Country star Riley Green just added more dates his Damn Country Music Tour, including a stop at Southwest Florida's Hertz Arena. The tour also visits Jacksonville that week “Can't wait to see y'all in Florida,” Green said May 5 on Facebook It’s been a whirlwind year for the Jacksonville singer-songwriter (a former Jacksonville State University quarterback): A string of sold-out shows across Canada five recent nominations for the upcoming ACM Awards (all for his duet with Ella Langley “you look like you love me”); and gold certifications for his songs “Worst Way,” “Jesus Saves” and “Don’t Mind If I Do” (also with Langley) Green is a previous CMA and ACM awards winner, including the ACM Awards’ 2020 New Male Artist of the Year. His other big hits include “There Was This Girl,” “I Wish Grandpas Never Died,” "Different 'Round Here" and “Half of Me” (his collaboration with Thomas Rhett) Presales and VIP packages start May 6 for members of the Riley Green fan club A publicist with concert organizers Live Nation didn’t immediately respond to an email requesting pricing information Green also performs Friday, Aug. 8, at Jacksonville’s VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. For more information and tickets please visit, rileygreenmusic.com Charles Runnells is an arts and entertainment reporter for The News-Press and the Naples Daily News call 239-335-0368 or email crunnells@gannett.com Follow or message him on Facebook(@charles.runnells.7) Instagram and Threads (@crunnells1) and X (@CharlesRunnells) The Steve Miller Band returns to Southwest Florida this October for more "Jungle Love,” “Abracadabra" and other pop-rock hits Presales start May 6 for qualifying buyers The Steve Miller Band is known for its string of hits in the '70s and '80s including “The Joker,” "Jungle Love,” “Abracadabra,” “Rock’n Me,” “Fly Like An Eagle" and “Take The Money and Run.” They last performed in Southwest Florida in December 2023 The Steve Miller Band will perform at 7:30 p.m For tickets to the Hertz Arena show and more information, visit hertzarena.com Read our review of the band's 2019 show: Steve Miller Band chills out at Fort Myers' Suncoast Credit Union Arena More about Steve Miller: 10 things you (probably) don't know about the rock star Follow or message him on social media: Facebook(@charles.runnells.7) Some features on this page require the use of a different browser The Estero Bay Estuary is bordered on the west by a chain of barrier islands Big Hickory Island and Little Hickory Island Within the estuary are hundreds of islands Mangrove trees are by far the most dominant vegetation in the bay although extensive seagrass beds are found within the shallow bays and sounds The climate in the region is subtropical with the majority of rainfall from June to September The estuary is not supplied with freshwater by any major river but rather by a number of small rivers and creeks Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve works closely with the Estero Bay Buddies and Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves to meet its mission Volunteers are encouraged to help clean up marine debris; monitor seagrasses and wading and diving bird rookeries; and monitor water quality in cooperation with the Charlotte Harbor Estuaries Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Network (CHEVWQMN).  If you are interested in volunteering at Estero Bay The Great Calusa Blueway and Estero Bay & River Paddling Trail also are nearby Preserve staff use GIS technology to map the aquatic resources within the bay and help to organize cleanups to protect the bay and keep it beautiful Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve staff focus their outreach efforts on educational signs (such as those alerting users of seagrasses) participation in local events and organizing wading trips and use nets and field microscopes to uncover and study animals such as starfish and seahorses Aquatic preserve staff also have helped educate local law enforcement on changes in seagrass protection legislation.  There are several major archaeological and historic sites within the boundaries of Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve and the adjacent upland areas and it is anticipated that additional sites will be located The sites include both Native American and European encampments and villages but most are prehistoric shell (kitchen) middens such as Mound Key the majority of coastal sites from the earliest occupation of the area lie drowned in the bay or farther out in the Gulf of America Estero Bay contains several natural community types Although overlap between the different communities often occurs The dominant community type in Estero Bay is the mangrove forest oyster bars and others are also present and vegetation make this estuarine complex one of the most productive in the state Approximately 40% of the state's endangered and threatened species are found within this area The estuary also indirectly supports a variety of commercial and sport fisheries by providing nursery area which substantially adds to the local economy The estuary is also an important home for bird nesting colonies and a valuable stopover area for migrating birds Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve staff have helped identify three rookery islands within and adjacent to Estero Bay as potential Critical Wildlife Areas Monitoring data from aquatic preserve staff was used in the determination of these CWAs Listed species found in the Estero Bay aquatic preserve include: There are currently no Events/Public Notices that match the selected criteria — A child is hospitalized this morning after being pulled out of a pool in Estero according to The Lee County Sheriff's Office Deputies said they were sent to a home on Bella Terra Boulevard around 7:55 p.m The parents were able to start CPR before deputies arrived She was hospitalized to Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida and is awake and breathing as of Wednesday morning The only Perkins Restaurant & Bakery in south Lee County is closing April 13 and the question now is what’s going to take its place The restaurant sits in the Shoppes of Grande Oak next to McDonald’s at the northeast corner of Ben Hill Griffin Parkway and Corkscrew Road in Estero The restaurant will start closing in the late afternoon starting March 31 and close for good April 13 didn’t return several phone messages last week The company’s website states it owns more than Perkins restaurants in the Northeast Fort Myers Retail 2 LLC owns the building and land where Perkins sits is listed as the manager on property records He didn’t return phone messages over several months The LLC purchased the 2.06-acre