FGCU draws 14-seed and rematch in NCAA TournamentTice barn fire damages boats and tractor, no injuries reported
FGCU FGCU draws 14-seed and rematch in NCAA Tournament FGCU draws a 14-seed and rematch of last year’s first round with 3-seeded Oklahoma for round one of the NCAA Tournament.
Tice barn fire damages boats and tractor, no injuries reported A fire broke out in a detached barn in Tice, resulting in the loss of multiple boats and a tractor. There have been no reports of injuries.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach library reopens after Hurricane Ian recovery effort The Fort Myers Beach Library is finally reopening its doors after Hurricane Ian left it in ruins over two and a half years ago.
FORT MYERS Cypress West shooting leaves two injured, investigation ongoing in Lee County Authorities are investigating a shooting that occurred at the Cypress West Apartment Home Community in Cypress Lake.
the weather authority Breezy, warm Sunday ahead of tonight’s cold front The Weather Authority says Sunday is going to start out warm and humid with passing clouds overhead.
WINK NEWS Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads Up Mar. 16 While construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox-Rosen, in this web-exclusive feature, knows the best way to traverse the roadways.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs man arrested for animal cruelty According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, a Bonita Springs man faces charges of animal cruelty and aggravated stalking.
ESTERO Estero Village celebrates 10 years with music, food, and family fun Estero Village marked its 10-year anniversary with a free and lively celebration at the Estero Fest on Saturday.
FGCU FGCU women’s basketball clinches 8th straight ASUN Championship The FGCU women’s basketball team beat Central Arkansas to win its eighth consecutive ASUN Conference Championship.
NORTH PORT Police Explorer Marcus Freeman remembered 14 years after North Port crash The North Port Police Department is remembering a young life lost too soon.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach celebrates early St. Patrick’s Day with lively parade Fort Myers Beach celebrated St. Patrick’s Day early with a lively parade, bringing the island to life with Irish spirit.
the weather authority A breezy Saturday with near-record high heat in store The Weather Authority says a warm Saturday with near-record high heat is in store with sun and clouds overhead.
SANIBEL Sanibel Beach shines as a top 2025 destination for shelling Southwest Florida’s beaches are a major draw for visitors from around the world.
911 calls save two kayakers in distress on Caloosahatchee River After strong winds left them stranded, two kayakers were rescued from the Caloosahatchee River.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral woman tricked into romance scam, police seek recovery Cape Coral police are working to recover more than $250,000 from a bank account that may be tied to criminal activity.
FGCU FGCU draws 14-seed and rematch in NCAA Tournament FGCU draws a 14-seed and rematch of last year’s first round with 3-seeded Oklahoma for round one of the NCAA Tournament.
Tice barn fire damages boats and tractor, no injuries reported A fire broke out in a detached barn in Tice, resulting in the loss of multiple boats and a tractor. There have been no reports of injuries.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach library reopens after Hurricane Ian recovery effort The Fort Myers Beach Library is finally reopening its doors after Hurricane Ian left it in ruins over two and a half years ago.
FORT MYERS Cypress West shooting leaves two injured, investigation ongoing in Lee County Authorities are investigating a shooting that occurred at the Cypress West Apartment Home Community in Cypress Lake.
the weather authority Breezy, warm Sunday ahead of tonight’s cold front The Weather Authority says Sunday is going to start out warm and humid with passing clouds overhead.
WINK NEWS Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads Up Mar. 16 While construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox-Rosen, in this web-exclusive feature, knows the best way to traverse the roadways.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs man arrested for animal cruelty According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, a Bonita Springs man faces charges of animal cruelty and aggravated stalking.
ESTERO Estero Village celebrates 10 years with music, food, and family fun Estero Village marked its 10-year anniversary with a free and lively celebration at the Estero Fest on Saturday.
FGCU FGCU women’s basketball clinches 8th straight ASUN Championship The FGCU women’s basketball team beat Central Arkansas to win its eighth consecutive ASUN Conference Championship.
