Naples City Council awards $23.4M for pier rebuild The 136-year-old Naples Pier will undergo a seventh transformation after City Council unanimously approved a nearly $23.46 million construction contract to rebuild the pier after Hurricane Ian destroyed it two years ago.
Collier women arrested for possession of fentanyl Two women have been arrested for possession of fentanyl during a routine traffic stop by deputies.
WASHINGTON (AP) Some of the most notable quotes from the JD Vance-Tim Walz vice presidential debate The first and only vice presidential debate between Ohio Senator JD Vance and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz featured an often orderly, policy-focused and even civil dialogue between the two men seeking to serve as the next president’s second in command.
FORT MYERS Caloosahatchee Bridge exit ramp closure The southbound exit loop ramp from the Caloosahatchee Bridge will be closed for the next four weeks for planned construction work.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers man sentenced for distributing, possessing child sex abuse media A Fort Myers man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for distributing and possessing child sex abuse media.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach condos still under construction 2 years after Hurricane Ian As condos are turned into construction zones, the impacts from Hurricane Ian are still evident two years later.
MADEIRA BEACH Gov. DeSantis provides recovery efforts update following Hurricane Helene Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis provided an update regarding recovery efforts following the impact of Hurricane Helene.
WINK NEWS Bipartisan school safety legislation introduced to develop emergency parental notifications New bi-partisan school safety legislation was introduced Tuesday to streamline parent communication during emergencies.
The Weather Authority Scattered rain and storms Wednesday afternoon and evening The Weather Authority is tracking scattered rain and storms throughout this Wednesday afternoon, dropping temperatures slightly.
CAMPAIGN CENTRAL Tim Walz and JD Vance face off in VP debate WINK News is campaign central, and on Tuesday night, all eyes are focused on the debate stage in New York, where the vice presidential candidates are facing off in their only debate.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County couple rescued from rooftop by stranger Hurricane Helene battered Charlotte County with heavy rain and wind, and many neighbors watched as water flooded into their homes.
CAPE CORAL WINK Investigates: For the first time, Beattie Development owner Paul Beattie speaks out during liquidation after allegations On Tuesday for the first time, Paul Beattie, owner of Beattie Development, who a lot of people say owe them a lot of money, is speaking out.
FORT MYERS Local Rabbi and Israeli soldier speak on Iran missile attack Israeli authorities said Iran launched dozens of missiles at the country.
PORT CHARLOTTE “It was just a monster in disguise,” Port Charlotte couple cleans up after Helene Wesley and Karen Wingate will never forget what they had for dinner September 27th.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA IRS announces tax relief for those affected by Helene The IRS has just announced tax relief for people affected by Hurricane Helene.
Naples City Council awards $23.4M for pier rebuild The 136-year-old Naples Pier will undergo a seventh transformation after City Council unanimously approved a nearly $23.46 million construction contract to rebuild the pier after Hurricane Ian destroyed it two years ago.
Collier women arrested for possession of fentanyl Two women have been arrested for possession of fentanyl during a routine traffic stop by deputies.
WASHINGTON (AP) Some of the most notable quotes from the JD Vance-Tim Walz vice presidential debate The first and only vice presidential debate between Ohio Senator JD Vance and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz featured an often orderly, policy-focused and even civil dialogue between the two men seeking to serve as the next president’s second in command.
FORT MYERS Caloosahatchee Bridge exit ramp closure The southbound exit loop ramp from the Caloosahatchee Bridge will be closed for the next four weeks for planned construction work.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers man sentenced for distributing, possessing child sex abuse media A Fort Myers man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for distributing and possessing child sex abuse media.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach condos still under construction 2 years after Hurricane Ian As condos are turned into construction zones, the impacts from Hurricane Ian are still evident two years later.
MADEIRA BEACH Gov. DeSantis provides recovery efforts update following Hurricane Helene Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis provided an update regarding recovery efforts following the impact of Hurricane Helene.
WINK NEWS Bipartisan school safety legislation introduced to develop emergency parental notifications New bi-partisan school safety legislation was introduced Tuesday to streamline parent communication during emergencies.
The Weather Authority Scattered rain and storms Wednesday afternoon and evening The Weather Authority is tracking scattered rain and storms throughout this Wednesday afternoon, dropping temperatures slightly.
