WGCU Staff

Before-and-after images of Lighthouse Point on Sanibel Island, designed to highlight the huge maroon plumes of nutrient-polluted water pouring from the mouth of Caloosahatchee River into San Carlos Bay, also show a breath-taking scene of destruction the Category 4 storm left on the eastern tip of the island. Trees are stripped bare. A boardwalk is askew. The two historic lighthouse keepers’ cottages are gone, as is a newer white building. The 98-foot-tall Sanibel Lighthouse, first lit with kerosene oil on Aug. 20, 1884, is still standing.

Public workshop Sept. 15 on Sanibel fishing pier replacement

WGCU Staff

A public workshop updating plans for the permanent replacement of the Sanibel Fishing Pier at Lighthouse Beach Park will be at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, September 15, at MacKenzie Hall in the Sanibel City Hall.

Jim Nathan, co-founder of Floridians for Democracy; Sonya McCarter, founder and Executive Director of Bridging the Gap Center for the Arts and one of the Rally for Hope organizers

Floridians for Democracy hosts Rally for Hope to promote voter participation & civic engagement

WGCU Staff

The nonpartisan nonprofit, Floridians for Democracy, is holding a Rally for Hope on Saturday, Aug. 29. They chose the date to coincide with the anniversary of the historic March on Washington that brought about 250,000 people to Washington, D.C. in 1963 to advocate for the civil and economic rights of Black Americans. Organizers say it’s meant to be a nonpartisan gathering rather than a protest, with a focus on promoting voter participation & civic engagement, and the moral traditions of the civil rights movement. We talk with FFD co-founder, Jim Nathan, and one of the event planners, Sonya McCarter, founder of Bridging the Gap Center for the Arts in Fort Myers.

Weather

Multiple storm systems remain meandering around Atlantic, preparing to exit Africa

WGCU Staff

Three storm systems are in various positions around the Atlantic Ocean.

Aerial view of the Vulture Fire's southern edge (looking north) in Everglades National Park

U.S. Wildland Fire Service fighting several fires in Everglades National Park; Shark Valley closed

WGCU Staff

U.S. Wildland Fire Service firefighters are on the scene of several fires in Everglades National Park, including the Chipmunk and Vulture fires.

Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal infection that spreads when people ingest food or water contaminated with stool.

Health

Cyclospora cases rise again, but slower. Lee County shows case increase with six

WGCU Staff

New cases of Cyclospora illness are being reported down again in Florida with some counties reporting new cases but on a lesser number level.

Weather

Heat advisory extended a third day over entire state of Florida; precautions urged

WGCU Staff

A heat advisory remains in effect again today from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the entire state of Florida.

Montana’s Basin Creek watershed, which supplies Butte’s drinking water.

Environment

Trump moves to kill roadless rule; Opponents say biggest assault on forest protections in U.S. history

WGCU Staff

The U.S. Forest Service is proposing a rule to rescind in its entirety the national 2001 Roadless Area Conversation Rule. Opposition to Tuesday's move was immediate.

Weather

Heat advisory issued as Florida gets baked again; extreme and dangerous conditions expected

WGCU Staff

A second day today for dangerous heat conditions to be in effect from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the entire state of Florida.

Florida Power & Light and Harry Chapin Food Bank provided energy tips and advice at the food bank's s weekly food distribution at the STARS Complex, the event provided local residents with practical, easy-to-install energy-efficiency tools and information about FPL programs designed to help customers manage their summer energy costs.

Weather

FPL and Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida distribute summer savings kits

WGCU Staff

Partnership brought energy-saving tools, program resources and community support to income-qualified residents during peak summer heat.

Support your local pollinator during the Great Southeast Pollinator Census

WGCU Staff

About 75% of the world’s flowering plants and about 30% of crops rely on pollinators. Things like habitat loss, pesticide use, climate change, and invasive species are all threats to pollinator populations, which are truly essential for both ecological balance and food security. On August 22-23 Floridians can do their part as citizen scientists to help researchers keep tabs on the health of pollinator populations by participating in the Great Southeast Pollinator Census. To participate, during those two days you simply pick one or more plants in your yard that attract pollinators and watch them closely for 15 minutes and count each time an insect lands on the plant, and then upload that information into a database.