Mike Walcher

Lee County is looking at a flat budget this coming year, based on preliminary property tax numbers. And, if voters approve major changes to the tax system in November, deep budget cuts may follow in future years.

It appears a beloved Southwest Florida restaurant will stay open with new owners. The Alva Country Diner on State Road 80 has been sold, and the current owner says the new owners want to keep it much the same as it's been for 30 years.

Collier County lost an estimated $13 billion in market property value in 2025 compared to the previous year. The roughly 5.78 percent loss stands as a sharp contrast to some years in the past decade. Lee and Charlotte Counties also lost market property value between 2024 and '25.

Farmland and woods are disappearing, but some rural-focused businesses are finding ways to survive, even as more housing and business developments move inland across Southwest Florida.

The new owners of Sweet Tomatoes are announcing the grand opening of the the Fort Myers area location on June 1. It is the second location nationwide to welcome back diners, six years after the chain closed.

A Collier County woman is being honored for what she does to help businesses prosper and grow. Melissa Severance founded a consulting firm called Inspire Big Dreams. She won a top award from the group SWFL Inc.

This region played a vital role in helping to save the United States and the Allies in World War II. This once-sleepy backwater became important to winning the war, because Germany dominated skies over Europe when America entered the conflict in late 1941. And Japan controlled the air over much of the Pacific.

Rachel McIntyre has spent more than two decades developing and operating Open Doors.

A teenager from Immokalee will travel to Rome soon to take part in a global initiative for peace. About 40 young people from some of the most troubled places on earth will collaborate on ways to bring peace to their home communities.

Voters in Charlotte County will decide on extending a higher sales tax. Commissioners held a special meeting to consider a 20-year extension of the local option, one percent hike in the sales tax. If approved, the Charlotte tax would continue at seven percent, instead of the state-mandated six.