Yolanda Garcia DeLeon Dies At 74

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Yolanda Garcia DeLeon, a beloved mother, grandmother, and sister who touched the lives of many. Born on November 3, 1951, in Pharr, Texas, she left this earthly realm on February 2, 2026, in LaBelle, Florida, surrounded by love. 

Yolanda was a woman of kindness and loyalty, qualities that defined her throughout her life. She cherished her family above all else, serving as a steadfast matriarch and bringing strength and warmth into their lives.

 She is survived by her children: Abby Norton, Hector DeLeon, Isreal DeLeon, Edward DeLeon, Eddie DeLeon, Evelyn Esquivel, Jessie DeLeon, and Jessica Deleon, along with her beloved grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who will all carry forward the love she bestowed upon them. 

Her siblings, Martina Beltron and Raul Martinez, lament the loss of their dear sister, who always kept the family close with her caring nature and unwavering support. 

The family invited friends and loved ones to honor Yolanda's memory during the visitation, which took place on February 5, 2026, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. at Akin-Davis Funeral Home in LaBelle, followed by a graveside service at Fort Denaud Cemetery at 11:30 a.m. 

Yolanda’s spirit will forever dwell in the hearts of her family and friends, a testament to a life lived with love and devotion. She will be deeply missed but warmly remembered for her boundless affection and familial dedication.

Algae Toxins Found In Caloosahatchee Drive Canal in Moore Haven

MOORE HAVEN, FL. -- — The Florida Department of Health in Glades County (DOH-Glades) has
 issued a health alert for the presence of harmful blue-green algae toxins in Caloosahatchee Drive Canal. The alert is in response to a water sample taken on January 28, 2026. The public should exercise caution in and around Caloosahatchee Drive Canal.

Residents and visitors are advised to take the following precautions:

• Do not drink, swim, wade, use personal watercrafts, or come into contact with waters where there is a visible bloom.

• Wash your skin and clothing with soap and water if you have any contact with algae, or discolored or water that smells unpleasant.

• Keep pets and livestock away from the area to avoid any contact with water. Waters where algae blooms are present are not safe for animals. Pets and livestock should use an alternative source of water when algae blooms are present.

• Do not cook or clean dishes with water contaminated by algae blooms. Boiling the water will not eliminate toxins.

• Eating fillets from healthy fish caught in freshwater lakes experiencing blooms is safe. Rinse fish fillets with tap or bottled water, throw out the guts, and cook fish thoroughly.

• Do not eat shellfish in waters with algae blooms.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and partners collect algae samples from reported bloom locations. After samples are analyzed at their laboratory, the toxin results can be viewed on the Protecting Florida Together or on DEP’s Algal Bloom Dashboard.

Helms Road Work At Caloosa Cove Subdivision February 9

LABELLE, FL. -- Monday, February 9, 2026, Pulte Home Company, LLC and their contractor, Capling Leveling Inc., will be conducting road work on Helms Road Extension at the entrance of the Caloosa Cove subdivision in LaBelle, FL.

The purpose of the road work is to construct a right turn lane on Helms Road Extension to form a tie-in connection to the Caloosa Cove subdivision.

Motorists should expect intermittent lane closures and should allow extra time for their commute.

Motorists should use extra caution when traveling through the work zone.

Traffic control signage and flaggers will be in place to alert and guide traffic.

Please note that this schedule is tentative and subject to change. The Hendry County
Engineering Department will notify of any changes.

Residents or motorists with any questions or concerns can contact the Hendry County Engineering Department at 863-675-5222.

Indigenous Art And Music Festival February 5-7

BIG CYPRESS RESERVATION, Fla. (February 4, 2026) – “Honoring Our Men” is the theme for the fourth annual Indigenous Arts and Music Festival (IAMF) set for Thursday February 5 to Saturday February 7, 2026, on the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation. The event will take place at the Junior Cypress Entertainment Complex.

