Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Breaking News, News.
This was updated Monday, Sept. 30, and newer stories. Information on sand and debris is now available here. After surveying across Gasparilla Island, it appears that at absolute minimum, dozens of houses have been severely damaged by Hurricane Helene, and many more with substantial damage. In town, many businesses, including Hudson’s and Fugutes, were flooded. […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Breaking News, Featured News, News.
BOCA GRANDE – Like that fifth labor of Heracles, cleaning out the Augean stables, a crew from Lee County has installed a pumps to clear putrid standing water off Gasparilla Road today. By late afternoon, the crew arrived mid-island, where large portions of Gasparilla Road in Lee County are impassible due to standing water. The […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, News, Uncategorized.
Recovery efforts are underway in response to Hurricane Helene in Charlotte County. Clearing and removing storm debris is a major part of the recovery effort. Charlotte County Public Works asks for residents’ cooperation to properly separate storm debris by category and adhere to the collection guidelines. It is the property owners’ responsibility to bring the […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Breaking News, Featured News, News.
Currently all 20 lift stations are working on the island, and every lift station has power. However, the system is filled with seepage of sea water and rain, and Gasparilla Island Water Authority will be working all of today and tomorrow to clear out the system. The treatment plant continued to work and was not […]
Written by Delores Savas on . Posted in Columns, News, Sports & Outdoors.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead, American cultural anthropologist, author, and speaker Astute readers might recognize the above quote from other Eco Watch columns. However, this quote by Margaret Mead fits the essence of this column. […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Editorial.
Last week, after a visit to the Lee County Board of County Commissioners, a reader asked the Beacon what you had to do to speak at a Lee County meeting if you have concerns. The answer is simple. You need to drive to Ft. Myers, attend the meeting and speak. If you are addressing an […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
ee coThe Lee Board of County Commissioners voted last week to award a nearly $39.2 contract to nourish beaches on Lovers Key and Bonita Beach to address chronic erosion and damage caused by Hurricane Ian in September 2022. The main project consists of 1.1 miles of shoreline within Lovers Key State Park and 0.8 miles […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Community, Letters to the Editor.
BY EMERSON WICKWIRE I applaud the Beacon, serving both as a community platform for ideas to identify and resolve community issues, as well as a central source of information on issue background and facts. I have followed the surge of Beacon letters commenting not just on our ever-present parking issues, but also on the pending […]
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Profiles, Society.
Once someone meets Caroline Farrington, they are unlikely to forget her. She has the smile, the flair, the looks and, yes, the accent, that make her virtually unforgettable. She comes by all these attributes quite honestly, as a woman who has seen the world, taken the best of it and made a comfortable, low-key living […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Columns, News, Sports & Outdoors.
And then there were ten. Yes, the BGSTA turtle patrollers are down to the last ten incubating nests on the island. Eight loggerhead and two green turtle nests. The last observed hatch was weeks ago on September 8th, but there is still hope that at least a couple of the remaining nests, especially those that […]