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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is embarking on a new study during the 2021 algal bloom season — roughly now through September — to assess the health effects of exposure to cyanotoxins, in part to help health officials better inform the public. The “Cyanotoxins in Air Study” (CAST) will look at exposures to cyanotoxins produced by blue green algae among people who live or work near Lake Okeechobee, the Caloosahatchee River, Cape Coral’s Canals, and the St. Lucie River on the east coast.

We’re marking Holocaust Awareness Week by meeting a Naples woman who has spent more than four decades as an advocate for awareness and education. Both of Felicia Anchor’s parents were holocaust survivors, and she was born shortly after the war, one of 2,000 babies born from the end of the war until the displaced persons camp her parents were living in closed. She and her husband Kenneth are chairing the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s 2021 ‘What You Do Matters’ Southeast Virtual Event on February 11, which seeks to inspire people to remember the lessons of the Holocaust and to help combat modern-day antisemitism and hatred.

James Abraham worked at several newspapers during his career in journalism, working as a reporter, columnist and editor. He wound up in Punta Gorda, and…

While many large tracts of land in Southwest Florida have been forever lost to development over the past century or so, quite a bit of it has been preserved thanks to the dedicated efforts of countless people and organizations — and the local, state, and federal elected officials who environmental advocates could convince that wetlands were valuable for their own sake. For example, more than 70% of land in Collier County has been preserved as public land. Think Fakahatchee Strand State Park, Picayune Strand State Forest, Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Big Cypress National Preserve, Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, and the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, just to name a few. We explore some of this fascinating history with the co-authors of the new book, “Enjoyment of the Same: A History of Public Lands in Southwest Florida.”

Dr. Ella Mae Piper, an African American woman born in Georgia in 1884, moved to Fort Myers in 1915 and immediately opened businesses including a beauty salon and a soda bottling company. Her entrepreneurial spirit formed the foundation of a life focused on philanthropy and community building — including the Dr. Piper Center for Social Services that has supported low-income seniors, frail elderly, at-risk youth, and special needs children since 1976.

Anyone who lives in southwest Florida is definitely aware of the rapid rise in housing costs — especially rentals — in recent years. It’s estimated that 40% of households in Collier County struggle with housing costs, and availability of affordable housing for essential workers and seniors in Collier is reaching crisis levels. More than 40,000 workers commute daily from outside Collier County because they can’t afford to live near their jobs.

Anyone who lives in southwest Florida is definitely aware of the rapid rise in housing costs — especially rentals — in recent years. It’s estimated that 40% of households in Collier County struggle with housing costs, and availability of affordable housing for essential workers and seniors in Collier is reaching crisis levels. More than 40,000 workers commute daily from outside Collier County because they can’t afford to live near their jobs.

Concerns that a summer slide could become a Covid freefall has parents and educators worried for how students spend the next couple of months. According to a study of more than five million students by the Collaborative for Student Growth, that same summer slide already occurred during this past school year thanks to school closures due to outbreaks of Covid, distance learning and less time in a traditional learning environment.

The proposed “Safe Waterways Act” by Calusa Waterkeeper would require the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) to issue health advisories and post and maintain warning notices at “public bathing places” where the water has been found to contain fecal bacteria.

Whether you’re an absolute newbie with no experience yet hoping to catch up, or if an educator or researcher, or industry professional or nonprofit leader, the Summer AI Academy is offering more than 30 sessions totaling more than 150 hours, with topics ranging from basic AI literacy and using image generation tools, to things like programming with AI and doing data analysis. They even have sessions aimed at certain industries like one called Hands-On AI Workshop for Construction Professionals. The Summer Academy kicks off on May 4.