Photo Galleries

The intersection of Terry Street and Old 41 can be a scary place at 9 o’clock on a weekday morning. Traffic backs up, drivers wait for the chance to scoot off to work. Meanwhile, many students at Bonita Middle School are making their way to school at that intersection by bike or by foot. It takes a bold person to step out into that intersection, even when there is a protected crosswalk light. But that’s what Len Bellin’s job is five days a week. He’s the school’s crossing guard assigned to the busy intersection. Wearing matching bright orange vest and gloves — not much protection from a moving car — Bellin unflinchingly steps into the intersection with a whistle in mouth to direct traffic and delivery student pedestrians safely to school. Bellin, who has a tickling dry wit when he’s still standing on the corner, is all business when he’s out on the street. “Mainly, I would say it’s important because it protects the kids,” says Bellin of his job.

Immokalee elementary school teachers were able to earn their masters for free through University of Florida through a program between UF and the Education Foundation of Collier County. The first set of teachers just graduated. They loved the free degree (they earn more money now as a result), but they said the information they learned helped them become better teachers and a closer group. We take a look at 4th grade teacher Gwen Green, one of those teachers who has greatly benefited from the program.

Whole Foods Market is opening on Sept. 5. We are giving you a sneak peek of the store at The Mercato

Marco’s venerable Steak and Lobster house gets a new home.

The residents of Aston Gardens noticed the photo of a dog on the Brookes Legacy website and decided to adopt her as their own. The dog named "Charity" is being trained by Brooke's Legacy volunteer Germaine Eurich at Aston Gardens so that Charity can live among the residents.

After some building delays and coping with the lengthy permitting process, the Naples Big Cypress Market Place is due for its certificate of occupation within about a week.

Community members who were forced from their homes due to massive flooding seek shelter at the Estero Community Center where the Red Cross is providing food and other necessities. Families are using the center for refuge.

The city’s Design Review Board this morning gave the Humane Society of Naples preliminary design approval for an 11,868 square feet expansion and renovation. The renovation will include two new buildings and a nifty cat/dog paw print on the enterance.

Sheetflow flooding continued to rise overnight in east Bonita Springs, but county officials now believe the worst is over. The rising floodwaters encompass neighborhood streets east of Imperial Street, an area that was evacuated of homeowners Tuesday night. No new evacuations have been declared, city officials said Wednesday. Jay Stakenburg, chief of operations at the Lee County Emergency Operations Center, said that after speaking with officials at the National Weather Service, the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the Division of Natural Resources, the county believes flooding has reached its peak. “What they are telling us fairly consistently is that the river and sheetflows are at their highest points now, and that we should begin to get some relief,” he said.

Lee and Collier County held their primaries today, Tuesday August 26th.

Waters rose again on Tuesday, flooding dozens of homes west of Interstate 75.

Waters from the Imperial River in Bonita Springs continue to overflow its banks.