Bonita Springs Elementary School’s demolition plansMarco Island Councilmember’s dogs allegedly attack 13-year-old girl
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs Elementary School’s demolition plans There’s a new lesson plan at Bonita Springs Elementary School: Demolition 101. The school is set to be knocked down, and there’s good reason.
MARCO ISLAND Marco Island Councilmember’s dogs allegedly attack 13-year-old girl Councilor Tamara Goehler is coming under fire after her dogs allegedly attacked a 13-year-old girl and the girl’s five-month-old puppy.
PUNTA GORDA Gilchrist Park’s future brightens as boat cleanup commences The boats blocking Gilchrist Park are ready to be moved two years after Hurricane Ian.
Lee County Department of Health issues red tide alert for Bowman’s Beach The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a health alert for the presence of red tide near Bowman’s Beach.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral working on project to address canal safety An older Cape Coral couple drove into a canal last year. Neighbors are now saying something needs to be done about canal safety.
NAPLES Collier County mental health center receives $4 million donation A giant donation is dedicated to providing people with better mental health care in southwest Florida.
LABELLE City of LaBelle under precautionary boil water notice A water main break has the City of Labelle under a precautionary boil water notice.
ESTERO FGCU student wins ice dancing national championship FGCU sophomore Lucas Appel wins his second US Senior Solo Dance National Championship in three years.
Lee County Sheriff’s Office: Parent brings weapon to Lehigh Acres school According to a Lee County Sheriff’s Office report, there is probable cause to believe a woman unintentionally brought a firearm to school.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for December 11, 2024 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for Wednesday, December 11, 2024.
Second leading cause of chest pain The leading cause of cardiac chest pain is coronary artery disease, which affects over 18 million adults in the United States.
Vicky Bakery opens 26th location, first in Fort Myers A Fort Myers location just opened at 4429 Cleveland Ave., at El Dorado Plaza, just east of the Ginza sushi restaurant.
WINK News’ Matt Devitt, officials address resident flooding concerns In a slide presentation, WINK News Chief Meteorologist Matt Devitt showed surrounding coastal counties have the sensors that are installed and monitored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
FORT MYERS RSW offering remote parking for the holidays Southwest Florida International Airport, RSW, is offering passengers RSWRemote, a reserved holiday parking option.
Lee County man found guilty of manslaughter A 47-year-old man from Lee County has been found guilty of manslaughter after stabbing his neighbor multiple times in 2022.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs Elementary School’s demolition plans There’s a new lesson plan at Bonita Springs Elementary School: Demolition 101. The school is set to be knocked down, and there’s good reason.
MARCO ISLAND Marco Island Councilmember’s dogs allegedly attack 13-year-old girl Councilor Tamara Goehler is coming under fire after her dogs allegedly attacked a 13-year-old girl and the girl’s five-month-old puppy.
PUNTA GORDA Gilchrist Park’s future brightens as boat cleanup commences The boats blocking Gilchrist Park are ready to be moved two years after Hurricane Ian.
Lee County Department of Health issues red tide alert for Bowman’s Beach The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a health alert for the presence of red tide near Bowman’s Beach.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral working on project to address canal safety An older Cape Coral couple drove into a canal last year. Neighbors are now saying something needs to be done about canal safety.
NAPLES Collier County mental health center receives $4 million donation A giant donation is dedicated to providing people with better mental health care in southwest Florida.
LABELLE City of LaBelle under precautionary boil water notice A water main break has the City of Labelle under a precautionary boil water notice.
ESTERO FGCU student wins ice dancing national championship FGCU sophomore Lucas Appel wins his second US Senior Solo Dance National Championship in three years.
Lee County Sheriff’s Office: Parent brings weapon to Lehigh Acres school According to a Lee County Sheriff’s Office report, there is probable cause to believe a woman unintentionally brought a firearm to school.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for December 11, 2024 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for Wednesday, December 11, 2024.
Second leading cause of chest pain The leading cause of cardiac chest pain is coronary artery disease, which affects over 18 million adults in the United States.
Vicky Bakery opens 26th location, first in Fort Myers A Fort Myers location just opened at 4429 Cleveland Ave., at El Dorado Plaza, just east of the Ginza sushi restaurant.
WINK News’ Matt Devitt, officials address resident flooding concerns In a slide presentation, WINK News Chief Meteorologist Matt Devitt showed surrounding coastal counties have the sensors that are installed and monitored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
FORT MYERS RSW offering remote parking for the holidays Southwest Florida International Airport, RSW, is offering passengers RSWRemote, a reserved holiday parking option.
Lee County man found guilty of manslaughter A 47-year-old man from Lee County has been found guilty of manslaughter after stabbing his neighbor multiple times in 2022.
Collier County is tackling the mental health crisis head-on. On Wednesday, after a year of research and planning, leading experts from local treatment centers, law enforcement, the courts, and other organizations, presented the details of a wide-reaching mental health plan to Collier County commissioners. WINK first told you about the county’s initial efforts to address the epidemic in February. A top priority in the plan is a major expansion of the David Lawrence Center, the county’s only publicly funded facility to receive patients hospitalized under the Baker Act when a person is considered a threat to themselves or others. The David Lawrence Center is consistently overwhelmed with too many patients, not enough beds. In fact, the latest figures show about a third of all patients that meet Baker Act criteria – and that includes many children – had to be sent to other counties. The planned expansion, a new 55,000-square-foot, $25 million facility, will help with the overflow. Experts say, without treatment, they often end up in jail, so another priority of the plan is to look at ways to better address the revolving door of the justice system. When they get released, some who are suffering from chronic illness or addiction or both may have nowhere to go, so supporting stable housing initiatives is also an element of the plan. In 2018, Collier County Sheriff’s Office received 14,617 calls for service related to mental illness or drug addiction. The agency also spent more than $2.5 million last fiscal year on mentally ill inmates last year, and that is just for medical costs and supervision. Sheriff Kevin Rambosk expects this targeted plan will help make a difference. “You have put together a community-based effort that everyone is looking to buy into, that everyone is willing to support that will change the face of Collier County from cost and for safety,” said Sheriff Kevin Rambosk of Collier County Sheriff’s Office, speaking to the team of experts at the meeting. Judge Janeice Martin, who runs Collier County’s Mental Health, Drug and Veteran Courts, agreed. “There is no corner of the courthouse where persons who are suffering are not finding themselves in front of a judge,” said Judge Martin, noting she has found success moving defendants with mental health struggles from jail to treatment through these specialized courts. The county’s veteran population, many of whom returned to civilian life with the invisible wounds of war, are also receiving special consideration in the plan. “These veterans returning home from today’s wars are unique from past wars,” said Dale Mullin of Wounded Warriors of Collier County. In addition to initiatives to address the crisis, experts pointed to the importance of education and prevention, ranging from the creation of public service announcements to app-based resources. And with mental health and drug addiction having such a broad impact across the spectrum, the plan includes an effort to have all agencies share information so they can make decisions based on data, not just ideas. Commissioner Andy Solis, who spearheaded this mental health initiative, said the plan is a big step and he hopes it will serve as a template for the rest of the state. “It’s a pivotal moment in Collier County history,” said Commissioner Andy Solis. Collier Commissioners are expected to vote on the plan by year’s end. If adopted, it will go into effect by 2021.