Southwest Florida Chronicle

Serving Charlotte, Lee and Collier Counties

2025 Year in Review

Congresswoman Indicted: $5M FEMA Fraud Scandal

Trinity allegedly received an overpayment of $5 million from FEMA, the grand jury found. Rather than returning the surplus, prosecutors allege, Cherfilus-McCormick and her co-conspirators plotted to conceal it.

Commissioner Deutsch Needs to Go

A public servant who misleads colleagues corrodes the very mechanisms that allow our county to function.

A Swamp Controversy in Naples

its single, cracked runway has become the center of a new storm: a political, environmental, and humanitarian clash over a bold and controversial plan to convert the remote airstrip into a migrant detention facility, now chillingly dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.”

The Erosion of Ethics Through Mundane Avoidance

I’ve been working through several possible topics for this column. I have one on the practices of credit card companies that seem to be catching the attention of both sides of the aisle in Washington.

Champion for the Most Vulnerable: A Tribute to Kathy Smith, Public Defender

We all know everyone wants to get tough on crime and gives Amira Fox the State Attorney kudos for locking up the bad guys, but everyone should note that the defenseless need an advocate as well in the person of Kathy Smith.

Why Human Coaching Still Matters in the Age of AI: 5 Benefits You can’t replace

In a time when artificial intelligence (AI) is woven into daily life, it is easy to rely on technology for answers. From typing questions into a search engine to engaging in conversations with AI-driven platforms, many people now turn first to technology for guidance in their personal and professional lives.

The State of the City

We’ve stood strong together to make tough decisions while keeping the values of this city intact through every setback and challenge. That’s what resilience looks like.

Bridging the Gap Center for the Arts Launches Southwest Florida’s Premier Creative Hubfor BIPOC Artists

Bridging the Gap Center for the Arts (BTG ARTS) is proud to announce its launch and vision to become Southwest Florida’s premier creative arts center dedicated to empowering BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) artists.

Collier County Commissioners’ 10 Commandment Vote Makes History

There are moments in the life of a community when decisions transcend the standard debates of policy and procedure and tap into the deeper roots of who we are—our identity, our values, and the moral compass that guides us. The Collier County Commission’s recent 4-1 vote to approve the display of the Ten Commandments—alongside the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, the Preamble to the Florida Constitution, and the Star-Spangled Banner—was one such moment. The Ten Commandments is right up there with hot dogs, Chevrolet, and apple pie as far as I can tell when you talk about being an American.

The Power is Within

There’s is truth in the phrase, “The Power that made the body, can heal the body.”

From Victory to Vigilance: Why Involvement Still Matters

the country have responded to our message: limited government, strong borders, individual liberty, economic freedom, and American strength.

Teddy Bridgewater’s Recent Suspension is Why Many Coaches are Leaving Public Athletics

This past high school football season in Florida, NFL quarterback turned high school head coach Teddy Bridgewater, did what many of us coaches at heart could only dream! In his first season as the head coach for his alma mater, Miami Northwestern (MNHS), ‘coach’ Bridgewater led his team to the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Class 3A state championship.