Sandra Viktorova

Jaha Cummings, the president of the non-profit New Operation Cooper Street Inc who manages the facility, talks about the history outside the building. For decades, the Cooper Street Recreation Center has been a place for kids to play and get tutored and for the public to gather for community events--often an epicenter of celebrations for the African American community. Now for entrepreneurs like Michelle & Jeremy Gwaltney, aeroponics farmers in Punta Gorda it’s become a place to get marketing advice. The pair come to Cooper Street every month for free, one-on-one coaching with a business advisor from the Small Business Development Center. This is just an example of what is happening in the Rec Center. The Punta Gorda City Council is at odds with the center’s leaders, asking for a new short term lease and new management. The Cooper Street Rec leaders are in for the fight.

Top Story

The future of the Cooper Street Recreation Center is a point of contention for Punta Gorda

Sandra Viktorova

City and community leaders disagree over the future of the Cooper Street Recreation Center in Punta Gorda.

Chase Cusmano, the owner of Gunpla-Box is eager to see change and growth at the Port Charlotte Town Center

Public Affairs

Retailers hope mall transformation will give Port Charlotte Town Center new life

Sandra Viktorova

Retailers and community leaders hope mall transformation will bring business development, profits and new life to the Port Charlotte Town Center

Members of the Punta Gorda cirty council discuss vacation home rentals recently.

Public Affairs

Punta Gorda city leaders go back to the drawing board on regulating short-term property rentals

Sandra Viktorova

Punta Gorda city council members consider more restrictions on short term rental properties.

A parent of a Charlotte County school student speaks against the banning of books at a recent school board meeting.

Education

Nearly 80 book titles pulled from Charlotte County public school libraries for district review

Sandra Viktorova

Many attending the school board aired complaints about book removal aimed at adhering to a new state law.

Lee County spends tens of millions of dollars to deliver sand to county beaches like this one in Sanibel.

Hurricane Recovery

Rebuilding Lee beaches after Hurricane Ian could cost up to $50M

Sandra Viktorova

Lee County spends tens of millions of dollars to replace sand Hurricane Ian washed away

Life-threatening storm surge will be one of the greatest impacts and watches are posted from the Panhandle to the south Peninsula. Across this area, inundations will average 3-7 feet to include Tampa/St. Pete. But the Big Bend Coast is much more susceptible and will need to plan for inundations possibly up to 10 feet. Based on Idalia’s current track, areas closest to the path can expect 3-7”of rain on average, and locally up to 10 or more inches. Areas well inland across the Panhandle and Peninsula could possibly receive 2-5” of rain with locally higher amounts.

Hurricane

Tropical Storm Idalia's potential impacts to Southwest Florida

Tara Calligan

Senior meteorologist Megan Borowski gives an update on what Southwest Florida can expect from Idalia.

Health

FGCU adopts student-created app to help university students improve their mental health

Sandra Viktorova

Jack Hellmer hopes to distribute UBYou to college campuses statewide and beyond.

Weather

Repairing damage to Punta Gorda's seawalls could take 18 months

Sandra Viktorova

Southwest Florida and municipalities are still trying to race the clock to repair damage that Hurricane Ian left behind. In Punta Gorda, crews trying to repair thousands of damaged seawall panels throughout the city to minimize damage.

Business/Economy

Business owners learn to be nimble to manage financial impact of red tide blooms

Sandra Viktorova

Charlotte County business owners and tourism experts explain how red tide impacts the bottom line.

Sarasota ranked number one among U.S. cities for Startups in Recycling, Waste Management and Pollution Control per capita -- that according to a report by Promo Leaf with data from CrunchBase.

Business/Economy

Report: Sarasota ranked among top cities for green start-ups

Sandra Viktorova

Sarasota ranked number one among U.S. cities for Startups in Recycling, Waste Management and Pollution Control per capita -- that according to a report by Promo Leaf with data from CrunchBase.