A  Chicago man was arrested on Friday for possession of marijuana, after fire department personnel and sheriff’s deputies got a call of an unresponsive man in a vehicle.

BY LIZA STROUT - It was the first of the popular Historical Society series “History Bytes,” and Capts. Robert and Johnny Johnson spoke to a full house at the Johann Fust Community Library on Wednesday, Feb.1 to open the season’s series.

Shaelyn Taylor, a fifth grade student at Liberty Elementary, and the granddaughter of Capt. Dumplin’ and Dee Wheeler, won first place in the Charlotte Bay Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution essay contest. Shaelyn was honored at an awards presentation by the DAR on Tuesday, Jan. 24, and she received a $100 check for her winning essay.

The Charlotte Bay Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) sponsors an annual American History Essay Contest for the students of the Charlotte County Public Schools. The topic for the 2011-2012 DAR Essay Contest was the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812.

Mrs. Alleen Miller, School Board of Charlotte County, Mrs. Diana Dulkiewicz, Charlotte Bay Regent, Mrs. Jane Schurr, DAR Essay Coordinator, Shaelyn Taylor, Mrs. Joann Winkler, Grade 5 teacher, and Mr. Tom Gifford, Principal of Liberty Elementary School attended the ceremony (below).

BY JIM COOPER - These are exciting and historic times for your bridge authority and our island community. We are in the midst of a once in a lifetime, milestone process: the replacement of all three of our 54-year-old causeway bridges over the next five years.