property for $1.57 million on Jan according to Lee County Property Appraiser and clerk of court records Chick-fil-A signed a ground lease with Fort Myers Retail 2 LLC on March 5 A ground lease allows the tenant to construct a building on the property and make other improvements with the tenant able to extend it for 10 consecutive five-year periods No rent amounts were mentioned in the document An architect for Chick-fil-A showed a rendering of a building to Estero’s Planning Department in 2024 Estero Community Development Director Mary Gibbs said Zoning & Design Board members at its March meeting that the department said no to the design A second rendering was closer to Estero’s standards Chick-fil-A has not filed for any applications since showing the rendering Fort Myers Retail 2 turned over a small portion of the property to the village Feb The easement is going to be used to make sidewalk improvements Typical ebbs and flows of the single-family home market do not have much of an impact on the ultra Four restaurant chains and a cake shop will join seven other businesses coming this year to the new Tree Farm.. the May 5 opening of the Hospital for Special Surgery at NCH takes the health care.. Not only has Chef Brian Roland physically and emotionally returned to public life in Southwest Florida after his life-altering tragedy.. Beeline is counting on thirsty folks making a beeline to its new upscale cocktail bar at Mercato in North Naples... The 72-unit Verandas III opened and is fully occupied on Airport Road marking the final phase in the redevelopment of.. Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner Grab your amigos and hit one of these local spots to celebrate with margs Tacos & Tequila is celebrating "Drinko de Mayo" this year with food and drink specials all weekend long There's three locations across Southwest Florida: Rocco's TacosMercato Naples is hosting a Cinco de Mayo celebration May 5 before a Garganta and Sanctum Soul tribute band takes the stage (9110 Strada Place, Suite 6205, Naples; 239-254-1080; experiencemercato.com) Felipe's Mexican Taqueria is bringing the fiesta this year in Naples Grab an award-winning taco and sip on a margarita on May 5 to celebrate the holiday you can pay $55 for access to a VIP section featuring a private taco bar you'll be able to enjoy a band from 5 to 10 p.m Don Tequila Mexican RestaurantDon Tequila is a local favorite for Mexican food They've received a 4.3 out of 5 on Yelp with more than 330 reviews (4947 Tamiami Trail N, Naples; 239-529-6472; dontequilamexicanrestaurant.com) 810 Entertainment at Miromar Outlets in Estero is celebrating Cinco de Mayo with three margarita specials The Cadillac margs feature a premium refined cognac and exotic bitter orange liqueur The specials begin May 2 and run through May 5 or throw an ax at the entertainment center (10801 Corkscrew Road, Suite 50, Miromar Outlets, Estero; 239-766-8448; 810bowling.com) London Bay celebrated the construction milestone of reaching the top floor of The Ritz-Carlton Residences at Saltleaf on Estero Bay $600 million condo tower that has seen swift sales which has operated in Southwest Florida for 35 years The first tower is scheduled to open by Easter 2026 An on-site sales center at 5000 Coconut Road in Bonita Springs has a glimpse of what the finished product will look like Prices start at $3.8 million and range up to $17 million for a penthouse suite The length of time developing in the market helped position London Bay for purchasing and planning the development of Saltleaf on more than 500 acres technically located within the Bonita Springs city limits “We know the market from Sanibel down to Marco Island But the fact that we have almost a mile of bayfront land in Southwest Florida in 2019 it’s kind of impossible to think about if you wanted to try to find that kind of water frontage today Post-pandemic migration to the region fit right in with London Bay’s development timetable “And we saw the growth coming from Naples up into Bonita Bay and then up into Estero,” Wilson said And it seemed certainly obvious to us that if you could get absolutely fantastic waterfront a fabulous championship 18-hole golf course Amenities that haven’t been offered before in the marketplace To give an unusual level of service that hasn’t been seen before in Southwest Florida And the market has told us that they appreciate it.” identical tower will break ground this summer and be ready by the end of 2027 Residents will share a 72-slip marina on Estero Bay that will have public access — a sticking point by Jim Weeks whose family owned the marina and operated Weeks Fish Camp for 72 years many developers came along with their goals and ideas as to what the future should hold for Weeks Fish Camp property,” Weeks told a gathering of public officials and construction workers Feb “But they did not understand the history of almost 100 years tied to the communities — how important the 74 years of public access has been to so many.” Weeks first met with Wilson and his team in 2017-18 Weeks became convinced that Wilson would honor the promise of providing public access to the marina at what will otherwise be an exclusive development “Not only is Estero Bay the oldest protected estuary in the state of Florida but also the location of Mound Key built by the Calusa Indians and settled on by pioneer families in your area,” Weeks said there is a developer who has realized that local history and public access is important enough to incorporate it into their vision of such a large project “Mark Wilson and London Bay Development — offering public access to water to continue a place to share our rich history and deeming that access open to the public in perpetuity — forever The public also will have access to a restaurant under construction This marks the Miami-based company’s first project in Lee County It is also building the Naples Beach Club in Collier County “Our plan here is to build a coastal village,” Wilson said We’ve currently got zoning for just over 1,000 residences London Bay is building a 1-acre lagoon that can be seen from the two towers It will be flanked by three swimming pools to the east and the bay to the west detached garage stands out and towers above all other buildings it’s so out of place that last summer a Lee County judge ordered the building either be demolished or reduced in size significantly “Best way I can describe it; it’s a commercial building on a residential lot,” said Shane Reilly who lives in the property next to the garage It has commercial grade electricity going to it It’s a commercial building on a residential lot.” the last four years have been full of legal and neighborly battles “It’s