1 injured after house fire in East NaplesBonita Springs Council to vote on duplex project near downtown
EAST NAPLES 1 injured after house fire in East Naples An investigation is underway after a fire in East Naples.
Bonita Springs Council to vote on duplex project near downtown Sagamore Management Co. seeks to build 24 duplexes on 4.6 acres at the northeast corner of Dean Street and Matheson Avenue in Bonita Springs.
Minnesota Twins, Lee Health host free open house and health fair The spring training season has kicked into full gear in Southwest Florida.
Ritz-Carlton Residences on Estero Bay construction reaches top floor London Bay celebrated the construction milestone of reaching the top floor of The Ritz-Carlton Residences at Saltleaf on Estero Bay, a 22-story, 112-unit, $225 million condo tower that has seen swift sales.
WINK News Photos of the Week Feb. 9 – Feb. 16 Welcome to WINK News Photos of the Week, where we highlight memorable moments from Southwest Florida throughout the week.
TALLAHASSEE Gov. DeSantis swears in next Florida Attorney General Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has sworn in the next Attorney General, James Uthmeier.
the weather authority Cold front brings cooler, less humid weather this Monday The Weather Authority is tracking a cold front dropping temperatures and reducing humidity on this Monday.
Hendry County FDOT starting construction on State Road 82 at Hendry County Line The Florida Department of Transportation is working to improve nearly 4 miles of State Road 82.
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.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda church celebrates Pastor’s 45 years of service The First Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Punta Gorda is alive with celebration as they honor a legacy of leadership.
FORT MYERS Shift Coffee Bar in Fort Myers hosts annual Valentine’s Day Party Shift Coffee Bar in Fort Myers held their annual Valentine’s Day pop-up/anniversary event on Sunday morning.
PUNTA GORDA Road rage leads to gunfire near US 41 bridge in Punta Gorda A road rage incident near the Gilchrist Bridge in Punta Gorda led to shots being fired, according to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.
the weather authority Warm, breezy day with evening rain ahead of a slight cold front The Weather Authority says Sunday is starting off warm across Southwest Florida with overnight lows in the upper 60s and 70s, staying warm throughout the day before a cold front sweeps south later this evening.
FORT MYERS Edison Festival parade lights up Fort Myers with floats and bands The Edison Festival parade was a spectacle of lights and sounds, drawing crowds to celebrate the legacy of Thomas Edison.
CAPE CORAL Goth Gala for the Forlorn; How the alt scene honored Valentine’s Day Love Your Rebellion hosted the Goth Gala for the Forlorn at Nice Guys Pizza in Cape Coral on Friday night.
EAST NAPLES 1 injured after house fire in East Naples An investigation is underway after a fire in East Naples.
Bonita Springs Council to vote on duplex project near downtown Sagamore Management Co. seeks to build 24 duplexes on 4.6 acres at the northeast corner of Dean Street and Matheson Avenue in Bonita Springs.
Minnesota Twins, Lee Health host free open house and health fair The spring training season has kicked into full gear in Southwest Florida.
Ritz-Carlton Residences on Estero Bay construction reaches top floor London Bay celebrated the construction milestone of reaching the top floor of The Ritz-Carlton Residences at Saltleaf on Estero Bay, a 22-story, 112-unit, $225 million condo tower that has seen swift sales.
WINK News Photos of the Week Feb. 9 – Feb. 16 Welcome to WINK News Photos of the Week, where we highlight memorable moments from Southwest Florida throughout the week.
TALLAHASSEE Gov. DeSantis swears in next Florida Attorney General Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has sworn in the next Attorney General, James Uthmeier.
the weather authority Cold front brings cooler, less humid weather this Monday The Weather Authority is tracking a cold front dropping temperatures and reducing humidity on this Monday.
Hendry County FDOT starting construction on State Road 82 at Hendry County Line The Florida Department of Transportation is working to improve nearly 4 miles of State Road 82.
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.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda church celebrates Pastor’s 45 years of service The First Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Punta Gorda is alive with celebration as they honor a legacy of leadership.
FORT MYERS Shift Coffee Bar in Fort Myers hosts annual Valentine’s Day Party Shift Coffee Bar in Fort Myers held their annual Valentine’s Day pop-up/anniversary event on Sunday morning.
