Pine Island

Pine Island’s utility poles along Stringfellow Road are seeing pops of color once again. The project’s revitalization represents the island’s recovery following Hurricane Ian.

Local and state officials reviewed their experiences and lessons learned recently. Here are some of the takeaway notions from Karen Moore, publisher of Southwest Florida Business Today.

Pine Island / Matlacha motorists asked to be aware of temporary overnight lane closure due to emergency utility repair work

Many people on Pine Island still are re-building from the damage of Hurricane Ian. And they're also dealing with concerns that the island could lose its natural beauty and small community charm.

Almost a year after Hurricane Ian made landfall in Southwest Florida, leaving so much destruction in its path, Jay Johnson, owner of Bubba's Roadhouse in Cape Coral, shares his storm story and struggles to rebuild with Karen Moore.

The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to ask the Florida Department of Transportation to incorporate a full replacement of the Little Pine Island Bridge as a part of the permanent repairs to Pine Island Road through Matlacha, which expedites the bridge construction and makes it more resilient to future storms as soon as possible.

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.

Disaster Recovery Centers on Pine Island and Fort Myers Beach are making operational adjustments.

Living in a disaster zone. That remains the reality for some people in Matlacha and on the south end of Pine Island, nearly six months after Hurricane Ian caused massive damage. The stress is taking a toll on some people, while many on the island focus on rebuilding.

The Lee County Department of Community Development has reopened the Downtown Fort Myers main office from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays with phone availability from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.