Lee Commissioners accept grant to address erosion due to hurricanes

The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to amend a grant agreement with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) to accept additional funding to address beach and dune erosion on Bonita Beach and Lovers Key due to Hurricanes Ian and Nicole in 2022. The amendment will increase the total grant to more than…

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FEMA calls in Florida may come from unknown phone numbers

FEMA may call Floridians who applied for disaster assistance from unknown phone numbers. It is important to answer these calls. Survivors should return any missed phone calls. FEMA may call applicants to discuss the status of their cases, or to obtain more information to continue processing their applications. Survivors should check to make sure all…

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SanCap Chamber celebrates three ribbon-cuttings in one week

Last week proved a prosperous week for island recovery and a busy one for the SanCap Chamber ribbon-cutting team. It welcomed John R. Wood Christie’s International Real Estate’s Captiva office, Pierce’s Paw Paradise, and Sanibel Inn. The Feb. 18 John R. Wood ribbon-cutting celebrated the reopening of its office at 11495 Andy Rosse Lane on…

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SCCF’s Pfau encourages hands-on ‘in the muck’ volun-tourism at SanCap Chamber luncheon

Kelly Pfau threw splats of humor into her presentation for the Wednesday, Feb. 19, monthly SanCap Chamber luncheon meeting at Sundial Beach Resort on Sanibel Island — describing experiences businesses could participate in and encourage guests to join.  As Coastal Watch director for SCCF (Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation), Pfau updated attendees on how her programs benefit…

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Lee County provides an update on the Fort Myers Beach Pier

The Lee Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday received an update on the progress of building the new, larger and more resilient Fort Myers Beach Pier that accelerates the planned completion of the project. The estimated completion date of the pier is now in August 2027, ahead of the previous planned completion in summer 2028.…

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SanCap Chamber ribbon-cutting celebrates design studio reopening

After five years of operating Bridget Vandenburgh Interiors on Sanibel Island, pivoting operations to its warehouse in Fort Myers after Hurricane Ian, and finally opening a showroom and studio in Fort Myers, the namesake owner, founder, and principal designer was happy to land at 13261 McGregor Blvd. in Fort Myers on Dec. 1. The SanCap…

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Lee commissioners prepares for receipt of funds to address unmet needs from Hurricanes Helene and Milton

Lee County has been allocated more than $100.6 million in Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This funding will provide critical resources to address unmet recovery needs from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, supporting essential recovery efforts with a focus on housing repair…

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New floodplain manager appointed for the Town of Fort Myers Beach

Kelli DeFedericis began working for the Town of Fort Myers Beach as the new floodplain manager from Jacobs Group. DeFedericis has been in Florida since 2006 where she began her career in the floodplain industry. Previously DeFedericis worked with the City of Marco Island as their floodplain administrator. She stated, “I am looking forward to…

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Mangrove Property Insurance earns rating of A from Demotech

Mangrove Property Insurance Company announced that Demotech, a financial analysis firm, has assigned it a Financial Stability Rating of A, Exceptional.  Demotech assigns FSRs of A, Exceptional, to insurers that possess exceptional financial stability related to maintaining positive surplus as regards policyholders, liquidity of invested assets, an acceptable level of financial leverage, reasonable loss and loss…

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Lee Commissioners vote to approve agreement related to EPA Community Change Grant

The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to approve an agreement with Collaboratory to allow the county to address a series of objectives included in the $19.3 million Community Change Grant through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to tackle environmental challenges related to disaster preparedness. Lee County and Collaboratory announced in December that the…

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