Caught on Camera: Firefighters respond to dumpster fire at FGCUFGCU students affected by Covid celebrate first commencement ceremony
FORT MYERS Caught on Camera: Firefighters respond to dumpster fire at FGCU San Carlos Park Fire District responded to a dumpster fire Sunday afternoon.
FORT MYERS FGCU students affected by Covid celebrate first commencement ceremony Graduation is a right of passage from school to the real world, but for these students, reality hit them in 2020.
PUNTA GORDA Motorcycle crash leaves 1 dead One person has died after a motorcycle crash in Charlotte County.
LEE COUNTY Lee Deputies work to track down transient sex offenders who fail to register WINK News Anchor Corey Lazar goes on patrol with Lee County Deputies in search of transient sex offenders who don’t register.
National Hurricane Preparedness Week: Know your risk Hurricane season starts on June 1st, but the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has designated the week of May 5 through May 11 as National Hurricane Preparedness Week. Each day, Meteorologist Lauren Kreidler will be highlighting ways to stay prepared ahead of this year’s hurricane season.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Stay alert – chance of showers and storms on Sunday Hot, humid, and more rain for parts of Southwest Florida on Sunday.
CAPE CORAL What we learned about Cape Coral’s water crisis after a ride along On Friday, WINK News got to ride along to see just what people are doing that could be wasting water.
The Weather Authority: A wet Saturday evening as storms move through Southwest Florida A rainy Saturday evening across much of southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS Lee Health Touch-A-Truck event educates families on Trauma Awareness On Saturday morning, sirens were ringing to celebrate Lee Health Trauma Center’s 30 years of service and to provide the public with trauma education and prevention methods.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA (CBS) CDC says bird flu viruses “pose pandemic potential,” cites major knowledge gaps Bird flu continues to appear to pose a “low risk to the general public” for now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. But the agency’s scientists ran into roadblocks investigating a human case of this “pandemic potential” virus this year, they said in a new report.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Bay Street Yard set to open in late May A new place to hang out in Downtown Fort Myers is opening this spring.
Aetna agrees to settle lawsuit over fertility coverage for LGBTQ+ customers Aetna has agreed to settle a lawsuit that accused the health insurer of discriminating against LGBTQ+ customers in need of fertility treatment.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Robbery, Pawn Shops, and Child Porn This week’s segment of Wink Neighborhood Watch features an armed robber, fraud at a pawn shop, and possession of child pornography.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Sun, clouds, humidity, rain – it’s all in your weekend forecast Saturday afternoon will be hot and humid, with a mix of sun and clouds.
LEHIGH ACRES Chaotic lake getting fence and security Now, with all the negative attention it has gotten, some think putting up a fence is a great way to keep that bad activity out.
FORT MYERS Caught on Camera: Firefighters respond to dumpster fire at FGCU San Carlos Park Fire District responded to a dumpster fire Sunday afternoon.
FORT MYERS FGCU students affected by Covid celebrate first commencement ceremony Graduation is a right of passage from school to the real world, but for these students, reality hit them in 2020.
PUNTA GORDA Motorcycle crash leaves 1 dead One person has died after a motorcycle crash in Charlotte County.
LEE COUNTY Lee Deputies work to track down transient sex offenders who fail to register WINK News Anchor Corey Lazar goes on patrol with Lee County Deputies in search of transient sex offenders who don’t register.
National Hurricane Preparedness Week: Know your risk Hurricane season starts on June 1st, but the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has designated the week of May 5 through May 11 as National Hurricane Preparedness Week. Each day, Meteorologist Lauren Kreidler will be highlighting ways to stay prepared ahead of this year’s hurricane season.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Stay alert – chance of showers and storms on Sunday Hot, humid, and more rain for parts of Southwest Florida on Sunday.
CAPE CORAL What we learned about Cape Coral’s water crisis after a ride along On Friday, WINK News got to ride along to see just what people are doing that could be wasting water.
The Weather Authority: A wet Saturday evening as storms move through Southwest Florida A rainy Saturday evening across much of southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS Lee Health Touch-A-Truck event educates families on Trauma Awareness On Saturday morning, sirens were ringing to celebrate Lee Health Trauma Center’s 30 years of service and to provide the public with trauma education and prevention methods.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA (CBS) CDC says bird flu viruses “pose pandemic potential,” cites major knowledge gaps Bird flu continues to appear to pose a “low risk to the general public” for now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. But the agency’s scientists ran into roadblocks investigating a human case of this “pandemic potential” virus this year, they said in a new report.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Bay Street Yard set to open in late May A new place to hang out in Downtown Fort Myers is opening this spring.
