Veteran Hunter Bags Top Prize in 2026 Florida Python Challenge, a Year After a Naples Woman Made History
SOUTH FLORIDA — A military veteran who has spent more than a decade helping fellow service members heal through Everglades snake hunting walked away with this year’s biggest prize in the fight against one of Florida’s most destructive invasive species.
Tom Rahill, founder of the veteran support group Swamp Apes, took home the $10,000 grand prize in the 2026 Florida Python Challenge after personally removing 96 Burmese pythons during the 10-day competition, including one specimen stretching 17 feet. The win capped a event that drew nearly 1,000 hunters — 907 registered competitors, by one count — from 30 states as well as Canada and Vietnam, all competing for a $25,000 prize pool spread across professional, novice and military divisions.
Held July 10-19 and hosted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) alongside the South Florida Water Management District, the annual hunt is now in its ninth year. Together, this year’s participants pulled 280 Burmese pythons out of the Everglades, adding to a running total that FWC officials say tops 1,400 snakes removed through the challenge alone since it began, and more than 19,000 removed by year-round contractors since 2017.
“Removing Burmese pythons from this ecosystem is critical to the survival of the native species that call this area home,” South Florida Water Management District Governing Board member Ron Bergeron said when the state announced this year’s competition dates.
FWC Executive Director Roger Young called the event a chance to rally hunters, researchers and the public around a shared problem, while Everglades National Park Superintendent Pedro Ramos said the challenge “highlights how shared stewardship can contribute to the long-term protection of native species and park resources.”
A Naples connection
The 2026 results follow a breakthrough moment for Southwest Florida in last year’s competition, when Naples resident Taylor Stanberry became the first woman to win the challenge’s grand prize, hauling in 60 pythons after a decade of hunting experience in the Glades. Her win put a local face on a contest that had, until then, been dominated by python-hunting veterans from elsewhere in the state.
Southwest Florida’s role in the python fight extends well beyond the annual competition. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida, based in Naples, runs a year-round tracking and removal program that has become a model for the state’s broader control efforts. Wildlife biologist Ian Bartoszek, who leads the Conservancy’s python program, said the organization’s scout-snake tracking method — which uses tagged male pythons to lead researchers to breeding females — removed 177 invasive pythons weighing a combined 8,080 pounds in its most recent season.
“These science-based management efforts are suppressing local python reproduction,” Bartoszek said, noting that the goal is to intercept female pythons before they can lay eggs deep in the landscape, where clutches are difficult to find.
Why it matters
Burmese pythons, native to Southeast Asia, have no natural predators in Florida and have devastated populations of native mammals across the Everglades ecosystem since establishing themselves there decades ago, likely through the exotic pet trade. Researchers have documented steep declines in rabbits, raccoons, opossums and other small mammals in areas with heavy python presence, with ripple effects up the food chain.
The Florida Python Challenge, first held in 2013 and run annually since 2020, is designed as much to raise public awareness of that threat as to make a dent in the snake population directly. Registered hunters undergo training before heading into the Glades, competing in categories that reward not just the most pythons caught but also, in past years, the longest snake removed.
For Southwest Florida residents, the message from wildlife officials is consistent: the python problem is not confined to the eastern Everglades. With the Conservancy of Southwest Florida’s tracking program based in Naples and last year’s grand-prize winner a Collier County local, the region has become an increasingly central front in the state’s decade-long effort to control the invasive snake’s spread.
Information on next year’s Florida Python Challenge, including registration and training requirements, is available at flpythonchallenge.org.
Deadly Crash Blocks Turn Lanes on Davis Boulevard in Collier County
A deadly traffic crash has shut down the eastbound and westbound turn lanes on Davis Boulevard at Heritage Trail in Collier County as emergency crews investigate the scene.
Motorists are being urged to avoid the area and seek alternate routes while law enforcement conducts its investigation. Significant traffic delays are expected around the intersection throughout the response.
Authorities have not yet released information about how the crash occurred or the identity of the victim. The Florida Highway Patrol is expected to lead the investigation into the fatal collision.
Drivers traveling through eastern Collier County should use caution, allow extra travel time, and follow directions from emergency personnel.
This is a developing story. More information will be provided as officials release additional details.
Florida Lands 12 of America’s Best Hospitals – But Southwest Florida Still Has Work to Do
Florida has long sold itself as a destination for sunshine and retirement. Now it has another selling point: healthcare.
