Tuesday, July 28, 2026
Our first medical school just broke ground
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Morning storms, then a steamy 89 with the heat index pushing 103 — a proper late-July Tuesday. The bigger news: Southwest Florida's first medical school just broke ground here, a $200 million bet on fixing our doctor shortage.
Today
All clear: no red tide from Barefoot Beach to South Marco
FWC's latest samples came back clean at every Collier beach they tested. Let the morning storms roll through — 8 to 11 a.m. looks wettest — and the afternoon Gulf is yours, though that heat index says pack extra water.
Collier commissioners take up data center rules today
Today's vote decides whether that 1987 zoning loophole — any size, no limits on water use or noise — gets tightened before a big project tests it. If you care what gets built out east, this is the meeting to watch.
Tesla self-driving demos at a chiropractor's grand reopening
MaxLiving Chiropractic marks its new ownership tonight from 4 to 7 p.m. with a ribbon-cutting and Tesla Full Self-Driving demos — surely the only place in town to get an adjustment and a hands-free drive in one visit.
Local News
Ground broken on Southwest Florida's first medical school
The $200 million College of Osteopathic Medicine is officially under construction in Collier County, with its first 90 students due in 2028. Anyone who's spent months hunting for a doctor taking new patients knows exactly why this matters.
Collier schools face a $42M hole with two weeks to the bell
The district opens the school year Aug. 11 staring down a $42 million shortfall. If you've got kids in Collier schools, this budget fight will shape staffing and programs all year.
Naples home sales jumped 16.5% in June
881 homes closed in June, up 16.5% over last year — proof the market doesn't nap during locals' season. If you've been waiting for a quiet-summer deal, the numbers say you've got company.
Naples Botanical Garden banks its one millionth seed
Seed number one million included the woolly lupine, pulled from some of Southwest Florida's rarest habitats — a quiet insurance policy for native plants that nobody will notice until we need it.
Food & Drink
Michelbob's is bringing its ribs to North Naples
The longtime barbecue institution is opening an 80-seat spot at 14700 Tamiami Trail N. this summer — North Naples finally gets those ribs without the drive to the East Naples original.
Bha Bha goes all-in on watermelon Aug. 3
The Persian bistro marks National Watermelon Day with watermelon, feta, fresh mint, and honey — an ancient pairing that might as well have been invented for a Naples August.