Text Size

The News

Obituary: Dan Swetalla

31 August 2012 Marcy Shortuse

Daniel Paul Swetalla, 44, of Eagan, Minn., passed away surrounded by his family and close friends on August 22.

He is survived by his wife, Marie; daughter, Sarah; mother, Diane (James) Cook; father, Daniel; siblings, Kim (Chris) Heim, Cheryl (John Strangis) Cook, John (Stacey) Cook and Ted (Fortuna) Cook; godmother/aunt, Marlene Stanke; aunt, Bonnie (Curtis) Galloway; and his nephews and nieces.

Profile: Brian Corcoran

31 August 2012 Marcy Shortuse

BY MELISSA LATERZA - Brian Corcoran, owner of The BRC Group LLC, Licensed Real Estate Broker Sales and Rentals in Boca Grande, grew up in Park Ridge, a suburban town in New Jersey located just outside of New York City.
“Park Ridge was very community-minded with a small-town atmosphere,” said Brian. “I had close friends that I met and have stayed close to my entire life. I lived in different cities, but stayed in Bergen County for 30 years.”

Park Ridge wasn’t the only small town Brian grew up loving.

Isaac: The storm that wasn't for Southwest Florida

27 August 2012 Last Updated on 19 September 2012 Marcy Shortuse

It started with a whimper and ended with a whine. Tropical Storm Isaac, which many meteorologists thought would have a major impact on our area, has essentially passed us by without a hitch.

Read more... Add new comment

Latest Isaac update from Lee County EOC

26 August 2012 Last Updated on 19 September 2012 Marcy Shortuse

From the Boca Grande EOC at 11 am:

No mandatory evacuations for Boca Grande.

Sandbags available at Boca Grande Fire Department, sand available on wheeler road behind Bill's house.

If stop signs blow down in the wind, please treat intersection as a four-way stop.

There is no guaranteed emergency response from local fire and EMS after winds of 40 mph sustained.

High tides at 0030 on 8/27, 0935 on 8/27. They will be higher than normal, obviously. Low tides at 1600 today. They will be lower than normal by 2 to 4 feet.

Isaac should be a category 1 at 1400 today. Surge of 3 to 5 feet expected for Boca Grande, tropical storm conditions. Winds expected to pick up at 1400 today.

Rainfall of 4 to 7 inches expected.

Bridge open to vehicular traffic, closed to boat passage after sustained winds of 40 mph. Tolls still active.

Read more... Add new comment

Water, water everywhere ... and goodness does it stink

24 August 2012 Liza

BY MARCY SHORTUSE AND LIZA STROUT - Don’t think of it as a ditch. Think of it as a linear retention pond, and you will be closer to the truth.

That’s the input from Lee County Department of Transportation officials when it comes to the ditches that line Gasparilla Road between 40th and 48th Streets. Many Boca Grande residents don’t care what you call it, they just want the standing water gone.

Read more... Add new comment

Good wishes to island resident injured while hiking

24 August 2012 Last Updated on 24 August 2012 Liza

BY MARCY SHORTUSE - Island resident Carol Lindenbaum has a lot of prayers and good thoughts coming her way, as she recovers from a fall that occurred while hiking in Switzerland recently.

According to her site established by the family on the caringbridge.org website, Carol lost her footing and slid down a steep embankment of grass and rock while hiking near Grindlewald, Switzerland with three other couples from Florida. It happened very quickly, but luckily a man on the trail below witnessed the incident and immediately called mountain rescue airlift.

Read more... Add new comment

Win cash while fishing and tagging

24 August 2012 Last Updated on 24 August 2012 Liza

Boca Grande’s annual satellite tagging project will hold a Tarpon Tagging Challenge on Friday, Sept. 7.

This will be the third consecutive year that fall tags are placed on Charlotte Harbor tarpon in order to identify exactly when and where these tarpon migrate in the fall/winter.

Read more... Add new comment