Calusa Waterkeeper provides local FIB report for month of July

This month we sampled a total of 27 sites, with 5 sites passing and 22 sites failing the Florida Department of Health safety threshold of bacteria counts less than 70 MPN

Below are the three highest MPN counts we found North Fort Myers Riverbend has more than quadrupled since last month and is our newest site currently sampled Manuels Branch -- 4611 North Fort Myers Riverbend -- 2282

Billy's Creek at Ortiz Ave -- 3448

As we progress into rainy season, Calusa Waterkeeper will continue to a s s e s s a n d e v a l u a t e s i t e s i n t h e Southwest Florida watershed to test for FIB (fecal indicator bacteria) The CWK could not do this without its wonderful volunteers and Rangers! Thank you to Neil, Ken, John, Chuck, Don, Mike and Greg!

For additional information about the Calusa Waterkeeper, visit the website at https://calusawaterkeeper org You can also email info@CalusaWaterkeeper org or call 239-899-1440

Voting by mail is a safe, secure and convenient voting method Voters are encouraged to act now and submit their Vote-by-Mail requests before the 2024 election cycle to ensure their voices are heard!

Vote-by-Mail Ballot requests can be made online, by mail, e-mail, fax or in person at any one of our branch office locations. New requests are valid through December 2024 ing permits Although it might be tempting to believe the higher a house is, the more susceptible it would become to hurricane force winds, Ellis said, this is not the case Anything built in the last 15 years or so has been built to the height of the homes they are elevating anyway, he explained

T h e m i s s i o n o f t h e L e e C o u n t y Supervisor of Elections is to deliver superior election services to the voters of Lee County.

“Now we’ve got those that are in compliance under the new laws, you’ve got those that were built in the '50s and the '60s and most of these houses are really good houses and built well so we bring it up to about 10 feet or all the new

From page 1 the organization Ongoing collaboration with Rebuild Together continues, Barreda said, as the organization is currently seeking office space on Pine Island, as longterm recovery is likely for the next several years The organization has begun to focus on assisting the Palms Community, he said, as they have dedicated staff to complete projects there

“Whether it’s your neighbor, your friend or somebody else in the Greater elevation to comply, however, the reason they’re so safe is because they’re so well built and the construction for the new foundations we use is absolutely unbelievable because it is parallel to high-rise construction,” Ellis said Everything from the footings to the rebar and columns are so strong, he said, that the idea that it’s more hazardous to elevate these homes is simply not true Damage to Florida homes, from storms like Hurricane Ian, he said, comes not only from the winds, but from the water surge

Pine Island area, please go on the website just let us know who needs help and we’ll work with these great partners, like Rebuild and True Blue, to get the help out there that they need,” Barreda said Continuous partnership in the commun i t y , v i a t h e P i n e I s l a n d W a t e r Association and the Matlacha Hookers, has allowed the GPIA to acquire 2 of the 6 Starlink satellites needed for future communication, in the event of another

“Most people have to go to the 10-foot mark to meet the new elevation height, but the huge water surges that came through and did all the damage were at 5 and 6 feet Hopefully, we are doubling where the last storm damage was done hopefully we’ll clear any water surges that come in the future and hopefully the body of the house and the foundation are going to be rock solid,” Ellis said catastrophe, Barreda said

Another home on Pine Island being elevated by Davie Shoring.

R e g i o n a l D i r e c t o r f o r U n i t e d Methodist Committee on Relief Simone Monaco reported they have been on Pine Island since December 2022 She has an office, she said, at the Pine Island United M e t h o d i s t C h u r c h , 5 7 0 1 P i n e I s l a n d Road, Bokeelia, FL 33922 Anyone in need of help is invited to go and see her there Any work done on someone’s home will need to be referenced with a receipt, as all financial requests must be accounted for However, financial position has no bearing on whether someone qualifies to receive assistance, she said

Lollar-Lambert emphasized the comm u n i c a t i o n s h a r e d b e t w e e n i s l a n d e r s , both individually and those involved with organizations, such as, GPIA, UMCOR,

FEMA and Project Hope

“ T h e r e i s a c o l l a b o r a t i o n b e t w e e n everyone on the island There is no island on this island We all talk, all the time we all work together,” Lollar-Lambert said

F E M A V o l u n t a r y A g e n c y L i a i s o n

T a s k F o r c e L e a d a n d S u p e r v i s o r y

E m e r g e n c y M a n a g e m e n t S p e c i a l i s t Chartonna “CeCe” Woodley said a lot of people who believed they would be covered by insurance were initially denied assistance She maintains that there are ways to receive needed funding through FEMA

For additional information on GPIA m e m b e r s h i p , d o n a t i o n s o r t o r e c e i v e updates via newsletter, visit, GPIALLIANCE org