We’ll hear music from Southwest Florida guitarist and singer/songwriter Matt Walden who recently stopped by the WGCU studios. At just 23 years old, Walden is a prolific songwriter who performs at venues throughout the region and he has already produced three studio albums of his original music with more in the works. Walden’s unique style blends a broad spectrum of musical genres and is often characterized by his silky smooth vocals and catchy rhythms. We’ll hear selections of Matt Walden’s

Diversity is what unites us all -- that’s the underlying premise of the latest book by our guest today, Dr. Andrew Solomon . He is a writer and lecturer on politics, culture and psychology. He is a winner of the National Book Award , and an activist in LGBT rights, mental health, and the arts. He’s been a contributing writer for the New York Times Magazine; and has written for many other periodicals, and has published a number of books. His latest book is called Far From the Tree: Parents,

Fred Rogers’ name has resurfaced in our culture lately, with the release of a new documentary about his life and television show, and a feature movie called You Are My Friend starring Tom Hanks due out at the end of next year. His public television show Mr. Rogers Neighborhood was a cultural staple in this country for more than three decades. We’re remembering Mr. Rogers on today’s show, with the help of a Naples woman who spent a week on set with him and his crew in the early 1980s, before

Juanita Martinez grew up in Immokalee, the daughter of migrant parents who she says motivated her to strive to achieve her dreams and get a college education, which she did, receiving a bachelor’s in communication and a master’s in public administration from the University of South Florida in Tampa. After graduating, Martinez spent time travelling the world, visiting more than two dozen countries. And it was during those travels that she decided to return to her hometown and devote herself to

Last week the South Florida Water Management District Governing Board approved a plan to move forward with testing of what it calls Emergency Estuary Protection Wells , which it says could reduce the need for ecologically damaging discharges to the coastal estuaries from Lake Okeechobee. The wells would use deep injection technology to pump water about 3,000 feet below ground into the what’s known as the "boulder zone." According to a district press release, the wells would only be used during

While most home chefs may fancy their salsa as worthy of a slot on a grocery store shelf, there is one local group that took that inspiration and turned it into not only a business but a teaching non-profit that serves up spice and inspiration. Taste of Immokalee is a student-run initiative that teaches high school kids about business, the food industry, and marketing, among other things. We're joined by Yvelande Astreid, she's assitant to the Taste of Immokalee executive director, and Marthe

Last week the Venice City Council v oted in favor of a year-round, voluntary ban on lawn fertilizers , extending the current ban outlined by the city’s ordinance that prohibits fertilizer use from June 1st through September 30th. The ban, proposed by the city’s Vice Mayor Bob Daniels, comes in response to the persistent red tide bloom that’s been present off the coast of Southwest Florida for nearly a year now.

Florida Gulf Coast University learned late last week that it’s going to receive part of a $30 million dollar grant to fund research into the impacts gulf waters have on human health by way of the fish we eat. It’s part of a National Science Foundation grant , and FGCU will be the lead on the “Greater Caribbean Center for Ciguatera Research.” We're joined by the principal investigator for this center, Dr. Mike Parsons , who is a p rofessor of Marine Science and is the Director of the Coastal

The Florida Repertory Theatre in Fort Myers opens the 2018-2019 season with the comedic play “ Becoming Dr. Ruth ,” beginning September 21. From playwright, Mark St. Germain , this biographical play explores the remarkable life of renowned psychosexual therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer .

One year ago yesterday Hurricane Irma knocked out power to The Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills in Hollywood, FL for several days. 14 people died following the storm , and 12 of those deaths were ruled to be homicides. That drew attention to the fact that nursing homes, and assisted living facilities, in Florida were not required to have generators to keep things like air conditioning running during a power outage.