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🌱 What did Sanibel’s fire board quietly approve for your safety?
Hey hey Sanibel! Your one-stop source for local news is here. Continue reading for all the updates. ☕️️
In today's newsletter:
- What did Sanibel’s fire board quietly approve for your safety?
- How is Sanibel’s tourism comeback really shaping up for 2026?
Also on today's calendar: Shorebirds – The Real Peeps; 12/19/2025 - Sanibel, FL 2025 and 2 more events.
📸 Have a great pic of holiday decorations from around Sanibel? Post it to Sanibel photos of the day! ☃️ 🟢-🟠-🟣-🔴-🟡-🔵 ☃️
Today's riddle: Can February March? 🤔 (Answer below!)
- Tuesday: Partly sunny and nice, with a high of 77 and low of 62 degrees.
- Wednesday: Partly sunny and nice, temps: high: 78, low: 66.
- Thursday: Mostly sunny and pleasant, with a high of 75 and low of 70 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
• Sanibel fire board OKs grant funds, more (captivasanibel.com) — Sanibel’s fire commission just approved new flood insurance for Station 172 and accepted a state cancer grant to upgrade safety equipment for firefighters. Leaders also moved forward on rebuilding Stations 171 and 172, discussed an ongoing union arbitration, and reviewed recent call volumes and inspections that affect emergency services across the island. 
• From Sanibel-Captiva to Marco, tourism industry sees hopeful signs (marconews.com) — Sanibel and Captiva are steadily rebuilding their tourism base, with more than 325 hotel rooms added and several key resorts, including Sundial, back open after Hurricane Ian. Despite softer demand and fewer Canadian visitors linked to national politics and economics, Lee County’s visitor numbers and bed-tax revenues are rising, and officials expect 2026 to bring stronger bookings as marketing ramps up and recovery continues.
📸 Around Sanibel
Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!
🗓
Upcoming Events in
Sanibel
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
★ Featured events ★
-
Guided Beach Walk @ Island Inn
Island Inn, 3111 W Gulf Dr, Sanibel
9:00 am
Wednesday December 17
Want to see your event featured? Click here!
Other local events
-
Shorebirds – The Real Peeps; 12/19/2025 - Sanibel, FL 2025
Sanibel Sea School , 455 Periwinkle Way , Sanibel
9:00 am -
Elasmobranchs – Cartilaginous Fish, Not Foe; 12/23/2025 - Sanibel, FL 2025
Sanibel Sea School , 455 Periwinkle Way , Sanibel
1:00 pm -
CIT: Winter with Orcas Week; Dec 29 - Jan 2 - Sanibel, FL 2025
Sanibel Sea School , 455 Periwinkle Way , Sanibel
9:00 am -
Discover Beachcombing; 12/31/2025
Island Inn , 3111 W Gulf Dr , Sanibel
9:00 am
Friday December 19
Tuesday December 23
Monday December 29
Wednesday December 31
📣 Sanibel Shout Outs!
Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!
🗓 Events Nearby
-
Drop-In Classes with Terry Lynn 2025
Alliance for the Arts , 10091 McGregor Blvd. , Fort Myers
8:00 am -
Local Planning Agency 1:00 PM
Town Hall - Council Chambers , 6231 Estero Blvd. , Fort Myers Beach
1:00 pm -
Bid Opening - Installation & Testing of Ten Upper Floridian Aquifer (UFA) Water Supply - BUT261JM
City Hall , 1015 Cultural Park Blvd , Cape Coral
2:00 pm -
Zentangle for the Seasons (Ages 13+)
Alliance for the Arts , 10091 McGregor Blvd. , Fort Myers
6:00 pm -
Instructed Life Drawing â Gestural & Structural Approach to the Figure (18+, Beginner to Advanced Level)
Alliance for the Arts , 10091 McGregor Blvd. , Fort Myers
9:30 am -
Fine Art Acrylics with Marilyn (18+ All Levels)
Alliance for the Arts , 10091 McGregor Blvd. , Fort Myers
9:30 am -
Paper Plate Santa
Captiva Memorial Library , 11560 Chapin Ln , Captiva
10:00 am
Tuesday December 16
Wednesday December 17
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Sanibel PatchAM possible:
- Excellence Companion & Homemaker, LLC — (239) 427-4586
Providing Care with Excellence!!
Click here to show your appreciation! 💚
Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.
💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- A bit of Baileys grand opening today!
Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate with us! (Nextdoor Central Sanibel)
- Jerry's Foods posted a job opening for Part Time Custodian in Sanibel. Apply here.
- Walmart posted a job opening for Stocking Team Associate in Fort Myers Beach. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Sanibel here.
🗞 Nearby News
Fort Myers Beach
- Hurricane Ian survivors head to Washington to fight for FEMA (fox4now.com)
- Convenience store closes all locations after more than 70 years in business (pennlive.com)
- OBITUARY: Anne (Hammond) Khatchadurian, 86 (marbleheadcurrent.org)
Cape Coral
- Festival of Lights marks decades of Cape Coral tradition (floridaweekly.com)
- How gas prices have changed in Cape Coral in the last week (1073theeagle.com)
- VOTE: SW FL Girls Athlete of the Week sponsored by MY Shower Door for Dec. 8-13 (news-press.com)
Ok Sanibel! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don't know, but April May!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!
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