IAMF will showcase engaging Indigenous performers from across the U.S. and Canada, including Champion Hoop Dancers of the Southwest, the Aztec Cultural Experience, the Bearhead Sisters, Bird Singing and Dancing by the River, the Ahfachkee School band, AntioneX, Mista Chief, Tatanka Means, Carradine Billie, James Billie, and co-headliners Blaine Bailey and Tia Wood on Friday. Other musical performers include Ricky Valido on Thursday and Neal McCoy headlining Saturday evening.

Thursday evening will close out with Distant Thunder: A New Native Musical in Concert, written by Shaun Taylor-Corbett from the Blackfeet community, his mother Lynne Taylor-Corbett, and Chris Wiseman, is a hit Native-pop Broadway musical, which premiered in New York City Off-Broadway in 2024. 

The show offers a beautiful window into the life of a Native community through Darrell Waters, a brash young attorney, who returns home to broker a deal between a large energy company and the Blackfeet Nation. In the process, he is forced to confront his reclusive father about their painful past. Through his childhood sweetheart, Dorothy Dark Eyes, he rediscovers his identity and feels his perspective shift: his clever business deal will destroy her language school, further erode Blackfeet culture and taint their land. Darrell must grapple with the paradigm of being Native American in America.

Event admission is free. Other offerings include Native American food, wildlife demonstrations, art and craft vendors, Seminole cultural demonstrators, carnival and more.

For event schedule and details, please visit: https://indigenousamf.com/. Event Address: 36500 RODEO DRIVE, CLEWISTON, FL 33440

5,000 Green Iguanas Delivered To Florida Wildlife Commission Offices

Today, at its February Commission meeting in Tallahassee, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) announced that 5,195 invasive green iguanas were removed from Florida’s ecosystems under Executive Order 26-03, thanks to the collaborative efforts of many members of the public, partners, and staff. 

The EO has since closed and the FWC is no longer accepting live green iguanas from the public. Special regulations under the EO temporarily allowed people to remove live, cold-stunned green iguanas from the wild without a permit and bring them to select FWC offices on Feb. 1–2, during a period of extended cold temperatures in South Florida.

“The special regulations under EO 26-03 provided a unique opportunity for members of the public to remove cold-stunned green iguanas from their property during the recent unusual cold weather and bring them to the FWC, no permit required,” said FWC Executive Director Roger Young. “As an invasive species, green iguanas have negative impacts on Florida’s environment and economy. The removal of over 5,000 of these nonnative lizards in such a short time span was only possible thanks to the coordinated efforts of many staff members in multiple FWC divisions and offices, our partners, and of course the many residents that took the time to collect and turn in cold-stunned iguanas from their properties.”

FWC staff worked with permit holders authorized to be in possession of live green iguanas to coordinate the transfer of live iguanas to their care, including for sale outside of the state. Green iguanas are a Prohibited species in Florida due to their negative impacts on native wildlife and the economy and cannot be possessed without a permit. Any iguanas turned in to FWC that could not be transferred to permit holders were humanely killed by trained staff.

Out of the 5,195 green iguanas collected by the FWC, 3,882 of the invasive reptiles were collected at the FWC’s Sunrise drop-off location. The FWC’s Tequesta location received 1,075 green iguanas, the Marathon drop-off site received 215 green iguanas, and the Fort Myers location received 23 green iguanas.

Invasive green iguanas are not protected in Florida except by state anti-cruelty laws, and members of the public can humanely kill green iguanas year-round on their property or with landowner permission. People needing assistance with safe and humane removal of iguanas can contact a professional wildlife control operator. Landowners wanting to discourage iguanas from frequenting their property can find more information at MyFWC.com/Nonnatives.

The FWC reminds the public that if you encounter a cold-stunned green iguana, you should never bring it into your home or building to warm up. Iguanas can recover from cold-stunning more quickly than you may expect and, once recovered, can act defensively, with long tails that whip and sharp teeth and claws.

More than 600 nonnative fish and wildlife species have been reported in Florida. Eighty percent of these have been introduced via the live animal trade, with 139 species established in Florida, meaning they are reproducing in the wild. Invasive species management is a high priority for the FWC because these animals negatively impact native fish and wildlife, cause damage that is costly to repair, and can pose a threat to human health and safety.

To view the Executive Order, visit MyFWC.com/About, and click on “Office of the Executive Director.”