The News-Press beginnings can be credited to bad navigation. In 1884, Capt. James Rowan was hired to deliver passenger Stafford Cleveland to a town in Central Florida. Rowan missed the turn and ended up dumping Cleveland on the shores of Fort Myers, printing presses and all. The result: the Fort Myers Press was born in the tiny Gulf Coast community of 349. Ten years later, Cleveland's newspaper was to get some not-so-friendly competition. The Tropical News and the Fort Myers Press became fierce competitors. The situation became so ugly that the county commissioners stepped in and arranged a merger: The Fort Myers Press absorbed The Tropical News, hence, the News-Press.

Fort Myers is located in Southwest Florida. The community features a combination of new development and historical restoration — housing ranges from sprawling ranch homes to oceanfront condominiums. With 60,000 part-time residents and 1.8 million visitors annually, it's no surprise that the newspaper's circulation fluctuates by as much as 49 percent in the tourist season.
Thomas Edison and Henry Ford were two of the area's original winter visitors. Their presence still lingers with tours of their winter homes, along with the miles of Royal Palms that line McGregor Boulevard, a project initiated by Edison. The Edison Festival of Light, a two-week event that culminates into one of the largest night parades in the nation, is just one of the many year-round festivals and events. The News-Press is one of the main sponsors of the festival.
The artist Robert Rauschenburg has resided on Captiva Island since 1970. Other well-known folks from the Fort Myers area include country singer Mindy McCready and Dallas Cowboy football star Deion Sanders. Baseball's Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins conduct spring training in Fort Myers.
Sanibel Island, in Lee County, is known as "The Shelling Capital of the Western World," while Southwest Florida is called "The Golf Course Capital of the World."

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The News-Press
2442 Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Fort Myers, FL 33901

United States telephone: (941) 335-0200