INSIDE: Legal Notices
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Wednesday, November 6, 2024
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Carlin elected School District superintendent By MEGHAN BRADBURY
news@breezenewspapers.com
Republican Denise Carlin was elected as the new superintendent for the School District of Lee County Tuesday night, a position that has not been left to the voters to decide since the 1970s. Carlin received 247,929 votes, 68.08%, and her opponent Democrat Victor Arias received 116,227 votes, 31.92%. She will serve a four-year term. School Board Chair Sam Fisher provided a statement on her election as well as the election of three board members, two of them new.
NEWS OF NOTE
"On behalf of the School Board of Lee County, we extend our congratulations to Dr. Denise Carlin on her election as Superintendent of Schools. We also warmly welcome back Melisa Giovanelli and welcome new board members Bill Ribble and Vanessa Chaviano. We are united in our commitment to continuously improve the learning environment to ensure every student has the opportunity to reach their fullest potential," he said in a prepared statement. "We look forward to working hand in hand with Dr. Carlin and are eager to support her vision and leadership as she embarks on this
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District 3
important role. Together, we will ensure a seamless transition and a strong, promising future for our students and our district." Carlin could not be immediately reached for comment Tuesday night. Election results are not official until certified. Lee County voters approved the change from appointive to elected office via a referen-
See CARLIN, page 2 New Superintendent Denise Carlin
District 4
‘A Salute to Our Military’ concert this Sunday at Mariner The Lee County Community Band will launch its 2024-25 season with “A Salute to Our Military” Sunday, Nov. 10, with a concert at Mariner High School, 701 Chiquita Blvd., Cape Coral. Free of charge (donations welcome), the concert starts at 3 p.m. Under the direction of Gil Peltola, the band will take members on a trip down memory lane with lively marches, old favorites and patriotic anthems, including “The Blue and the Gray,” “Armed Forces Salute,” “American Patrol” and “The Homefront: Musical Memories of World War II.” The band also will play Sousa Scram-ble, Patriotic Sing-aLong and “God Bless the USA,” with vocalist Fred Lamb. The band performs six concerts between November and April; all at Mariner High School, beginning at 3 p.m. Additional concerts are Dec. 8, Jan. 12, Feb. 16, March 16 and April 13. For information, visit www.leecountyband.org or call 239-600-9052.
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Chaviano takes District 7 seat on Lee School Board By MEGHAN BRADBURY
news@breezenewspapers.com
Laurie Lehman
Derrick Donnell
Voters usher in new City Council By CJ HADDAD
cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.com
The highly-contested Cape Coral City Council races were decided Tuesday night in the 2024 General Election, with an all-new dais, featuring some familiar faces, set to govern in the near future. Five seats were up: Districts 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7, featuring two incumbents vying for re-election (with a third losing in the primary). While candidates must live in the district they seek to represent, Cape Coral City Council races are non-partisan, citywide races, meaning every registered Cape voter, no matter their party affiliation or city address, could cast a ballot in every race. District 2 Laurie Lehmann will serve as the new Cape Coral City Council District 2 representative, defeating incumbent Dan
Sheppard by a 10,000-voteplus margin. Lehmann received 48,787 votes (56.51%). Sheppard earned 37,540 votes (43.49%). “I held a watch party tonight to say thank you to everybody that has worked on my campaign and help me get though. I could not have done it alone. This was very much a team effort with a lot of help from a lot of people,” she said. “It's wonderful to see the support from Cape Coral residents. They like what I stand for. They know they're going to be heard. I've been fighting for the citizens for years, and now I'm going to have some clout fighting for our citizens. They are the most important. (Once in office), I want to stop the stipend and want to revisit this Jaycee Park disaster and see what we can do about it to
See COUNCIL, page 3
Jennifer Nelson
District 5
Joseph Kilraine
District 7
Vanessa Chaviano claimed the at-large District 7 seat for the School District of Lee County school board Tuesday night. Chaviano received 204,476 votes, 69.22%, and her opponent Sheridan Chester received 90,935 votes, 30.78%. She could not be immediately reached for comment. The District 7 race was open to all voters countywide. Cathleen O’Daniel Morgan, who served in the District 7 seat since November 2012, did not seek reelection. Results are not official until certified. Chaviano, 40, a 25-year resident of Lee County, who lives in Cape Coral, is in marketing operations at LIV Digital Marketing. She has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and criminal forensics, a master’s degree in criminal forensics, behavioral analysis, and business administration. Chaviano is an appointed member for
See CHAVIANO, page 2
Vanessa Chaviano
Rachel Kaduk