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In Key West, this July Fourth, the lure of the lime ... as in Key lime ... was on full display. Hundreds of spectators packed the Southernmost City in the Continental United States to see who would claim the coveted Key Lime Pie Eating Champ title. Those with an eye on the pies, delivered a show-stopping performance.With hands behind backs and some sporting safety goggles, 25 hopefuls competed for the top prize; devouring the island city’s signature dessert — the key lime pie.

Florida is the boating capital of the USA. With over one million registered vessels and over $6.4 Billion in boating sales, the waters are always packed during a holiday weekend.

As part of the work for the Terminal Expansion Project Phase 1 at Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW), there will be changes to Concourse C access in the central main terminal.

As the start of summer draws closer, Florida residents should expect more activity from black bears. Juvenile bears could be spotted in unexpected areas as they leave their mothers’ home ranges.

Nearly 4,000 acres in Collier and Hendry counties are part of a nearly 35,000-acre package of what is labeled as critical conservation land approved for protection Wednesday.Additionally, approval of a permanent agricultural land conservation easement for a nearly 4,000-acre area in Charlotte County will help support Southwest Florida’s water resources.The approval came via Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet through the Florida Forever Program and legislative appropriations, marking a significant step in preserving the state’s natural heritage.

In the late 2000s several local governments in Southwest Florida began implementing ordinances that prohibited the application of lawn fertilizer during the rainy season. Lee County’s ordinance, which was passed in 2008, just took effect again. As of June 1, it is prohibited to apply lawn fertilizer containing nitrogen or phosphorus anywhere in unincorporated Lee County until the beginning of November. Most municipalities in southwest Florida have similar ordinances, including Cape Coral, the City of Fort Myers and Fort Myers Beach, and the City of Naples. Charlotte, Sarasota, and Manatee counties have similar rainy season bans. We get an overview of Lee County’s ordinance, and the importance of complying with these rules to benefit our ecosystems.

On Thursday, March 30 the Collaboratory in downtown Fort Myers is partnering with the Collier Community Foundation, and the Charlotte Community Foundation, to host a region-wide “On the Table” event with locations in all three counties. The aim is to facilitate conversations between people of all walks of life, on one day and often around meals, to try and generate authentic dialogue between people, some of whom may just be meeting for the very first time, about what issues or problems we’re facing, and how best to try and address those issues or overcome those problems.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and the state legislature — which is dominated by Republicans who have supermajorities in both chambers — have implemented a series of policies and laws in recent years that critics say are demonstrating tendencies toward autocracy. We speak with three people who count themselves among the critics who are decrying what they see as autocratic tendencies in Tallahassee and here in Florida. They are all members of the nonprofit, Floridians for Democracy, which was formed in April, 2023 to bring together voices from across the political spectrum to push back against this rising trend.

Collier County is a wealthy county. According to data from the financial technology company SmartAsset, Collier County is the second wealthiest county in Florida. But, alongside that wealth many country residents are struggling. According to the Collier County Community and Human Services Division nearly 53,000 people commute to work every day from outside the county, and 35% of jobs in the county pay less than $35k a year. We talk with the Collier Community Foundation’s President & CEO to go over the highlights of a new community assessment that identifies the challenges county residents are facing, and the challenges the community foundation faces in trying to support them.

New legislation passed during the 2024 session modifies the rules by which the state commission, and local ethics boards, can operate. Critics say these changes will gut the effectiveness of the state commission and local boards. Supporters say the changes will prevent the state and local ethics boards from having to spend their time investigating politically motivated accusations. We dig into the details on Senate Bill 7014, which has yet to be signed by the governor, with two people who have spent their lives focusing on politics in Florida and its ethics system.