Hayley Lemery

For the Little Pine Island Bridge, planners want to either add new seawalls to the existing bridge or replace the entire structure. The bridge was built in 1977 and Hurricane Ian caused significant soil loss, and loss of the seawalls and approach slabs on both sides of the bridge.

For the 2022-23 academic year, Lee County high schools transitioned from block scheduling to period scheduling. Oasis High School, an area charter school, was not subject to this district change, but is now discussing the idea.

Governor Ron DeSantis signed SB 102, also called the Live Local Act. It allocates $711 million for housing projects through the Florida Housing and Finance Corporation (FHFC). DeSantis says this is the state's largest investment ever in housing.

Florida lawmakers are moving ahead with changes to personal injury and damage suits. Some say the changes will address abuses by attornies; others claim the proposals would benefit insurance companies and hurt victims.

Fort Myers Beach is known for its quaint, colorful shops and homes. Visitors and residents are embracing the reputation of the beach town and creating art from the debris that still litters the island.

Beach Pottery Etc. was one of many Fort Myers Beach businesses impacted by Hurricane Ian’s destruction. Alanna Osborne is the owner of Beach Pottery Etc. and has lived in the neighborhood behind the store for over 11 years. She purchased the store in April of 2019, two years after Hurricane Irma.

Research done by America’s Warrior Partnership implies that former service members commit suicide at a rate 2.4 times greater than reported by the Department of Veterans Affairs. AWP has taken information from its Operation Deep Dive study and applied it to reach veterans before it’s too late. A senior analyst at the Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute said the AWP study is flawed and misleading.

Pink Shell Beach Resort and Marina will reopens to guests on March 1 and remains under construction. The resort has been home to relief workers, construction workers, contractors and displaced residents following Hurricane Ian.

The Monday after Hurricane Ian hit Southwest Florida, a group of 5 created the grassroots organization, Rebuild SWFL, to aid the devastation in areas around Southwest Florida that were overlooked.

The Naples Council on World Affairs is hosting “The Path Forward into a Decisive Decade” seminar on Friday (Feb. 24). The council’s mission is to “educate, inspire, and engage Americans in international affairs, and the critical global issues of our times.”