Shell Factory & Nature Park announces online auction liquidation of remaining inventoryLee County officials share progress on post-Milton debris cleanup
FORT MYERS Shell Factory & Nature Park announces online auction liquidation of remaining inventory Fans of the now-closed Shell Factory & Nature Park will have a final chance to own a piece of nostalgia with two virtual auctions.
Lee County officials share progress on post-Milton debris cleanup Lee County has announced it has collected 200,000 cubic yards of storm debris in unincorporated areas post-Hurricane Milton.
Man accused of fleeing from Charlotte deputies through drainage pipe The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man who tried to flee from deputies during a traffic stop through a drainage pipe.
FORT MYERS Man wanted for stealing money from tip jar at Fort Myers establishment Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers is seeking information on a man wanted for stealing from a tip jar at a Fort Myers establishment.
Matlacha Man accused of driving into That BBQ Place on Matlacha asks for new attorney Cody Curtis, the man accused of driving drunk and crashing his car into That BBQ Place on Matlacha, killing a patron, is asking for a new attorney.
Mostly sunny and seasonably high temps Monday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a mostly sunny Monday with temperatures matching seasonable highs this afternoon.
north fort myers Deputy presence reported in front of North Fort Myers laundromat The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is responding to a scene located on Pine Island Road in North Fort Myers.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral hurricane debris drop-off sites closed Two hurricane debris drop-off sites have closed in Cape Coral.
FORT MYERS Former NFL star Tre Boston gives back to hometown of Fort Myers for Thanksgiving Boston was joined by members of the Lehigh Senior High School Football team to help deliver 800 turkeys to those in need.
WINK NEWS Holiday Cheer: Send letters to Santa at Sunshine Ace Hardware Sunshine Ace Hardware will be serving as a drop-off location for any children looking to mail their holiday wish lists to the North Pole.
FORT MYERS BEACH Sand, sweat, and precision: Final day of sculpting on Fort Myers Beach Sunday was the final day of the 34th annual American Sand Sculpting Championship, hosted on Fort Myers Beach.
WINK Neighborhood Watch: Illegal gun possession, Kate Spade theft and deadly crash This week’s segment of WINK Neighborhood Watch features a gun possessed by a person with felony convictions, a Kate Spade thief and a man arrested for causing a crash that killed a man on Alligator Alley.
NORTH FORT MYERS 1 dead, 1 critically injured in North Fort Myers shooting The Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported shooting in North Fort Myers on Saturday.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral looking to increase their FEMA flood insurance discount The City of Cape Coral got good news from FEMA; the 25% flood insurance discount is staying in place for the next three years.
Cool start, mild afternoon with lots of sunshine on this Sunday The Weather Authority says Sunday started off even slightly cooler than Saturday morning, with temperatures in the 40s and 50s across the area.
FORT MYERS Shell Factory & Nature Park announces online auction liquidation of remaining inventory Fans of the now-closed Shell Factory & Nature Park will have a final chance to own a piece of nostalgia with two virtual auctions.
Lee County officials share progress on post-Milton debris cleanup Lee County has announced it has collected 200,000 cubic yards of storm debris in unincorporated areas post-Hurricane Milton.
Man accused of fleeing from Charlotte deputies through drainage pipe The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man who tried to flee from deputies during a traffic stop through a drainage pipe.
FORT MYERS Man wanted for stealing money from tip jar at Fort Myers establishment Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers is seeking information on a man wanted for stealing from a tip jar at a Fort Myers establishment.
Matlacha Man accused of driving into That BBQ Place on Matlacha asks for new attorney Cody Curtis, the man accused of driving drunk and crashing his car into That BBQ Place on Matlacha, killing a patron, is asking for a new attorney.
Mostly sunny and seasonably high temps Monday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a mostly sunny Monday with temperatures matching seasonable highs this afternoon.
north fort myers Deputy presence reported in front of North Fort Myers laundromat The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is responding to a scene located on Pine Island Road in North Fort Myers.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral hurricane debris drop-off sites closed Two hurricane debris drop-off sites have closed in Cape Coral.
FORT MYERS Former NFL star Tre Boston gives back to hometown of Fort Myers for Thanksgiving Boston was joined by members of the Lehigh Senior High School Football team to help deliver 800 turkeys to those in need.
WINK NEWS Holiday Cheer: Send letters to Santa at Sunshine Ace Hardware Sunshine Ace Hardware will be serving as a drop-off location for any children looking to mail their holiday wish lists to the North Pole.
