‘Shady’: One woman feels misled after federal student loan consolidationHomeless encampments inch closer to neighborhoods
PORT CHARLOTTE ‘Shady’: One woman feels misled after federal student loan consolidation It takes some people decades to pay off their student loans. One woman’s last payment was in sight until she took a gamble she said she was told to take.
FORT MYERS Homeless encampments inch closer to neighborhoods Law enforcement has swept multiple encampments, cleaning the trails of mess and muck left behind, and some of these encampments are right in our backyards.
BIG CYPRESS PRESERVE What changes if Big Cypress National Preserve becomes a Wilderness Area? America’s first nationally designated preserve is in Southwest Florida’s backyard, and it is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Method to treat IBD being used for other health issues Trying to get treatments for the brain when fighting neurological diseases like epilepsy and ALS is a challenge.
FORT MYERS NTSB report reveals new details in helicopter crash after Hurricane Ian The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final report on a helicopter crash that occurred in Iona, Florida, shortly after Hurricane Ian.
NAPLES Memorial celebrates the life of John Passidomo Hundreds of friends and family gathered for a memorial at Baker Park in Naples.
‘Latinos in Action’ empowers all students to succeed WINK News talked with teachers who are a part of the program, helping kids reach their full potential.
Immokalee ‘The eyes always draw me in’; Immokalee portrait artist turns dark times into color One of Southwest Florida best portrait artist, Martha Maria Cantu, almost gave up art. Now she’s on the forefront of the city of Immokalee, to make her community filled with color.
GOLDEN GATE Collier commissioners approve agreement for golf complex in Golden Gate Collier commissioners unanimously approved a long term lease and operating agreement to reopen the Golden Gate golf course Tuesday.
PUNTA GORDA Motorcyclists ride in SWFL to help veterans battle suicide A group of veterans from the American Legion are grabbing their helmets and boots for a motorcycle ride to bring awareness to the staggering rates of suicide among veterans.
SARASOTA Alleged sexual abuse victims of Port Charlotte priest comes forward Father Riley worked at three churches in Charlotte County and another in Naples. On Friday, new allegations emerged from a news conference in Sarasota.
PORT CHARLOTTE Port Charlotte priest accused of sexual abuse appears in court A priest accused of sexually abusing four altar boys in Iowa nearly 40 years ago returned to Charlotte County court.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema prepares for opening at Mercato The newest movie theater in Southwest Florida opens April 29, and it does so with an array of entertainment offerings that go beyond the usual options across the region.
Let’s Waffle opens in Cape Coral Let’s Waffle is one of two businesses the Feix family launched locally, with the FMS Florida Boat Tours and Limousine Service owned and operated by Feix’s husband, Alexander.
Planned Punta Gorda hotel, pub, brewery faces construction delay Kevin Doyle, owner of Celtic Ray Public House Irish pub in downtown Punta Gorda, and his partner, S4 Global Investments, were found in violation of the city’s exposed soils code.
PORT CHARLOTTE ‘Shady’: One woman feels misled after federal student loan consolidation It takes some people decades to pay off their student loans. One woman’s last payment was in sight until she took a gamble she said she was told to take.
FORT MYERS Homeless encampments inch closer to neighborhoods Law enforcement has swept multiple encampments, cleaning the trails of mess and muck left behind, and some of these encampments are right in our backyards.
BIG CYPRESS PRESERVE What changes if Big Cypress National Preserve becomes a Wilderness Area? America’s first nationally designated preserve is in Southwest Florida’s backyard, and it is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Method to treat IBD being used for other health issues Trying to get treatments for the brain when fighting neurological diseases like epilepsy and ALS is a challenge.
FORT MYERS NTSB report reveals new details in helicopter crash after Hurricane Ian The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final report on a helicopter crash that occurred in Iona, Florida, shortly after Hurricane Ian.
NAPLES Memorial celebrates the life of John Passidomo Hundreds of friends and family gathered for a memorial at Baker Park in Naples.
‘Latinos in Action’ empowers all students to succeed WINK News talked with teachers who are a part of the program, helping kids reach their full potential.
Immokalee ‘The eyes always draw me in’; Immokalee portrait artist turns dark times into color One of Southwest Florida best portrait artist, Martha Maria Cantu, almost gave up art. Now she’s on the forefront of the city of Immokalee, to make her community filled with color.
