Deputies evacuated homes on Fairway Drive in Charlotte County after a landlord found what looked like a hand grenade on a fuse box. The Lee County She...

It’s not fireworks or a backyard barbecue—for more than thirty years, the real Fourth of July kickoff in Charlotte County has been a mile-and-a-half swim across the Peace River.Hundreds of swimmers dove into Charlotte Harbor for the annual Freedom Swim this July 4th, turning what could’ve been just another holiday into something that felt genuinely…

With Charlotte County's burn ban still active, organizers of Punta Gorda's Fourth of July fireworks show at Laishley Park are implementing additional ...

When Heather Shaughnessy and her family relocated from Boston to Southwest Florida six years ago, school grades were the deciding factor. She did her homework, checked district ratings, and picked her spot based on the numbers. Fast forward to 2026, and Charlotte County just handed her a surprise that even she didn’t see coming: the…

Florida’s latest school grades just landed, and Southwest Florida has plenty to celebrate—but also a harder question to ask.Charlotte County earned its first “A” district grade in 15 years. That’s the headline. Collier and Glades counties also pulled an “A,” while Lee and Hendry grabbed a “B.” Only DeSoto County came in lower with a…

The Tunnel to Towers Foundation paid off the mortgage for the family of fallen Charlotte County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Elio Diaz.

Charlotte County commissioners decided to keep the burn ban in place through Independence Day, turning down a recommendation from Bryan Carr, deputy chief of public safety, to lift it. Despite forecasts predicting higher humidity and more rainfall in the coming days—the kind of conditions that typically make fires less likely—the board chose caution over celebration…

One ember. That’s all it takes to turn a summer celebration into a disaster in Charlotte County this July.County commissioners made the call to keep the burn ban in place through the Fourth of July, which means fireworks are officially off the table. The decision came down to one thing: the dry conditions scattered throughout…

The Charlotte County Commission has scheduled a public hearing for the Don Pedro Knight Island Beach Renourishment Municipal Service Benefit Unit (MSBU) at 5 p.m., July 22, in the Community Center at Tringali Park, 3460 North Access Road, Englewood, for the purpose of receiving comments on the proposed assessments. The meeting is open to the […]

The Charlotte County Board of Commissioners voted on Thursday to extend the burn ban in place since April, following a special meeting to discuss lift...