Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.
Friends of Boca Grande Community Center will postpone all scheduled programs for November and December as the island continues its recovery from storms Helene and Milton, both of which flooded the organization’s offices and locations at the Boca Grande Community Center. In a letter to supporters, Marta Powell, executive director of Friends of Boca Grande, […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Breaking News, Featured News, News.
Day by day Hurricane Milton recovery on Gasparilla Hurricane Milton was the third hurricane landfall in Florida this year after Debby and then Helene less than two weeks prior. Below is an approximate timeline of Milton’s impacts on Gasparilla Island throughout the week, gathered from Beacon reporting, local weather stations and Gasparilla Island Conservation and […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Breaking News, Community, News.
In a visit aimed at highlighting the importance of local commerce, Florida Commerce Secretary Alex Kelly toured Gasparilla Island on Tuesday, Oct. 15, to meet with small business owners affected by the recent hurricanes. Kelly’s visit focused on businesses still recovering from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which caused significant damage in the area. Kelly and […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community, Featured News, News.
A disaster fund to assist island businesses has raised nearly $1 million in cash, with hopes of reaching $3 million to help local businesses survive. The goal of the fund is to “make sure everybody stays in business,” said Larry Hannah, one of three organizers of the fund, which is being run through the Lighthouse […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in Featured News, News, Police & Fire.
BY CHIEF C.W. BLOSSER The Beacon has been putting the daily emails from Chief Blosser out on our Storm Center page at BocaBeacon.com. Chief, as folks call him, has an un-erring ability to sum it all up. We print this not only as a matter of record, but a sense of the scale of the recovery […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in News.
During its regular meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 15, the Board of Lee County Commissioners included various updates on Boca Grande Milton recovery, including sand screening and permitting. Lee Director of Solid Waste Douglass Whitehead gave an update on debris collection, which started for Hurricane Milton on Monday, Oct. 14. By Tuesday’s meeting they had collected […]
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Featured News, News.
The Rev. Anthony Hewitt, priest of Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church, has begun daily Mass at the parish’s Life Center, and for the time being will have one Mass on Sundays there, as well. The main church, rectory and Boca Grande Preschool, which is under the direction of the Catholic Diocese of Venice, are […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in Education, Featured News, News.
BY CHRISTINE OLIVER We would like to provide you with an update regarding our transition to our temporary location. We are excited to welcome all students back on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, at Fellowship Church in Rotonda. We are grateful to Fellowship Church for allowing us to use their space, and we will continue to follow […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Education, Letters to the Editor.
Reflecting on early childhood education at the preschool BY KELLENE CARPENTER Editor’s Note: Kelli Carpenter wrote this essay for the Beacon just before Helene. The school was hurt badly in the storms but will rebuild. Over the summer, I had a conversation with a Boca Grande Preschool Board Member about characteristics of quality early-childhood programs. […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Editorial.
On the Saturday before Milton, this editor was at Dollar Tree in Englewood, at the Winn-Dixie shopping center. For those who do not know it, Dollar Tree almost always has UHT (ultra-high temperature) milk in those juice box containers. For reference, and for the next storm, they are on the bottom shelf in the back. […]