been a long road and a long process,” Reilly said It’s been a financial burden on our family.” when Estero resident Daniel Duke applied for a permit to build a detached garage on his property A staffer cited the village’s Land Development Code which states the “area of a garage as an accessory use to a dwelling may not exceed the area of the first floor of the dwelling.” Because the existing home on the property is 1,747 square feet and an existing detached garage stands at 784 square feet the staffer wrote in the denial “that a second detached garage cannot exceed 963 square feet in size.” The Reilly’s thought the story would end there But by September of 2022 the permit was approved “It’s disturbing and troubling that we’re in this decision because the Village of Estero wouldn’t follow their own laws,” Reilly said the building is also causing problems for his property "Our yard never flooded before the garage was built," said Reilly Fox 4 Investigates asked the Village of Estero why staffers approved the permit after first issuing a denial a spokesperson for Estero wouldn’t comment In a December 2022 letter obtained by Fox 4 wrote that because there were no size limits when Duke first purchased the property he was issued a permit under the preexisting regulations “A well-recognized exception is where the regulation changes and the person can show reasonable reliance on the preexisting zoning including expenditure of time and/or money the preexisting zoning regulations did not limit the size of garages,” Pritt wrote to village officials and Lee County Judge Michael McHugh disagreed and called the garage an “illegal structure.” Duke was ordered to either obtain a building permit to bring the detached garage into compliance which would require reducing the size of the building significantly “Your taxpayer dollars here are going towards legal fees and administrative fees to fight a standing illegal building in the state of Florida that should have never been here,” said Reilly The latest status report filed in court shows Duke has obtained a permit to reduce the size of the garage His lawyer wrote to the judge that Duke is “diligently pursuing construction efforts to comply with the Court’s Orders.” Village of Estero’s sports park took another step forward Jan 22 when village leaders unanimously approved the master plan The village needed to approve the plan so it could go to the South Florida Water Management District for permits The 100-acre sports park will be nestled between Via Coconut to the west Estero High School to the east and Estero Community Park to the north The entrances will be from Williams and Via Coconut Council approved the alternative master plan that did not include a splash pad and playground Vice Mayor Joanne Ribble said the playground would be redundant because the village just rebuilt the playground at nearby Estero Community Park Mayor Jon McLain lauded the plan but said he was “a little frustrated” at the speed of the project He said the entertainment portion of the project was supposed to be ready in 2024 and now it’s estimated to be the second quarter of 2026 The mayor wants the planning board to give final approval for High 5 Entertainment as soon as possible will build a two-story building and outside space The facility will include 21 pickleball courts Sarkozy said a driving range should open about the same time as High 5 The park’s 100 acres include 55 acres the village is leasing for 99 years from the School District of Lee County for $10 a year; 25 acres it purchased from Lee County for $700,000 and 20 acres it purchased from property owners for a little more than $5 million The village’s agreement with the school district includes reconstruction of the football field and track lacrosse and other purposes and a cross country path available to the public when not being used by the school A 3-acre village green will be the heart of the park and there will be a lake with a boardwalk The park will be constructed in phases and the goal of planners is to have it finished in five years The plan is yet to have a final price tag because it will be done in phases allowing Council to decide on the cost for each phase “The development of the sports park will likely be the most expensive capital project in the village’s short history,” said Sarkozy With an additional commitment from Bonita Springs City Council in mid-April proponents of the Bonita Estero Rail Trail said they are nearing the halfway mark of the $70.4 million needed to fund phase one of the project Bonita Springs City Council voted April 16 to pledge an additional $12 million toward acquisition of the right of way for the former Seminole Gulf Rail corridor designated for the proposed Bonita Estero Rail Trail This follows a pledge of $5 million approved by Council in late December The project has also received pledges of $15 million from the village of Estero in December and $900,000 from the Collier County Board of Commissioners in January the three jurisdictions approved a memorandum of agreement establishing a joint task force to coordinate funding efforts for the trail that would convert a 14.9-mile segment of the unused Seminole Gulf Railway rail corridor stretching from Alico Road to Collier County into a hiking and biking trail Total funds pledged for the corridor stand at nearly $33 million to secure phase one of the rail corridor running 11.4 miles from Wiggins Pass Road in Collier County to Estero Parkway in Lee County While two Lee County municipalities — city of Bonita Springs and village of Estero — have pledged support Lee County commissioners to date have not committed any funds co-founder and president of the nonprofit Friends of BERT said the Lee County commission has been transparent about not committing to the project at this time “They have been open and honest with us about the fact that they have other priorities,” Orton said but they have other priorities for their use of funds so they’re unable to participate at this point.” Orton said the pledges by local municipalities to almost 50% of the phase one goal can improve the odds of receiving state “I believe that as they begin to really understand how transformational this is they’ll jump on board,” Orton said Bonita Springs and Estero are excited about it They understand what a rail-to-trail project can do for their counties and their communities.” Bonita Springs council member Chris Corrie said he sees BERT as “probably the most important project I think we can undertake in the next 10 years.” In addition to the safety aspect in terms of helping prevent pedestrian and bicyclist deaths Corrie said other rail projects in the state including in Sarasota County and Pinellas