Officer-involved shooting at Mel’s Diner in Fort MyersCommerce Bank economist discusses Trump tariffs, economic outlook
FORT MYERS Officer-involved shooting at Mel’s Diner in Fort Myers The Fort Myers Police Department has confirmed an officer-involved shooting at Mel’s Diner on Cleveland Avenue.
Commerce Bank economist discusses Trump tariffs, economic outlook Scott Colbert, chief economist for Commerce Bank and Trust, visited Naples this week from his home in St. Louis, where he works for one of the nation’s top 50 banks, one with $32 billion in assets, $25.3 billion in deposits and $74.8 billion in total trust assets.
Homes, hotel, commercial development planned for Murdock Village area Kolter Group LLC got the green light to move forward with its development plans for 670 residential units, a 150-room hotel, 250,000 square feet of regional commercial space and another 150,000 square feet of commercial and governmental space.
naples Preliminary report released for New Year’s Day plane crash at Naples Airport The National Transportation Safety Board has released its preliminary report on a plane crash that involved four people at Naples Municipal Airport.
LEHIGH ACRES LCSO searching for family of wandering non-verbal teen in Lehigh Acres Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputies are seeking the family members of a young boy found between the ages of 13 and 16 years old.
FORT MYERS Southwest Florida Ag Expo brings agriculture and fun to Fort Myers Fort Myers is holding the Southwest Florida Ag Expo, which promises a mix of agriculture, entertainment, and education this year.
CAPE CORAL Proposal to rename Seahawk Park in Cape Coral The City of Cape Coral Parks and Recreation Department has proposed renaming Seahawk Park to Seahawk Airfield at Festival Park.
Lee County student accused of making school threat A student from Cypress Lake High School is facing charges for making school threats.
THE WEATHER AUTHORITY Warm and breezy this Wednesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a warm and breezy Wednesday with increased cloud coverage.
miami beach Gov. DeSantis annouces Freedom Boater Initative Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced several marine incentives boaters may take advantage of ahead of the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the 2025 Miami Beach International Boat Show.
WINK NEWS Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads Up As construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox Rosen knows the best way to traverse the roadways in this web-exclusive feature.
FORT MYERS Drivers react to newly opened intersection on Colonial Blvd. The dreaded drive through one of our busiest intersections has been the focus of several construction projects.
Dinosaur from Shell Factory finds new home in Saint James City marina A dinosaur has found a new home at the soon-to-be Nauti-Dolphin Marina in Saint James City, Florida. This prehistoric attraction is already drawing attention even though it’s the only thing currently on the property. Dean Zoner, owner of the Nauti-Dolphin Marina, acquired the dinosaur from the Shell Factory, a local business that was going out […]
Florida lawmakers to vote on revamped Governor backed immigration bill on Thursday The House and Senate are set to vote on a new immigration bill on Thursday. The bill aims to address illegal immigration and support federal mass deportation efforts.
CLEWISTON Community raises concerns about Clewiston Animal Services The Clewiston Animal Shelter has made significant improvements, but there is still work to be done to bring conditions to a more humane level.
FORT MYERS Officer-involved shooting at Mel’s Diner in Fort Myers The Fort Myers Police Department has confirmed an officer-involved shooting at Mel’s Diner on Cleveland Avenue.
Commerce Bank economist discusses Trump tariffs, economic outlook Scott Colbert, chief economist for Commerce Bank and Trust, visited Naples this week from his home in St. Louis, where he works for one of the nation’s top 50 banks, one with $32 billion in assets, $25.3 billion in deposits and $74.8 billion in total trust assets.
Homes, hotel, commercial development planned for Murdock Village area Kolter Group LLC got the green light to move forward with its development plans for 670 residential units, a 150-room hotel, 250,000 square feet of regional commercial space and another 150,000 square feet of commercial and governmental space.
naples Preliminary report released for New Year’s Day plane crash at Naples Airport The National Transportation Safety Board has released its preliminary report on a plane crash that involved four people at Naples Municipal Airport.
LEHIGH ACRES LCSO searching for family of wandering non-verbal teen in Lehigh Acres Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputies are seeking the family members of a young boy found between the ages of 13 and 16 years old.
FORT MYERS Southwest Florida Ag Expo brings agriculture and fun to Fort Myers Fort Myers is holding the Southwest Florida Ag Expo, which promises a mix of agriculture, entertainment, and education this year.
CAPE CORAL Proposal to rename Seahawk Park in Cape Coral The City of Cape Coral Parks and Recreation Department has proposed renaming Seahawk Park to Seahawk Airfield at Festival Park.
Lee County student accused of making school threat A student from Cypress Lake High School is facing charges for making school threats.
