Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Profiles.
■ BY SUE ERWIN Brian Darna remembers going fishing with his uncle, Capt. Babe Darna, many times when he was a teenager. He specifically recalls catching a 132-pound tarpon that took him more than 30 minutes to bring to the boat. “We used to come down in the summer and my dad would bring us […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Editorial, News.
■ SUBMITTED BY THE OFFICE OF GOV. RICK SCOTT Governor Rick Scott directed the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to implement several changes to help South Florida’s commercial fishermen recover from the effects of Hurricane Irma and get back to work. The elimination of these regulations, combined with the waiving of fees, will […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY KATHY BANSON-VERRICO The swing bridge and two other bridges sustained no damage during the storm. We re-installed the protective traffic gate arms, performed a successful test opening, and the swing bridge opened to boat traffic on Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 7 a.m. No opening requests have been made as of press time on […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE Would you believe we have been dealing with Irma in our daily lives since Monday, Sept. 4? That was the day, at about 9:20 a.m. when we first received word that this particular hurricane might affect our island. The spaghetti models were aimed at Southwest Florida, and people were urged to […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE You will have to forgive me this week as far as the content of the paper goes, our office has had no way to put out a newspaper this week. We have no power, no phones, no internet. This paper was created in my home in South Gulf Cove, put on […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY SUE ERWIN Cancellations and closings due to Irma include: • No services at the Boca Grande Lighthouse United Methodist Church on Sunday, Sept. 10; • No services at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church on Saturday, Sept. 9 or Sunday, Sept. 10; • Fugates is closed until further notice; • The youth fishing […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE Boca Grande Fire Chief C.W. Blosser addressed a very crowded room on Wednesday, Sept. 6 at 2 p.m. Each person in attendance was a piece in the Emergency Operations Center puzzle for our island, and Blosser briefed them regarding plans for our particular community. As of that meeting, tropical storm winds […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY SUE ERWIN A sea turtle nest that was thought to be lost to a storm has been accounted for and a baby hatching from it was rescued. On August 19, Turtle Patrol Volunteers on Zone 1 (North End of the Island) Randy and Linda Simmons discovered a nest that had been predated by a bobcat and […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Profiles.
■ BY SUE ERWIN Kelly Emery is a great person to know when you need to cool down, especially during the steamy days of September in Southwest Florida. Kelly is the change-out coordinator at Grande Aire in Boca Grande. If your air conditioning unit breaks and you call for help, your name and paperwork will most likely […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Editorial, Featured News, Letters to the Editor, News, Opinion.
■ SUBMITTED BY CHARLOTTE COUNTY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER Residents with pets face additional tasks when preparing for a disaster. All Charlotte County shelters accept pets except the special needs shelters. Pet owners are encouraged to prepare ahead of time, should there be a need to evacuate for a possible disaster. Pet-friendly shelters provide a safer […]