Woman rescued from Peace River by good Samaritans days after MiltonRestaurant in Cape Coral helps another in Punta Gorda recover from Milton
Woman rescued from Peace River by good Samaritans days after Milton A woman is lucky to be alive after being found two miles off the coast in the Peace River and brought to shore by vigilant good samaritans.
PUNTA GORDA Restaurant in Cape Coral helps another in Punta Gorda recover from Milton Bartenders at the Celtic Ray in Punta Gorda have struggled since Hurricane Milton severely damaged the pub.
Warrior Homes of Collier awards scholarships to local veterans Four Collier County students with military ties are getting a boost toward their education.
Caught on video: Man arrested after leading police on chase in stolen truck Florida troopers say 36-year-old David Alfonso stole the vehicle in Collier County and then led them on a chase through Lee County to Alico Road and Ben Hill Griffin.
Record early voting in SWFL may be linked to recent hurricanes On Monday, thousands of people got in line at their polling places as early voting started for most places in southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS BEACH Milton leaves Fort Myers Beach residents buried in sand and seeking help Hurricane Milton pushed sand onto the streets of Fort Myers Beach, leaving many residents asking for help.
LEHIGH ACRES East Lee County principal uses lemonade to create gameday tradition East Lee County High School principal Tony Allen uses his lemonade recipe to create a new gameday tradition.
NAPLES Naples man defends home from flood waters One Naples man did not mess around when it came to Hurricane Milton prep. Guy Lollino got five feet of water in his home on Vanderbilt Beach during Hurricane Ian. This time he decided to stack a ton of sandbags and fill the cracks with sprayable Styrofoam.
Detecting pancreatic cancer early with AI A pancreatic cancer diagnosis is one of the most dreaded because it carries a very high mortality rate.
Lee County restores solid waste services The process of removing garbage and debris from the streets of Lee County has begun.
Algae bloom research turns into useful storm tool Many of us watched helplessly and waited as hurricanes Helene and Milton sent storm surges onto our roads, into our homes and businesses, altering what we know as home forever. At the same time, one Florida Gulf Coast University student saw the storms as a scientific opportunity.
Amendment 2: Right to fish and hunt Tens of thousands of Floridians, and thousands more visitors that come to our state, enjoy fishing and hunting. We live in a state surrounded by water and wildlife and people have taken advantage of that.
Amendment 1: Establishing partisan school board elections Some school board meetings have become political, with raised voices and the need for security
FORT MYERS Local salon withstands impacts from 3 major hurricanes One hurricane can be devastating; however, three storms will force you to find better ways to prepare for impacts.
Azaleas on the Corner sells plants, paintings, wine in downtown Fort Myers The mother-daughter team of Marie Dyer and Corinne Wimberly already had a business plan in place to start their own shop. They just didn’t have a place to put it.
Woman rescued from Peace River by good Samaritans days after Milton A woman is lucky to be alive after being found two miles off the coast in the Peace River and brought to shore by vigilant good samaritans.
PUNTA GORDA Restaurant in Cape Coral helps another in Punta Gorda recover from Milton Bartenders at the Celtic Ray in Punta Gorda have struggled since Hurricane Milton severely damaged the pub.
Warrior Homes of Collier awards scholarships to local veterans Four Collier County students with military ties are getting a boost toward their education.
Caught on video: Man arrested after leading police on chase in stolen truck Florida troopers say 36-year-old David Alfonso stole the vehicle in Collier County and then led them on a chase through Lee County to Alico Road and Ben Hill Griffin.
Record early voting in SWFL may be linked to recent hurricanes On Monday, thousands of people got in line at their polling places as early voting started for most places in southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS BEACH Milton leaves Fort Myers Beach residents buried in sand and seeking help Hurricane Milton pushed sand onto the streets of Fort Myers Beach, leaving many residents asking for help.
LEHIGH ACRES East Lee County principal uses lemonade to create gameday tradition East Lee County High School principal Tony Allen uses his lemonade recipe to create a new gameday tradition.
NAPLES Naples man defends home from flood waters One Naples man did not mess around when it came to Hurricane Milton prep. Guy Lollino got five feet of water in his home on Vanderbilt Beach during Hurricane Ian. This time he decided to stack a ton of sandbags and fill the cracks with sprayable Styrofoam.
Detecting pancreatic cancer early with AI A pancreatic cancer diagnosis is one of the most dreaded because it carries a very high mortality rate.
Lee County restores solid waste services The process of removing garbage and debris from the streets of Lee County has begun.
