Chaotic lake getting fence and securityWhat we learned about Cape Coral’s water crisis after a ride along
LEHIGH ACRES Chaotic lake getting fence and security Now, with all the negative attention it has gotten, some think putting up a fence is a great way to keep that bad activity out.
CAPE CORAL What we learned about Cape Coral’s water crisis after a ride along On Friday, WINK News got to ride along to see just what people are doing that could be wasting water.
FORT MYERS Students affected by COVID-19 able to graduate for the first time For many young people, COVID stripped away one of their greatest rites of passage: graduation.
Deadly crash on State Road 29 in Hendry County Authorities are at the scene of a deadly crash on State Road 29 in Hendry County on Friday afternoon.
Celebrating Free Comic Book Day in SWFL JP Sports store manager Jonathan Powell said this is a generational event that brings families together to reminisce on comics and other hobby-related knickknacks.
FORT MYERS Group rescues dogs before getting put down in Lee County Our animal shelters are packed with amazing puppies who have the sole desire to be loved.
FORT MYERS FGCU student beats all odds and is able to graduate Nearly four years ago, Marisa Manning had her heart set on going to Florida Gulf Coast University but never thought she’d find her passion for studying parasites.
FORT MYERS Victim in MLK Blvd. shooting identified as social media influencer The victim of the Martin Luther King Boulevard shooting has been identified as a local social media influencer.
FORT MYERS Could a Ferris wheel in downtown Fort Myers work? Right now, there are talks to bring a Ferris wheel to downtown Fort Myers, but several things are still up in the air.
LITTLE HICKORY BAY Improving ‘Hell’s Gate’ safety, a notoriously dangerous waterway for boaters A push to make an area known as “Hell’s Gate” safer since it’s a dangerous stretch of water with several blind corners within Little Hickory Bay.
Fixing failed back surgeries More than a million and a half people in the U.S. undergo back surgery each year. However, classic back surgery has one of the highest failure rates of any surgery.
WINK NEWS Getting an inside look at the FEMA discount controversy Picking up the pieces after Hurricane Ian has been difficult for many and moving on can impact our wallets.
FGCU FGCU pitcher Dylan Wolff playing for hometown team after labrum injury FGCU pitcher Dylan Wolff is living the dream playing for the hometown team after he overcame a labrum injury.
LEHIGH ACRES Frustrated Lehigh parents want action after violent school fights go viral online Violence at a Lehigh Acres Middle school was captured and posted online.
Turtle Club beachfront restaurant relaunches in Naples After a series of private friends and family events this week, The Turtle Club will reopen May 5 and begin taking reservations again May 6.
LEHIGH ACRES Chaotic lake getting fence and security Now, with all the negative attention it has gotten, some think putting up a fence is a great way to keep that bad activity out.
CAPE CORAL What we learned about Cape Coral’s water crisis after a ride along On Friday, WINK News got to ride along to see just what people are doing that could be wasting water.
FORT MYERS Students affected by COVID-19 able to graduate for the first time For many young people, COVID stripped away one of their greatest rites of passage: graduation.
Deadly crash on State Road 29 in Hendry County Authorities are at the scene of a deadly crash on State Road 29 in Hendry County on Friday afternoon.
Celebrating Free Comic Book Day in SWFL JP Sports store manager Jonathan Powell said this is a generational event that brings families together to reminisce on comics and other hobby-related knickknacks.
FORT MYERS Group rescues dogs before getting put down in Lee County Our animal shelters are packed with amazing puppies who have the sole desire to be loved.
FORT MYERS FGCU student beats all odds and is able to graduate Nearly four years ago, Marisa Manning had her heart set on going to Florida Gulf Coast University but never thought she’d find her passion for studying parasites.
FORT MYERS Victim in MLK Blvd. shooting identified as social media influencer The victim of the Martin Luther King Boulevard shooting has been identified as a local social media influencer.
FORT MYERS Could a Ferris wheel in downtown Fort Myers work? Right now, there are talks to bring a Ferris wheel to downtown Fort Myers, but several things are still up in the air.
LITTLE HICKORY BAY Improving ‘Hell’s Gate’ safety, a notoriously dangerous waterway for boaters A push to make an area known as “Hell’s Gate” safer since it’s a dangerous stretch of water with several blind corners within Little Hickory Bay.
Fixing failed back surgeries More than a million and a half people in the U.S. undergo back surgery each year. However, classic back surgery has one of the highest failure rates of any surgery.
