BY LIZA STROUT - Betty Staugler with Florida Sea Grant and Michael Gerlach of the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority stood out on a windy dock last Thursday, surrounded by empty cages and rope. It was time to deploy this year’s crop of young scallops.

BY JIM LABINSKI - Months of preparation, a dedicated staff, supportive donors, enthusiastic volunteers and a lively crowd all came together to make Wednesday night’s Tennis Ball and Silent Auction to benefit the Suncoast Humane Society at the Boca Grande Club a tremendous success.

At least $20,000 dollars was raised in the intense competition for the 20 items in the silent auction.

Recently, a call came in to Animal Control about an injured Chihuahua in a Punta Gorda home.

What they found when they got there was a nightmare.

The Boca Grande Historical Society will resume their popular History Bytes series on 11am on February 1, 2012 at the Johann Fust Community Library.