County have brought economic benefit for businesses and restaurants we’re looking at tens of millions of dollars on an annual basis that would be generated for business in the city of Bonita Springs because there would be tens of thousands of people using the trail over the course of the year,” Corrie said what I consider to be a really ugly scar that runs through Bonita Springs because the Seminole Gulf Railroad has not maintained that railroad right of way for over a decade.” the trail would become part of the planned 42-mile Florida Gulf Coast Trail network in Lee County and ultimately part of the more than 400-mile Florida Gulf Coast Trail from Collier County to Tampa A year-long preliminary study has confirmed what drivers trudging through Estero’s stop-and-go traffic already know The roads are failing to handle the growing number of cars The Johnson Engineering preliminary study showed that two of the five major roads maintained by the county or state are failing all but one of the major roads and one village-maintained street will be failing Nine of the 15 intersections studied already are failing Johnson Engineering did its traffic counts during the peak season and peak a.m The study added seven future or newly built projects when figuring traffic growth trips for the Estero Crossing apartments and shopping plaza on Corkscrew Road to the numbers Project Manager Leah Holmes presented the preliminary findings to Village Council and the public in March The final study with recommendations is expected to come out by late April 41 within the village limits and Three Oaks Parkway between Corkscrew and Williams roads 41 is 350 vehicles above the 2,814 volume considered good at peak hours the road will be nearly 650 vehicles more than capacity in 2034 but by 2034 it will be more than 550 vehicles over capacity Corkscrew from Ben Hill Griffin Parkway to Bella Terra along with Ben Hill from Corkscrew to Estero Parkway between Via Coconut Way and Three Oaks Parkway is the only village-maintained road expected to fail by 2034 The road can’t be widened beyond the current six lanes The improvements will have to be made by synchronizing traffic signals and other technology Some of the intersections with F grades are U.S Corkscrew and Coconut during morning and afternoon peak driving times as well as Three Oaks and Corkscrew and Ben Hill and Corkscrew An intersection gets a flunking grade not by the number of vehicles but when a person must wait at the traffic signal for more than 80 seconds The 850-page study lists some possible improvements for each intersection 41 are signal synchronization and timing adjustments 41 and Estero Parkway is removing the left-turn lane into Walmart and lengthening the turn lanes onto Estero Parkway The county is working on a feasibility study to widen Corkscrew from U.S which includes widening the Three Oaks Parkway intersection The intersection had 179 traffic crashes in the past five years About 70 residents attended the Engage Estero meeting with Holmes The audience questioned the accuracy of some of the growth projections with 10,000 homes planned on the eastern portion of Corkscrew Road The study gave most roads a 1% to 3% annual growth rate Holmes said a 3% increase was a fair number “We can’t get out of our place from 4 to 5:30 p.m.,” he said He also criticized the adding of a light in front of the Lowe’s on Corkscrew and suggested against allowing U–turns at major intersections Unsignalized intersection within the study limits  Future communities included for 2034 estimates  Close the left turn into Walmart and lengthen the dual left turn lanes on to U.S 41 to increase capacity and decrease crashes along Estero Parkway May benefit from signal phasing improvements in the p.m peak hour to alleviate the northbound  approach delays Modify westbound approach to a dual left turn and single through lane and removing the  split-phase operation will improve intersection delay by approximately 5 to 10 seconds per vehicle and improve the westbound delay by approximately 10 to 20 seconds per vehicle May benefit from extending the dual westbound left turn lanes to increase capacity and decrease stacking in the adjacent through lanes on Coconut Road Eastbound dual left turn lanes should have a single left turn lane onto Coconut Road Adding a second northbound left turn lane could reduce overall intersection delay by a couple of seconds per vehicle during the peak traffic hours The installation of a traffic signal at Pelican Colony and U.S 41 could potentially help alleviate traffic from the intersection The intersection is within the segment on the Lee County Cost Feasible plan for six-lane widening These improvements will help to increase capacity and alleviate traffic congestion Ben Hill Griffin Parkway and Corkscrew Road  May benefit from signal timing adjustments in the a.m with the anticipated six-laning of Corkscrew Road eastbound traffic congestion will be decreased along with delays for the eastbound approach The grand opening of Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida’s Estero Goodwill will begin with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8 a.m The new store at 10041 Estero Town Commons Place is a half mile from Goodwill’s previous location The nonprofit planned the move due to the ongoing expansion of the Estero area and after already outgrowing the old Estero location at 10351 Corkscrew Commons Drive Seagate Development Group completed the build of the new 21,800-square-foot store on the southeast corner of Corkscrew Road and Three Oaks Parkway in Estero Town Commons Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here The Trust for Public Lands is only $2.2 million short of its pledge goal of $35.2 million toward purchasing the right-of-way for the Bonita Estero Rail Trail (BERT) Bonita Springs City Council voted to pledge $17 million at Wednesday’s meeting Estero already pledged $15 million and Collier County commissioners in January agreed to give $900,000 with the possibility of giving more The Trust for Public Lands has until March 2026 to purchase 11.4 miles of right-of-way from Seminole Gulf Railway Pledging half the cost is important in securing matching funds from the state and private sources president of Friends of Bonita Estero Rail Trail Grants are more available once the local governments commit to put money into the pot Estero and Collier County have approved an agreement that establishes a task force to work on getting the rest of the funding The trail will begin at Estero Parkway and run to Wiggins Pass Road The initial plan was to start the trail at Alico Road but Lee County decided not to pledge money because of other priorities The money