CAYO COSTA, Fla.– A group worried about the future of the South Cayo Costa public dock has been trying to get the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to hear their concerns. The DEP pulled a vote for the Cayo Costa State Park’s management plan from the Recreation & Parks council meeting agenda for Friday. Last year’s draft of of the plan would not have allowed commercial ferries carrying tourists to pull up to the state-owned south dock anymore but the new draft in March allowed the ferries. With no vote Friday, the ferries will also still be allowed,...
CAPE CORAL, Fla.– Cape Coral rescinded the burn ban on Friday. Officials still ask residents to be careful with bonfires and cooking fires. The flame should be 25 feet from any structure and should not be any taller than 2 feet in height. You should also always have a source to put the fire out, nearby. Recreational fires should never be used for trash. The Cape Coral Fire Department also asks that smoking or lit materials are never thrown outdoors, even from a car window. Cars should continue to be parked off of the grass.
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ALVA, Fla. — Toxic blue-green algae has been detected in the water of the Franklin Locks and local officials have issued a health alert. A sample of water taken from the Franklin Locks on June 7 came back positive for blue-green algae. Blue-green algae are a type of bacteria that can be found in Florida’s freshwater environments. The algae blooms can spread rapidly and will discolor water and even produce floating mats that smell foul. People in the area should take these precautions: Do not drink, swim, wade, use personal watercraft, water ski, or boat in waters where there is a visible...
LEE COUNTY, Fla.– The Lee County Board of Commissioners will vote if they will accept different state and federal grants on the morning of June 15. Lee County officials are set to accept over $3 million dollars for homelessness relief. All of the funds will go towards housing and resources for homeless citizens in the county. The money must be used by June 30, 2022.
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COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — Bears are on the move and have appeared all over Southwest Florida this week. Florida’s black bear population continues to grow. There are an estimated 1,000 bears in South Florida living in the conservation areas of Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades National Park, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Now that bears are becoming more active and roaming closer to humans, officials are urging people to use bear-resistant trash bins. Collier County sells the bear-proof cans for $115 each. People who live in rural...
For more than a week, China has been gripped by a herd of 15 marauding elephants, who are large, lost, and wrecking havoc in the country’s southwest. Millions have tuned in to live streams of the elephants, which have trekked more than 310 miles across the country since escaping from a nature reserve in South China last year, CNN reports. And online, netizens have followed transfixed as the elephants trampled crops, causing more than a million dollars worth of damage, and roamed through towns, prompting local residents to stay inside. More than 8 million people watched a video captured...
CAPE CORAL, Fla. — Cape Coral city officials are asking residents to do their part in water conservation. A new advisory has been put in place as canal levels in the city continue to sink. If people don’t pay attention to how much water they use and conditions don’t improve, the city will mandate a one-day watering schedule. More than 4,000 illegal watering violations have been issued since the start of dry season. High usage and illegal watering contribute to decreased irrigation pressures. An adequate supply of irrigation water is needed for the more than 800 fire hydrants...
FORT MYERS, Fla. – A plan that could affect Florida waters for the next decade is still in the works. The Army Corps of Engineers is working to finalize their Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSOM). The corps has five potential plans on the table right now for consideration. On Wednesday, they released data on those plans and their potential impacts on different stakeholders. “It’s really important that organizations like ours and stakeholders that are able to look at these plans and look at this data,” Captains for Clean Water co-founder Chris Pittman...
CAPE CORAL, Fla. — The 2021 burrowing owl census in Cape Coral was completed over the weekend. More than 100 volunteers took time out of their day to do their part on Saturday. The results of the census are still being calculated, but preliminary numbers reveal that more than 2,000 owls were counted, according to the Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife. That’s roughly the same amount that was counted last year. This year’s census was the fourth in a five year study that is taking a closer look at burrowing owl population in the City. The final count is expected to be available...
KODIAK, Alaska. / CNN — Three friends, two dogs and one giant inflatable flamingo were rescued after getting swept out into an Alaska bay on Saturday, officials said. Coast Guard crews conducted the rescue mission when a birthday celebration at White Sands beach in Kodiak went wrong. It was a birthday Hollie Spence said she’ll never forget — and she is thankful to be alive. Spence, along with her roommate, Lepa Sega, and Lepa’s brother, Nation, climbed onto a 10-foot inflatable pink flamingo float with their two dogs in a shallow area of the beach. Spence, who was celebrating...