Chad Gillis

Twenty-one panthers have been killed by cars through Nov. 13, with 28 overall deaths documented by state biologists. Those numbers are closer to what biologist have recorded in the recent past.

Projects like Kingston along Corkscrew Road and Belmar in eastern Collier are asking the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to allow tens of thousands of homes to be allowed in areas that were once considered off-limits to large development.

Southwest Florida waters are stained and potentially toxic as a red tide bloom rages offshore while freshwater bacteria levels are above what the EPA considers safe.

There are about 100,000 people living in Fort Myers, and homeowners with a taxable property value of $250,000 would pay approximately $86 per year for the parks and green space upgrades, according to the city.

Hurricane Helene stripped much of the beach area two weeks ago, and waves from Hurricane Milton combined with storm surge overwhelmed the island.

Rains have been falling across the region for a few days, and there's a 50% chance of rain across the area on Tuesday, according to NWS forecasts.

District 77 represents a swath of communities and includes: Alva, Buckingham, part of south Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres and San Carlos Park.

The Florida Department of Health in Lee County issued an alert for Southwest Florida residents and visitors, warning the public to stay away from local waters.

Most of the $10 million to construct the Beach berm came from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA.

Heavy rain bands and thunderstorms will be just offshore of the Collier County area by 5 a.m. Steady rains are expected throughout the area all day as Hurricane Helene is a large storm.