WGCU Staff

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service is issuing a public health alert for various raw beef and pork products packaged under the Blackwing Meats label that were produced without the benefit of federal inspection and may bear a false mark of inspection.

The Charlotte County Commission has voted to rescind the countywide burn ban enacted on Dec. 9, 2025, following recent rainfall that have reduced the risk of wildfire throughout the county.

Due to ongoing drought conditions throughout the region, the Southwest Florida Water Management District has declared a Modified Phase III “Extreme” Water Shortage for a portion of Charlotte and Highlands counties and all of DeSoto, Sarasota and Manatee counties.

County, local and state officials celebrated with Matlacha residents Tuesday at a ribbon cutting ceremony for Lee County Parks & Recreation’s restored Matlacha Community Center and the Pine Island Art Building as well as for the conclusion of the Florida Department of Transportation’s Little Pine Island Bridge Reconstruction project.

Since it was founded in 2023 the nonpartisan nonprofit Floridians for Democracy has grown to nearly 3000 members in Florida and beyond, and they’ve held many online events and have reached out across the political spectrum to provide educational programs, including some that featured traditionally conservative attorneys and leaders who share their concerns. With the third national No Kings Day protests coming up on Saturday, March 28 we invited two of the founding members back for an update on the work they’re doing, and to get their take on what’s unfolded over the past three years.

The newly constructed roundabout at Buckingham and Gunnery roads is expected open to traffic later this week.

As Southwest Florida’s population has grown in recent decades, there have been efforts to find ways to diversify our regional economy beyond the staples of tourism & hospitality, healthcare and financial services, construction, and agriculture. The volunteer-driven nonprofit SWFL Tech recently released their first Tech Pulse report that breaks down the data and it shows that between 2019 and 2024 the tech industry here grew faster than other parts of our economy. The tech sector grew almost 39% over those five years. We break down the report and talk about the challenges this region faces in growing a tech sector.

A Cessna Stationair HD plane crashed on take-off from the Salty Approach Air Strip on the northern tip of Upper Captiva Saturday.

Work now begins April 6 from Jobe Road / Kings Crossing to Daniels Parkway for utility and roadway reconstruction.

Cape Coral Police are looking for information on a disturbance at the Yucca Pens preserve on Burnt Store Road on Sunday morning.