Sabrina Salovitz

Valerie’s House has broken ground on the land that will be its new forever home. The nonprofit supports grieving children and families, and has raised more than $2 million for the construction of a new, permanent facility.

Charlotte County Emergency Management Services is ready for what has been predicted to be another above-average hurricane season, according to Emergency Management Director Patrick Fuller.It has been many years since Charlotte County saw a direct impact during hurricane season, but Fuller warns residents against complacency.

Lee County Public Schools has a new Superintendent in Christopher Bernier, who took the oath of office on Monday to serve the district.

The Collier County Board of Commissioners will meet May 10 to vote on a Local Rental Ordinance which would require landlords to give their tenants 60 days written notice for rent increases over 5%.

The Florida Prepaid College Board is urging families to lock in the future cost of college with a Florida 529 Prepaid Plan. The program is the largest and the longest-running prepaid college program in the nation, and for the first time ever it offers families an incentive for enrollment. Families that enroll in a Prepaid Plan prior to April 30, 2022, will earn a bonus that can be used toward additional college expenses. For each year of college or university Prepaid Plan purchased, Florida Prepaid will put $125 into a Florida 529 Savings Plan, up to $500.

Former Tennessee nurse RaDonda Vaught was found guilty of criminally negligent homicide and abuse of an impaired adult for giving a patient the wrong medication. Vaught now faces a maximum sentence of 12 years in prison, and some nurses believe the case sets a worrisome precedent for the criminalization of medical mistakes.

There always has been a complicated relationship between religion and queerness. Churches like St. John the Apostle are making a concerted effort to bring LGBTQ+ people back into the fold.

The City of Sarasota has announced that it will move forward to meet its goal of 100% renewable energy generation by 2045. In collaboration with the Sierra Club, the Race to Zero campaign and local partners and communities, the city will be working to identify how to create a more affordable and equitable clean energy future.

Carefree Community is a lesbian neighborhood in North Fort Myers that was developed by married couple Gina Razete and Cathy Groene. Resident Sharon Rodgers has lived in the community for over twenty years, and she describes it as a sisterhood. There are still the usual spats between neighbors, but at the end of the day everyone is there for one another, and that’s what she thinks makes Carefree a special place.

Each year individuals from around the world receive Fulbright Scholar awards for advanced research and university lecturing in the United States. At Florida Gulf Coast University, the current class of scholars is closing out their time in the 6-week program.