LAURA GATES

• No headline - Quarrykids Published 05/16/2012 at 3 a.m.

  What does a rock mining blast look, feel and sound like? Fourth graders from Three Oaks Elementary School had plenty of ideas, but when they experienced the real thing on a recent field trip, most were surprised.

• Estero Historical Society hosts annual Pioneer Picnic Updated 05/05/2012 at 2:57 p.m.

  Squeezing oranges by hand, roller skating in a converted schoolhouse and enduring long bus rides to Fort Myers were among the memories shared by native Estero residents Saturday during the Historical Society’s annual Pioneer Picnic honoring the community’s first settlers ...

• Southwest Florida to celebrate Earth Day Updated 04/21/2012 at 3:57 p.m.

  Across the nation and around the globe, more than 1 billion people will honor planet Earth this weekend. In Southwest Florida, an array of festivals will entertain and educate with the goal of making our part of the world a ...

• Hospital wait times and lack of ambulances in Lee dominate ECCL meeting Updated 05/05/2012 at 1:38 p.m.

  Estero and Bonita residents continue lobbying for a full service emergency facility in the south county, despite disappointment from hospital executives who say an ER is not on the planning horizon.

• Estero Fire Board keeping tabs on medical transport shortages Updated 05/05/2012 at 1:21 p.m.

  When an emergency medical transport was needed from Corkscrew Woodlands last week, the nearest available ambulance was in Fort Myers Beach. The blame may not lie fully with Lee County EMS -- there were ambulances stuck at Lee Memorial with ...

• A 1,001 tales: Estero High School takes on Arabian Nights Updated 04/13/2012 at 3:44 p.m.

  When a friend from church handed Ivy Helms 10 authentic Middle Eastern costumes, she knew just how to use them. Helms, the drama teacher at Estero High School, immediately thought of “Arabian Nights,” also known as “One Thousand and One ...

• Conservation 20/20 hot issue in 2012 Lee County election Updated 05/05/2012 at 1:07 p.m.

  As election season heats up, so does the debate on whether to end Lee County’s Conservation 20/20 land acquisition program.

• The race for Lee County’s District 3 commission seat is on Updated 05/05/2012 at 12:52 p.m.

  After 24 years as a Lee County Commissioner, Ray Judah says he isn’t ready to quit. While talk of term limits and allegations of overspending circulate around the county, many politically active Estero residents are rallying behind their longtime representative ...

• Kanzius Research Foundation updates community at forum Updated 04/04/2012 at 6:44 p.m.

  The small room was filled with people brought together by sorrow and united in hope: The sorrow of watching a loved one suffer through cancer treatments and the hope for a better way to conquer this cruel disease.

• Estero residents vent at airplane noise study community meeting Updated 03/28/2012 at 6:47 p.m.

  Some South Lee County residents vented anger while others were content as recommendations from a study on airplane noise were revealed Thursday during a public meeting at the Estero Community Center.

View all stories for this staff member.