is only for purchasing the right-of-way BERT will have to come up with money to build the trail The Metropolitan Planning Organization did a bike trail feasibility study in 2023 and added it to its priority list making it eligible for various grant funding opportunities The Lee County Metropolitan Planning Organization 2023 feasibility study estimated it would cost $4 million to $6 million a mile or between $45.6 million and $68.4 million The need for overpasses and bridges push up the cost The estimates included an overpass at Alico and Corkscrew roads and Estero Parkway Three or four bridges would be needed to cross waterways WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now The walls of the former grocery store at the northwest corner of Three Oaks Parkway and Coconut Road started coming down last month after reaching an agreement with nearby residents who filed suit to stop the project Developers have been delayed by lawsuits since 2020 first battling the village of Estero and then homeowners in The Brooks Long Bay Partners LLC and Top-CR Associates LLC are developing the apartments The developers and homeowners reached an agreement Dec The developers agreed to no rooftop amenities or gatherings removing two towers in the rear of the building enhanced landscaping and changing the mosaic wall tile facing Three Oaks Parkway and Coconut Road The homeowners will receive $125,000 to use for landscaping and fencing William and Gayleen Clark and Shari and Dennis LaFrance agreed to dismiss all lawsuits and no longer challenge the project A representative for Residences at the Brooks didn’t return several messages The village had little to say about what could be built on the site because Lee County approved the zoning in 1997 before Estero incorporated The zoning allowed apartments up to four stories The developer sued the village in June 2020 over the appropriate process to get final plan approval The developers did make some changes requested by the village: concrete block construction a decorative wall along Three Oaks and Coconut repainting the rest of the shopping center to look like one integrated project and new lighting in the parking lot and updated signage The neighbors sued after the village approved the project Residents said the development didn’t follow the village’s comprehensive plan of four units per acre Opponents also argued the village “contracted away its enforcement rights with the settlement agreement.” This purchase is available as a free download with your MyC-SPAN account C-SPAN.org offers links to books featured on the C-SPAN networks to make it simpler for viewers to purchase them C-SPAN has agreements with retailers that share a small percentage of your purchase price with our network C-SPAN earns money from your qualifying purchases C-SPAN only receives this revenue if your book purchase is made using the links on this page Any revenue realized from this program goes into a general account to help fund C-SPAN operations Please note that questions regarding fulfillment or issues relating to your book orders should be directed to the Webmaster or administrator of the specific bookseller's site and are their sole responsibility MyC-SPAN users can download four Congressional hearings and proceedings under four hours for free each month There are three ways to set in and out points for a clip: Check your selection with the "Preview Clip" option If you are editing the times of an existing clip you may only set a start and end time within the original clip boundaries Editor's note: The story has been updated to reflect a corrected lesser amount needed to be raised as well as pledged Bonita Springs and Collier County have agreed to work together in hopes of raising $70.4 million to buy 11.4 miles of right-of-way from the Seminole Gulf Railway for a bike trail were the last to approve an agreement to work with Estero and Bonita Springs to raise money and do due diligence for the Bonita Estero Rail Trail (BERT) project The three governments need to pledge $35.2 million to get state grants to pay the remaining cost Bonita’s council is expected to discuss the money at its April 16 meeting Collier County is expected to take up the money issue by the end of April The Trust for Public Lands last year reached an agreement with the railroad to purchase nearly 15 miles of right-of-way from Alico Road in Lee County to Wiggins Pass Road in Collier County for $82 million The trust and railroad negotiated a backup agreement for $70.44 million if Lee County doesn’t participate Lee County has been supportive but won’t pledge any money for the trail the trail will begin at Estero Parkway instead of Alico “There’s still an opportunity and we’d love for them to join but you know with hurricanes and roads and other stuff that they just said we like it but it’s not our first priority,” said Charles Hines The time is of the essence because the trust has until March 2026 to raise the money “We have terrific support at the state level and have at least three different sources of funding for this 11.4 miles that we’ll wait over the summer to see if we can get,” Orton said Planning and design shouldn’t take more than a year He said Sarasota built a similar trail in four years A battalion chief at one of Southwest Florida's fire districts was placed on administrative leave last week while authorities investigate custodian of public records at Estero Fire Rescue confirmed Wednesday that Albert "Shane" Sibert was placed on leave Jan the Florida Department of Law Enforcement executed a search warrant at Estero Fire Rescue’s administrative headquarters at 21500 Three Oaks Parkway Poli confirmed the warrant was specific to Sibert fire district-issued equipment and theemployee’s personal property School paraprofessional arrested: Island Coast High School paraprofessional accused of lewd contact with student The search warrant relates to an investigation regarding Sibert's previous involvement with another agency Poli said Estero Fire Rescue is not the subject of an investigation Poli said Estero Fire Rescue is conducting its own investigation to determine the appropriate actions and we have no information to provide at this time," the Florida Department of Law Enforcement replied in response to an inquiry from The News-Press spokesperson for the Florida Commission on Ethics said they do not have any complaints against Sibert on file Sibert has been a battalion chief with Estero Fire Rescue since February 2016 and a program manager with Urban Search & Rescue Task Force 6 since January 2018 An attempt to reach Sibert for comment by phone before publication was sent to voicemail Matt Speranza and Dave Horrell each changed the trajectory