Richard Gonzales is NPR's National Desk Correspondent based in San Francisco. Along with covering the daily news of region, Gonzales' reporting has included medical marijuana, gay marriage, drive-by shootings, Jerry Brown, Willie Brown, the U.S. Ninth Circuit, the California State Supreme Court and any other legal, political, or social development occurring in Northern California relevant to the rest of the country.
A land acquisition approved by the state Wednesday includes 10,996 acres within the Caloosahatchee Big Cypress Corridor in Collier and Hendry counties. Also approved for purchased was a 1,059-acre rural lands protection easement within the Siboney Ranch Project in Okeechobee County.
Lee County government has launched a new online tool to help the community stay informed about active nuisance accumulation cases underway through the Code Enforcement process. Nuisance accumulation refers to the buildup of materials, debris or other items on private property that create unsafe or unsanitary conditions, attract pests or negatively affect surrounding properties.
Lee County is expanding the availability or lifesaving Automated Electronic Defibrillators (AEDs) with additional units to be placed outdoors in five Parks & Recreation locations. The new units mean Lee County will have deployed a total of 258 AEDs across several different county locations including parks and recreation sites, libraries, county administration offices, solid waste facilities, water treatment plants, baseball fields and more.
Producing Artistic Director Joe Simonelli has announced the closing of Cape Café Dessert Theatre in Cape Coral. Citing sparse ticket sales, the theater will close permanently as of January 1.
George Balanchine is often called the father of American ballet, A groundbreaking choreographer and co-founder of New York City Ballet, his innovative neoclassical style made him one of the most transformative figures in dance history. In “Masters of Movement,” Sarasota Ballet pays tribute to Balanchine with two dances that celebrate composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.