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Iona, FL · Municipal

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Fort Myers library becomes refuge for homeless people as living costs rise

FORT MYERS, Fla. — The downtown Fort Myers library is increasingly serving as a haven for people experiencing homelessness, offering free internet access, phone charging stations and air conditioning. Community leaders say homelessness is growing in the city, citing inflation and the high cost of living as key factors....

Fort Myers, FL · 1d

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Fort Myers Mayor Kevin Anderson responds after losing re-election bid to Amber Ware

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Fort Myers Mayor Kevin Anderson has responded after his loss in the 2026 Fort Myers mayoral election Tuesday night. On Tuesday, it was announced that Anderson, the incumbent candidate, lost to Amber Ware, who received 54% of the vote. Ware will be the first Black woman to be mayor in the city's history, and only the second woman ever to hold the position. The only other woman to serve as Fort Myers Mayor was Florence Fritz from 1950 to 1951.

Fort Myers, FL · 3d

hoodline.com

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Target Grabs 21-Acre Lot Near Daniels Parkway as Eastern Lee County Booms

Target Corp. purchased a nearly 21-acre site in eastern Lee County near Lehigh Acres, along the Daniels Parkway and State Road 82 corridor, on October 28, 2026. The acquisition places the retailer along a corridor experiencing substantial residential growth. Two Shopping Centers Take Shape Across From Each Other. The The...

Lee County, FL · 3d

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Lee County Voters Oust School Board Chair in District 5 Race

Crystal Johnson, a Lee County school district paraprofessional, defeated sitting School Board chair Armor Persons in the District 5 race decided Tuesday, winning 59 percent of the vote to his 41 percent. The result ends Persons’ tenure as chair and hands the northeast Lee County seat to a candidate who campaigned on discipline, academic accountability and parent engagement.

Lee County, FL · 3d

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Amendment 3 passed in Florida, but Lee County faces an $88M-plus revenue hit for fiscal 2027-28

LEE COUNTY, Fla. — Florida homeowners will see significant property tax savings starting in 2027 after the passage of Amendment 3, which increases the homestead exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028. Barbara Smith, a Fort Myers resident, shared her thoughts on the amendment's approval. "I voted...

Lee County, FL · 3d

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Lee County voters approve term limits for sheriff, tax collector and other county officers

LEE COUNTY, Fla. — Lee County voters have approved a county charter amendment to limit elected constitutional officers to three consecutive four-year terms, with the change set to take effect in November 2026. The measure applies to the sheriff, property appraiser, supervisor of elections, clerk of the circuit court,...

Lee County, FL · 3d

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Target store to anchor new eastern Lee County shopping center at Daniels Parkway and SR-82

LEE COUNTY, Fla. — Target will anchor the new Creekside Marketplace, alongside a medical office building at the intersection of Daniels Parkway and State Road 82. This shopping center will mean people who live here in eastern Lee County won't have to drive as far to shop. "We have...

Lee County, FL · 2d

The Financial Wire

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Lee Health says it will leave UnitedHealthcare’s networks, including Medicare Advantage, on Jan. 1, 2027 without a deal, as Florida members face a Dec. 7 deadline

Lee Health, the Fort Myers hospital system, says it will leave UnitedHealthcare’s networks on Jan. 1, 2027, including the Medicare Advantage network, unless the two sides sign a new contract first. UnitedHealthcare’s member page says Lee Health “intends to leave” its commercial and Medicare Advantage networks and notified the insurer in late August. Florida members... The post Lee Health says it will leave UnitedHealthcare’s networks, including Medicare Advantage, on Jan. 1, 2027 without a deal, as Florida members face a Dec. 7 deadline appeared first on The Financial Wire .

Fort Myers, FL · 4d

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Publix, Target spend $35M on eastern Lee County sites

As Lee County’s population pushes inland and eastward, major retailers like Publix and Target are following. The two retail giants have each invested millions in real estate to accommodate customers of the present and future, with separate, unrelated deals sharing the same closing date of Oct. 29. Publix paid...

Lee County, FL · 1d

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Your Town Council For The Next 2 Years

On Tuesday, 2,508 of the eligible 3,279 eligible Fort Myers Beach voters went to the polls and elected Anita Cereceda, Tom Brady, and Rebecca Link to the Town Council. Cereceda received the most votes with 1,768, followed by Brady with 1,510. Rebecca Link retains her seat with 1,334 votes. Ed...

Fort Myers Beach, FL · 2d

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Plans for Lee Memorial Hospital site could include parks, homes

A linear park along Cleveland Avenue, rowhouses like those in Philadelphia, bike trails and a big civic green are some of the ideas for what the Lee Memorial Hospital site could look like when the hospital closes in 2028. Members of the Fort Myers Economic Development Advisory Board received an...