Algae bloom research turns into useful storm tool Many of us watched helplessly and waited as hurricanes Helene and Milton sent storm surges onto our roads, into our homes and businesses, altering what we know as home forever. At the same time, one Florida Gulf Coast University student saw the storms as a scientific opportunity.
Amendment 2: Right to fish and hunt Tens of thousands of Floridians, and thousands more visitors that come to our state, enjoy fishing and hunting. We live in a state surrounded by water and wildlife and people have taken advantage of that.
Amendment 1: Establishing partisan school board elections Some school board meetings have become political, with raised voices and the need for security
FORT MYERS Local salon withstands impacts from 3 major hurricanes One hurricane can be devastating; however, three storms will force you to find better ways to prepare for impacts.
Azaleas on the Corner sells plants, paintings, wine in downtown Fort Myers The mother-daughter team of Marie Dyer and Corinne Wimberly already had a business plan in place to start their own shop. They just didn’t have a place to put it.
File photo GOLDEN GATE ESTATES, Fla. Estimates for the size of the fire that has menaced Collier County since Thursday jumped from 5,531 acres to 7,034 acres Sunday. Better mapping and continued fire activity are the reasons for the increase, Florida Forest Service Incident Commander John Kern said. The blaze, known as the 30th Avenue Fire, is 50 percent contained. Evacuations were lifted Sunday morning as firefighters and rain began to tamp down the flames, the Forest Service said. The rain continued to help moderate the fire activity throughout the day. Collier County schools will be open as scheduled Monday, with no changes to bus routes, the school district said. Fire officials provided an update earlier Sunday: Gov. Rick Scott spoke at another press conference Sunday morning expressing his appreciation to the first responders. “Firefighters and first responders from all across the state have been fighting the wildfires in Southwest Florida day and night, and we are all incredibly grateful for their hard work, Scott said. “I ask that if you know or see any firefighters and first responders in your communities that you take the time to thank them for bravely protecting our state.” ‘Nothing left but a shell’ Approximately 7,000 homes were evacuated since the blaze began Thursday afternoon near Everglades Boulevard and 30th Avenue Southeast. Three homes were destroyed, according to fire officials. Others sustained extensive damage to their property, like Luanne Thomas and her son Anthony Alston, who live on Kearney Avenue. Alston described the frightening scene as the flames approached. “It was engulfed on both sides of Kearney Avenue,” he said. “It was a complete tunnel we went through.” They narrowly escaped the blaze as they evacuated and returned home Sunday to find their home intact. “We pulled in and were like, ‘Oh my God, we have a house, the house is intact!'” Thomas said. “And then we saw the animals and were like, ‘We have animals!'” They weren’t entirely spared. Some of the trucks they keep on the property for the moving company they own were destroyed. One was full of antiques and family mementos Thomas and Alston owned. “I cried a lot,” Thomas said. “I think I’m done crying, but I mean it was a lot of stuff we just accumulated over the years.” “There’s nothing left but a shell,” Alston said. “Just got to clean up the pieces and keep on going.” Neighbor Shaina Muth and her family dreamed of turning their land into an organic vegetable farm and finished installing irrigation equipment for a greenhouse in February. Two months later, the heat from the fire had melted their pump valves. “For a farmer, the water is very important,” Muth said. “You can’t grow your fields without the water.” Water in the form of rain was a welcome sign for residents and firefighters alike this weekend. “The western half of the fire received some substantial rain, anywhere from half an inch to an inch,” Kern said Sunday. “We’re going to take advantage of the weather from yesterday and today’s forecast and secure our lines while the fire activity is moderate.” While residents are able to return to their homes, they should be careful when entering the fire area and expect smoky conditions with some areas of limited visibility, the forest service said. They’re also urged to keep an eye on any power lines, trees or branches that could pose a threat. Below is a map of the since-cleared evacuation zones for the fire. People living within the yellow line had to evacuate, while people living within the blue line could voluntarily leave their homes. The NGALA Wildlife preserve was within the evacuation boundaries and had to clear animals from their habitats. The animals were able to return Sunday, as the preserve shared on Facebook page: WINK News reporter Jessica Alpern went live via Facebook to showcase the damage sustained in the fire along Kearney Avenue: Residents are urged to call 911 if flames become visible near homes or outside of areas that have already burned. Any power interruptions or power line safety issues should be reported to Florida Power and Light at 1-800-4-OUTAGE (1-800-468-8243).