WINK NEWS Getting an inside look at the FEMA discount controversy Picking up the pieces after Hurricane Ian has been difficult for many and moving on can impact our wallets.
FGCU FGCU pitcher Dylan Wolff playing for hometown team after labrum injury FGCU pitcher Dylan Wolff is living the dream playing for the hometown team after he overcame a labrum injury.
LEHIGH ACRES Frustrated Lehigh parents want action after violent school fights go viral online Violence at a Lehigh Acres Middle school was captured and posted online.
Turtle Club beachfront restaurant relaunches in Naples After a series of private friends and family events this week, The Turtle Club will reopen May 5 and begin taking reservations again May 6.
Seal of the School District of Lee County. Credit: WINK News. Some kids in Lee County will still have to head out the door before daylight to catch the bus to school. That is because school start times will not change for the upcoming academic year. But the Lee County school board said they are focused on making bus stops safer, including making sure they are not in the dark. Nicole Fitzpatrick, a mother of seven children, has kids in elementary, middle and high school who have to take the bus. After the fatal hit-and-run deaths of two little girls at or near bus stops earlier this year, she wants the district to move the school start times later. MORE: Bus Stop Safety: Why are so many kids in Lee County waiting for the bus in the dark? “When does it just happen?” Fitzpatrick said. “Why does it keep getting pushed off?” Fitzpatrick also said more needs to be done to keep kids safe. “I think their efforts are just piggybacking off of other efforts,” Fitzpatrick said. “I don’t think that they really put anything into place.” Debbie Jordan, a Lee County school board member, said it is not an easy fix. “There’s so many things that go into bell times,” Jordan said. “The family dynamics, the safety, the daylight, the darkness.” MORE: Bus driver shortage contributes to long, dark morning rides for Lee students Bus routes and after-school activities also factor in. But even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention thinks schools start too early. On the CDC website, it recommends that parents and school boards nationwide consider moving them no earlier than 8:30 a.m. because it could lead to better academic performance. High schools in Lee County start at 7:05 a.m. and some elementary schools start at 7:55 a.m. “We’re trying to please the majority,” Jordan said. “Hopefully, we’ll get to that 100%.” The school board said it is taking other safety factors into account first. These include bus stops, bus safety, benches, lighting and anything else relating to the stop. Also, limiting school choice for elementary school based on proximity, which means shorter bus routes. But Fitzpatrick said there is no time to waste. “No they’re not working as fast as they can,” Fitzpatrick said. “This could’ve been changed before the next school year.” Jordan said there will be a workshop this summer to discuss changing bell times for the following academic school year. After they discuss it, then they will have parents weigh in with their opinions. Meanwhile, kids in Cape Coral and Lehigh Acres should see more light poles at their bus stops. From the Lee County School District: The Superintendent and [the School] Board Chair recently met with Commissioners individually to discuss many different issues of which bus stops was one. At last night’s Board Meeting, Mrs. Gittens referred to her meeting with Commissioner Hamman where they talked about taking the list of stops that we provided the county in February and comparing it with their lighting map to identify spots for lighting. In a separate vein, that same list was provided to the Lehigh Acres Streetlighting MTSU which created lighting priorities for its taxing district. One of their identified priorities is to put streetlights at bus stops. MORE: Lehigh Acres Street Lighting District map From Lee County: [The map shows] the existing streetlights and school bus stops that were identified as being more than 100 feet from the nearest light. The goals of the Lehigh Acres Streetlighting Municipal Services Taxing Unit (MSTU), with priorities set in coordination with the advisory committee, is to: 1. Have a street light in close proximity to all school bus stops, 2. Light high crash/crime locations, 3. Implement a programmatic approach to add a light to all intersections, 4. Implement a programmatic approach to add a light to non-intersection locations, as needed, 5. All others (e.g. place a light in response to a request) Using the East Zone School Bus Stop list provided in February, there were 419 school bus stops identified that do not have a streetlight within 100 feet. Adding lights to these 419 locations is the current priority of the MSTU and FPL and LCEC are currently working toward installing lights at those locations. LCEC anticipates installing all 241 lights that are requested for unlit school bus stops in their areas by the end of August. To date, they have designed/invoiced 187 and are still designing the remaining 54. FPL has not provided an installation schedule. FPL was given 178 unlit school bus stops to light. Since January 2019, 423 new lights have been designed and invoiced. Installation needs are anticipated to be re-evaluated once a new bus stop list is available for the upcoming year to identify new stops in need of lights. The MSTU is self taxing. So property owners in the MSTU boundary are the main funding sources. The cost average is about $867 per light.