THE WEATHER AUTHORITY Warm and breezy this Wednesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a warm and breezy Wednesday with increased cloud coverage.
miami beach Gov. DeSantis annouces Freedom Boater Initative Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced several marine incentives boaters may take advantage of ahead of the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the 2025 Miami Beach International Boat Show.
WINK NEWS Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads Up As construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox Rosen knows the best way to traverse the roadways in this web-exclusive feature.
FORT MYERS Drivers react to newly opened intersection on Colonial Blvd. The dreaded drive through one of our busiest intersections has been the focus of several construction projects.
Dinosaur from Shell Factory finds new home in Saint James City marina A dinosaur has found a new home at the soon-to-be Nauti-Dolphin Marina in Saint James City, Florida. This prehistoric attraction is already drawing attention even though it’s the only thing currently on the property. Dean Zoner, owner of the Nauti-Dolphin Marina, acquired the dinosaur from the Shell Factory, a local business that was going out […]
Florida lawmakers to vote on revamped Governor backed immigration bill on Thursday The House and Senate are set to vote on a new immigration bill on Thursday. The bill aims to address illegal immigration and support federal mass deportation efforts.
CLEWISTON Community raises concerns about Clewiston Animal Services The Clewiston Animal Shelter has made significant improvements, but there is still work to be done to bring conditions to a more humane level.
Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Paul J. Perkins/ MGN BAGA SOLO, Chad (AP) – Kellou Abakar knew she was in trouble as the contractions started not long after an Islamic extremist group attacked her town in Nigeria. Her husband was nowhere to be found, and so she pulled her 4-year-old son onto her back and grabbed her two little girls by the hand. The 30-year-old pregnant woman ran as fast as she could to escape the Jan. 3 attack on her hometown of Baga. It was one of the worst massacres ever carried out by Boko Haram during its five-year insurgency. The jihadist group seeking to establish an Islamic caliphate is believed to have killed hundreds that January day, and Abakar still doesn’t know whether her husband is among the dead more than two months later. Three of her other children disappeared in the chaos that ensued as the militants opened fire indiscriminately and threw people into the burning homes that had been set ablaze. The family made its way four hours on foot, and by the time she got to the shores of Lake Chad to board a boat to safety in neighboring Chad, she was too far along in her labor to get in. She gave birth in Nigeria. As soon as Aboubakar was born, she and the children got into a boat. “If I had stayed there they would have killed me too,” she said softly inside a tent at a refugee camp now home to more than 6,000 Nigerians who have fled Boko Haram’s violence. Abakar and her children arrived this week at the camp after taking refuge in several other villages. The camp on the edge of the Sahara Desert is jointly run by the UN and the Chadian government. As she sat breastfeeding Aboubakar, her older children played on the sandy floor, their cheerful voices drowned out by the wind rattling the tarp overhead. She hopes her husband will approve of the name she chose for him so he could get identity documents as a newborn refugee. There was no naming ceremony, no father was present to buy a sheep to slaughter in sacrifice. She named the child after his grandfather – for now. Many here hope their loved ones are not dead, but rather among those still hiding on the dozens of islands that dot Lake Chad which borders Chad, Nigeria and parts of Cameroon and Niger. The Chadian military tries to protect those fleeing here but even so, several weeks ago, Boko Haram militants aboard motorized boats attacked the peninsula of N’gouboua inside Chad, killing at least seven people. Since then, families have been brought from there to the camp where UNICEF offers health service and school and activities for the children. The families receive food from humanitarian agencies and are assigned tents erected in neat blocks. They seek shade from the desert sun under acacia trees. Refugees take water from a well. Men riding camels through the region also come to the well. Chadian authorities believe more than 2,000 people remain trapped on islands, awaiting transport to a refugee camp in one of the world’s poorest countries. “Many are traumatized and come with only the clothes on their backs,” said Dimouya Souapebe, the chief civil servant in the area. “We are obliged to welcome them, and share with them what we have to eat.” Some 100,000 Nigerians have fled to in neighboring Niger, with roughly another 60,000 in Cameroon. Mahamat Abakar, 60, last saw his wife and eight children two months ago as they divided themselves between two small wooden boats. Upon arriving at this refugee camp, he was told that one of his sons was here too. When he saw him, he sobbed. “I keep the faith that God has saved the rest of them and I will find them too,” he says. The 10-year-old said the boat he was on was sinking and the man paddling it ordered him and another child out. They clung onto tree branches until people in another boat spotted them and brought them to safety. As a Muslim, the father has only anger for people who claim they are carrying out attacks in the name of Islam. “There is no passage in the Quran that says you can kill someone and steal their belongings and then kidnap their children,” he said, wiping his eyes with a sandy scrap of fabric.