LAURA GATES

Doug Small had a stealth mission, one which required planning, an accomplice and a touch of romance. The sun was setting as he finished his work on the driveway outside of Savannah Glasgow's Naples home.

Sarah Reveland loves to dance, dress up and socialize. Her longtime dream of attending prom came true May 11, thanks to the generosity of her school and the local community.

While dazzling lights and thunderous booms may be the hallmark of Independence Day, area fireworks displays are not the only way to celebrate our nation’s freedom. This Fourth of July, boys will be dres

“I’m bored” need not be the mantra of summer. From sports to theater to super science, Lee and Collier counties boast plenty of summer camp options. Whether parents are looking for day-long activities for the entire school break or want ...

Sorry boys, 2012 is “The Year of the Girl.” To commemorate its 100th anniversary, Girl Scouts USA has launched a national campaign to promote leadership among girls, highlighting gender inequities and charting a plan to trample the barriers girls face. ...

With the dawn of each new day, we take one step closer to the grave. It’s not a thought most people wish to ponder, but the often hushed subject of aging will come to the limelight in a documentary being ...

Slender Life clients who showed up at any of the weight loss company's four Southwest Florida locations this week were greeted by a locked door.

A myriad of mutineers descended on Fort Myers Beach on Saturday for the fourth annual Pirate Fest. The event featured swashbuckling fun for the smallest of lads to full-grown pirates — even a few scurvy dogs.

John C. Warfield, a longtime pillar of the Bonita Springs community, was named Citizen of the Year on Wednesday during the Bonita Springs Chamber of Commerce annual luncheon.

Ben Nordstrom’s face beamed as he sent pizza dough swirling through the air. The seven-year-old from Punta Gorda was clearly enjoying his jaunt as a guest chef at The Joint in Cape Coral. He was joined by two other young ...

South Lee County fire districts are making another move toward unification this week, as Estero fire commissioners adopted the same fee schedule set by Bonita Springs for building inspection and fire plan reviews.

Like most regions around the nation, Southwest Florida is in need of blood. “Blood supplies really have dwindled,” said Karen Monzone, senior donor recruiter with the Community Blood Center.

As Lee County school children head back to school Monday, local motorists will need to slow down and allow extra time when traveling near school zones. Lee County Sheriff’s officers will be watching for motorists who aren’t watching out for ...

Does the word “library” conjure up images of a dour librarian shushing playful children and whispering teens? Local libraries shattered that stereotype this summer with the annual summer reading program, which brought snake petting, sword fighting and Japanese drumming to ...

As the late summer sun blazes over Southwest Florida, Marlene Fernandez’s kitchen heats up as well. Fernandez has been in charge of the Estero Historical Society’s annual mango chutney and jam sale for the last six years.

In Bonita Springs, Dolly Scott is famous for her coconut creme pie, which tempts with more than three inches of fluffy merengue on top. It ties with apple as the most demanded pie at Dolly’s Produce Patch and Eatery on ...

When Lana came to Beauty’s Haven Farm and Equine Rescue, the young pony’s ribs were protruding shockingly from her sides. She was wild and leery of humans. Shaker arrived at the ranch emaciated, pregnant and still trying to nurse a ...

Children learned basics of water safety during a fun filled event at Bonita Springs Community Pool Saturday. However, the real message of the day was for parents.

Meg Judge wanted her memorial mass to be more celebration than somber. In her final weeks, she orchestrated the entire event, including the role of the four priests who presided. “She made it very clear we were to celebrate,” said ...

When Lt. David Ott became one of the first three firefighters on Estero’s payroll in 1985, the community consisted of five streets. When a call came in, no map was needed. With just a few hundreds people living in Estero, ...

During the final two decades of her life, Meg Judge saw Estero morph from a quiet community of 500 into the “retail capital of Southwest Florida” with a population of nearly 35,000. Judge died in her Estero home July 3 ...

As Joan Falbey said goodbye to the last elementary class of her 42-year teaching career, a chorus of “hairy toenails” quietly sounded from around the room. Falbey often uses the humorous phrase to keep herself from crying when she’s overwhelmed ...

