World's Richest day one complete, Spooked Again in the Lead Friday, 24 May 2013 13:12 Day 1 of the 2013 "World's Richest" Tarpon Tournament in the books. So far, 33 tarpon caught and safely released. Read the Full Story

World's Richest, Kids Classic, Art Festival and street party schedule of events Friday, 24 May 2013 13:06
Schedule of events for the World's Richest Tarpon Tournament, Gasparilla Island Kids Classic, Boca Grande Invitational Art Festival, and street party ... Read the Full Story

Happy Graduation to Abigail, Dafne, Luke and Jake, TIS 2013! Friday, 24 May 2013 10:19 BY MARCY SHORTUSE - Four tassels were turned on Thursday, May 23, as Luke Crosser, Dafne Garcia, Abigail Turner and Jake Van Atten graduated from fifth grade and from The Island School. Prior to their commencement ceremony the four, with the help of others, did a “dramatic statues” and chant performance. Afterward, the third, fourth and fifth graders all participated in a song called “Flip Flop,” written and produced by TIS music teacher Diana Donlon. Read the Full Story

FWC releases findings in Bull Bay accident Friday, 24 May 2013 10:17 The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission has completed its report on the two-boat accident in Bull Bay on April 12, and the FWC is holding both Jesse Smith and Capt. Steve Ahlers at fault. Smith, of Port Charlotte, was travelling southwest in a gray 18’ open motorboat. He turned to the south to enter a blind, narrow passage between two mangrove islands when he spotted Ahlers’ yellow boat heading in the opposite direction. Ahlers, of Boca Grande, was traveling northwest towards the same passage, with three passengers on board his 20-foot yellow boat. Read the Full Story

Art festival details for this weekend’s tarpon festival weekend Friday, 24 May 2013 10:14 The Boca Grande Invitational Art Festival has an exciting slate of 60 amazing artists in a wide variety of mediums. Organizer Carroll Swayze is excited and filled with anticipation for the event. “(We) have some amazing work this year,” she said. “The festival is near and dear to my heart because Boca Grande is home to me. The people on the island have supported me for my whole life and I am proud to be able to hand-pick a Fine Art Festival to present to the island. I have spent the past year trying to choose artists who fit the theme and the ideals of the World’s Richest Tarpon Tournament of conservation, education and sportsmanship. I have world-class marine wildlife artists coming as well as some of the finest Florida landscape painters the state has to offer. I hope that everyone will come out, enjoy the festival and meet the artists who work so hard to create their beautiful original artwork.” Read the Full Story

Grant says ‘good-bye’, Kaplans say hello to island Friday, 24 May 2013 10:12 BY LIZA STROUT - Serendipity brought Grant Quirk to Gill’s Grocery, and a decade later it led his successors, the Kaplans, to the store.
Ten years ago, Grant Quirk was discussing the end of his clamming business with a friend. The one-two punch of red tide and “rolling moss” had ruined his clam beds, and he was looking for something new to do. Read the Full Story

Boca Grande, Sweet Pea highlighted in June Vogue magazine shoot Friday, 24 May 2013 10:09 Boca Grande has been the location for an awful lot of photo shoots, so many we usually don’t report on them. But, a couple of months ago a very high-profile fashion magazine – Vogue, to be exact – turned up in town with an interesting model. Her name is Dree Hemingway, and she is the great-granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway. Read the Full Story

FWC break-away jig study refuted by originating scientist Friday, 17 May 2013 10:06 BY MARCY SHORTUSE - In the summer of 2004 Dr. Justin Grubich picked up the phone to take a call from a woman who said she was with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The woman, Kathy Guindon, talked with Justin for about 30 minutes foul-hooking tarpon, and he was asked to provide expert witness testimony on how tarpon feed. He didn’t give the conversation much thought. Read the Full Story

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World's Richest day one complete, Spooked Again in the Lead
Day 1 of the 2013 "World's Richest" Tarpon Tournament in the books. So far, 33 tarpon caught and safely...
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Sea turtle patrollers, CWC gather in Georgia to discuss conservation, research

24 February 2012 Last Updated on 24 February 2012 Marcy Shortuse

Seven members of Coastal Wildlife Club attended the inaugural meeting of the Southeast Regional Sea Turtle Network held earlier this month on Jekyll Island in Georgia.

The CWC group joined more than 400 other conservationists, researchers, veterinarians, academics, fishery managers, representatives of conservation organizations and government agency staff from states on the gulf coast, and along the lower eastern seaboard.

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Valentines all around at the Boca Grande Child Care Center

24 February 2012 Marcy Shortuse

Carol Armstrong and Angelina Dougherty sorted out their Valentine. Photos submitted by the Boca Grande Childcare Center

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GIBA has new chairmen, still talking tolls and taxes

17 February 2012 Last Updated on 24 February 2012 Marcy Shortuse

BY MARCY SHORTUSE - The hot topic of how to pay for Boca Grande’s new bridges drew a crowd of more than 80 people to the Boca Community Center Auditorium on Valentine’s Day, but many audience members left the meeting with just as many questions as they had when the walked in the door.

At the onset of the meeting new chairmen were elected. David Hayes was named as the new chairman of the board, while Ginger Watkins will serve as the new vice-chair. Peter Strong will serve as chairman of the engineering committee, and Pete Saeger will head up the referendum committee.

( 3 Votes )

The Eagle has landed ... Cdr. Neil Armstrong visits The Island School

17 February 2012 Last Updated on 17 February 2012 Marcy Shortuse

OK, it wasn’t really the Eagle module that landed, but Cdr. Neil Armstrong did stop by The Island School on Wednesday, Feb. 15 to answer some of the kids’ questions about what it was like to be the first man to land on the moon.

“Was it hot up there?” “How did you sleep?” and “Did you step in any craters?” were some of the thoughts the students had. Armstrong explained how cramped the Apollo 11 was to sleep in, and how hard it is to walk in a spacesuit.

( 4 Votes )

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The News - Featured News

Biographer to discuss her book, ‘Elizabeth the Queen’

17 February 2012 Marcy Shortuse

Acclaimed biographer Sally Bedell Smith will speak on Tuesday, Feb. 28 on her latest book, "Elizabeth the Queen, the Life of a Modern Monarch," Now over a month on the New York Times bestseller list.