Goth Gala for the Forlorn; How the alt scene honored Valentine’s DayFort Myers gears up for Edison Festival parade; road closures in place
CAPE CORAL Goth Gala for the Forlorn; How the alt scene honored Valentine’s Day Love Your Rebellion hosted the Goth Gala for the Forlorn at Nice Guys Pizza in Cape Coral on Friday night.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers gears up for Edison Festival parade; road closures in place Downtown Fort Myers is buzzing with excitement as the Edison Festival of Light Parade is set to begin.
the weather authority Near-record heat with sun and clouds for your Saturday The Weather Authority says the above-normal temperatures that Southwest Florida has been experiencing will stick around yet again for Saturday.
LEE COUNTY Savannah Bananas bring fun on the diamond at JetBlue Park The Savannah Bananas amazed and entertained a sold out JetBlue Park Friday night for the first time in Southwest Florida.
CAPE CORAL Caught on Camera: Cape Coral mailbox hit by drifting car A Cape Coral homeowner was left in shock after a car sent her mailbox flying through the air and left tire tracks next to her home.
ARCADIA DeSoto County man sentenced for deadly DUI crash Justice for a mother and son killed by a man driving under the influence.
NAPLES Oldest Black-owned business in SWFL continues to serve community Cleveland Bass Movers, founded in 1969, stands as the oldest Black-owned business in Southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS BEACH Broken gate on Lovers Key Beach Resort frustrating residents Residents of Lover’s Key Beach Club in Fort Myers Beach are frustrated with a gate that remains wide open, despite “No Trespassing” signs, since Hurricane Ian struck two years ago.
St. James City Church plans $700k flood-proofing project for future safety Hurricanes have caused flood after flood, and one island church, The First Baptist Church of Saint James City, wants to build higher.
Romance scams rise in the US, AARP warns residents to beware Romance scams are on the rise, with the Federal Trade Commission reporting over 64,000 cases in the U.S. in 2023.
Fort Myers Savannah Bananas make their way to Fort Myers for first time The Savannah Bananas have made their way to JetBlue Park for Friday’s sold-out game in Fort Myers to watch “the greatest show in sports.”
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Yacht Club receives key permit Cape Coral received a key permit for a Yacht Club Community Park. This permit opens up the necessary steps for the park to be built.
PORT CHARLOTTE Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church holds 31st annual Greek Fest The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of Port Charlotte kicked off its 31st annual Greek Fest on Friday.
Donations helping young kids get fed Food insecurity is a pressing issue in the community, and organizations like the Harry Chapin Food Bank, Meals of Hope and the Guadalupe Center are stepping up to help.
New risk factors contribute to heart disease February is American Heart Month, a perfect time to assess your heart health.
CAPE CORAL Goth Gala for the Forlorn; How the alt scene honored Valentine’s Day Love Your Rebellion hosted the Goth Gala for the Forlorn at Nice Guys Pizza in Cape Coral on Friday night.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers gears up for Edison Festival parade; road closures in place Downtown Fort Myers is buzzing with excitement as the Edison Festival of Light Parade is set to begin.
the weather authority Near-record heat with sun and clouds for your Saturday The Weather Authority says the above-normal temperatures that Southwest Florida has been experiencing will stick around yet again for Saturday.
LEE COUNTY Savannah Bananas bring fun on the diamond at JetBlue Park The Savannah Bananas amazed and entertained a sold out JetBlue Park Friday night for the first time in Southwest Florida.
CAPE CORAL Caught on Camera: Cape Coral mailbox hit by drifting car A Cape Coral homeowner was left in shock after a car sent her mailbox flying through the air and left tire tracks next to her home.
ARCADIA DeSoto County man sentenced for deadly DUI crash Justice for a mother and son killed by a man driving under the influence.
NAPLES Oldest Black-owned business in SWFL continues to serve community Cleveland Bass Movers, founded in 1969, stands as the oldest Black-owned business in Southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS BEACH Broken gate on Lovers Key Beach Resort frustrating residents Residents of Lover’s Key Beach Club in Fort Myers Beach are frustrated with a gate that remains wide open, despite “No Trespassing” signs, since Hurricane Ian struck two years ago.
