Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Breaking News, News, Sports & Outdoors.
Electromagnetic technology could reduce fishing depredation Scientists at Mote Marine Laboratory’s research facility in Sarasota are testing devices that send electric pulses intended to repel sharks from caught fish. Demian Chapman, senior scientist and director for Mote’s Center for Shark Research is leading shark research at the Marine Experimental Research Facility (MERF). Currently at the […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Breaking News, News, Police & Fire.
Saturday, July 26 around 9:30 a.m., a coordinated Marine Emergency Response Team (MERT) activation was launched for a vessel fire in Turtle Bay, an estuary at the south end of Cape Haze near the Island Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Charlotte County Marine 1 arrived to find a 20- to 24-foot recreational fishing vessel fully engulfed […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Featured News, News, Police & Fire.
A beachgoer found a burned U.S. Navy phosphorous flare on a Gasparilla Island beach on Tuesday evening around 22nd Street. According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the item was transported to the Charlotte County landfill for destruction. The Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Air Force […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community History.
FIVE YEARS AGO New hand sanitizing stations were being distributed to local businesses that took the “Boca Grande Pledge” to educate the public regarding cleanliness and slowing the spread of COVID. TEN YEARS AGO Charlotte County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested three men and were searching for a fourth who were fishing illegally near Alligator Creek. FIFTEEN […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Obituaries.
James A. Runde, a distinguished American investment banker, author, and corporate director, passed away peacefully at the age of 78 on July 26, 2025. With a career that spanned over six decades, he was one of the longest-serving investment bankers in American history. Runde began his career at Morgan Stanley in 1974, where he rose […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Education, Featured News, Profiles.
New at The Island School this year Anne Smith may be new to The Island School, but she’s no stranger to the classroom – with 20 years of teaching experience, she’ll begin her first week on island this Monday, Aug. 4. “I was in Sarasota County for 20 years,” Smith said. “My first five years, […]
Written by Delores Savas on . Posted in Columns, Sports & Outdoors.
In a world where so much that is wild and free has been lost to us, we must leave these beautiful animals free to swim as they will and must. They do us no harm and wish us none and we should let them alone. A dolphin smileis the greatest deception.It creates the illusionthat they […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community, News, Sports & Outdoors.
For safety reasons, Gasparilla Island State Park at the south end of the island will be temporarily closed at the southernmost entrance to the park due to the beach renourishment project, the Barrier Island Parks Society reports. Port Boca Grande Lighthouse & Museum will be closed as well until the park reopens. You can follow […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Columns, Sports & Outdoors.
BY ARLENE HALL, BGSTA SECRETARY My grandkids from Kansas were visiting for the past couple weeks, and one of the highlights is having them join me for turtle patrol early in the morning. OK, it’s one of my highlights; most days they would prefer a pre-breakfast dip in the pool over a pre-breakfast two-mile hike […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Police & Fire.
Lee County Emergency Medical Services has received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline EMS Gold achievement award for its commitment to offering rapid and research-based care to people experiencing the most severe form of heart attacks and strokes, ultimately saving lives. This is the 11th consecutive year for the national recognition. Mission: Lifeline EMS is […]