16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier CountyNew bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashes
16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier County According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, two airboats crashed south of U.S. 41 east between mile markers 74 and 75, leaving well over a dozen people injured.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashes There could be new detectives on the block, located in your nearest auto shop. A new state bill aims at trying to stop hit-and-run drivers from getting away.
CAPE CORAL New leash on life; Cape Coral shelter dog beats cancer with drug being tested for humans A drug now being studied in human trials to kill cancerous tumors, is already approved and helping animals.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral planning a new interchange with I-75 The city of Cape Coral is in the early stages of planning a new interchange with I-75, an idea that has been discussed for more than a decade.
Tracking invasive species after hurricanes Hurricanes Helene and Milton didn’t just bring wind and rain, they brought new threats to southwest Florida’s ecosystem.
PUNTA GORDA Woman in Punta Gorda shooting charged with 2nd degree murder A woman in a homicide investigation on Nasturtium Drive in Punta Gorda has been charged with 2nd-degree murder.
Lee County mother continuing fight to get children a bus stop The school district already told her she lives too close to the school to qualify for a bus route but she has not given up.
NORTH NAPLES Grant Thornton Invitational returns to Tiburon Golf Club Stars on the PGA and LPGA Tours are back in Southwest Florida for the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club.
FORT MYERS Black Flag brings classic punk energy to The Ranch in Fort Myers Legendary punk band Black Flag made their mark in Southwest Florida during the Fort Myers stop of their “First Four Years” tour.
Charlotte Technical College breaks ground on aviation facility The Charlotte County School District is flying high and keeping its “Space Academy” designation with a new aviation training facility for students.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested in connection with Cape Coral home invasion The Cape Coral Police Department has announced the arrest of one of three men suspected in a home invasion that took place earlier this month.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral residents react to $100M North Cape land deal The city of Cape Coral is seeing two projects that will change the city. One is called one of the most lucrative deals in county history.
Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association breaks ground on new Fort Myers headquarters As Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association’s president pointed out, about 1,000 people are still moving to Florida every day, and many of them are finding their way to Southwest Florida.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County drug trafficker sentenced to 10 years A Charlotte County man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug trafficking.
lehigh acres ‘How to sign away parental rights?’; Lehigh Acres woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby.
16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier County According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, two airboats crashed south of U.S. 41 east between mile markers 74 and 75, leaving well over a dozen people injured.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashes There could be new detectives on the block, located in your nearest auto shop. A new state bill aims at trying to stop hit-and-run drivers from getting away.
CAPE CORAL New leash on life; Cape Coral shelter dog beats cancer with drug being tested for humans A drug now being studied in human trials to kill cancerous tumors, is already approved and helping animals.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral planning a new interchange with I-75 The city of Cape Coral is in the early stages of planning a new interchange with I-75, an idea that has been discussed for more than a decade.
Tracking invasive species after hurricanes Hurricanes Helene and Milton didn’t just bring wind and rain, they brought new threats to southwest Florida’s ecosystem.
PUNTA GORDA Woman in Punta Gorda shooting charged with 2nd degree murder A woman in a homicide investigation on Nasturtium Drive in Punta Gorda has been charged with 2nd-degree murder.
Lee County mother continuing fight to get children a bus stop The school district already told her she lives too close to the school to qualify for a bus route but she has not given up.
NORTH NAPLES Grant Thornton Invitational returns to Tiburon Golf Club Stars on the PGA and LPGA Tours are back in Southwest Florida for the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club.
FORT MYERS Black Flag brings classic punk energy to The Ranch in Fort Myers Legendary punk band Black Flag made their mark in Southwest Florida during the Fort Myers stop of their “First Four Years” tour.