NORTH PORT Police Explorer Marcus Freeman remembered 14 years after North Port crash The North Port Police Department is remembering a young life lost too soon.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach celebrates early St. Patrick’s Day with lively parade Fort Myers Beach celebrated St. Patrick’s Day early with a lively parade, bringing the island to life with Irish spirit.
the weather authority A breezy Saturday with near-record high heat in store The Weather Authority says a warm Saturday with near-record high heat is in store with sun and clouds overhead.
SANIBEL Sanibel Beach shines as a top 2025 destination for shelling Southwest Florida’s beaches are a major draw for visitors from around the world.
911 calls save two kayakers in distress on Caloosahatchee River After strong winds left them stranded, two kayakers were rescued from the Caloosahatchee River.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral woman tricked into romance scam, police seek recovery Cape Coral police are working to recover more than $250,000 from a bank account that may be tied to criminal activity.
LAS VEGAS (AP) – The Riviera Hotel and Casino – the Las Vegas Strip’s first high-rise that was as famous for its mobster ties as its Hollywood personification of Sin City’s mobster past – officially exited the scene early Tuesday with a cinematic implosion, complete with fireworks. The 24-story Monaco Tower was demolished around 2:30 a.m. when a series of explosions sounded, followed by the building crumbling from the sides and then into the middle, kicking up a mountain of dust. A fireworks display erupted moments before the demolition. “The Riv” closed in May 2015 after 60 years on the northern end of the Strip. The shuttered casino’s owners, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, spent $42 million to level the 13-building campus. Officials said the Monte Carlo Tower will be imploded in August. The tourism agency bought the 2,075-room property across 26 acres last year for $182.5 million, plus $8.5 million in related transaction costs, with plans to expand its Las Vegas Convention Center. The Riviera’s implosion marks the latest kiss goodbye to what’s left among the relics to Vegas’ mobster past. “Ironically, the Riviera is as famous for its imaginary self as much as its actual self,” said Geoff Schumacher of the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, also known as the Mob Museum in Las Vegas. Most of its contemporaries have been long gone, with only the Tropicana and Flamingo casinos still in business. The Flamingo has been completely rebuilt at its original location, but the Tropicana still has pieces of its original building, making it the last true mob structure on the Strip, said Michael Green, Nevada historian and a professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. When The Riviera opened in 1955, organized crime outfits from across the country had already sunk their teeth into the casinos in a takeover that had started the decade before. Gambling profits were skimmed to send back home to pay for their gangs’ illegal enterprises involving illegal betting, drugs, prostitution, murders and everything else. The mobsters were known to have controlled the money-counting at the most famous casinos in their day, including the Dunes, Sands, Desert Inn and Stardust – all of which have already disappeared from the Strip. “The Riviera was and always was the Chicago outfit’s crown jewel in the desert,” Schumacher said. A classic mob joint, the Riviera’s place in that seedy time is probably outranked by the Flamingo, historians said. That casino was run by Bugsy Siegel, who is regarded as the most historically significant figure from that era. The casinos were cleaned up in the 1970s and 1980s, courtesy of state and federal crackdowns on organized crime. Hollywood’s version of the past, however, would hoist the Riviera to the top. Three of the most famous movies ever filmed in Las Vegas used the Riviera as a backdrop, including the Rat Pack’s original 1960 “Ocean’s 11,” the 1971 James Bond film “Diamonds Are Forever” and “Casino,” the 1995 movie based on real-life Vegas mobsters Frank Rosenthal and Anthony Spilotro during their 1970s heyday at the Stardust. More recently, it was featured in “The Hangover” in 2009. The Riviera also pioneered the business model that helped Vegas turn into an entertainment capital. The casino’s first headliner was Liberace. Dean Martin was a part-owner for a short time as part of his exclusive residency. “(The Riviera) looked like a 50s Rat Pack casino up until yesterday,” Schumacher said.