Fort Myers, FL · 1d

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Cape Coral mayor-elect and new city council face city manager termination fallout

CAPE CORAL, Fla. — Cape Coral's mayor-elect Rick Erickson and the newly elected city council are stepping into their roles amid significant changes, including the abrupt firing of city manager Michael Ilczyszyn without cause during the outgoing council's final meeting. "I'm not waiting to the 18th. I want to...

Cape Coral, FL · 3d

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Sanibel Clears Path for Island Cow to Rebuild With Mini Golf After Fire, Ian

The Island Cow, a longtime favorite among Sanibel residents, is on track to rise again from the wreckage left by a 2022 kitchen fire and Hurricane Ian — this time with a twist nobody saw coming: the island's first mini golf course right next door to the dining room. Sanibel City Council has amended an ordinance to allow the popular Periwinkle Way restaurant to rebuild with the recreational amenity attached, according to Gulf Coast News, though the final design for the site has not yet been submitted.

Sanibel, FL · 21h

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Local officials prepare for impacts of Amendment 3

For those hoping Amendment 3 will reduce their tax burden, Tuesday’s vote was the easy part. With 62% of voters in favor of the homestead exemption increase, property owners who live in their homes will now be exempt from paying local property taxes for up to $150,000 of their property’s value next year and up to $250,000 of their property’s taxable assessed value in 2028. The increased exemption will not apply school taxes.

Lee County, FL · 3d

WINKNEWS.com

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SWFL counties avoid alerts as Florida hits 524 dengue cases

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA (WINK)—Florida reported 39 new locally acquired dengue cases in one week. That brought the statewide total to 524 cases in 2026 across 12 counties. Health officials continued to urge people to take precautions against mosquito bites. The report placed 11 counties under advisories, including Manatee and Sarasota....

Florida · 1d

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Trish is Out. Amanda is in.

An Inauguration Ceremony for three members elected to the Lee Board of County Commissioners will be held 8:30Am Tuesday, Nov. 17, in the Commission Chambers of the Old Lee County Courthouse in Fort Myers. A reception will follow at 9 a.m., and the regularly scheduled Board meeting will begin at 9:30 a.m. The public is invited to attend.

Fort Myers, FL · 3d

The News-Press

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'Crown jewel' Edison estates welcomes first addition in 60 years

It has been 60 years since something was built at the venerable Edison Home. That’s going to change. The Edison and Ford Winter Estates Board of Trustees presented plans to the Fort Myers city council on Nov. 2 for a new welcome center. The city council gave a unanimous 6-0 blessing to the plans, with Councilman Liston Bochette absent for the vote. Council member Terolyn Watson did vote against one item, which is a letter from the city guaranteeing a $1.6 million loan the Edison board of trustees plans to help fund the project. Watson said she had met with former council member Mike Flanders, who chairs the board of trustees, and that banks may be willing to loan the money without a city guarantee. Council member Darla Bonk pointed out that since the city owns the 21-acre property it would be on the hook for any loan default regardless. Former city officials Flanders, Henderson part of Edison board The Edison non-profit board of trustees also includes former mayor Randy Henderson. The welcome center was designed by architect Joyce Owens, founder and principal of Architecture Joyce Owens, a 12-person firm in southwest Florida. Owens is the national American Institute of

Fort Myers, FL · 1d

The Money Overview

partner publisher · 73.3K followers

Florida Medicare Advantage enrollees lose 51 plans for 2027, and Lee Health’s UnitedHealthcare contract ends Dec. 31 in Fort Myers and Cape Coral

Florida Medicare Advantage enrollees will have 51 fewer plans to choose from in 2027, with the state’s count falling from 611 to 560, and UnitedHealthcare members in Lee County face a second loss on Dec. 31, when Lee Health’s contracts with the insurer end. The drop is the largest of any state. Medicare’s annual enrollment […] The post Florida Medicare Advantage enrollees lose 51 plans for 2027, and Lee Health’s UnitedHealthcare contract ends Dec. 31 in Fort Myers and Cape Coral appeared first on The Money Overview .

Fort Myers, FL · 1d

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Signs offering cash for diabetes test strips are banned in Lee County, but the sales may be legal

LEE COUNTY, Fla. — Nearly 1 in 10 adults in Florida live with diabetes, and signs in Lee County offering cash for diabetic test strips have raised questions about how these businesses operate and whether they are legal. Near Summerlin Road and Cypress Lake Drive in Lee County, bold...

Lee County, FL · 1d

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Veterans Day | Parade to step off the holiday

Cape Coral’s thank-you to its rich veteran population is back again this year, with the Veterans Day Parade to step off onto Cape Coral Parkway this Saturday. Marching down the parkway starting at 11 a.m. — right around the same time the armistice was signed and hostilities ended 108 years ago marking the end of World War I — Southwest Florida’s proud military and veteran community will be on full display as American flags are to be waved, red, white and blue garb worn, and military gear proudly displayed.

Cape Coral, FL · 3d