Southwest Florida

Mullock Creek Preserve in Lee County and surrounding areas were submerged in more than 8 feet of water during Hurricane Ian. To address this, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) updated the emergency flood maps for residents and property owners surrounding the preserve, nearly four years after Ian’s landfall. But there’s a common misconception regarding these maps and why they are revised—one Donald Duke, Ph.D., a Florida Gulf Coast University professor in the Department of Ecology and Environmental Studies, said property owners in all areas need to remain privy to.

Nearly 49,000 people took to the streets Tuesday afternoon to take part in more than 1,200 events across the U.S. Locally, the Free America Walkout, orchestrated by WomensMarch.com, brought nearly 40 people, waving signs, flags, and banners, to the I-75 Estero Overpass Bridge. Countless drivers in a variety of vehicles passed under on I-75, many honking horns as the demonstrators protested the Trump Administration's immigration policies, the conduct of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, and what the organizer contended is a slippery slope toward fascism.

The South County Regional Library is back open after 14 months of renovations costing more than $10 million. A ribbon-cutting ceremony Jan. 7 celebrated the accomplishment.

Beach dunes may look like sand covered in weeds, but there’s more to these mounds than meets the eye. It’s illegal to interfere or drive on them under Chapter 161 of the Florida Statutes. But some travelers and Southwest Florida residents are unaware of this fact, according to Jeannine Richards, Ph.D. and assistant professor of ecology and environmental studies at Florida Gulf Coast University. Richards said that when people violate this rule, the repercussions are far greater than just leaving a footprint.

Lawmakers aligned the districts with the state’s major hydrological zones, which leave some spread over a large area and leaving several counties split between two districts.

After years of hiatus, Jennifer Rena Bennett, owner of Matlacha's Island Flair, has partnered with the Matlacha Civic Association to resurrect Matlacha's Art Walk. Its resurgence returned to the small island on June 13, 2025. Since then, the event has gained increased attention with an intrinsic goal of rejuvenating and reinvigorating the quaint business community, home to the historic fishing village, during the times of stability prior to the cavalcade of hurricanes Ian, Helene and Milton—all of which impacted the low-lying island in different ways.

In November alone, more than 1.7 million people living in counties along or near Southwest Florida’s Gulf Coast were plunged back into a moderate drought. And drought often precedes wildfires.

Southwest Florida’s water managers have ordered the residents in 16 counties from Lee to Levy — along or near Florida’s Gulf Coast — to cut back on water use. The "Phase 1 water shortage restrictions” sound dire but leave in place local lawn-watering schedules as abundant as twice a week and appear to be more about priming residents for more severe weather conditions in 2026.

At least three Matlacha businesses continue to reel following a shoplifting incident on Saturday, Nov. 8. One store owner says the suspect stole nearly $500 in local artwork from her store alone — artwork she and the community say local business owners depend on for a stable income and quality of life. Now, nearly two weeks later, with businesses still waiting for updates, the greater community, home to the historic fishing village, remains dumbfounded by what they call an extraordinary event, feeling for the businesses and artists picking up the pieces.

The Florida Forever Program has added another 16 square miles of land in Collier and Hendry counties for endangered species like the Florida panther to wander. Most of the land in Caloosahatchee-Big Cypress Corridor