PUNTA GORDA Road rage leads to gunfire near US 41 bridge in Punta Gorda A road rage incident near the Gilchrist Bridge in Punta Gorda led to shots being fired, according to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.
the weather authority Warm, breezy day with evening rain ahead of a slight cold front The Weather Authority says Sunday is starting off warm across Southwest Florida with overnight lows in the upper 60s and 70s, staying warm throughout the day before a cold front sweeps south later this evening.
FORT MYERS Edison Festival parade lights up Fort Myers with floats and bands The Edison Festival parade was a spectacle of lights and sounds, drawing crowds to celebrate the legacy of Thomas Edison.
CAPE CORAL Goth Gala for the Forlorn; How the alt scene honored Valentine’s Day Love Your Rebellion hosted the Goth Gala for the Forlorn at Nice Guys Pizza in Cape Coral on Friday night.
MGN AURORA, Colo. (AP) – Huge cost overruns and long delays at new VA hospitals in Colorado, Florida and Louisiana were caused by multiple design changes, mismanaged contracts or poor budget controls, according to Army Corps of Engineers reports released Thursday. High costs at a fourth veterans facility in Las Vegas were the result of a decision to change the plan from an outpatient clinic to a full hospital, the reports said. Under fire for ballooning expenses and long delays, the Veterans Affairs Department asked the Corps of Engineers to review its overall construction practices as well as the four new hospitals. The Corps warned that the VA needs to make fundamental changes in the way it handles construction or it will suffer similar overruns and delays on future projects. The Corps said the VA has conflicting lines of authority and its priorities, expectations and accountability standards don’t mesh. It also said the VA needs more disciplined leadership. The half-finished Colorado medical center, under construction outside Denver, is the VA’s most embarrassing problem. It’s now expected to cost up to $1.73 billion, nearly triple the earlier estimates. Congress wants the VA to fire the executives responsible for the Denver failures. The VA says it’s investigating what went wrong. Congress also wants the VA to turn over large construction projects to the Corps of Engineers in the future. A look at the Corps’ findings: COLORADO The VA repeatedly changed the design and square footage of a new medical center in the Denver suburb of Aurora, the Corps said. The VA also used a complicated contract process that department officials didn’t understand, and they adopted it too late in the process, leading to disputes and conflicting cost estimates, the report said. A panel of judges ruled last year the VA had breached its contract with the builder by not delivering a plan that could be built within the budget. Construction stopped for a time, but it has continued at a slower pace under a series of stop-gap funding measures. VA Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson, who visited the construction site Thursday, said his department accepts the findings and is making changes. The VA is asking Congress for an additional $625 million to finish a scaled-back version, on top of the $1 billion authorized to date. Gibson said he was optimistic a funding deal will be reached before the project hits its current spending cap at the end of the month. The Corps of Engineers also said the VA didn’t have enough construction management staffers in Denver to handle a project of this scale, and they were overwhelmed trying to meet deadlines. LOUISIANA The VA is building a medical center in New Orleans to replace one heavily damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Cost estimates rose from $625 million in 2009 to $995 million today. The VA first planned to build and operate the new hospital jointly with Louisiana State University, but it switched to a stand-alone veterans facility. The VA also ran into environmental problems on the construction site that were costly to resolve. The Corps of Engineers said the VA used an ill-informed process that designed the hospital to meet the perceived need, not to fit a budget. Budget controls weren’t always followed because of complex and conflicting lines of authority in the VA, the report said. Planners also used some design standards dating to the 1970s, the Corps said. FLORIDA The cost of a new medical center in Orlando rose in part because the VA issued multiple contracts for the foundation, structure, fittings and finish and because the electrical design was flawed, the Corps said. Elaborate finishes and architectural features drove up construction costs and will increase operating and maintenance costs in the future, the report said. The report didn’t include cost figures, but officials have said the price more than doubled from $254 million to around $600 million. NEVADA The VA originally planned to partner with the Defense Department to build a huge outpatient clinic at Nellis Air Force Base outside Las Vegas, but security restrictions made that impractical. After the VA decided to build a stand-alone clinic in North Las Vegas, it changed the plan to a full medical center. But the VA didn’t have specific targets on the square footage, the Corps said. The report generally praised the VA’s management of the Nevada project.