Captiva News

Collecting is among America's favorite pastimes, some would say. Dolls, beer cans, porcelain, glass, artwork, clocks, all kinds of memorabilia and so much more - you name it, someone collects it.

Jacksonville may not be the first place people think of for Florida getaways - so much the better for you.

FLORIDA: FWC is warning boaters to make way for manatees heading for warmer waters.

The race for Lee County Commission District 2 -the seat now held by Brian Bigelow - got more crowded this week as another Democrat filed papers to start a campaign.

The Cape Coral Chamber Farmers Market is open every Saturday through May 8, 2010 at Club Square, S.E. 10th Place and S.E. 47th Terrace.

Rental property owners in Lee County can advertise their properties at no cost on a new Web site - www.BaytoSea.com. The Web site was created by the owners of Paradise Properties by Owner and includes a large selection of "by owner" rentals on Sanibel and Captiva Islands as well as properties throughout Lee County.

Red tide has made landfall in Lee County. Over the weekend, dead fish started washing ashore on Sanibel's east end, from Buttonwood Lane to Lighthouse Point on the Gulf and from the Sanibel boat ramp to Lighthouse Point on the bayside.

There was only one police officer on Sanibel Island in 1974 - and that same cop worked Captiva, too.

Following a lively Internet debate over oil and natural gas exploration off Florida's Gulf Coast, a group of area residents engaged in a similar discussion at The News-Press. But the local debate was pretty lopsided: Six people were opposed; two were undecided; and one was for exploration.

Red tide is back in Lee County waters. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers have reported a large fish kill 10 miles south of Sanibel.

The chef-owner of Blue Windows Catering and Chef Services has opened a new bistro in south Fort Myers, but there's a catch.

This will be more of a true blog entry; I'm down Sanibel/Captiva Islands on a fishing vacation for a few days.

Brawny arms wrap softly around the small, fluffy bengal cat. "Meowwwww," cries Chrissy as Officer Peter Hinkley of Collier County Domestic Animal Services pets her gently.

Published: Monday, October 19, 2009 at 3:46 p.m. Last Modified: Monday, October 19, 2009 at 3:46 p.m. A small, but concentrated patch of red tide may have led to recent fish kills off the coast of Sanibel.

Red tide probably did not cause a small fish kill on Sanibel Sept. 29. The fish kill extended from Bowman's Beach to Blind Pass, said Rick Bartleson, a research scientist at the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Marine Laboratory.

The pre-dawn sky Thursday - the first day of stone crab season - burned orange and pink, complete with the bright planet Venus and a thin crescent moon.

Finding a natural balance for the North Spreader Ecosystem is just as complex as finding balance among the mad tangle of stakeholders who are working toward an agreement to protect the delicate estuary in the northwest Cape.

There's two weeks left in the sea turtle nesting season and the number of nests are down.

There is lots of fun and entertainment to be had at dinner theaters in South Florida.

Not only did Captiva artist Robert Rauschenberg have a global cultural impact, his philanthropy touched thousands of lives in Southwest Florida.