The latest U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals 2026–2027 rankings place 12 Florida hospitals among the nation’s best, reinforcing the state’s growing reputation for world-class medical care.
Leading the way is Mayo Clinic Florida, followed by Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital, AdventHealth Orlando, Tampa General Hospital, and UF Health Shands Hospital. Together with leading hospitals in Miami, Jacksonville, Sarasota, and Orlando, they represent a healthcare network increasingly capable of competing with the country’s elite medical centers.
For patients, these rankings aren’t just about prestige. They reflect how hospitals perform where it matters most—patient survival, safety, staffing levels, nursing quality, and outcomes across complex specialties ranging from heart surgery and cancer treatment to neurology and organ transplantation.
It’s another sign that Florida is no longer viewed simply as a place where people retire. Increasingly, it’s becoming a state where people travel for specialist treatment.
But there’s another side to the story.
Despite Southwest Florida’s rapid population growth and its large retiree community, no hospital in Naples or Fort Myers made this year’s national Best Hospitals list.
That doesn’t mean local healthcare is lacking. Regional hospitals continue to earn recognition for services such as cardiovascular care, stroke treatment, emergency medicine, and patient safety. For the vast majority of routine and emergency medical needs, residents have access to high-quality care close to home.
However, the latest rankings also highlight a gap. When it comes to the most complex procedures and nationally recognized specialty programs, patients often still travel across the state to Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, or South Florida.
As Florida’s population continues to surge—particularly in Collier and Lee counties—that raises an important question.
Will Southwest Florida’s healthcare system evolve quickly enough to keep pace with the growing demand, or will many residents continue making the journey east and north for the state’s highest-ranked specialist care?
For now, the answer is clear: Florida’s reputation as a healthcare powerhouse continues to grow. But excellence remains concentrated in a handful of major medical centers, leaving some of the state’s fastest-growing communities waiting for their turn.
CITY OF MARCO ISLAND APPOINTS CHIEF OF POLICE
August 4, 2026
Marco Island, Fla. (August 3, 2026) – City Manager Dr. Casey Lucius has officially appointed Joseph Belardo as the next Chief of Police for the Marco Island Police Department, effective Monday, August 3, following a highly competitive selection process.
Chief Belardo has served as Interim Chief of Police since May 27, 2026, providing steady leadership and guiding the department through a period of transition while continuing its commitment to public safety and community engagement. “Chief Belardo distinguished himself throughout a highly competitive selection process,” said City Manager Dr. Casey Lucius. “His proven leadership, commitment to professional policing, and genuine dedication to the Marco Island community made him the clear choice to lead this outstanding department. I am confident he will continue building on the department’s strong foundation while guiding it into the future.”
Chief Belardo began his law enforcement career with the Schodack Police Department in New York, where he served in a variety of assignments before retiring as Chief of Police in 2020. In April 2020, he joined the Marco Island Police Department and quickly became a respected leader within the organization. He was promoted to Sergeant in 2023 and Lieutenant in 2025 before being appointed Interim Chief earlier this year.
Chief Belardo holds two master’s degrees, including a Master of Science in Criminal Justice and a Master of Science in the Administration of Justice and Security. In addition to his law enforcement career, he and his wife, Renee, operated Blue Wave Swim School, a community-focused program dedicated to youth water safety.
Coming from a multi-generational law enforcement family, Chief Belardo is a proud husband, father of three, and grandfather of two. “It is an incredible honor to be selected as the next Chief of Police for the Marco Island Police Department,” said Chief Joseph Belardo. “I am grateful to Dr. Lucius, the City Council, and our community for their trust and confidence. Most importantly, I want to thank the dedicated men and women of this department whose professionalism and commitment to serving others inspire me every day. Together, we will continue strengthening our partnerships with the community while providing the exceptional level of service that Marco Island deserves.
Since assuming the role of Interim Chief, Belardo has focused on supporting department personnel, strengthening relationships with the community, and continuing the department’s mission of providing professional, compassionate, and responsive police services.
The City of Marco Island congratulates Chief Joseph Belardo on his appointment and looks forward to his continued leadership of the Marco Island Police Department.
An official swearing-in ceremony for Chief Belardo will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 12, at 2 p.m. Additional details regarding the ceremony will be announced by the city.