St. James City Church plans $700k flood-proofing project for future safety Hurricanes have caused flood after flood, and one island church, The First Baptist Church of Saint James City, wants to build higher.
Romance scams rise in the US, AARP warns residents to beware Romance scams are on the rise, with the Federal Trade Commission reporting over 64,000 cases in the U.S. in 2023.
Fort Myers Savannah Bananas make their way to Fort Myers for first time The Savannah Bananas have made their way to JetBlue Park for Friday’s sold-out game in Fort Myers to watch “the greatest show in sports.”
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Yacht Club receives key permit Cape Coral received a key permit for a Yacht Club Community Park. This permit opens up the necessary steps for the park to be built.
PORT CHARLOTTE Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church holds 31st annual Greek Fest The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of Port Charlotte kicked off its 31st annual Greek Fest on Friday.
Donations helping young kids get fed Food insecurity is a pressing issue in the community, and organizations like the Harry Chapin Food Bank, Meals of Hope and the Guadalupe Center are stepping up to help.
New risk factors contribute to heart disease February is American Heart Month, a perfect time to assess your heart health.
School District of Lee County seal. Credit: WINK News. School District of Lee County hosted a press conference on its school reopening plan Thursday. The next step falls on Lee County parents and guardians of students. They will receive a survey next week to choose how they want their kids to learn in the fall. That will tell the District where it needs to allocate teachers and resources. The four learning options include: Send kids back to school five days a week Enroll them in virtual school Home school them Enroll them in a new program “Lee Home Connect” There is a fifth option on the table for distance learning, but school officials say that will only be used if a school is shut down based on recommendations from the county health department. As for kids returning to the classroom, the District says there will be a number of safety protocols in place, including masks on buses and in places where social distancing is a challenge. There will also be temperature checks and frequent deep cleanings of the facilities. District leaders are also looking at the best way to keep students at least six feet apart while in the classroom. “So removing that extra equipment, that extra furniture and making sure that we spread desks out as much as we possibly can,” Superintendent Greg Adkins said. “We also want to look at utilizing other spaces like large spaces that can be used as classroom spaces. And we are also encouraging the use of outdoor classrooms.” And the District is planning to spend millions of dollars to keep kids safe this year. That includes utilizing personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies. “With our student population of over 83,000 students at our traditional schools, we are estimating an expenditure at this point of somewhere around $15 million,” said Ami Desamours, the District’s CFO. That’s the total amount being budgeted in the event all students were to return to in-person classes. “We can’t do that,” said Lloyd Duhon, who has three kids at Lee County schools. “The safety is just not there yet.” Duhon told us he has family members with compromised immune systems, so he’s leaning toward an online option for his kids. “Kudos to the school board for continuing to move this in the best direction they can with this crazy circumstance we’re living with,” Duhon said. Mother Sandra Stubblefield looks at recently canceled graduations and wonders how school can resume safely. “This was deemed a big enough issue to literally wipe out an entire quarter of our learning process last year,” Stubblefield said. “It seems like we’re seeing a constant uptick.” Stubblefield says she might feel better about sending her daughter back if she could see the changes in person. “I think they need to take and say, ‘Freshmen come in on this day and sophomores this day’ and stagger it out,” Stubblefield said. “But show everybody the safety precautions and have us take part in that so we understand what’s going on, so we can explain it to our kids.” For other parents, they’re more optimistic considering the mask requirements, temperature checks and social distancing. The District says it’s also looking at removing furniture from some classrooms to make more space or moving classes outside. We also heard from the school board during the press conference. Board members will be working to close the achievement gap for students who have fallen behind because of the pandemic. They say baseline tests will be done once students return, and they will compare that with where students were prior to the pandemic. Testing will show what kind of help is needed to get students back on track. Visit the school district’s YouTube page to watch. Ken Savage, the District’s chief operations officer, shared details about the cleaning process that will be implemented at schools in the District. “One of the most significant aspects is to increase the level of cleaning in our surfaces … Areas that are touched frequently by students or staff will be cleaned with much greater frequency than we currently do,” Savage said. Custodians will also be on a staggered schedule to increase the amount of cleaning that can be accomplished at schools during the day, Savage said. “So, rather than expecting teachers to take on that burden of cleaning, custodians will also be able to help with that and assist it at increased frequency, ” Savage said.