News, Police & Fire.
On Tuesday, May 27, Lee County Deputy Sheriff David Scozzafava, while on marked patrol, observed a white Club Car golf cart parked behind the Crews Bank and Trust, matching the description of a golf cart reported stolen from the 5000 block of Gasparilla Road on Sunday, May 25. The golf cart was unoccupied and was […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Columns, News, Sports & Outdoors.
BY ARLENE HALL,BGSTA SECRETARY Month one of sea turtle nesting season is in the books – and more importantly, on the beaches. The season officially began for BGSTA on May 1 and we documented exactly 600 total crawls (including both nests and false crawls) through May 31. Of those 600 crawls, 164 were loggerhead nests […]