As we remember all the men and women who gave their lives fighting for our freedoms this Memorial Day weekend, we have the story of a group of volunteers seeking to keep those memories alive today and every day.
Journalists Kyle Foster and Jonah Hinebaugh went inside America's Military and 1st Responders Museum at the Naples Airport to report on the struggles facing the privately-run museum. It is filled with artifacts such as uniforms, photographs and equipment from wars stretching from the Revolutionary War to Iraq and & Afghanistan conflicts. But as Kyle reports, they are stressed by limited space with so many more items in storage.
For many, especially those up north, this holiday weekend is also the kickoff to summer.
So, in that spirit, it was nice to see that one of our Southwest Florida beaches is back on the Best Beaches list.
Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park in North Naples was rated at No. 8, one of only two in the state named in the Top 10 by "Dr. Beach," aka coastal expert Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, a professor at Florida International University in Miami.
That’s not the only accolade to come our way this week.
Who knew we had one of the best hiking trails here? It’s true.
The Indigo Trail at the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge was named one of the Best Hiking Trails in America, according to the 2024 USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards.
That’s pretty impressive considering other places that made the list like the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Yellowstone National Park. And no other Florida locations made the Top 10.
With all these bests, it’s no wonder Naples ranked No. 1 in the annual Best Places to Live in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report, the only Florida city to make the top 10.
Speaking of best, who had the best high school graduation coverage in all of Southwest Florida? We did, of course.
Over the last couple weeks, our team fanned out to capture images of the thousands of students crossing that stage in Collier and Lee. They documented the cap tosses, the inspirational speeches, hugs, smiles, applause and cheers.
Cheers to the Class of 2024, and cheers to so many of you for sharing your best advice with this year’s graduates.
If you’re looking for a last-minute graduation gift, perhaps a subscription to the Naples Daily News. Thank you for supporting local journalism. Let me know how we’re doing by emailing me at wfullert@gannett.com.
Wishing you the best,
Wendy Fullerton Powell
USA TODAY Network - Florida Region editor/The News-Press/Naples Daily News
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