Emma Rodriguez

Florida Southwestern State College will launch the region's first teacher apprenticeship program this fall semester. The program allows local paraprofessionals to gain paid, hands-on experience in a classroom over a two-year period.

About 75% of the world’s flowering plants and about 30% of crops rely on pollinators. Things like habitat loss, pesticide use, climate change, and invasive species are all threats to pollinator populations, which are truly essential for both ecological balance and food security. On August 22-23 Floridians can do their part as citizen scientists to help researchers keep tabs on the health of pollinator populations by participating in the Great Southeast Pollinator Census. To participate, during those two days you simply pick one or more plants in your yard that attract pollinators and watch them closely for 15 minutes and count each time an insect lands on the plant, and then upload that information into a database.

Southwest Florida’s growing population and rapid development means there’s always a construction project happening. But due to our coastal location, we’re also one of the hurricane capitals of the world.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission completed a revegetation effort on Lake Okeechobee last week, improving the habitat in Fisheating Bay, Moore Haven Marsh, and the Fisheating Bay islands.

The Lee County Public Safety Center, formerly the Lee Emergency Operations Center, opened Thursday following a ribbon cutting ceremony. The Public Safety Center features a second building attached to the existing Emergency Operations Center building.

St. Matthew’s House, a Collier-based nonprofit dedicated to fighting hunger, homelessness and addiction, has changed its food pantry model to meet increased needs for no-cost food.

One in 12 seniors in Southwest Florida experiences food insecurity. That number is a result of many factors that include inflation, expensive housing in the region, and aging-related medical expenses. Harry Chapin Food Bank’s Care and Share senior feeding program seeks to alleviate these economic pressures by giving seniors monthly free meal kits.

United Way of Collier and the Keys is offering free tax assistance for Collier County residents earning 66 thousand dollars or less in 2024 through their Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, or VITA program.

Christmas Day marked the 109th annual Christmas Celebration held at the Dr. Piper Center in Dunbar. The event has a long and rich history, first taking place in 1915.The mother of Ella Mae Piper, the Fort Myers trailblazer who the Dr. Piper Center is named for, started the event that year by treating just 15 little girls from Dunbar to Christmas dinner. After her mother’s death in 1926, Piper continued the tradition. She used her connections as a local entrepreneur to gather donations and support for the event from the community each year. The event has evolved into a day where children from all across Southwest Florida can receive free Christmas gifts.

Florida Congressional District 18, which consists of Hendry, Glades, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, and parts of Polk and Collier counties, has its U.S. House of Representatives seat up for reelection this year.