Charlotte Technical College breaks ground on aviation facility The Charlotte County School District is flying high and keeping its “Space Academy” designation with a new aviation training facility for students.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested in connection with Cape Coral home invasion The Cape Coral Police Department has announced the arrest of one of three men suspected in a home invasion that took place earlier this month.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral residents react to $100M North Cape land deal The city of Cape Coral is seeing two projects that will change the city. One is called one of the most lucrative deals in county history.
Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association breaks ground on new Fort Myers headquarters As Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association’s president pointed out, about 1,000 people are still moving to Florida every day, and many of them are finding their way to Southwest Florida.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County drug trafficker sentenced to 10 years A Charlotte County man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug trafficking.
lehigh acres ‘How to sign away parental rights?’; Lehigh Acres woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby.
More than 100 firefighters battled two brush fires in Golden Gate Estates on Friday. (Efrain Hernandez) GOLDEN GATE ESTATES, Fla. Crews continue to battle a 5,531-acre brush fire near Everglades Boulevard and 30th Ave SE on Saturday. The blaze, which sparked Thursday afternoon, was 20 percent contained as of Saturday afternoon. Nine homes were destroyed on Friday evening and mandatory evacuations of approximately 7,000 homes remain in place. Those seeking further fire information can contact Collier County officials at 239-252-8444, or 311 for Collier residents. Below is the latest information as it comes into the WINK newsroom: 10:06 p.m. The Florida Forest Service, Greater Naples Fire Rescue District, and local first responders will be monitoring the fire throughout the night, fire officials said. “With the rains, we are cautiously optimistic of getting ahead of the wildfire and increasing containment through the nighttime hours,” said John Kern, incident commander for the Florida Forest Service Interagency Incident Management Green Team. Reduced visibility on nearby roads is a possibility with the increased humidity and low winds overnight, the Florida Forest Service said. Motorists are urged to use caution if they encounter fog or smoke. The Florida Forest Service offers the following tips for when smoke covers the road: Slow down Use windshield wipers in heavy fog Turn on your low-beam headlights If the fog or smoke becomes so thick that you cannot see well enough to keep driving, pull all the way off thepavement and stop. Turn on your emergency flashers. 5:25 p.m. Gov. Rick Scott gave a press conference at the Collier County Emergency Management Center in Naples: 2:30 p.m. Mandatory evacuations remain in place for the south side of Golden Gate Boulevard, south to Interstate 75 and from Collier Boulevard east to Wilson Boulevard, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. An evacuation shelter is open at North Collier Regional Park located at 15000 Livingston Road in Naples. A voluntary evacuation is in place for homes south of Golden Gate Parkway from Tropicana Boulevard east to Collier Boulevard in Golden Gate City, fire officials said. Below is an updated evacuation map: 11:00 a.m. Gov. Scott provided updates on recent Southwest Florida brush fires includong Collier County. WINK News streamed the press conference live on Facebook. 10:36 a.m. Deputies will continue to assist residents who would like to retrieve personal items from their homes. Deputies are continuing to assist those residents who desire to return to their homes to retrieve personal items, medications and pets. — CollierCountySheriff (@CollierSheriff) April 22, 2017 9 a.m. There is a five mile temporary flight restriction, including drones, around 30th Avenue South. Notice from Air Operations: There is a 5 mile temporary flight restriction around #30thAveFire. This includes drones. — Caloosahatchee FC (@FFS_cafc) April 22, 2017 WINK News reporter Jessica Alpern went live on Facebook where fire officials gave a press conference with the latest updates on the Golden Gate Estates fire: 8:28 a.m. The Trump administration approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant to the state of Florida, allowing the use of federal funds to reimburse response costs to fight the brush fire in Collier County. “We are grateful to President Trump for recognizing the need for federal funding to fight these fires. Our firefighters and first responders are bravely on the front lines, and federal assistance to support them is critical. We will continue to support Governor Scott, the County Commission, and other local officials in any way we are able to. We are extremely proud of our firefighters and first responders, and are confident in their capabilities to control this blaze,” Congressmen Mario Diaz-Balart and Francis Rooney said in a statement.