64-year-old drug dealer sentenced in Collier CountyDisaster tax relief bill passed after over 2 years
IMMOKALEE 64-year-old drug dealer sentenced in Collier County A 64-year-old drug dealer has been sentenced in Collier County for possession and distribution of cocaine.
WINK NEWS Disaster tax relief bill passed after over 2 years After more than two years of uncertainty, victims of Hurricane Ian and other disasters are getting some financial relief.
Elevate Social Lounge opens Kava bar at University Village near FGCU For almost four years, Mitra 9 has marketed itself as the Budweiser of Kava, trying to make mainstream a growing trend of Kava-infused drinks that are said to help reduce anxiety.
ESTERO Funeral procession held for former Lee County firefighter Hundreds joined to pay their respects to a beloved firefighter who passed away in November.
FORT MYERS Will new developments along SR 82 cause traffic problems? New developments are coming to State Road 82 near the Forum, the biggest of which is Amazon’s new robotics fulfillment center.
SANIBEL 36th annual Sanibel Luminary Festival begins It’s the holiday season, and there are events galore across Southwest Florida this weekend. One of those events is the Sanibel Luminary Festival.
FORT MYERS FGCU student arrested, accused of making social media threat against university Florida Gulf Coast University police have arrested a student accused of sending a threat to the university through Snapchat.
SANIBEL Sanibel annual 10K/5K race begins this weekend Sanibel’s annual food programs, island-based social services and Helping Hands’ JOG N JAM 10K/5K race will close several roads this Saturday.
CAPE CORAL Teen accused of stealing vehicle from Cape Coral driveway A 16-year-old with a history of stealing cars has been arrested after allegedly stealing a vehicle from a Cape Coral driveway.
Tim Aten Knows: Work begins for new Publix at Wiggins and U.S. 41 Work began in late November to prepare for a Publix supermarket at the Gateway Shoppes at North Bay on the northwest corner of U.S. 41 and Wiggins Pass Road in North Naples.
BONITA SPRINGS Woman wanted for credit card theft in Bonita Springs Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers is seeking information on a woman wanted for credit card theft in Bonita Springs.
WINK NEWS Cold front brings stray showers this Friday afternoon and evening A cold front will bring in stray showers this Friday afternoon and evening with warmer temperatures in the upper 70s.
FORT MYERS House fire in downtown Fort Myers caused by smoking A house fire caused a massive scene overnight near downtown Fort Myers, with smoke visible from the home.
CAPE CORAL Veterans Memorial Parkway in Cape Coral reopens after pedestrian crash An access point to Midpoint Bridge getting into Fort Myers has reopened after a pedestrian crash early Friday morning.
FORT MYERS Road closures in Downtown Fort Myers due to Festival of Trees Due to the return of the Downtown Fort Myers Festival of Trees, First Street between Jackson and Lee Street will be closed on Friday and Saturday.
IMMOKALEE 64-year-old drug dealer sentenced in Collier County A 64-year-old drug dealer has been sentenced in Collier County for possession and distribution of cocaine.
WINK NEWS Disaster tax relief bill passed after over 2 years After more than two years of uncertainty, victims of Hurricane Ian and other disasters are getting some financial relief.
Elevate Social Lounge opens Kava bar at University Village near FGCU For almost four years, Mitra 9 has marketed itself as the Budweiser of Kava, trying to make mainstream a growing trend of Kava-infused drinks that are said to help reduce anxiety.
ESTERO Funeral procession held for former Lee County firefighter Hundreds joined to pay their respects to a beloved firefighter who passed away in November.
FORT MYERS Will new developments along SR 82 cause traffic problems? New developments are coming to State Road 82 near the Forum, the biggest of which is Amazon’s new robotics fulfillment center.
SANIBEL 36th annual Sanibel Luminary Festival begins It’s the holiday season, and there are events galore across Southwest Florida this weekend. One of those events is the Sanibel Luminary Festival.
FORT MYERS FGCU student arrested, accused of making social media threat against university Florida Gulf Coast University police have arrested a student accused of sending a threat to the university through Snapchat.
SANIBEL Sanibel annual 10K/5K race begins this weekend Sanibel’s annual food programs, island-based social services and Helping Hands’ JOG N JAM 10K/5K race will close several roads this Saturday.
CAPE CORAL Teen accused of stealing vehicle from Cape Coral driveway A 16-year-old with a history of stealing cars has been arrested after allegedly stealing a vehicle from a Cape Coral driveway.
Tim Aten Knows: Work begins for new Publix at Wiggins and U.S. 41 Work began in late November to prepare for a Publix supermarket at the Gateway Shoppes at North Bay on the northwest corner of U.S. 41 and Wiggins Pass Road in North Naples.
BONITA SPRINGS Woman wanted for credit card theft in Bonita Springs Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers is seeking information on a woman wanted for credit card theft in Bonita Springs.