Aetna agrees to settle lawsuit over fertility coverage for LGBTQ+ customers Aetna has agreed to settle a lawsuit that accused the health insurer of discriminating against LGBTQ+ customers in need of fertility treatment.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Robbery, Pawn Shops, and Child Porn This week’s segment of Wink Neighborhood Watch features an armed robber, fraud at a pawn shop, and possession of child pornography.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Sun, clouds, humidity, rain – it’s all in your weekend forecast Saturday afternoon will be hot and humid, with a mix of sun and clouds.
LEHIGH ACRES Chaotic lake getting fence and security Now, with all the negative attention it has gotten, some think putting up a fence is a great way to keep that bad activity out.
BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. – Transparency, environmental awareness and funding is what it will take to address the water releases at Lake Okeechobee, the mayors of Lee County’s six municipalities said Wednesday during a joint emergency meeting inside the Bonita Springs City Council Chambers. Describing the problem as “tremendous,” the group wants the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to be more open in why and when they decide to release water from the lake, for state legislators to support the “Legacy Florida” bill that would provide more funding for Everglades preservation and for the community to fully support an effort where costs are expected to run into the billions. The alternative, explained Fort Myers Mayor Randy Henderson, would be far more expensive. “If it’s $2 billion to solve this over a decade, in perspective, is a pretty small percentage of the multi-billions in quality of life, tourism, economy,” he said. “When you think of it, it brings it into a sensible perspective.” Applying the pressure Wednesday’s meeting is the latest in an effort to address the billions of gallons of brown water being released from Lake Okeechobee, which officials say has damaged the area’s economy and ecology. Recent rainfall has resulted in record water levels at the lake, forcing the Corps of Engineers to release maximum levels of water into the Caloosahachee River, which flows into the Gulf of Mexico. The water releases prevent the dike that holds the lake water from being damaged or collapsing, which nearby residents say would result in an event similar to the levee breeches during Hurricane Katrina. But the dark water has created an eyesore for tourists and businesses along Lee County’s beaches. “We can’t hold anymore water at the lake, and we need to ensure the Army Corps of Engineers is doing everything they can,” Sanibel Mayor Kevin Ruane said. “People just don’t want to hear flood protection and people’s lives are at stake.” The murky fresh water also threatens marine life because it does not allow light to reach sea grass, according to environmentalists, who also say it aides in the development of toxic red tide algae blooms. But researchers at the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium say red tide, which existed before human settlement, develops up to 40 miles offshore and there is no direct link between red tide and polluted water. Local lawmakers are putting pressure on Gov. Rick Scott and federal officials to find a permanent solution. Rep. Heather Fitzenhagen (R-Fort Myers), in a letter to Scott on Tuesday, asked the governor to consider declaring a state of emergency for Lee County and surrounding areas. Her letter came with an invitation for Scott to tour Southwest Florida “to see the places and people that have (been) negatively affected.” Congressman Curt Clawson (R-Florida) introduced emergency legislation last week that would expedite Everglades restoration so overflow from Lake Okeechobee could eventually be directed to the wetland preserve. But even that won’t be enough, he said. “Unless we buy some land, unless we buy a flow-way like the option that we had last year to buy the sugar lands — unless we do something like that, there’ll be years that we can’t outrun the rain,” he said. Ruane said he and Clawson have met with U.S. Sugar regarding purchasing lands south of the lake. Those discussions are ongoing, he said. Water levels The mayors of Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, Estero, Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel said they will challenge the Corps of Engineers to review the number of improvements made at the dike and to also analyze their risk assessment protocols. “We are not looking for people to be at risk, but we also want to look at the potential investment that was made by taxpayers around the dike, because there have been improvements,” Ruane said. “If we can qualify the $500 million in improvements, can we hold more water at the lake? What is an accurate water level?” Lake Okeechobee covers 730 square miles across South Florida and has an average depth of nine feet. As of late Tuesday, the lake had a depth of 16.36 feet. More than 3.7 billion gallons of lake water is being released daily into the Caloosahatchee River. About 2 billion gallons are also being released to the east coast through the St. Lucie River. The Corps of Engineers have said they cannot afford to stop the releases because water levels rise even after rainfall has stopped. The Lee County mayors said they will meet monthly regarding the issue. “The good thing in any type of emergency, it’s all hands on deck,” Ruane said. “It’s everybody across the deck and we need to continue this momentum to come up with solutions and not let it go away like we have in the past.”