FORT MYERS BEACH Sand, sweat, and precision: Final day of sculpting on Fort Myers Beach Sunday was the final day of the 34th annual American Sand Sculpting Championship, hosted on Fort Myers Beach.
WINK Neighborhood Watch: Illegal gun possession, Kate Spade theft and deadly crash This week’s segment of WINK Neighborhood Watch features a gun possessed by a person with felony convictions, a Kate Spade thief and a man arrested for causing a crash that killed a man on Alligator Alley.
NORTH FORT MYERS 1 dead, 1 critically injured in North Fort Myers shooting The Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported shooting in North Fort Myers on Saturday.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral looking to increase their FEMA flood insurance discount The City of Cape Coral got good news from FEMA; the 25% flood insurance discount is staying in place for the next three years.
Cool start, mild afternoon with lots of sunshine on this Sunday The Weather Authority says Sunday started off even slightly cooler than Saturday morning, with temperatures in the 40s and 50s across the area.
MGN OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – When the Big East underwent its metamorphosis in 2013 and returned to its basketball-centric roots, the question was whether the conference could recapture the magic of its heyday. The initial answer wasn’t promising. Four of its 10 teams reached the NCAA Tournament and none made it past the first weekend. “I was one of those saying, ‘This is being called the Big East, but it’s not the same league,” ESPN analyst Jay Bilas said. Year Two saw six teams make the tournament, but top-seeded Villanova lost in the round of 32 for the second straight season and only Xavier advanced to a regional semifinal. How the Big East fares in the NCAA Tournament this year will determine how far the conference has come in terms of perception. But with three teams among the top 10 in this week’s Associated Press poll – No. 6 Villanova, No. 7 Xavier and No. 10 Providence – the season has been more like the Big East brass envisioned when the conference was made over. In the RPI, Villanova is No. 2, Xavier is No. 4, Providence is No. 21 and four other Big East teams are in the top 90. The Big East’s 26-18 record (.591) against opponents from the Atlantic Coast, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and Southeastern conferences – the so-called power five – is second only to the Big 12’s 19-12 mark (.612). The Big East’s 7-8 record against Top 25 nonconference opponents is best in the nation. “I’m really excited where the conference is,” said Jay Wright, who’s coached Villanova since 2001. “I’d like to say this is what we all predicted. I think it’s what we all hoped.” Wright’s Wildcats saw their 22-game win streak against Big East opponents end Sunday when they lost to Providence 82-76 in overtime. Xavier, Providence, Creighton and Georgetown all start this week tied for second place, 1 1/2 games behind Villanova. Last year marked the first time since the conference was founded in 1979 that none of its players were taken in the first round of the NBA draft. There is no shortage of star power this season. Providence point guard Kris Dunn is considered the best player in the league and is joined by conference scoring leader Ben Bentil. Josh Hart is putting up big numbers for Villanova, which also has Ryan Arcidiacono and Daniel Ochefu. Xavier’s Edmond Sumner and Marquette’s Henry Ellenson are among the league’s top young players. Butler has a force in Roosevelt Jones and one of the nation’s premier shooters in Kellen Dunham. Georgetown again is led by D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera. Few people represent the glory days of the 1980s Big East more than Chris Mullin, the first-year coach at St. John’s. The Big East had nine teams when Mullin, Georgetown’s Patrick Ewing and Villanova’s Ed Pinckney were the league’s biggest stars. It had 15 in 2012-13, the season before it was reconfigured. “It got to a point where there were so many teams, I didn’t know who was in the conference,” Mullin said. When the conference was revamped, eight football-playing schools departed and the seven schools whose No. 1 sport is basketball were joined by like-minded Butler, Creighton and Xavier. “I really like the way it’s set up now,” Mullin said. “I like the fact that you play each other home and away. I think that will develop real rivalries. I think given time, it’ll be what (Big East founder) Dave Gavitt created.” The Big East probably needs a couple of its teams to make long postseason runs to silence critics who contend the conference has lost elite status. But Georgetown coach John Thompson III, whose father became the league’s No. 3 all-time winningest coach in 20 years with the Hoyas, said the Big East doesn’t need validation. “Our identity has never changed,” Thompson said. “The Big East is the Big East. What I think is happening is that possibly the rest of the world is realizing, ‘Oh, wow, they didn’t go anywhere.’ Without a doubt, we have some of the toughest, some of the best teams in the country. That has always been the case. The rest of the country, who for some reason thought we were going to go away, is now realizing we’re not.”