News

Hurricane Milton debris collection complete for unincorporated areas of mainland Lee County

01/08/2025

Lee County Solid Waste has announced that debris collection for Hurricane Milton has concluded for unincorporated areas of mainland Lee County in addition to Boca Grande, Captiva and Pine Island. Collections on the sparsely populated islands of Upper Captiva, Useppa and Cayo Costa are ongoing. The county is now reminding residents of unincorporated mainland Lee…

Fort Myers Beach officials meet with Florida Department of Transportation

01/08/2025

Mayor Dan Allers, Town Manager Andrew Hyatt, Community Services Director Jeff Hauge, and Operations and Compliance Director Frankie Kropacek met on Jan. 7 with representatives from Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to discuss the Estero Boulevard project. Topics discussed were as follows: Lighting on Matanzas Pass Bridge Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) Plan Concrete islands and…

FloridaCommerce announces $167 million available for Florida small business

01/07/2025

FloridaCommerce has announced an additional $167 million is available for Florida small business through the State Small Business Credit Initiative 2.0. Since January 2023, Florida has provided more than $202 million in loans and venture capital investments to 149 small businesses, stimulating more than $7a69 million in private capital that has created or retained nearly…

Today is the last day for Floridians to apply for FEMA assistance

01/07/2025

Homeowners and renters in Florida who sustained loss from Hurricanes Milton and/or Helene only have one day left to apply for FEMA assistance. The application deadline is Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. To apply for FEMA individual assistance Visit any Disaster Recovery Center to register for assistance. To find a center close to you, visit fema.gov/DRC, or…

Florida Disaster Recovery Centers in Lee, Charlotte to close permanently on Jan. 7

01/04/2025

The centers in Lee and Charlotte counties will close permanently at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 7. The centers in , Citrus, Dixie, Hillsborough, Indian River and Lake counties will also close at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 7. The Disaster Recovery Centers in Flagler and Sumter counties will close permanently at 6 p.m. on Tuesday,…

Corporate Transparency Act Enforcement suspended nationwide

01/02/2025

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas granted a nationwide temporary injunction on Dec. 3 suspending enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) and its Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) reporting rule. The injunction effectively suspends the requirement under the CTA for reporting companies to disclose their beneficial ownership information to the Financial…

W 1/8 NEXT SWFBT DEADLINE

01/02/2025

Okay, I know it’s only the first week of January, but we all know it’s time to remind business owners that the 2024 tax deadlines are right around the corner! Thanks to Hurricanes Helene and Milton, some of us still need (and have time) to file our 2023 taxes! The FEBRUARY issue of Southwest Florida…

Florida Disaster Recovery Centers release New Year’s schedule

12/30/2024

All Florida Disaster Recovery Centers, except for Pinellas and Sarasota counties, will close at noon on Tuesday, Dec. 31. The centers at the Enoch Davis Center in Pinellas County and at the Venice Community Center in Sarasota County will be closed all day on Tuesday, Dec. 31. All centers in Florida will be closed on…

Two weeks left for Floridians to apply for FEMA assistance after Hurricanes Milton and Helene

12/24/2024

Floridians who sustained loss from Hurricanes Milton and/or Helene have two weeks remaining to apply for federal assistance. The deadline is Jan. 7, 2025. If you applied for FEMA assistance after Hurricane Helene and have additional damage from Hurricane Milton, you will need to apply separately for Milton and provide the dates of your most recent damage. Homeowners and…

IRS help available to victims of Hurricanes Helene and Milton; May 1 deadline now applies to individuals and businesses

12/19/2024

In the wake of the devastating hurricanes that have ravaged Florida and the Southeast in recent weeks, the Internal Revenue Service reassured victims that it stands ready to provide the tax-related assistance they need to recover from these storms. IRS.gov has a variety of information to help disaster victims navigate common situations in the aftermath…