Suspect wanted for stealing electric bike in Fort Myers BeachKelly’s Roast Beef, Oar & Iron continue SWFL expansion
FORT MYERS BEACH Suspect wanted for stealing electric bike in Fort Myers Beach Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers is asking for the public’s help in identifying a suspect who stole an electric bike in Fort Myers Beach.
Kelly’s Roast Beef, Oar & Iron continue SWFL expansion A Massachusetts-based restaurant company is bringing a taste of its home state to Southwest Florida, plus a new surf and turf concept aimed at people who call the region home.
GOLDEN GATE Investigation at Golden Gate Middle School after overnight burglary An overnight burglary at a middle school had deputies rushing to the scene, causing parents to have to wait to drop their children off.
Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann court date rescheduled Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann is set to appear in court after pleading not guilty to her drunk driving charge.
Bonita springs “Cold stunned” evening bat rescued by CROW amid frigid Florida weather The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife rescued an evening bat in Bonita Springs suspected of being “cold-stunned.”
THE WEATHER AUTHORITY Morning showers move out for your Wednesday afternoon plans The Weather Authority is tracking Wednesday morning showers, then chillier conditions remain throughout the afternoon.
CAPE CORAL Demolition begins on Bimini East properties Demolition has begun on the Bimini East properties that are part of the city of Cape Coral’s revitalization development.
Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads Up As construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox Rosen knows the best way to traverse the roadways in this web-exclusive feature.
LEHIGH ACRES Lee County cousins arrested for street racing at 90 mph in Lehigh Acres Lee County deputies arrested two men after witnessing them racing down Lee Boulevard at nearly 90 mph.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers activist reacts to shutdown of government reproductive rights website The website ReproductiveRights.gov, which offered resources on abortion and reproductive rights, is no longer accessible.
2 Southwest Floridians involved in Jan. 6 attack pardoned and commuted by President Trump Two men involved in the January 6th attack are now back in southwest Florida, thanks to a series of pardons from President Trump.
ESTERO Local teen golfer to play at Augusta National One drive at a time, 14-year-old Jesus Bethencourt is doing something most only dream of: playing at Augusta National.
AI traffic cameras helping Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office solve crimes Artificial intelligence has been helping the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office solve crimes.
ESTERO SWFL siblings start official Pickleball World Cup Hercilio and Miranda Cabieses love pickleball so much they make it their mission to share it with the world.
MARCO ISLAND Proposal to bring in police cameras to Marco Island Marco Island city leaders are considering a proposal for police officers to wear body cameras. The idea aims to modernize the department and increase trust with citizens.
FORT MYERS BEACH Suspect wanted for stealing electric bike in Fort Myers Beach Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers is asking for the public’s help in identifying a suspect who stole an electric bike in Fort Myers Beach.
Kelly’s Roast Beef, Oar & Iron continue SWFL expansion A Massachusetts-based restaurant company is bringing a taste of its home state to Southwest Florida, plus a new surf and turf concept aimed at people who call the region home.
GOLDEN GATE Investigation at Golden Gate Middle School after overnight burglary An overnight burglary at a middle school had deputies rushing to the scene, causing parents to have to wait to drop their children off.
Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann court date rescheduled Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann is set to appear in court after pleading not guilty to her drunk driving charge.
Bonita springs “Cold stunned” evening bat rescued by CROW amid frigid Florida weather The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife rescued an evening bat in Bonita Springs suspected of being “cold-stunned.”
THE WEATHER AUTHORITY Morning showers move out for your Wednesday afternoon plans The Weather Authority is tracking Wednesday morning showers, then chillier conditions remain throughout the afternoon.
CAPE CORAL Demolition begins on Bimini East properties Demolition has begun on the Bimini East properties that are part of the city of Cape Coral’s revitalization development.
Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads Up As construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox Rosen knows the best way to traverse the roadways in this web-exclusive feature.
LEHIGH ACRES Lee County cousins arrested for street racing at 90 mph in Lehigh Acres Lee County deputies arrested two men after witnessing them racing down Lee Boulevard at nearly 90 mph.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers activist reacts to shutdown of government reproductive rights website The website ReproductiveRights.gov, which offered resources on abortion and reproductive rights, is no longer accessible.
2 Southwest Floridians involved in Jan. 6 attack pardoned and commuted by President Trump Two men involved in the January 6th attack are now back in southwest Florida, thanks to a series of pardons from President Trump.
ESTERO Local teen golfer to play at Augusta National One drive at a time, 14-year-old Jesus Bethencourt is doing something most only dream of: playing at Augusta National.
AI traffic cameras helping Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office solve crimes Artificial intelligence has been helping the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office solve crimes.
ESTERO SWFL siblings start official Pickleball World Cup Hercilio and Miranda Cabieses love pickleball so much they make it their mission to share it with the world.
MARCO ISLAND Proposal to bring in police cameras to Marco Island Marco Island city leaders are considering a proposal for police officers to wear body cameras. The idea aims to modernize the department and increase trust with citizens.
The area bounded in red shows the site in Dunbar where sludge from a water treatment plant was disposed of. A lawsuit wants the City of Fort Myers to pay more than $500 million for dumping toxic sludge in the Dunbar community. The city used a field bounded by Henderson Avenue on the west, Midway Avenue on the east, Jeffcott Street on the south and South Street on the north, to dump sludge for decades in the 1960s. The area bounded in red shows the site in Dunbar where sludge from a water treatment plant was disposed of. Arsenic was discovered at the site in 2007, and in the groundwater there in 2012, but those results didn’t become public until early 2017. The suit filed by Attorney Ralf Brookes lists Deretha Miller, Luetricia Freeman Becker, Ralph Henry, and Noemy Rodriguez as plaintiffs, individually, and on behalf of residents of Dunbar against the city. “You can’t just open-dump this stuff into pits in the ground, especially when you’re in a residential neighborhood,” Brookes said. “They should have never brought the arsenic here and put it in an open dump without a fence, without a liner, without a licensed landfill.” The plaintiffs are asking for civil penalties of $37,500 per day for each day of the violation, since 1979 when a law prohibiting open dumping was enacted. Brookes said they want to use the money for remediation and medical monitoring. The lawsuit will represent more than 200 residents of the Dunbar community living near the toxic site. SERIES: Click here for complete coverage of Dunbar toxic sludge site “We think it will take millions of dollars to clean up this site appropriately and establish a medical monitoring program to the residents that were affected who were never told they were exposed to arsenic,” Brookes said. The lawsuit, which was filed on Friday, could take up to two years in federal court, according to Brookes. The suit alleges in part: “During the 1960s and 1970s, the City pumped water from wells in Lee County near the Dunbar neighborhood for use as drinking water and treated that water with lime to remove contaminants. During part of that time, the City pumped water from the Caloosahatchee River and discharged it onto the surface of the ground at the wells in order to recharge the well field.” The City dumped at least 25,000 cubic yards of sludge on the Dunbar Site over the course of several years, in some places at least ten (10) feet deep.” It also asks a judge to force the city to clean up the site and aquifer and fund a medical monitoring program for any side effects from the arsenic in the soil. WINK News reached out to Fort Myers Mayor Randy Henderson who would not comment on the matter, and City Manager Saeed Kazemi has yet to respond. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story underestimated the requested civil penalties amount in the lawsuit.