Despite being known as the "Sunshine State," Florida lags behind others parts of the country when it comes to generating electricity through solar power. Florida is the third largest state by population in the U.S., but when it comes to harnessing the power of the sun, it's out-shined by states like California, Nevada, Massachusetts, and New Jersey.

Spring is the time of year for fasting for certain religions: Catholics and other Christians will forgo meat on Fridays for Lent, and numerous other religions will celebrate seasonal holidays with special foods that often observe specific rules and restrictions. But where did these rules come from, and how do observers in Southwest Florida follow them?

Meeting in some form since 1962, the Florida Conference of Historians covers all historical fields and gives historians in and of the Sunshine State the opportunity to share their scholarship and new developments in the field. A federally-recognized non-profit, the group now includes more than thirty colleges, universities, and other institutions. This year's 57th annual conference is being hosted by Florida Southwestern State College and meeting in Punta Gorda this weekend, and is free and open

A wildfire burning through Collier County has grown to more than 6,500 acres, threatening homes, closing roads, and causing mandatory evacuations. Billowing smoke clouds from the burning Picayune Strand State Forest have forced the closure of numerous roads, including the major I-75 artery between mile marker 80 through 105, which remained closed to traffic Wednesday. The Red Cross says more than 20 people sought shelter at a Golden Gate community center overnight as acrid smoke blanketed the

When a health care provider wants to build a new hospital, hospice or nursing home in Florida, or even revamp and old one, they first have to apply for a “Certificate of Need" from state regulators. It's a lengthy and expensive process that can end in rejection: last year, regulators denied 20 of the 47 applications .

As the 2017 Florida legislative session begins, activists are rallying behind under the “Awake the State” banner are gathering in towns all over Florida tonight, including Fort Myers . They’re making demands on lawmakers in Tallahassee on topics ranging from education funding, to environmental issues, and more.

Florida's winter shrimp harvest in the Gulf of Mexico saw "a couple of bad months," fishermen say, on top of reports of low numbers for the iconic stone crab as well. That's all while a troublesome red tide has persisted since late last year .

A bill to protect Floridians from discrimination based on their sexual preference or gender identity is making its way through the state legislature. It’s not the first time the Competitive Workforce Act has been proposed, but it is the first time the issue has seen bi-partisan support: a coalition of more than 450 businesses support the measure, alongside 36 lawmakers have signed on as co-sponsors, including Fort Myers’ Republican Rep. Rep. Heather Fitzenhagen and Sarasota Republican Reps. Alex

Organizers behind Vision 2020 have set for themselves a bold goal: 100 percent turnout of eligible women voters in the November 2020 national election. Launched after a meeting last month at Drexel University that sought "to bring about political parity for women," a group of women from Southwest Florida helped shape the project , and will bring a Vision 2020 National Congress to Florida next year. The effort is making a push in Florida through local organizations including the League of Women

A new program for the wheelchair-using athletes and veterans is rolling onto Great Naples YMCA courts . The Adaptive Sports Program is bringing sports like pickleball, tennis, and wiffle ball to what it calls the underserved community of wheelchair-bound athletes.