Caloosahatchee River Gets New Mural Under The LaBelle Bridge

LABELLE, FL. -- The public art project titled Roots & Springs is being painted beneath the Bridge Street Bridge (LaBelle Bridge) facing DeSoto Avenue next to Barron Park and the Caloosahatchee River.

Photo credit: Mary Tyner

Location: South support incline of the Bridge Street Bridge, facing DeSoto Avenue near Barron Park in downtown LaBelle, FL.

Theme: Florida's unique wildlife, inland and river ecosystems, and LaBelle's connection to the Florida Wildlife Corridor and the river.

Funding & Organization: Funded by a $20,000 grant and coordinated via the LaBelle Downtown Revitalization Corporation in partnership with the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation.
Status: The bridge structure had been prepped and primed for the artwork.

34 Year Old Female Dies After Hendry County Crash

November 11, 2026, HENDRY COUNTY – 6978 COUNTY ROAD 78 – FATAL

DATE: 11/11/2026
TIME: 5:00PM
LOCATION: 6978 County Road 78 (Hendry County)

CASE #: FHP26ON0532306

INVESTIGATOR: Trooper D. Hernandez

VEHICLE 1: 2023 Chevrolet Colorado
DRIVER 1: Female, 34 Years Old from Labelle, Florida – FATAL

VEHICLE 2: 2022 Kenworth Dump Truck
DRIVER 2: Male, 48 Years Old from Labelle, Florida – No Injury

SYNOPSIS:

Vehicle 1 was traveling east on County Road 78, negotiating a curve just east of Hidden Hammock Drive.

Vehicle 2 was traveling west on County Road 78, traveling around the same curve, and approaching Hidden Hammock Drive.

Vehicle 1 crossed the double yellow centerline and entered the westbound travel lane / direct path of Vehicle 2.

Vehicle 1 sideswiped Vehicle 2. Post collision, Vehicle 1 continued to travel east, and entered a canal located along the westbound shoulder.

Driver 1 sustained critical injuries, was transported to an area hospital and later pronounced deceased.

The crash remains under investigation.

Florida Sell Now LLC Review - Beware?

LABELLE, FL. -- Another real estate buying company has popped up on television advertising, this time Florida Sell Now, LLC a company at an office building at 801 Anchor Rode Dr., Ste 204-A, Naples, FL. 34103. The company says they will buy real estate in all of Central and South Florida.

The usual pitch is to real estate owners who want a quick sale with no commissions. Unfortunately, the offers are much less than market value, allowing Florida Sell Now to turn the contract over to a third party when possible, for a quick profit. Lee county records show no real estate sales from or to the company.

The company began business in 2019, but the caveat that sellers should be aware of is that the company is "owned" by FSN Holdings Inc., 1309 Coffeen Ave, Ste 7664, Sheridan, WY 82801 and that company is not registered in Florida to do business.

To find properties they have presumably bought, you have to enter your address and give details first, not very transparent to consumers.

Advice: Beware of companies that offer lower than market value for a quick sale and check their official registrations with state and local agencies, and check reviews, being aware that such companies can show good reviews that may be paid or illegitimate.

Never Drive Impaired - Kathy Gilliam Arrested After Crash

Impaired Driver Crashes into Guardrail Directly in Front of State Trooper — Arrested for DUI

Lee County, Florida – November 11, 2026

On November 11, 2026, at approximately 1:24 AM, a Florida Highway Patrol State Trooper was stopped directly behind a Chevrolet sedan on the eastbound left-turn lane of State Road 82 at Ortiz Avenue, awaiting a green left-turn arrow.

When the traffic signal turned green, the driver of the Chevrolet exhibited a delayed response before accelerating forward, initially heading toward oncoming traffic. The driver then abruptly made a 90-degree left turn, crashing directly into a metal guardrail.

The driver, identified as Kathy Ann Gilliam, 59, of Fort Myers, Florida, displayed obvious signs of impairment and admitted to consuming “a lot of vodka.”

While attempting to begin a field sobriety walk-and-turn exercise, Gilliam lost her balance and fell to the ground.

Gilliam was arrested for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) and subsequently provided a breath sample revealing a .225 blood alcohol concentration (BAC), nearly three times Florida’s legal limit of .08.

Gilliam was booked into the Lee County Jail.

This incident serves as another reminder of the dangers of impaired driving. Florida State Troopers remain committed to proactively identifying and removing impaired drivers from Florida roadways before they endanger innocent motorists.

The FHP warns: Never Drive Impaired

Veterans Day - Dedicated To World Peace After "War To End All Wars"

World War I—known at the time as “The Great War”—officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles near the town of Versailles, France. 

However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. 

For that reason, Nov. 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday—a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as “Armistice Day,” which was primarily set aside to honor Veterans of World War I.

In 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in the Nation’s history, and after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress—at the urging of the Veterans service organizations—amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word “Armistice” and inserting in its place the word “Veterans.” 

With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, Nov. 11 became a day to honor American Veterans of all wars.

Photo: Sarasota National Cemetery by Don Browne

History Source: VA - Veterans Day History