3 injured after single boat crash in Cape CoralAll lanes on Immokalee Road closed due to vehicle collision
CAPE CORAL 3 injured after single boat crash in Cape Coral According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, three people were injured in a single boat crash in Cape Coral.
IMMOKALEE All lanes on Immokalee Road closed due to vehicle collision According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, a vehicle collision occurred on Immokalee Road Sunday night.
NAPLES Body found in Collier County retention pond According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, a body was found in a retention pond on Sunday. The body was found on Lindsey Lane.
NAPLES Naples police rescue injured owl outside station Naples police officers took on an unusual task when they rescued an injured owl outside the police department.
PORT CHARLOTTE 2 suspects in custody after allegedly stealing $1500 worth of vapes According to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, two suspects are in custody after stealing $1500 worth of vapes early Sunday morning.
WINK Neighborhood Watch: knife attack, robbery at gunpoint and hit-and-run This week’s segment of WINK Neighborhood Watch features a knife attack, a robbery at gunpoint and a hit-and-run on a bicyclist.
FORT MYERS Former Uber driver convicted of rape to be sentenced Monday Felix Torres, a former Uber driver, was found guilty in December of raping one of his passengers and will be sentenced Monday.
the weather authority Sunnier, less humid day in store with highs in the low 70s The Weather Authority says a pleasant day is in store for Southwest Florida, with much more sunshine than we saw on Saturday.
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.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers Police department hosts annual Cops and Joggers 5K FMPD hosted the Cops and Joggers 5K event on Saturday. This unique experience takes attendees through the heart of Downtown Fort Myers.
Purple Heart Army veteran receives new home thanks to charity A Purple Heart Army veteran and his family entered their new accessible home on Saturday, thanks to the charity “Homes for Our Troops.”
CAPE CORAL Rain doesn’t stop crowds at 40th Annual Cape Coral Arts Festival For 40 years, the Cape Coral Arts Festival has drawn crowds from across Southwest Florida, showcasing a blend of small businesses from the region.
CAPE CORAL Sports trading card collecting going through “a generational reboot” The hobby of sports trading card collecting has been on the rise since 2020, especially in Southwest Florida with more card shows.
PUNTA GORDA 11th annual short film festival coming to Punta Gorda The Punta Gorda Englewood Beach Visitor Convention Bureau will host its 11th annual short film festival.
the weather authority Mild, breezy day on tap with more clouds than sun The Weather Authority says a brief line of showers, associated with a cold front, is moving through Southwest Florida Saturday morning.
CAPE CORAL 3 injured after single boat crash in Cape Coral According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, three people were injured in a single boat crash in Cape Coral.
IMMOKALEE All lanes on Immokalee Road closed due to vehicle collision According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, a vehicle collision occurred on Immokalee Road Sunday night.
NAPLES Body found in Collier County retention pond According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, a body was found in a retention pond on Sunday. The body was found on Lindsey Lane.
NAPLES Naples police rescue injured owl outside station Naples police officers took on an unusual task when they rescued an injured owl outside the police department.
PORT CHARLOTTE 2 suspects in custody after allegedly stealing $1500 worth of vapes According to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, two suspects are in custody after stealing $1500 worth of vapes early Sunday morning.
WINK Neighborhood Watch: knife attack, robbery at gunpoint and hit-and-run This week’s segment of WINK Neighborhood Watch features a knife attack, a robbery at gunpoint and a hit-and-run on a bicyclist.
FORT MYERS Former Uber driver convicted of rape to be sentenced Monday Felix Torres, a former Uber driver, was found guilty in December of raping one of his passengers and will be sentenced Monday.
the weather authority Sunnier, less humid day in store with highs in the low 70s The Weather Authority says a pleasant day is in store for Southwest Florida, with much more sunshine than we saw on Saturday.
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.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers Police department hosts annual Cops and Joggers 5K FMPD hosted the Cops and Joggers 5K event on Saturday. This unique experience takes attendees through the heart of Downtown Fort Myers.
Purple Heart Army veteran receives new home thanks to charity A Purple Heart Army veteran and his family entered their new accessible home on Saturday, thanks to the charity “Homes for Our Troops.”
CAPE CORAL Rain doesn’t stop crowds at 40th Annual Cape Coral Arts Festival For 40 years, the Cape Coral Arts Festival has drawn crowds from across Southwest Florida, showcasing a blend of small businesses from the region.
CAPE CORAL Sports trading card collecting going through “a generational reboot” The hobby of sports trading card collecting has been on the rise since 2020, especially in Southwest Florida with more card shows.
PUNTA GORDA 11th annual short film festival coming to Punta Gorda The Punta Gorda Englewood Beach Visitor Convention Bureau will host its 11th annual short film festival.
the weather authority Mild, breezy day on tap with more clouds than sun The Weather Authority says a brief line of showers, associated with a cold front, is moving through Southwest Florida Saturday morning.
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.