GOLDEN GATE Collier commissioners approve agreement for golf complex in Golden Gate Collier commissioners unanimously approved a long term lease and operating agreement to reopen the Golden Gate golf course Tuesday.
PUNTA GORDA Motorcyclists ride in SWFL to help veterans battle suicide A group of veterans from the American Legion are grabbing their helmets and boots for a motorcycle ride to bring awareness to the staggering rates of suicide among veterans.
SARASOTA Alleged sexual abuse victims of Port Charlotte priest comes forward Father Riley worked at three churches in Charlotte County and another in Naples. On Friday, new allegations emerged from a news conference in Sarasota.
PORT CHARLOTTE Port Charlotte priest accused of sexual abuse appears in court A priest accused of sexually abusing four altar boys in Iowa nearly 40 years ago returned to Charlotte County court.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema prepares for opening at Mercato The newest movie theater in Southwest Florida opens April 29, and it does so with an array of entertainment offerings that go beyond the usual options across the region.
Let’s Waffle opens in Cape Coral Let’s Waffle is one of two businesses the Feix family launched locally, with the FMS Florida Boat Tours and Limousine Service owned and operated by Feix’s husband, Alexander.
Planned Punta Gorda hotel, pub, brewery faces construction delay Kevin Doyle, owner of Celtic Ray Public House Irish pub in downtown Punta Gorda, and his partner, S4 Global Investments, were found in violation of the city’s exposed soils code.
Florida’s coral reefs are dying, and that’s not a good thing for us. “We’re going to lose our tourism. We’re going to lose our fisheries,” explained Zachary Craig who is a coral restoration technician at Mote’s marine lab on Summerland Key. “It’s heartbreaking. It really is,” added Lindsay Arick who is a staff chemist at Mote. She’s originally from the Naples area. “A lot of the fish that we have down here, that fish community is the same that we see in Naples, Fort Myers and Marco Island,” she said. Those fish depend on coral off our coast. “They give us the structure our fish and other animals need to survive here,” Arick said. Disease is sweeping through the coral and killing it. Now, Mote is working to figure out why. “If you enjoy lobster, snapper or grouper, a lot of these animals spend most of their lives in coral reefs,” shared Joey Mandara who is a staff biologist at Mote. He cuts pieces of coral into smaller pieces which they’ll plant back in the ocean after some growth here in the lab. Mandara added, “what we hope to achieve is to restore these corals back to their natural state.” Doing so provides a home for the seafood you love and protection from storm surge like they had with Hurricane Irma in the keys. “If we hadn’t had that reef six miles offshore, then we could’ve had much greater damage than we did,” Mandara added. They’ve got a big challenge ahead. “I’ve seen the decline happen even faster in the last two years,” Arick said. As sea temperature rise and lead to more coral bleaching researchers like Arick hope they can reverse that decline and keep the water around our state healthy. Coral reefs support 70,000 local jobs in Florida and bring more than $6 billion into our economy. Though the water around the Florida Keys may look healthy, Abigail Clark is a staff biologist at Mote and told WINK News the disease killing the coral, “is very similar to a common cold and how it’s spread among people.” She said it started near Miami and has spread down the keys. They’re not sure what’s causing it, but it’s wiping out corals that have taken hundreds of years to grow. That’s having an impact on future medical advancements in your hospital. Clark added, “coral reefs also provide several different compounds that may lead to cancer cures and antibiotic resistance.” The reefs also lead to treatments for arthritis, Alzheimer’s and heart diseases. One of the biggest medical breakthroughs to come from coral reefs is AZT, which is a drug that slows the progression of HIV into AIDS. “We like to think of ourselves as the call out for help,” added Craig. He’s developing techniques that could help other reefs around the world. “We’re hoping that other programs will look at it as a part of what needs to be done to keep coral reefs healthy,” he added. “The Florida Keys Reef Tract is in one of the worst conditions in the world,” Craig said. It’s the third largest living reef on the planet, but over the last 40 years, Mote says some areas have lost 90 percent of indigenous corals. That’s why they’re working to grow 10,000 coral colonies to replant on the reef in hopes of keeping this crucial part of Florida’s ecosystem and economy going for years to come. “We, as a scientific community, have banded together, and together we will solve this mystery,” Clark concluded. Mote hopes that saving our reefs will lead to future life-saving breakthroughs. Submit Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.