WHITNEY BRYEN

• Nesting numbers continue to decline for loggerhead sea turtle Published 08/09/2009 at 5:13 p.m.

  At 6:30 a.m., the sand on Vanderbilt Beach is void of yesterday’s footprints and sand castles as the sun rises over downtown Naples to the south. Only the tracks of an ATV run in a straight line down the beach ...

• First python hatchling found in Collier County raises concerns Published 08/06/2009 at 7:08 p.m.

  The python hatchling was found about a mile from the entrance to Collier-Seminole State Park. Paul Andreadis, a herpetologist, discovered the dead snake on U.S. 41 just east of the park entrance on July 26.

• Postal service considers closing 3 Naples offices along with nearly 1,000 others nationwide Published 08/03/2009 at 8:18 p.m.

  The postal service is considering consolidating or closing just under 1,000 offices around the country, including three Naples branches, in response to the agency’s financial crisis. In Naples, the downtown branch at 860 6th Ave. S., a Golden Gate location ...

• Dry July brings halt to promising wet season Updated 07/31/2009 at 11:39 p.m.

  A lack of tropical activity made a dry July even dryer in Southwest Florida. What started as a promising wet season with record rainfall toward the end of May evaporated in July, which saw a nearly five-inch deficit from the ...

• VIDEO/POLL: FGCU students party, just not hard enough to make national rankings Published 07/31/2009 at 6:38 p.m.

  When a list of top party universities was released this week, Florida Gulf Coast University missed the cut again. Despite being snubbed by the 2009 Princeton Review, some incoming freshmen at FGCU said they did factor in a school’s party ...

• Money python: Hunters seek deadly snake in Everglades for kills, not dollar bills Published 07/26/2009 at 8:30 p.m.

  Men with snake hooks and pocket knives will not cure the problem of pythons in the Everglades, but that doesn’t stop Shawn Heflick from trying, along with his 14-year-old son, Thorne. Heflick, president of the Central Florida Herpetological Society, is ...

• Welcome to the Redneck Yacht Club: Bring your own beers, babes and buggies Published 07/25/2009 at 5:02 p.m.

  Pieces of a rebel flag are plastered across the bikini of a young girl thrusting a Budweiser can toward the sky as she slides across the muddy seat of an ATV. “We love your place,” she yells, pointing a megaphone ...

• PHOTOS: Cronkite a friend, mentor and colleague to some local residents Published 07/22/2009 at 6:30 p.m.

  Walter Cronkite was watched in nearly every home in America during his 31 years at CBS. Most Americans remember Cronkite rendered speechless during the Apollo 11 moon landing or his criticism of the Vietnam War. To some local journalists, however, ...

• PHOTOS: Ghost orchid again drawing crowds to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Published 07/20/2009 at 7:12 p.m.

  Becky Garland came from Bradenton on her birthday to see it. George Bodmer and his family made sure not to miss it on their annual vacation from Chicago. The rare and elusive ghost orchid, which is in bloom for the ...

• Apollo 11 anniversary: Naples man had a hand in blasting men into space Published 07/20/2009 at 6:41 p.m.

  The 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing has brought back memories for Naples resident Gervais Audette. He glances down at a black and white photo, peering at the reminder of his glory days.“This one’s me,” said Audette, AGE???, ...

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