New ovarian cancer treatmentsLargest Lee County land deal closes, $100M for 1,745 acres in northwest Cape Coral
New ovarian cancer treatments Ovarian cancer is a problematic disease because of symptoms such as nausea, bloating and diarrhea.
Largest Lee County land deal closes, $100M for 1,745 acres in northwest Cape Coral The most lucrative land deal in Lee County history just closed at a price of $100 million for 1,745 acres in northwest Cape Coral, where building up to 3,500 homes and commercial property to support it has been in the planning stages for almost two years.
CHARLOTTE HARBOR Major 2 vehicle crash shuts down NB lanes of U.S. 41 in Charlotte After a major traffic accident near Sunseeker Resort in Charlotte County, all Northbound lanes of U.S. 41 were closed.
FORT MYERS Apple AirPods lead LCSO to an arrest ; over $100,000 worth of stolen items recovered Through the use of Apple Airpods, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office was able to locate nearly $100,000 worth of stolen items, leading to an arrest.
LABELLE Hendry County rolls out cameras for school speed zones The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office has rolled out a new way of enforcing school zone speed limits by using cameras that will target drivers traveling over a certain speed in a school zone.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral officials approve replacement funding for hurricane-damaged stop signs The Cape Coral City Council has approved funding to replace stop signs damaged during Hurricane Milton, resulting in an emergency purchase.
Holiday events happening in Southwest Florida Southwest Florida is embracing the holiday spirit with a variety of festive events this Christmas season.
Collier man accused of supplying fentanyl-laced pills, enough to kill 531,500 people The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of supplying more than 10,000 fentanyl-laced pills disguised as prescription painkillers.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral council supports construction of I-75 interchange into city The Cape Coral City Council has approved a resolution requesting support from Lee and Charlotte counties to prioritize state and federal funding for the Interstate 75 Interchange at Slater Road.
PUNTA GORDA Crews removing derelict boats from Gilchrist Park Crews are working to remove derelict boats from Gilchrist Park after several of them washed ashore during Hurricane Milton in October.
33rd endangered Florida panther death of 2024; killed by vehicle in Hardee County Another Florida panther has been killed by a vehicle, this time in Hardee County, increasing the death toll of the endangered species to 33 for 2024.
the weather authority Cool and breezy for your Thursday afternoon After waking up to a cold morning, the Weather Authority is tracking warming conditions to the low 70s this Thursday.
Police release threat made at Florida Gulf Coast University Students at Florida Gulf Coast University said they don’t know the specifics of a threat made last week, but they do know it was taken care of.
Missing and endangered boy found in Lehigh Acres Authorities have found a missing and endangered boy in Lehigh Acres. Police asked for the public’s help in locating Zachariah McKelvin.
School District denies bus service to student despite mother’s measurements When we think of the bus stop, we typically think of it as a safe place for our children, but one mother says the Lee County School District told her they live too close to the school to get a bus route.
New ovarian cancer treatments Ovarian cancer is a problematic disease because of symptoms such as nausea, bloating and diarrhea.
Largest Lee County land deal closes, $100M for 1,745 acres in northwest Cape Coral The most lucrative land deal in Lee County history just closed at a price of $100 million for 1,745 acres in northwest Cape Coral, where building up to 3,500 homes and commercial property to support it has been in the planning stages for almost two years.
CHARLOTTE HARBOR Major 2 vehicle crash shuts down NB lanes of U.S. 41 in Charlotte After a major traffic accident near Sunseeker Resort in Charlotte County, all Northbound lanes of U.S. 41 were closed.
FORT MYERS Apple AirPods lead LCSO to an arrest ; over $100,000 worth of stolen items recovered Through the use of Apple Airpods, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office was able to locate nearly $100,000 worth of stolen items, leading to an arrest.
LABELLE Hendry County rolls out cameras for school speed zones The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office has rolled out a new way of enforcing school zone speed limits by using cameras that will target drivers traveling over a certain speed in a school zone.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral officials approve replacement funding for hurricane-damaged stop signs The Cape Coral City Council has approved funding to replace stop signs damaged during Hurricane Milton, resulting in an emergency purchase.
Holiday events happening in Southwest Florida Southwest Florida is embracing the holiday spirit with a variety of festive events this Christmas season.
Collier man accused of supplying fentanyl-laced pills, enough to kill 531,500 people The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of supplying more than 10,000 fentanyl-laced pills disguised as prescription painkillers.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral council supports construction of I-75 interchange into city The Cape Coral City Council has approved a resolution requesting support from Lee and Charlotte counties to prioritize state and federal funding for the Interstate 75 Interchange at Slater Road.