of their lives shifting to figuratively painting the potential of children from literally selling paint one of about 640 early childhood development centers across the country but the first of four planned locations in Southwest Florida Stultz Construction will build the 14,000-square-foot building at 10100 Arcos Ave. off Three Oaks Parkway and just north of Corkscrew Road Speranza did so when he first invested in The Goddard School Thirteen of the schools are already open in the Pittsburgh Estero will mark Speranza’s 14th school to open There are 22 Goddard Schools in other parts of Florida Speranza’s group also has secured the first Goddard School in Fort Myers off Treeline Avenue and just north of Daniels Parkway The first Collier County location has been secured for 8200 Immokalee Road Speranza is looking at a second Collier County site near Kaiser University off U.S The growth of private early childhood schools enticed Horrell to join Speranza’s group as the Estero franchise owner with dual income families having to work and finding a place that has a high-quality childhood education rather than just a day care,” Speranza said “We have our own proprietary system called the Wonders of Learning No other childhood franchise or child care system has anything like that we’re going to be bringing Wonders of Learning to Florida and to the community of Estero.” who recently left selling insurance for Allstate having worked with him years ago at Sherwin-Williams Horrell said he spent about two years preparing to join Goddard He has been managing payroll and benefits for Speranza’s employees “I’d say we started the journey — it was probably Thanksgiving of two years ago,” Horrell said and this is going to be another opportunity to grow.” Speranza and Horrell have yet to announce tuition costs in Estero Other Goddard schools typically charge between $1,200 and $3,200 a month Speranza’s group paid $975,000 for the land and will pay about $5 million in construction costs “Whenever we had this particular site come open I think it just fits really nicely with the corridor of the area,” Horrell said “It gives us a lot of opportunity for traffic to fill the school with students “I hope that the Estero community welcomes us I hope that the families here learn to trust us and we represent The Goddard School well.” Estero golfer Gianna Clemente is used to standing on a green sizing up an important putt but she never thought she would be sizing up the 60-feet-six inches between the pitcher’s mound and home plate at Yankee Stadium before throwing out the ceremonial first pitch last pitch Her toss looked like a looping wedge shot as it landed softly in the catcher’s glove “I actually didn’t know that I was doing it until 10 minutes before something that I never thought I would do because of golf,” Clemente said Clemente was in New York City for the Mizuho Americas Open media day event Clemente will defend her title in the American Junior Golf Association portion of the tournament May 8-11 at the Liberty National Golf Club across the river from Manhattan The New York visit was another stop during an already busy year She competed in several of the biggest amateur tournaments in the country turned 17 and played in the Honda LPGA tournament in Thailand in February where she made the cut “It was a really good experience and me and my dad had a great time.” Clemente received an exemption to play in this week’s LPGA Chevron Championship outside of Dallas-Fort Worth there’s an amateur tournament in Bradenton a few amateur events and then whatever pro exemptions she gets that encompasses a lot of travel,” said Patrick Clemente The foreign travel continues into the summer when she flies to Japan for the Toyota World Junior Championships and to France for the Amundi Evian Championship Clemente’s been able to take advantage of the changes that allow amateurs to receive money and sponsorships for use of their Name Image Likeness (NIL) not just financially but also contacts and interactions on the business side,” said Patrick Clemente “The brands that she’s associated with treat her so well Clemente has more to decide this summer than deciding to hit a nine iron or wedge into a green She has to decide if she wants to turn pro when she graduates high school in 2026 or go to college and I think I will know when I’m supposed to know,” she said She will go to the LPGA Qualifying School in the fall no matter what decision she makes “I think what we’re instilling in her is keeping the big picture in mind make the decision that best put you on a path to accomplish what you want to accomplish in the long term Tina Smagala had spent about three decades working in corporate human resources and communications in various industries and she was looking to try something else for a change arrived home from work to his wife smiling and saying: “I did something.” celebrating its grand opening this week at Coconut Point in Estero as Tina Smagala decided to reinvent herself as a candle shop franchise owner The shop sells 14 “signature scent” candles but also candle-making experiences Customers can spend about an hour choosing their own scents and then making their own candles Price start at $42 (for a small candle generating 40 to 50 hours of burn time) and go up to $48 for medium (60 to 70 hours of burn time) or $54 for large (80 to 90 hours of burn time) There are 107 scents in the store from which to choose They can be combined using two to three at a time meaning some 100,000 variations of scents can be created in the store Smagala called it the “magic of scent blending.” “I started looking at entrepreneurial ideas to start my own business,” Smagala said I did a Google search for candle-making businesses.” Founded by Stacy and Barry Miller in Kennebunkport Sea Love began in 2017 with Stacy Miller making candles in her home’s basement When COVID-19 shut down the world in March 2020 Stacy Miller began fine-tuning her visions of a franchise Tina Smagala began thinking about her future The franchise has since grown to 14 locations with two more on the way This marks the second Florida location following one in Dunedin where you can custom-scent blend and create and pour your own candle or room diffuser and use all-natural ingredients,” Smagala said All of our fragrances are infused with essential oils that are plant-based so there’s no petroleum in it that is harmful to you and the environment Sea Love opened with a soft launch March 9 Smagala has been marketing the products on social media and through the Greater Fort Myers and Estero chambers of commerce that Mondays have been her best day for sales Customers making candles also have the option to do so while drinking