More than 2,500 residents of The Brooks in Estero are signees on a petition against a four-story apartment complex now before the Village of Estero Planning, Zoning & Design Board and slated to be built in their community's Town Center — the site of a former Winn-Dixie grocery store and other businesses.

Seven months after Hurricane Ian, residents and city officials of Arcadia and neighboring city Wauchula are working toward getting back to normal. Although the physical damage of the storm is not present, residents know what still needs to be done. While debris from the hurricane is now gone off the streets in both Arcadia and Wauchula, some roofs still have blue tarps and are in of need repairs. Residents are worried about the possibility of mold in their homes.

In response to nationwide school shootings and threats to its local schools, the Lee County School Board has approved a $3.2 million to purchase weapons detectors that will roll out for all K-12 public schools when students return for the 2023-2024 year.David Newlan, executive director of Safety, Security and Management for Lee schools, said he spent over a year researching security systems before choosing the portable, battery-operated OPENGATE system.

Less than a month after the Naples City Council voted to approve the permit for the 2023 Naples Pride Festival in Cambier Park, Naples Pride announced they will host the drag show portion of the festival indoors due to safety concerns.

For the Little Pine Island Bridge, planners want to either add new seawalls to the existing bridge or replace the entire structure. The bridge was built in 1977 and Hurricane Ian caused significant soil loss, and loss of the seawalls and approach slabs on both sides of the bridge.

Florida Gulf Coast University’s graduation requirement that focuses on sustainability may be changing in the coming years.

Lee County commissioners have approved a Continuum of Care grant to fight homelessness.The more than $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will be distributed in various ways.

For the 2022-23 academic year, Lee County high schools transitioned from block scheduling to period scheduling. Oasis High School, an area charter school, was not subject to this district change, but is now discussing the idea.

Southwest Lee County and Northeast Collier County are both experiencing extreme drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Local governments are urging people to conserve water.

For many, Collier County elicits images of golf courses, beautiful beaches and affluent people. But for some residents, a different reality exists, as the population experiencing food insecurity continues to grow.The Federal Reserve Economic Data reports Collier’s annual median household income at an estimated $75,799 in 2021, the last reported year. Of the nearly 386,000 population, 10.4% were living in poverty.