Sanibel Island

As the barrier islands of Sanibel and Captiva continue to assess the damage to homes and businesses after Hurricane Ian, some community organizations and concerned citizens have joined to create the SanCap Citizens for a Resilient Future. Their goal is to spark conversations on how to rebuild on the islands so that structures and people can become more resilient for future storms. The group recently hosted the first of two formal gatherings .

The mayor and vice mayor of Sanibel Island both won new terms on the city council in Tuesday's elections. And a retired police officer won a seat on the village council in Estero.

A Sanibel beach parking permit or a $5/hour parking fee, is required to park at one of the beach access parking areas.

Three candidates for Sanibel City Council talked about recovery from Hurricane Ian at a forum Thursday evening. Holly Smith, Richard Johnson and Troy Thompson answered questions at the event at the Big Arts center.

FDOT said that the Sanibel Causeway islands remain closed and vehicles are not permitted to stop in the active construction zone during reconstruction activity to allow for work to progress safely and to allow the contractor to focus on the reconstruction.

Lee County commissioners met for a workshop earlier this week to discuss plans for building stronger Sanibel Causeway and Cape Coral bridges.Multiple sections of the Sanibel Causeway were swept away by Hurricane Ian’s storm surge. The causeway was temporarily repaired just three weeks after Ian hit.

Helping with Hurricane Ian recovery, a free meal to help lessen the stress of rebuilding a community.

The Sanibel Public Library reopened Dec. 1 for the first time since Hurricane Ian walloped the island.

The area is secure and the Sanibel Fire Department has the fire under control. Sanibel Fire Captain John DiMaria said the fire had likely been smoldering for hours before flames surfaced.

The county had restored tolls Nov. 1 to the Cape Coral Bridge and the Midpoint Bridge after the suspension of tolls on all three bridge shortly before Hurricane Ian’s landfall Sept. 28. The county said the addition of the Sanibel Causeway completes the restoration.