CLEWISTON Clewiston teen killed by stray bullet during dance A Clewiston teenager lost her life after multiple shots were fired into a building during a dance on Friday night.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda battles debris after dual hurricanes It’s been hard for some to move forward after facing Milton; every time they step outside their homes, they’re greeted by piles of debris.
BOCA GRANDE Boca Grande businesses clean up after Milton No matter how much you prepare for a hurricane, you never know what awaits you in the aftermath.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA All you need to know if you are applying for FEMA disaster assistance One of the biggest hurdles southwest Florida had to deal with after Hurricane Ian was FEMA. Many didn’t know how to apply, which forms needed to be filled out and how to get money.
MANASOTA KEY North Manasota Key picks up the pieces while south waits to see their home Homes in North Manasota Key have been hollowed out from the storm surge after Hurricane Milton. Now, residents living on Manasota Key are trying to figure out their next steps moving forward while coping with the loss.
FORT MYERS Acting now helps avoid storm PTSD Even with storms Helene and Milton behind us, stress levels remain high. It’s leaving many people to manage post-hurricane anxiety.
PUNTA GORDA Preventing mold in Punta Gorda after Milton Right now, families with flooded homes from the hurricanes have to race to action. The water can cause black mold in damp areas of homes, but you can take steps to prevent the mold from forming or spreading.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda faces devastation with resilience An entire street in Punta Gorda was flooded, forcing the community out of their homes.
ESTERO FPL answers questions about power surges and outages, days after Milton Days after Hurricane Milton tore through Florida, people coast to coast are still experiencing power outages and power surges, and now we’re hearing from Florida Power and Light (FPL).
FORT MYERS Miracle Moment: Basketball player bouncing back A basketball player, Karsten Schafer, is preparing to get off the bench and back in the game after doctors told him he might never play again.
NORTH FORT MYERS 3 arrested after 2 carjackings in Lee County leaves cars totaled A woman was carjacked at gunpoint on McGregor Blvd. early Sunday morning. The accused carjacker is in jail.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach comes together to move forward after Milton Fort Myers Beach is slowly getting back on its feet after Hurricane Milton, with some businesses just now opening.
FORT MYERS Volunteers at Harry Chapin helping out after Milton The Harry Chapin Food Bank has been extending its resources to assist in recovery efforts in response to Hurricane Milton.
SANIBEL Boil water advisory rescinded on Sanibel The precautionary boil water notice issued on Sanibel during Hurricane Milton has been rescinded.
County vote on Lee Health conversion delayed by Hurricane Milton The final vote by the Lee County Board of County Commissioners on Lee Health’s conversion from a public nonprofit to a private nonprofit was scheduled during an Oct. 8 special meeting, but Hurricane Milton’s approach of Florida’s Gulf Coast led to its cancellation.
CLEWISTON Clewiston teen killed by stray bullet during dance A Clewiston teenager lost her life after multiple shots were fired into a building during a dance on Friday night.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda battles debris after dual hurricanes It’s been hard for some to move forward after facing Milton; every time they step outside their homes, they’re greeted by piles of debris.
BOCA GRANDE Boca Grande businesses clean up after Milton No matter how much you prepare for a hurricane, you never know what awaits you in the aftermath.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA All you need to know if you are applying for FEMA disaster assistance One of the biggest hurdles southwest Florida had to deal with after Hurricane Ian was FEMA. Many didn’t know how to apply, which forms needed to be filled out and how to get money.
MANASOTA KEY North Manasota Key picks up the pieces while south waits to see their home Homes in North Manasota Key have been hollowed out from the storm surge after Hurricane Milton. Now, residents living on Manasota Key are trying to figure out their next steps moving forward while coping with the loss.
FORT MYERS Acting now helps avoid storm PTSD Even with storms Helene and Milton behind us, stress levels remain high. It’s leaving many people to manage post-hurricane anxiety.
PUNTA GORDA Preventing mold in Punta Gorda after Milton Right now, families with flooded homes from the hurricanes have to race to action. The water can cause black mold in damp areas of homes, but you can take steps to prevent the mold from forming or spreading.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda faces devastation with resilience An entire street in Punta Gorda was flooded, forcing the community out of their homes.
ESTERO FPL answers questions about power surges and outages, days after Milton Days after Hurricane Milton tore through Florida, people coast to coast are still experiencing power outages and power surges, and now we’re hearing from Florida Power and Light (FPL).
FORT MYERS Miracle Moment: Basketball player bouncing back A basketball player, Karsten Schafer, is preparing to get off the bench and back in the game after doctors told him he might never play again.
NORTH FORT MYERS 3 arrested after 2 carjackings in Lee County leaves cars totaled A woman was carjacked at gunpoint on McGregor Blvd. early Sunday morning. The accused carjacker is in jail.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach comes together to move forward after Milton Fort Myers Beach is slowly getting back on its feet after Hurricane Milton, with some businesses just now opening.
FORT MYERS Volunteers at Harry Chapin helping out after Milton The Harry Chapin Food Bank has been extending its resources to assist in recovery efforts in response to Hurricane Milton.
SANIBEL Boil water advisory rescinded on Sanibel The precautionary boil water notice issued on Sanibel during Hurricane Milton has been rescinded.
County vote on Lee Health conversion delayed by Hurricane Milton The final vote by the Lee County Board of County Commissioners on Lee Health’s conversion from a public nonprofit to a private nonprofit was scheduled during an Oct. 8 special meeting, but Hurricane Milton’s approach of Florida’s Gulf Coast led to its cancellation.
Sea turtle at CROW on Sanibel Island. Credit: WINK News. There are growing concerns after the Trump administration announced it wants to weaken the Endanger Species Act, putting protected animals like sea turtles at risk. Dr. Heather Barron is the medical and research director at Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) on Sanibel Island. She explained what this means for conservation moving forward. “Right now, we are in the midst of what’s called the sixth great extinction,” Barron said. Barron said a normal extinction rate for a species might be five to six species on an annual basis. “Right now, we are five to six species a day,” Barron said. Barron said the Endangered Species Act has worked wonders for sea turtle species in our area. “I think one of the great things about the Endangered Species Act that it really did it’s job in terms of 99% of the species that were protected under the act are still with us,” Barron said. But the proposed changes for the act could mean the end to blanket protections for animals listed as threatened. It will make it easier to remove a species from the endangered list. Barron said species will be at risk. “It really is a shame and a time where there are so many threats to wildlife and to biodiversity to have such an important act and such a critical juncture,” Barron said. “Habitat loss is just one of the things that ESA is going to affect, be affected with the weakening of the regulations.” The administration’s changes to the policy are set to go into effect next month. But it could face delays due to environmental challenging the policy. “The revisions finalized with this rulemaking fit squarely within the president’s mandate of easing the regulatory burden on the American public, without sacrificing our species’ protection and recovery goals,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross in a press release. “These changes were subject to a robust, transparent public process, during which we received significant public input that helped us finalize these rules.” Barron sees growing problems for habitat and wildlife in Southwest Florida. “More people will move in the potential for the human-wildlife conflict increases and sometimes,” Barron said. “Wildlife comes off on the wrong end of that.”