Southwest Florida

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier highlighted the results of an operation dubbed Sunset Stakes that targeted illegal gambling practices across Lee and Collier counties, mentioning that a new task force to address the problem is coming to Southwest Florida.

Local experts say that with an increase in tropical disturbances, and as the area progresses into a new hurricane season every year, mangroves have little time to recover, and therefore, lack strength to guard our coastlines from inclement weather.

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.

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.

Urgent warnings about wildfires breaking out throughout the north and northeastern portions of Florida Saturday will shift south to the Tampa Bay region Sunday, and into Southwest Florida Monday.

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.