Charlotte County

Due to the National Weather Service forecasting cold temperatures Tuesday night, cold weather shelters will be available in Charlotte and Sarasota counties.

Online and in-person public hearings will be held Jan. 28 by the Florida Department of Transportation for the Burnt Store Road Project Development and Environment Study.The area to be affected runs from Van Buren Parkway in Lee County to the Charlotte County Line.

Charlotte County is working on a strategic plan update as part of the county’s two-year budget process.

Kings Highway between Harborview Road and Westchester Boulevard in Charlotte County will shift to one lane between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday this week for converting older streetlights to LED-type devices.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed a death warrant for a man convicted of brutally murdering a couple at a Charlotte County sod farm in 1997.James D. Ford, 64, is scheduled to be executed Feb. 13 at Florida State Prison in the murders of Greg and Kimberly Malnory. It would be the first execution this year in Florida and would come after one inmate was executed in 2024.

A number of volunteer and advisory positions are open in Charlotte and Lee counties.

The Charlotte County Property Appraiser is now accepting applications for partial 2024 property tax refunds if a residential improvement was destroyed or rendered uninhabitable for at least 30 days due to a catastrophic event (hurricane, fire, or other natural disaster).

Hurricanes Milton and Helene contributing to red tide formation like after Hurricane Ian in 2022

Punta Gorda is grappling with the aftermath of two major hurricanes in just two weeks—first Hurricane Helene, and now Hurricane Milton. As floodwaters receded into Charlotte Harbor, WGCU’s Mike Braun spoke with residents returning to assess their homes and businesses.