Sheldon Zoldan/Special to WGCU

Today's Song of the Day puts the spotlight on the Pontiac Trans Am. The car was as much a movie and tv star as the actors who drove it. “Smokey & the Bandit,” “Knight Rider,” “Cannonball” to name a few. You have to wonder if its little brother Firebird was jealous.The Trans Am, named after the Sports Car Club of America racing series, was introduced to muscle-car lovers on March 8, 1969. The car was a Firebird on steroids. The 1960s birthed the age of muscle cars. Pontiac was competing with the Ford Mustang, Dodge Challenger and Oldsmobile Toronado.

Trust for Public Land announced last week that it reached an agreement with Seminole Gulf Railway to purchase 14.9 miles of right-of-way from Alico Road to just south of the Lee-Collier County line for the Bonita-Estero Bike Trail (BERT). The Trust has until March 2026 to raise the money.Using the railroad right-of-way has been talked about for years, said Robert Fay, executive vice-president of the family-run shortline railroad. The railroad stopped using the track after the 2008 recession. Only two businesses were using the line, then one moved to Fort Myers and the second stopped shipping by rail.

You’ll hear the train a running, running down the tracks for the first time since Hurricane Ian washed away the bridges that carry Seminole Gulf Railway’s goods to Southwest Florida.The shortline railroad will begin crossing the Caloosahatchee River bridges sometime in mid to late March, said Robert Fay, executive vice president.Hurricane Ian destroyed six bridges and several miles of track when it smash-mouthed Southwest Florida on September 28, 2022.

Estero golfer Gianna Clemente bettered last year’s championship score by four strokes, but it wasn’t good enough to repeat at the South Atlantic Women’s Amateur golf tournament.The high school sophomore finished second over the weekend at five under par, four shots behind Ohio State sophomore Kary Hollenbaugh.

Residents of The Brooks in Estero lost their appeal Wednesday to stop a 4-story apartment complex from being built at the northeast corner of Three Oaks Parkway and Coconut Road.Long Bay Partners LLC, Top-CR Associates LLC and PAC Estero Apartments plan to tear down the former Winn-Dixie grocery store at the Brooks Town Center to make room for the 137 high-end apartments.

Michael Driquez’s job description changed October 7 when Hamas invaded southern Israel, killing more than 1,400 citizens and kidnapping 241.Driquez is the deputy counsel general of Israel for Florida, Missouri, Kansas and Puerto Rico. The consulate is based in Miami.His job description was to strengthen the political, economic and cultural ties between Israel and the areas the consulate represents.

The fight against a 4-story apartment complex at the northeast corner of Three Oaks Parkway and Coconut Road in Estero is not over.Residents of the Brooks filed an appeal this week with the Village of Estero to reconsider giving the developers of the apartment complex a development order.

There’s nothing like a good dog story, and a New Jersey author tells two heartwarming stories about dogs from Southwest Florida in her new book.Liz McCauley and her dog Sammy and Ralf and Anke Sturm and their dog Sunset are featured in “Magical Dogs 3 — On the Road,” by Patti Kerr.

The University of Iowa, with Caitlin Clark, the reigning Women’s College Player of the Year, headlines this year’s eight-team Gulf Coast Showcase Classic at Hertz Arena November 24-26. FGCU could play Iowa in a semi-final game November 25.

Lee County Manager David Harner and County Commissioner Mike Greenwell held a hastily called news conference Thursday morning to dispel rumors that the 100th Anniversary Lee County Fair celebration wouldn’t be happening in 2024.