Man hospitalized after struck by car while attempting to pick up trash bag on SR-80Partly cloudy and milder this Tuesday afternoon
Man hospitalized after struck by car while attempting to pick up trash bag on SR-80 The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a crash involving a pickup truck and a car that hospitalized one man on State Road 80 in Hendry County.
the weather authority Partly cloudy and milder this Tuesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking increased cloud coverage along with milder conditions this Tuesday afternoon.
WINK NEWS Shell Factory & Nature Park’s final auction begins The Shell Factory & Nature Park has launched its final auction, allowing fans of the now-closed Southwest Florida landmark to take home several valued items.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers to discuss fluoride in water during next city council meeting The debate over fluoride in drinking water has been reignited following an announcement by the Florida surgeon general urging cities to halt fluoride treatment.
ESTERO Gator stuck on Estero porch gives homeowner a wild surprise Sunday night Imagine glancing out your back door and seeing a gator sliding around on your deck. That’s exactly what happened to an Estero homeowner who found an unexpected visitor on their property.
NORTH FORT MYERS North Fort Myers crash leaves motorcyclist with life-threatening injuries A motorcyclist is in critical condition following a collision with a sedan at the intersection of North East Pine Island Road and Judd Creek Boulevard in North Fort Myers.
FORT MYERS BEACH Hurricane Ian recovery delays impact tourism and local businesses Fort Myers Beach is still grappling with the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, which struck over two years ago.
FORT MYERS Alliance for the Arts hosting Jazz on the Green, celebrating historic music genre Catch Grammy winners and jazz virtuosos at the Jazz on the Green event hosted by the Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers.
FORT MYERS Twins host fans for open house and first full squad workout The Minnesota Twins held their first full squad workout of Spring Training as well as hosted fans for an open house.
Potential changes to how shingle roofs are covered by insurance Florida Insurance Commissioner Michael Yaworsky recently made comments at the Florida Chamber Insurance Summit about the potential phasing out of shingle roofs in the state.
SANIBEL Sanibel islanders rally to restore beloved fishing pier after Ian damage The Sanibel Fishing Pier, a beloved spot for many, has been in disrepair since Hurricane Ian struck more than two years ago. Now, dedicated fishers are pushing to restore it using private funding.
PUNTA GORDA Gunfire erupts on US 41 bridge in Punta Gorda; bikers arrested A road rage incident escalated into gunfire on the U.S. 41 bridge connecting Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte, causing fear among drivers.
BONITA SPRINGS Will San Carlos Estates merge with Bonita Springs? Residents of San Carlos Estates in Bonita Springs are fighting to maintain their neighborhood’s independence.
PUNTA GORDA New flight routes at Punta Gorda Airport The Punta Gorda Airport is expanding its offerings, adding new flight options for travelers.
LEE COUNTY Bregman’s arrival and Devers’ denial highlight Red Sox first full squad The addition of Alex Bregman and Rafael Devers’ refusal to change positions highlighted the first full squad workout for the Red Sox.
Man hospitalized after struck by car while attempting to pick up trash bag on SR-80 The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a crash involving a pickup truck and a car that hospitalized one man on State Road 80 in Hendry County.
the weather authority Partly cloudy and milder this Tuesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking increased cloud coverage along with milder conditions this Tuesday afternoon.
WINK NEWS Shell Factory & Nature Park’s final auction begins The Shell Factory & Nature Park has launched its final auction, allowing fans of the now-closed Southwest Florida landmark to take home several valued items.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers to discuss fluoride in water during next city council meeting The debate over fluoride in drinking water has been reignited following an announcement by the Florida surgeon general urging cities to halt fluoride treatment.
ESTERO Gator stuck on Estero porch gives homeowner a wild surprise Sunday night Imagine glancing out your back door and seeing a gator sliding around on your deck. That’s exactly what happened to an Estero homeowner who found an unexpected visitor on their property.
NORTH FORT MYERS North Fort Myers crash leaves motorcyclist with life-threatening injuries A motorcyclist is in critical condition following a collision with a sedan at the intersection of North East Pine Island Road and Judd Creek Boulevard in North Fort Myers.
FORT MYERS BEACH Hurricane Ian recovery delays impact tourism and local businesses Fort Myers Beach is still grappling with the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, which struck over two years ago.
FORT MYERS Alliance for the Arts hosting Jazz on the Green, celebrating historic music genre Catch Grammy winners and jazz virtuosos at the Jazz on the Green event hosted by the Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers.
FORT MYERS Twins host fans for open house and first full squad workout The Minnesota Twins held their first full squad workout of Spring Training as well as hosted fans for an open house.
Potential changes to how shingle roofs are covered by insurance Florida Insurance Commissioner Michael Yaworsky recently made comments at the Florida Chamber Insurance Summit about the potential phasing out of shingle roofs in the state.
SANIBEL Sanibel islanders rally to restore beloved fishing pier after Ian damage The Sanibel Fishing Pier, a beloved spot for many, has been in disrepair since Hurricane Ian struck more than two years ago. Now, dedicated fishers are pushing to restore it using private funding.
PUNTA GORDA Gunfire erupts on US 41 bridge in Punta Gorda; bikers arrested A road rage incident escalated into gunfire on the U.S. 41 bridge connecting Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte, causing fear among drivers.