Three weeks after the Bonita Springs YMCA shut its doors, a community forum hosted by YMCA of the Palms left many community members unsatisfied.

The Estero Chamber of Commerce named Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott as “political person of the year” and Jim Nathan, president of Lee Memorial Health System, as “corporate person of the year” during its annual luncheon June 15.

Marco Island writer Jill Baguchinsky has been trying to get published for 10 years. “It’s such a hard thing to break into,” the aspiring author said. Now she is poised to publish her first novel, a young adult tale in ...

Young people exploring a career in firefighting took on professional firefighters from across the state Saturday in the Florida State Firefighters’ Association 84th annual Firematics Championship.

One of these days, Lora Lee Gayer expects to pinch herself and wake up from the dream she is living. The 23-year-old, who grew up in Naples, landed a lead role in “Follies” at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., ...

Rumors of a special sewer fee have been looming over residents near the defunct Bonita Springs Golf and Country Club for years.

Retiring Bonita Springs City Manager Gary Price packed up his belongings from his office at City Hall this week, leaving the incoming manager, Carl Schwing, a hand-me-down desk (salvaged from a Lee County office at the city’s incorporation) and a ...

When she looks at him, her eyes dance. He squeezes her shoulders, and a giant grin beams from his face. It’s the newlywed glow. “It’s just great to feel happy again,” says Ken Hamister, as he sits close to his ...

If only frogs could send text messages, then 13-year-old Sarah Wingo would be sure to win the Cutest Vegetarian Alive contest. Wingo made national headlines in February when she stood up for the 10 million animals sacrificed each year for ...

The recession has been blamed for a myriad of ills in southwest Florida, causing both public and private institutions to tighten their belts. While recession has forced business closings, abandoned development plans and home foreclosures, the ugly “R” word is ...

Those who know Don Eslick describe him with words like integrity, intelligence and dedication. Nick Batos, vice chair of the Estero Council of Community Leaders (ECCL), has dubbed Eslick “Mr. Estero.” Phil Douglas, president of Lighthouse Bay at The Brooks, ...

Estero residents bothered by nighttime noise levels at Coconut Point Mall or by airplanes flying overhead can now take action.

With credentials like Orr’s, the selection is really not too surprising. Orr has been Lee’s director of gynecologic oncology since 1999. He has authored four textbooks and is president of the Florida Obstetric and Gynecologic Society and a past president ...

In celebration of Earth Day, several families headed to Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center Friday to learn about the fascinating plants and creatures in our local ecosystem. “Learning more about the natural world is something that is very important,” said ...

When visitors walk through the front door of the Land home, one of the first things they’ll see are pictures collaged on a jukebox. The images portray the bond of a father and his only son: the proud papa with ...

In remarks to Republican Club of Bonita and Estero, Sheriff Mike Scott compared the U.S. border to a leaky sink that is causing "damage" and "flooding."

Bob Stone knows talent when he hears it. The acclaimed jazz percussionist has performed with more than 80 headliners in his day, including Count Basie, Frank Sinatra and Lionel Hampton, just to name a few. He also headlined his own ...

Dappled sunlight dances through the forest as the group of treasure seekers canvass the rugged terrain for any clue of something amiss. Some are mere children, while others are seasoned veterans of the hunt, tracking the “geotrail” of others who ...

Tom Darrow walks the line. Literally. The Bonita Springs businessman can be found walking in carefully measured, straight lines around parking lots in southwest Florida, pushing an odd-looking cart and leaving brilliant white lines behind.

Emily Clark makes a habit of picking out fresh produce from the famers market at Riverside Park every Wednesday morning. For the Bonita Springs resident, her motivation is twofold.

When trade secrets are stolen, it often throws executives into a panicked frenzy as they attempt to minimize damage. How can corporations protect their intellectual properties, and what should they do if espionage occurs?

Maybe it was a case of, “What comes around goes around.” Or perhaps Sylvia Schraff was actually “paying it forward.” The Bonita Springs retiree once had a friend steer her life in a new direction, and Schraff was about to ...