WGCU News

In addition to being one of Southwest Florida’s pre-eminent art centers, the Alliance for the Arts plays an advocacy role within Lee County, and beyond. With more than 20 years as a community advocate and organizer, Neil Volz is uniquely suited to empower the Alliance to discharge this aspect of its overarching mission as its new Executive Director. Volz’s views on the art of advocacy are people-centric.

The companies that could not complete an expansion of the existing terminal at Southwest Florida International Airport are getting a second chance.The Lee County Port Authority board voted Monday to extend the contracts of Atkins North America and Manhattan Construction.

Florida Gulf Coast University's Chelsea Lyles has announced she is stepping down as head women's basketball coach of the Eagles.The university posted the information on its women's athletics site Monday and issued a release.

A federal appeals court will hear arguments in May in a closely watched case about whether the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2020 improperly shifted permitting authority to Florida for projects that affect wetlands.The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia on Friday scheduled arguments May 5 as Florida and the EPA seek to overturn a district judge’s ruling in the lawsuit filed by conservation groups.

23andMe has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and its co-founder and CEO has resigned as the struggling genetic testing company continues its push to cut costs.The company said Sunday that it will look to sell “substantially all of its assets” through a court-approved reorganization plan.

Over the past year, the City of Sanibel placed more than 400,000 tons of sand to restore beaches devastated by recent hurricanes. With that phase complete, the focus shifted to replanting the beaches to reinforce the natural dune structure. Over 32,000 plants of a variety of species were planted, strengthening the beach with their root systems.

The Maylene and Wen Wu Family Foundation donates $1 million to Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County toward the Park Meadows capital campaign, to turn the former Fort Myers Event Center into a full-service club.

Rain chances increase for the first half of the week, but not everyone will get the much-needed rain. The drought persists.

A workshop April 5 in Naples aims to teach people who want to write for children the process from idea to finished product.

The Rosary Pea (also known as Precatory Bean, Crab’s Eye Vine, Jumbie Bead, and many other names) was native to tropical Asia. As humans became more mobile, they took the shiny red-and-black seeds with them. Sometimes deliberately, often accidentally, they have been planted in tropical and subtropical areas around the world. Missionaries and artisans found that the seeds made beautifully shiny bright-red rosary beads, necklaces, and bracelets. However, piercing one of these seeds for such things creates a serious threat. Rosary Pea seeds are very hard and less likely to cause harm if swallowed intact. But, if crushed by chewing, the toxins inside can be lethal. Birds will eat them, but can’t digest them and they are defecated intact with a bit of fertilizer, thus aiding their spread. Rosary pea is now very common in peninsular Florida.