Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Profiles.
It’s terrible when food is your enemy. Laura Witt is working to take the “bite” out of food that is meant to make us happy. Laura is a baker who makes exclusively gluten-free deliciousness. Laura is the daughter of Marilyn and the late Howard Witt, longtime residents of Chicago and Boca Grande. Laura has decided […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Columns, Community History.
BY MILTON BELLMilton Bell is a Boca Grande native, born October 26, 1950, who grew up on the property of the phosphate loading facility at Port Boca Grande. He is one of six children born to Angelo and Myrtle Padilla Bell, who moved to Boca Grande in 1926. Angelo Bell was born in Punta Gorda […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Columns, Sports & Outdoors.
BY CAPT. WILL WATERHOUSE Not only have the holidays brought great weather, they have also brought great fishing! The back country fishing has been outstanding this past week! Large speckled trout are being caught on live bait and artificial lures. If you are looking for action the speckled trout are your best bet. Look for […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community, News.
The island Disaster Fund is now at $3,596,000 to aid island non-profits and businesses. “It keeps coming in,” said co-organizer Larry Hannah, who is one of a group of volunteers who are helping to sort and select the donations that have helped with recovery from hurricanes Helene and Milton. Officially they are ending the fund […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Entertainment, News.
Some new Florida books: “State of Paradise” by Laura van den Berg In a small Florida town, a ghostwriter navigates a surreal summer filled with missing people, a mysterious virtual reality device from a company called ELECTRA and eerie changes in her own life, including family secrets and a bizarre physical transformation. When her […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Entertainment, Events, News.
BY FRIENDS OF BOCA GRANDE Join the Friends on Friday, January 10, at 4:30 p.m. at St. Andrew’s for a lecture by Yale Professor Paul Freedman on his book, “Ten Restaurants That Changed America.” This lecture explores not the ten best restaurants, but rather ten influential establishments that, through their history and impact on themes […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Breaking News, News, Police & Fire.
Last Thursday, Dec. 26 a six-year-old girl was missing for about 15 minutes after being seen walking northbound of 1st Street and Gilchrist Avenue. The girl was found safely in about 15 or 20 minutes. She reportedly wandered up the beach, where she was found. “They found her pretty quickly thank goodness,” Boca Grande Fire […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Breaking News, News.
The Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority will have final year-end numbers from the bridge at the end of this week; so far, the December traffic count is up about 1,000 from December 2023. “We average about 93,000 vehicles each December,” wrote Executive Director Kathy Banson in an update to the Beacon. “Through last Thursday (12/26) our […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, Featured News, News.
It’s the time of year to check on and update your listing in the 4-Digit Phone Book. Since 1991, the Boca Beacon has published this reference text, one of the last remaining residential phone books in the U.S., which were once ubiquitous. Do you have a new number? Do you want to switch to or […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.
The Charlotte County Commission has scheduled a utilities quarterly update meeting at 1 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Room 119 of the Charlotte County Administration Center, 18500 Murdock Circle, Port Charlotte, FL. Discussions include but are not limited to updates on fiscal, utility projects, sewer master plan, West Port Water Reclamation Facility expansion, and […]