wine Prosecco or beer while at the candle-making bar “People come here to celebrate the everyday successes in life and also to celebrate special occasions,” Smagala said She said her new career move has been a great one “I wanted the last chapter of my career to be something really fun and something that inspired people to be happy and joy-filled “Everybody who walks through the doors at Sea Love They’re so happy and smiling when they’re making candles.” we’ve covered the history of The News-Press; the formation of Lee County; the storied history of the Lee County Courthouse; the making and selling of Southwest Florida’s largest city Cape Coral; and the county seat Fort Myers in this space This week we take a look at Lee County's newest city the headline in the Naples Daily News read Estero’s population had grown 144% from 2000 to 2010 — from 9,261 to 22,612 The south Lee community’s population was expected to grow at a higher-than-average rate than the rest of the county according to an Estero market assessment released in September 2013 a civic group advocating for policy issues in and outside of Estero started to push for the creation of a village in part due to the city of Bonita Springs’ attempts to grow north that created a mechanism for Estero to become its own village and all but assured the community would get to vote on the issue in November Lee Commissioners unanimously approved Estero’s incorporation ballot language a formality that marked the final step before election Before reaching the governor’s desk the Rodrigues-sponsored bill passed the Florida House and Senate in April 2014 Supporters gathered at the Bonita Springs-Estero Elks Lodge to watch the results Estero would become the sixth Lee County municipality and the first incorporation in the county in 15 years “It was unbelievable because we weren’t really sure how (the vote) was going to go," said Bill Ribble who would later serve as a councilor and mayor "There was no guarantee that we were going to get our ticket punched,” Estero officially became a village on the last day of December 2014 From the Archives: 100-plus-year history of Lee County Courthouse From the Archives: 140 years ago – A newspaper is born From the Archives: A brief history of Lee County Estero's future sports complex is expected to be the most expensive capital project in the village’s 10-year history The master concept plan for the 100-acre project was approved by the Estero Village Council on Wednesday Approval allows the plan to be submitted to the South Florida Water Management District for review and approval of the storm water conveyance and ponding needs for the entire site that will include an entertainment district on 20 acres through a public-private partnership Estimated costs in the 2024-2025 capital improvement budget are $55.5 million That's most of the $79.9 million village's capital improvement plan approved in June 2024 "All this is intended to try to get the High Five and golf driving range sometime in the first or second quarter of 2026," said Village Manager Steve Sarkozy High Five progress delayedEstero's planned entertainment district east of Via Coconut Point and north of Williams Roads was put on hold while the entire 100 acres was planned. High Five a Texas-based food and entertainment company initially was expected to open at the end of 2024 and then in October 2025 "I think what we've got before us is really great It's a little bit frustrating that we thought we would get the entertainment up and running by the end of 2024 And now we have expanded this whole program and now we're looking at realistically second quarter of 2026," said Mayor Jon McLain "I would like to fast track our entertainment area up and running Every month we don't have High Five up and running … I'm asking staff to push this as swiftly as possible." As part of Estero's first public-private partnership and the village will receive an annual priority payment equivalent to 40% of net income in exchange for the village’s allocated investment into land It's a great opportunity for Estero; I just hate delays," McLain said Council ditches splash pad for food truck parkingCouncil members approved an alternate master plan instead of the original to replace a proposed children's splash pad with pads for food truck parking They voiced concerns about the proximity to the lakes and the necessity for two splash pads in Estero Vice Mayor Joanne Ribble says concession stands aren't enough when several events are going on at once "The food truck business is huge Every community is putting in pads for food trucks," she said Some amenities in the park may still be moved around The project is ongoing and will have some refinements "The aggressive timetable is necessary because the Village is bringing private investment as part of the public-private partnership approach to the development of the Sports Park," he wrote in the agenda summary which will detail the architectural details of all structures and the Landscape Plan will be developed and presented to the Planning and Zoning Board and Village Council in the coming months." Representative Byron Donalds' town hall Monday night featured heated debates some people being asked to leave and others storming out Audience members filled the auditorium at Estero High School with pre-submitted questions being read allowed by the Southwest Florida District 19 congressman intellectually honest conversation and if you can do that we can still walk away with disagreement,” Rep Donalds said of what he wanted the night to be Fox 4 community corespondent Stephen Pimpo spoke to people both for and against Rep who said the town hall did nothing to change where they stand: Many of the questions involved Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Donalds saying the responsible thing for the Congressional Oversight Committee (of which he is a member) to do is to let DOGE finish it’s work before stepping in (the idea of) ‘We crash it and trash it and then afterwards we’ll see whether we did good or bad,’” said Jack Phelps of Fort Myers who submitted a question about DOGE and the IRS Lots of arguments erupted during questions over Diversity as well as immigration and social security Donalds called some of the outbursts rude though he did give people the time and platform to speak “I wanted to hear more substance and less yelling,” said Estero resident Jay Spector “And all we heard were people that came to protest more than listen to what the Congressman had to say.” Donalds believes some of the outrage comes from fear and concern rather than facts “I think that if you had some of the same programming but it was Kamala Harris (instead of Donald Trump) the people