American flag recovered, returned after fire at Christ at the Crossroads ChurchBarnes & Noble launches new bookstore in Naples
Lehigh Acres American flag recovered, returned after fire at Christ at the Crossroads Church From the flames of ruin comes hope as the Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District returns a valuable item to Christ at the Crossroads Church.
Barnes & Noble launches new bookstore in Naples Finding it worth the wait, scores of patrons stood in line to be among the first to experience Naples’ new Barnes & Noble bookstore Jan. 29, six months after the chain closed its longtime store at Waterside Shops.
Trump administration offering “deferred resignation” to government workers unwilling to return to office The White House expects up to 10% of federal employees to quit in September in a program meant to end work-from-home practices, senior administration officials told CBS News.
Charlotte County land acquisition could expand Parkside area Charlotte County Commissioners voted Jan. 28 to purchase a 158-acre golf club that was damaged by Hurricane Ian for $3 million and later discussed making the land part of the Parkside neighborhood.
PORT CHARLOTTE FPL installs underground power lines in Charlotte County Losing power during a storm can be frustrating, and now, the mission to bury power lines to prevent outages is full speed ahead.
Naples biochar company to receive county incentives, expand to Immokalee A clean technology company that turns clean, green wood debris into an environmentally friendly charcoal product will receive Collier County job incentives to create 14 new jobs once it builds a headquarters in Immokalee.
CAPE CORAL Woman accused of stealing from Cape Coral Target, possessing multiple drugs A woman has been arrested after allegedly committing retail thefts at a Cape Coral Target, then later being found in possession of drugs.
FORT MYERS Gov. DeSantis holds roundtable in Fort Myers Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a roundtable discussion in Fort Myers.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral starting construction on traffic light on Del Prado The City of Cape Coral is starting construction Wednesday on a new traffic signal at Del Prado Boulevard North and Averill Boulevard.
the weather authority Seasonal temperatures for your Wednesday afternoon plans The Weather Authority is tracking a seasonal Wednesday with increased cloud coverage throughout the afternoon.
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.
NORTH FORT MYERS Animal cruelty investigation launched after cat shot with BB gun Authorities in Lee County are investigating a case of animal cruelty after a beloved feral cat was found injured by a BB gun pellet.
FORT MYERS Lee County 18-year-old caught on camera during car burglary spree An 18-year-old man is in jail after deputies say he went through a neighborhood breaking into cars and stealing items.
FORT MYERS FGCU men’s basketball team visits pediatric cancer patients The Eagles visited pediatric cancer patients at Golisano Children’s Hospital as part of Coaches vs. Cancer week.
Florida House and Senate approve new immigration bill It took four and a half hours of back-and-forth debates for the Florida Senate to vote and pass the immigration bill.
Lehigh Acres American flag recovered, returned after fire at Christ at the Crossroads Church From the flames of ruin comes hope as the Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District returns a valuable item to Christ at the Crossroads Church.
Barnes & Noble launches new bookstore in Naples Finding it worth the wait, scores of patrons stood in line to be among the first to experience Naples’ new Barnes & Noble bookstore Jan. 29, six months after the chain closed its longtime store at Waterside Shops.
Trump administration offering “deferred resignation” to government workers unwilling to return to office The White House expects up to 10% of federal employees to quit in September in a program meant to end work-from-home practices, senior administration officials told CBS News.
Charlotte County land acquisition could expand Parkside area Charlotte County Commissioners voted Jan. 28 to purchase a 158-acre golf club that was damaged by Hurricane Ian for $3 million and later discussed making the land part of the Parkside neighborhood.
PORT CHARLOTTE FPL installs underground power lines in Charlotte County Losing power during a storm can be frustrating, and now, the mission to bury power lines to prevent outages is full speed ahead.
Naples biochar company to receive county incentives, expand to Immokalee A clean technology company that turns clean, green wood debris into an environmentally friendly charcoal product will receive Collier County job incentives to create 14 new jobs once it builds a headquarters in Immokalee.
CAPE CORAL Woman accused of stealing from Cape Coral Target, possessing multiple drugs A woman has been arrested after allegedly committing retail thefts at a Cape Coral Target, then later being found in possession of drugs.
FORT MYERS Gov. DeSantis holds roundtable in Fort Myers Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a roundtable discussion in Fort Myers.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral starting construction on traffic light on Del Prado The City of Cape Coral is starting construction Wednesday on a new traffic signal at Del Prado Boulevard North and Averill Boulevard.
the weather authority Seasonal temperatures for your Wednesday afternoon plans The Weather Authority is tracking a seasonal Wednesday with increased cloud coverage throughout the afternoon.
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.
NORTH FORT MYERS Animal cruelty investigation launched after cat shot with BB gun Authorities in Lee County are investigating a case of animal cruelty after a beloved feral cat was found injured by a BB gun pellet.
FORT MYERS Lee County 18-year-old caught on camera during car burglary spree An 18-year-old man is in jail after deputies say he went through a neighborhood breaking into cars and stealing items.
FORT MYERS FGCU men’s basketball team visits pediatric cancer patients The Eagles visited pediatric cancer patients at Golisano Children’s Hospital as part of Coaches vs. Cancer week.
Florida House and Senate approve new immigration bill It took four and a half hours of back-and-forth debates for the Florida Senate to vote and pass the immigration bill.
Photo by WINK News. For the first time in more than a year, the entire state has been red tide free for at least a week. Sanibel Island was heavily affected during summer 2018, as dead animals lined its beaches. The island suffered more than $46 million in losses. Residents and visitors told WINK News business is booming now that the beaches are clear Friday. “We couldn’t find a place to park,” said Roger Booth, who was visiting from Canada. With the business back so is the traffic on the island, but people are happy to have it if it means keeping their jobs and feeding their families. GPS warns Sanibel is crowded, and it’s not easy to find a place to park with big crowds. “We have a secret parking spot, so we’re not telling you where that is,” Elmira Hill said. Visitors like Booth said traffic won’t stop them, but red tide last year did. “Stopped us from even going on the beach,” Booth said. “It was kind of choking. It burned your throat and the smell. It was not good.” Sanibel Island Mayor Kevin Ruane released a statement Friday that reported the previous losses on the island due to red tide. Cancellation rates on the island were at nearly 80 percent, and 850,000 pounds of dead marine life swept the beaches. “News about red tide travels a long way north, and we ask people before we come down what they experience,” Booth said. Ruane said ‘sad images’ cost nearly $47 million in revenue from July to December in 2018. So, he’s asking for people to raise their voices about Lake Okeechobee releases to stop this from happening again. “It’s very important to keep those initiatives going,” Booth said. “Otherwise, people they’ll hear it, and they won’t come.” Shop owners like Joey Almeida said Sanibel is already seeing an uptick since the red tide has gone away. “There was a lot of momentum in the negative to start with and now it’s reverberated to that positive,” Almeida said. “People who may have missed trips during the red tide are rescheduling.” Clear water and high temperatures are a welcome surprise after a devastating year. Almeida said he is extending his store hours because of all the customers he is receiving. However, some shop owners are remaining cautious and have not hired people back yet. “The red tide made us realize that more than what we’re used to in the offseason how important is that people come and visit,” Almeida said.