WINK NEWS Cold front brings stray showers this Friday afternoon and evening A cold front will bring in stray showers this Friday afternoon and evening with warmer temperatures in the upper 70s.
FORT MYERS House fire in downtown Fort Myers caused by smoking A house fire caused a massive scene overnight near downtown Fort Myers, with smoke visible from the home.
CAPE CORAL Veterans Memorial Parkway in Cape Coral reopens after pedestrian crash An access point to Midpoint Bridge getting into Fort Myers has reopened after a pedestrian crash early Friday morning.
FORT MYERS Road closures in Downtown Fort Myers due to Festival of Trees Due to the return of the Downtown Fort Myers Festival of Trees, First Street between Jackson and Lee Street will be closed on Friday and Saturday.
CAPE CORAL, Fla. – Quinn Alberto said he and his parents are reliving a “nightmare” in their fight against a contracting company they hired to make repairs to their home. The family signed a contract with IB Homes Inc., a Cape Coral-based general contracting company, to fix the damage caused by an EF2 tornado that ripped through homes in southwest Cape Coral in January. “My family suffered enough. I don’t want anyone going through this,” Alberto said. About 178 structures were damaged in that tornado: One home was destroyed, 14 had major damage and 163 suffered minor damage, the National Weather Service said. It took six months for their insurance company to send a check for the damage sustained in the tornado, Alberto said. Then, they started looking for a contractor to make the repairs. “We selected this one because he was the one who worked on our neighbors’ homes and they were all satisfied,” Alberto said. The contract detailed almost $70,000 of work to be done, both inside and outside the home. It took IB Homes three months to complete all the work on the list. The family was told they could move back in in August. “We came back into the house and we were sick that first week. I mean, I knew something was wrong when you wake up in the morning and you’re having chest pains and your lungs hurt and you’re waking up with red eyes and you don’t know what’s the cause,” Alberto said. Alberto and his family went to the emergency room and multiple doctors after their symptoms didn’t improve. They told WINK News they had trouble breathing. Documents from those visits list symptoms of bronchitis, nausea, dizziness, and upper respiratory tract infections. The Alberto family says the doctors advised them not to stay in the house. WINK News walked through the home and was shown a number of things the Alberto family wants IB Homes to correct. Before doing so, we were told to put on masks. Some of the Alberto family’s concerns include minor issues like grouting, matching tiles, and placement of light fixtures. However, the family says their immediate concern is the air quality inside the home. Alberto says they noticed mold growing in the ceiling just under an area of the roof that was patched up by the contractor. Alberto says, it wasn’t done properly and with days of rain, mold began to form. The family had a separate company remove the mold, but they say the patch job still needs to be fixed to prevent future problems. After looking through the home’s air vents, the family also noticed it was covered in dust and debris. IB Homes told the family the air conditioning was running at times, while work was being done to the interior of the home. They believe residue from the construction process is now in the air vents and circulating in the home. After noting all their concerns, the Alberto family says they contacted IB Homes and sent them a list of issues they’d like fixed. But so far, no one from the company has returned to the property to address the issues. “It makes me angry,” Alberto said. “You can’t function right because you don’t feel right. You’re not in your home. You’re living somewhere else, the expenses are mounting because you have to pay for an extra residence and then this particular home, you have no idea when is it gonna get fixed? What’s gonna happen next?” WINK News reached out to IB Homes, and after multiple phone conversations, our team was told the family’s issues haven’t been resolved due to lack of communication between the company and the homeowners. IB Homes says they called the Albertos multiple times and no one picked up. The Alberto family showed us multiple emails sent to IB Homes during the same time frame, in which they never got a response. They tell us they eventually wanted to communicate through email to have documentation of each request and conversation. The homeowners have already paid more than $60,000 to IB Homes for doing the work, but have not paid the remaining balance of nearly $5,000 dollars. They say, they want their problems resolves before giving the company any more money. IB Homes has since responded to the family’s request and has threatened to put a lien on their home, if they don’t make their final payment. “If it was done right the first time, it wouldn’t be a problem. We’d make the payment. They’re happy they got paid for a job and we’re happy that my folks got their house back,” Alberto said. The family says they feel cornered. After multiple attempts to resolve the issue, IB Homes has now stopped answering calls from WINK News, and deferred our team to their attorney. After several phone calls and emails, we’ve still received no response. The Albertos now fear pending legal action from IB Homes will leave their home in limbo. “We can’t breathe in the house. You know? How would you feel if you couldn’t live in your house?” Alberto said. IB HOMES LICENSE WINK News checked on IB Home’s license with multiple agencies. The Department of Business and Professional Regulation says the contracting license for IB Homes has not been renewed and expired on Sept. 9, almost one month after they completed work on the Alberto family’s home. The company’s expired license leaves the Alberto’s unsure if IB Homes will finish the work properly. “If we had known that this contractor was going to do this type of work, then obviously we wouldn’t have selected him,” Alberto said.