PUNTA GORDA Crews removing derelict boats from Gilchrist Park Crews are working to remove derelict boats from Gilchrist Park after several of them washed ashore during Hurricane Milton in October.
33rd endangered Florida panther death of 2024; killed by vehicle in Hardee County Another Florida panther has been killed by a vehicle, this time in Hardee County, increasing the death toll of the endangered species to 33 for 2024.
the weather authority Cool and breezy for your Thursday afternoon After waking up to a cold morning, the Weather Authority is tracking warming conditions to the low 70s this Thursday.
Police release threat made at Florida Gulf Coast University Students at Florida Gulf Coast University said they don’t know the specifics of a threat made last week, but they do know it was taken care of.
Missing and endangered boy found in Lehigh Acres Authorities have found a missing and endangered boy in Lehigh Acres. Police asked for the public’s help in locating Zachariah McKelvin.
School District denies bus service to student despite mother’s measurements When we think of the bus stop, we typically think of it as a safe place for our children, but one mother says the Lee County School District told her they live too close to the school to get a bus route.
Couple paying mortgage, insurance for empty dirt lot where hurricane damaged home once stood. WINK News June should have marked a year for Hope Daley and Matthew Dykes in their Golden Gate home. Instead, they visit a dirt lot where the house once stood on a daily basis: checking mail and feeding stray cats that they inherited when they purchased the house in 2017. The only thing left standing on the lot are two cat condos covered by a stationary tent. “The cats think we are the greatest humans ever, for tearing down our house and putting up something for them,” joked Dykes, who runs a video production company with his wife, Daley. The house was demolished in April after Dykes said he spent months trying to convince their insurance company there was no way to fix damage from Hurricane Irma. Irma ripped off the rear-portion of their roof leaving standing water in the home and mold. Dykes said several contractors told them there was no way to repair the home — it had to be demolished and rebuilt. It was a hard pill to swallow for a couple that had only spent a few months in the home. But they said what was more difficult was the months-long fighting that ensued with Tower Hill insurance company. The Florida Department of Financial Services has seen more than 9,500 complaints related to Hurricane-Irma insurance claims. Tower Hill Insurance said it could not discuss claim information for privacy reasons. According to Dykes and Daley, the company wasted around $50,000 of their claim money on attempted repairs before agreeing the home was a total loss. Now that burden will fall on the couple to come up with the money to finish rebuilding. After they said Tower Hill agreed to pay the full value of their policy, Dykes and Daley had another roadblock: their mortgage company. Insurance payments are sent first to lenders who then provide funds for repairs in set amounts as work is completed. Lender, PennyMac, told WINK News by phone that federal rules require homeowners to provide the same documentation and paperwork that was provided to insurance companies. This process took several weeks, according to Dykes, further delaying their recovery. They weren’t out of the woods yet. In late May, when PennyMac sent a check made out to both the couple and their contractor there was a problem cashing it. Chase was not able to cash the check into Daley’s account because a business account who was not a Chase customer was also listed. After WINK News contacted Chase, the bank agreed to cash the check. “Our standard policy is that the check must be deposited into the same-name business account listed on the check. Given their circumstances, we made an exception with a signature guarantee and the deposit has cleared. We are working with the customers on how to handle any future checks to avoid this from happening again,” wrote Michael Fusco, with Chase media relations. PennyMac told WINK News that Dykes and Daley were put in touch with a senior vice president to oversee the rest of their process to make sure it runs smoothly. “We understand the difficulties our customer faced after such a devastating storm and we empathize with her. We are actively working with her to find an acceptable solution in a situation involving multiple parties,” said Stephen Hagey, the senior vice president of corporate communications for the lender. Dykes and Daley do not expect their home to be rebuilt before the end of the summer, and are seeking financing options to come up with the money where they will fall short to finish construction. They estimate they’ve already spend around $20,000 out of pocket juggling rent for temporary housing, storage and other out of pocket recovery costs. PennyMac recommended that any of their customers who find themselves in similar situations, to utilize the online customer portal in lieu of calling customer service. The Florida Office of Financial Regulation can also help resolve disputes between consumers and financial institutions. Florida’s Department of Financial Services can help with insurance claim complaints. If you are facing roadblocks to recovery from Hurricane Irma and need help, contact the WINK News Investigates Tip Line at: 239-344-5050 or investigations@winknews.com. For more hurricane related stories, click here.