Mike Walcher

Big companies are snapping up land along the I-75 corridor, bringing a type of boomtown to Charlotte, Lee and Collier counties. Local leaders believe higher-paying jobs are coming to the area, easing the past dependence on tourism to drive the economy.

Hopewell Holdings LLC of Hong Kong said it is not the entity, nor the owner of a subsidiary, that recently bought the Sears site at Edison Mall in Fort Myers.

A company headquartered in Hong Kong has bought a piece of property at the Edison Mall in Fort Myers. That property includes the closed Sears store, which used to be a popular shopping spot. A Fort Myers council member said the Sears may be torn down to make way for multi-family housing.

Use of technology and growing more on less land are major keys to survival for the Florida agriculture industry.

A Southwest Florida rancher is getting a high honor: he's going into the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame. "When I got the call, it was extremely humbling," Jim Strickland said.

A change is coming to Bonita Springs city government. Mike Gibson won Tuesday's election as mayor, and is expected to take office in a couple of weeks.

A group was told to stop using the FGCU logo and other branding in promoting a political event that occurred on Saturday, Nov. 2.

Who knew rock mining could be so lucrative? The Youngquist brothers of Lee County may have had a hint. They and their family members now are recipients of the biggest dollar amount for sales of a piece of land in Lee County.

New details are emerging on re-building the public marina in the Caloosahatchee river, at downtown Fort Myers. The Army Corps of Engineers is requesting comments on plans by Suntex Marinas, based in Dallas.

First responders from all over Florida and some other states are embarking on a grueling journey. They're riding bicycles for 600 miles. They're raising money for families of Florida law enforcement officers, firefighters and paramedics who died in the line of duty last year.