BONITA SPRINGS Will San Carlos Estates merge with Bonita Springs? Residents of San Carlos Estates in Bonita Springs are fighting to maintain their neighborhood’s independence.
PUNTA GORDA New flight routes at Punta Gorda Airport The Punta Gorda Airport is expanding its offerings, adding new flight options for travelers.
LEE COUNTY Bregman’s arrival and Devers’ denial highlight Red Sox first full squad The addition of Alex Bregman and Rafael Devers’ refusal to change positions highlighted the first full squad workout for the Red Sox.
FILE – In this image provided by Jimmie Johnson Racing II, Inc., seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson poses with an IndyCar during testing with Chip Ganassi Racing on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Tuesday, July 28, 2020, in Indianapolis. (Jimmie Johnson Racing II, Inc. via AP, File) Jimmie Johnson will transition from NASCAR to IndyCar with Chip Ganassi Racing in a partnership that could pair two of the most dominant drivers of this generation on one team. The seven-time NASCAR champion will work with the Ganassi organization to finalize sponsorship on a two-year program for Johnson to run the road and street course races on IndyCar’s schedule. If funding is secured, Johnson would be teammates with five-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon. The partnership announced Wednesday would also leave room for Johnson to compete in select NASCAR events because Ganassi fields only two cars in the Cup Series. Johnson has spent his entire 20-year Cup career driving for Hendrick Motorsports, which is currently at the four-car maximum and would not have room for Johnson after he retires from full-time NASCAR competition in November. Johnson, who turns 45 next week, tested an Indy car at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with Ganassi in July. “Ganassi was highly motivated to give me a chance to drive a car to see what I thought and the experience was all that I hoped for and more,” Johnson told The Associated Press. “I left a good impression with them where there’s definitely interest on their side and now it’s time to formalize things and get the ball rolling.” Landing sponsorship is critical to the deal and Johnson said his personal team has had productive conversations with potential partners as his interest in IndyCar has increased. He’s had only two primary sponsors – Lowe’s from 2001 through 2018 and Ally the last two seasons – and prefers consistent branding. Now Johnson will attempt to fill his 2021 schedule with approximately 15 events. IndyCar’s original 2020 schedule consisted of 12 road and street course events before the pandemic forced cancellations. “We have some options that are interested in taking those primary rights for all 12 races, but there could be a scenario where you break it off into three-to-four race blocs for sponsors in areas that are most important for them,” Johnson said. “But our goal is definitely to sell the primary spot to one and have that consistent look that I’ve had throughout my career. I personally would love to continue that.” SEVEN-TIME AND THE ICEMAN Johnson and Dixon are the winningest drivers of their generations in their respective formulas. Johnson’s 83 wins are tied for sixth all-time in NASCAR and the seven titles are a record he shares with Hall of Famers Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. Dixon last month earned his 50th career victory, third all-time behind A.J. Foyt (67) and Mario Andretti (52). His five titles trail only Foyt’s seven, and he’s got a 96-point lead in the current championship chase. Dixon is the most tenured driver in Ganassi’s 30-year history at 19 years. Johnson has developed an off-track friendship with both Dixon and former Ganassi driver Dario Franchitti, who is now a driver coach for the organization. Both were instrumental in piquing Johnson’s interest in IndyCar and Dixon assisted Johnson at the July test. “The pairing is such a cool opportunity,” Johnson said. WHY GANASSI Johnson said he had discussions with several interested IndyCar organizations, including Arrow McLaren SP. His first test had originally been scheduled with the McLaren team in April but was canceled because of the pandemic. Ganassi put together an initial test for early July that Johnson had to cancel when he tested positive for COVID-19 but the organization got him on the track three weeks later. Once convinced he wanted to race in 2021 there were several interested organizations but the Ganassi partnership was the one Johnson pursued. “To pair Jimmie with the likes of Scott Dixon is quite an opportunity. They are truly in rarified air and I think everyone knows by now that I like winners,” Ganassi said. “The goal right now is for us to run Jimmie in an Indy car for at least the next couple of seasons, and we want to show people we’re serious about the program. We felt it was important to get the partnership done and start putting the financial building blocks in place to make this a reality.” Ganassi has taken risks before; he brought Juan Pablo Montoya back from Formula One to NASCAR in 2006, and Franchitti tried NASCAR in 2008 during a one-season break from IndyCar. WHAT ABOUT NASCAR Johnson is open to adding both marquee NASCAR races and sports car events to his schedule as he aims for 15 events a year. He said the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway could be an easy sell because of the sponsorship opportunities on the throwback paint scheme weekend, as well as road course races and superspeedways. “There’s a lot of hurdles to clear, but I’m open,” Johnson said. BYE-BYE BOWTIE Ganassi is backed by Honda in IndyCar so it will bring a temporary end to Johnson’s long relationship with Chevrolet. Johnson has been supported by Chevrolet nearly his entire career and has never competed on the national level for another manufacturer. Chevrolet and Honda are direct competitors in IndyCar; Honda does not participate in NASCAR. “I did have to make that call to my friends at Chevrolet and they completely get it,” Johnson said. “Chip runs a Chevy NASCAR program and has won a championship for them in IndyCar, and you know, it’s not ideal but they understand the opportunity and hopefully there’s ways we can still race together.”