Collier County

Cases of West Nile virus have been confirmed by Collier County health officials and there is a heightened concern that more residents will become ill.

Hospitals in Southwest Florida continue to report declines in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Lee Health officials say they plan to comply with a new Biden Administration rule requiring some employers to require workers to be vaccinated or to be tested for COVID-19 weekly.Child advocates and Democrats are criticizing Gov. Ron DeSantis after his administration passed on $820 million in federal funds to help feed children from low-income families who are out of school due to a COVID-19 infection or exposure.The Lee County School District has changed its policy to allow parents to opt their children out of mask-wearing in school without a doctor’s note.Thousands of Sarasota parents turned out for an event last weekend, where physicians were providing medical exemption forms to the school district’s mask mandate.Florida Deputy Secretary for Health Shamarial Roberson, who has been critical in the state’s COVID tracking and response, announced her resignation.Collier County officials have announced plans for spending $74 million in federal American Rescue Plan fundingA consortium of Sarasota arts organizations announced plans to adopt uniform COVID safety policies that require vaccines or proof of a negative COVID test.

Local pediatricians released a video to encourage mask wearing among kids.

SWFL parents won't have to worry about their kids being well fed at school this year.

We are all connected by the environment we share. The Earth is our home. This is the space where we share the environmental stories that caught our attention this week in Florida and beyond.

Scientists with the Collier County Mosquito Control District have found two new mosquito species in the region including the invasive and Aedes tortilis and the Aedes scapularis which can spread yellow fever and Venezuelan equine encephalitis.

The invasive Aedes scapularis and Aedes tortilis mosquitos brings the total number of known mosquito species in Collier to 48.

Last Friday, Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill that will severely limit the ability of local governments to raise impact fees, the primary tool local governments use to finance required infrastructure for new developments.

Tomorrow, Tuesday May 25th, the Collier County Board of Commissioners will cast the final vote on the proposed Longwater and Bellmar developments. The two communities in Eastern Collier County, along with Rivergrass, are planned to create a new town in the far Eastern part of Collier County, all within prime panther habitat.

Florida’s partnership with Publix grocery store chain to administer COVID-19 vaccine doses is expanding and will now include 16 Publix locations in Collier County.