Emma Rodriguez

With Incumbent Joe Gruters reaching his term limit, Florida's Senate District 22 seat is up for grabs this election cycle. The district, which covers all of Sarasota County and parts of Manatee, has three candidates vying.

A Kids' Ballot is available during the remainder of early voting in Lee County. After parents cast their ballot, they and their children will be directed to a table where kids can fill out a mock ballot.

In 1989, a nonprofit was founded to help people learning English as a second language thrive here in Southwest Florida. It’s called Literacy Council Gulf Coast and it helps both adults and children strengthen their English skills. Last month, it won the Non-Profit or Charity Organization of the Year award in the Bonita Springs Community’s Choice Awards, so we sat down with their Executive Director and Operations Manager to learn about the Council's local impact.

An exhibit featuring large format prints of Mac Stone's photographs goes up next week along the boardwalk at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. It's one of the remaining old-growth swamps the award-winning conservation photographer and a National Geographic Explorer featured in his new book is "Cypress: The Last Old-Growth Swamps." We revisit our conversation with him about the new book recorded in August.

The U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team won't be making an appearance at the Florida International Air Show due to a military decision. The event is scheduled for Nov. 7-8 at the Punta Gorda Airport, with gates opening at 9 a.m. each day.

MM Brands is hosting “Costume Swap for a Cause,” a free community Halloween costume exchange. Families can bring gently used Halloween costumes and exchange them for another at no cost, or just take one.

The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum is hosting a virtual lecture on solar powered sea slugs tomorrow, Sept. 16, at 5:30 pm. The talk will go over the role sea slugs play in environments along the Gulf Coast, how they photosynthesize using sunlight and how different species have evolved.

Florida Power and Light has launched its new Assistance Center. It’s a new online resource for customers looking to save, or get support with their monthly energy bills.

Venice Beach is often referred to as the shark teeth capital of the world, but there had never been formal, peer reviewed documentation until a Florida Gulf Coast University professor published a paper breaking down what he and his students found beneath the waters there. The Venice shark and ray assemblage contains 45 species identified from their fossil teeth, all collected by Dr. Harry Maisch, Assistant Professor of Earth Science in the Department of Marine & Earth Sciences in The Water School at FGCU. We learn about his research, and this area's fascinating geologic past.

For the first time since before Hurricane Ian in 2022, powerboat racing competition ROAR Offshore is returning to Fort Myers Beach. It will take place at Margaritaville Beach Resort from Sept. 11 to Sept. 13. Town Council members approved requests to waive the island's noise ordinance and use town property on Monday.