who might be upset would be cheering it.” Donalds was gathered outside of the high school before the town hall started Easter weekend is finally here in Southwest Florida Here are some of the best things to do this Friday through Sunday businesses and venues to see what they’re doing The annual Easter event includes face painting photos with the Easter Bunny and two scavenger egg hunts divided by age group (10 a.m Only 100 tickets available for the Easter Bunny (first come Organized by City of Marco Island Parks and Recreation The Easter Bunny is available for visits and photos daily through April 19. Free admission. Photo packages start at $20. Reservations are encouraged for photo-package sessions, but not available for regular visits without a photo package. Dillard’s Court at Coastland Center, 1900 Tamiami Trail N., Naples. whereisbunny.com Easter Egg Hunt at Baker ParkThe City of Naples hosts its first Easter egg hunt at Baker Park. Bring your own basket. The event includes a visit with the Easter Bunny. 9-11 a.m. Saturday, April 19. Free. The egg hunt will divided into different times based on the age group: 10 a.m. (2-4 years old), 10:15 a.m. (5-7 years old) and 10:30 a.m. (8-12 years old). Baker Park, 50 Riverside Circle, Naples. facebook.com/BakerParkNaples Celebrate the holiday with food trucks, bounce houses, giveaways, games, an egg hunt and much more. 10 a.m. Sunday, April 20. Free. Faith Church, 6070 Collier Blvd., Naples. 544-7911 or faithchurchnaples.com Estero EGGStravaganza at Estero ParkThis event for children 12 and younger features an adaptive egg hunt and a visit with the Easter Bunny. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, April 19. $5. Space is limited. Estero Park, 9200 Corkscrew Palms Blvd., Estero. 533-1470 or leegov.com/parks/centers/estero "We look forward to being a part of the Estero community and serving our customers with an amazing offering of great brands at great prices," said Gemma Lionello "We're excited to grow our footprint in the Fort Myers market and introduce new customers to the Nordstrom experience." Nordstrom Rack will be located in Coconut Point a picturesque outdoor shopping center featuring over 110 stores that includes Dillard's Tommy Bahama Store and Marlin Restaurant and PGA TOUR Superstore "As Southwest Florida's premier shopping destination one of our top priorities is to provide an exceptional shopping experience for both Estero residents and visitors alike," said Stephen Welch "The exciting addition of Nordstrom Rack at our center further elevates our expansive portfolio of offerings providing our shoppers an even more diverse and rewarding retail experience We look forward to welcoming Nordstrom Rack later this year and are honored to be a part of their growth in Estero." easy returns and alterations at select stores Nordstrom Rack is the largest source of new customers to Nordstrom Nordstrom Rack will also be opening locations in Coral Springs These new locations expand the company's physical footprint and economic impact in Florida It currently operates six Nordstrom stores and 19 Nordstrom Rack stores in Florida Nordstrom is committed to investing in the diverse communities where it operates has donated more than $2 million in support of its long-term partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of the United States training and engagement of adult mentors and mentorship moments between Bigs and Littles learning to tie a tie and helping with homework.  Southwest Florida's premier shopping destination is a picturesque outdoor mall for guests to shop Featuring over 110 stores including Dillard's Tommy Bahama and PGA Tour Superstore – all surrounding several acres of lakes with a boardwalk the center offers a variety of choices in every price range from jewelry to apparel and accessories to sporting goods The large selection of outdoor dining options include The Cheesecake Factory MEDIA CONTACT:Manuela UscherNordstrom, Inc. [email protected] Nordstrom invites customers to step into a world where sport meets culture with the launch of New Balance @ The Corner (NYSE: JWN) today reported fourth quarter net earnings of $165 million or $0.97 per diluted share ("EPS") Retail Household, Consumer & Cosmetics Fashion Jewelry Do not sell or share my personal information: – Florida Gulf Coast University men's golf hosts the Old Corkscrew Intercollegiate beginning this Monday at Old Corkscrew Golf Club in Estero The Eagles welcome nine teams to picturesque Southwest Florida for the two-day The 10-team field will take on a ​​Jack Nicklaus signature-designed course Rounds one and two are scheduled for Monday's initial action with the third and final round to take place Tuesday and the tournament officially gets underway at 8:30 a.m Live results will be available through LeaderboardKing The tournament is free and open to the public FGCU has steadily climbed the rankings heading into its home event the lowest of any team in the Old Corkscrew field Brett Moore and Sebastian Gamboa will be two golfers to watch for the Eagles shot a program record round of 63 this season and has been named the ASUN Men's Golf of the Week twice He has two top-three finishes on the year and is averaging a team-low 70.5 per round Gamboa has also earned one golfer of the week honors this season as well Gamboa is shooting 70.8 per round with one top-three effort on the leaderboard Thanks for visiting — Firefighters in Estero reunited with a boy whose life they helped save The C shift crew from Estero Fire Rescue Station 44 responded to a call for help crews from C shift at Stations 43 and 44 helped welcome him back home The crew said they were grateful for the opportunity to reconnect as they were the first to respond to his emergency "It’s not often crews get to see their patients after the call," the department posted "A heartfelt thank you to the Hoyt family for allowing Estero Fire Rescue to be part of this special moment!" Authorities say a bystander recovered a boater's body from the Estero River this weekend after the occupant fell off a vessel the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission along with the Lee County Sheriff's Office responded to a single-vessel incident in the Estero River on April 19 87 mph in a 45 mph zone: FHP report says teen was driving over 80 mph before Gladiolus Drive fatal crash preliminary information indicates that a vessel with two occupants on board was traveling on the Estero River when one of them fell off the boat Authorities said a bystander found the individual unresponsive in the water and recovered the boater where Lee County EMS took over and took the victim to the hospital age and hometown remained unknown by publication