CAMPAIGN CENTRAL Tim Walz and JD Vance face off in VP debate WINK News is campaign central, and on Tuesday night, all eyes are focused on the debate stage in New York, where the vice presidential candidates are facing off in their only debate.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County couple rescued from rooftop by stranger Hurricane Helene battered Charlotte County with heavy rain and wind, and many neighbors watched as water flooded into their homes.
CAPE CORAL WINK Investigates: For the first time, Beattie Development owner Paul Beattie speaks out during liquidation after allegations On Tuesday for the first time, Paul Beattie, owner of Beattie Development, who a lot of people say owe them a lot of money, is speaking out.
FORT MYERS Local Rabbi and Israeli soldier speak on Iran missile attack Israeli authorities said Iran launched dozens of missiles at the country.
PORT CHARLOTTE “It was just a monster in disguise,” Port Charlotte couple cleans up after Helene Wesley and Karen Wingate will never forget what they had for dinner September 27th.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA IRS announces tax relief for those affected by Helene The IRS has just announced tax relief for people affected by Hurricane Helene.
President-elect Joe Biden. Credit: Getty Images via CBS News. President-elect Joe Biden is warning of massive damage done to the national security apparatus by the Trump administration and “roadblocks” in communication between agency officials and his transition team that could undermine Americans’ security. During remarks Monday in Wilmington, Delaware, Biden said his team has faced “obstruction” from the “political leadership” at the Defense Department and the Office of Management and Budget as they’ve sought to gather necessary information to continue the transition of power. “Right now we just aren’t getting all the information that we need from the outgoing administration in key national security areas. It’s nothing short, in my view, of irresponsibility,” Biden said. He warned that his team needs “full visibility” into the budget process at the Defense Department “in order to avoid any window of confusion or catch-up that our adversaries may try to exploit.” He also said they need “a clear picture of our force posture around the world and of our operations to deter our enemies.” Biden’s remarks came after he was briefed by members of his national security and defense teams and advisers, including his nominees for secretary of State, Defense and Homeland Security, as well as his incoming national security adviser. The president-elect said his team found that agencies “critical to our security have incurred enormous damage” during President Donald Trump’s time in office. “Many of them have been hollowed out in personnel, capacity and in morale,” he said. “All of it makes it harder for our government to protect the American people, to defend our vital interests in a world where threats are constantly evolving and our adversaries are constantly adapting.” Trump has still refused to concede an election he lost by more than 7 million votes, and his administration did not authorize official cooperation with the Biden transition team until Nov. 23, weeks after the election. Biden and his aides warned at the time that the delay was hampering their ability to craft their own vaccine rollout plan, but have since said cooperation on that and other issues related to COVID-19 has improved. Last week, however, Biden himself said that the Defense Department “won’t even brief us on many things” and suggested because of this, he didn’t have a complete understanding of the full scope of the recent cyberhack that breached numerous government systems. On Monday, Biden said his team still gathering information about the extent of the cyberhack, but described the need to “modernize” America’s defense to deter future such attacks, “rather than continuing to over-invest in legacy systems designed to address the threats of the past.” Pentagon officials pushed back on Biden’s characterization of the disconnect between the Defense Department and the Biden team. Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller said in a statement that the department has conducted 164 interviews with over 400 officials, and provided over 5,000 pages of documents, which is “far more than initially requested by Biden’s transition team.” Miller also said that his team is continuing to schedule meetings for the remaining weeks of the transition and “answer any and all requests for information in our purview.” Biden also spoke in length about the need to rebuild global alliances, which he said were necessary to combat climate change, address the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare for future epidemics, and confront the growing threat posed by China. “Right now, there’s an enormous vacuum. We’re going to have to regain the trust and confidence of a world that has begun to find ways to work around us or without us,” he said. Trump has implemented an “America First” foreign policy that saw the U.S. retreat from longstanding global alliances and treaties. The Trump Administration cut funding from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, withdrew from the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate Accords. The shift away from international diplomacy also precipitated an exodus of staff from key agencies, like the State Department. Trump himself has had a contentious relationship with the intelligence community, criticizing its findings that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to boost his candidacy. And still other national security agencies have faced staff cuts and unstable leadership throughout Trump’s time in office as the president frequently fired his department heads with little notice, often leaving departments with acting secretaries or vacant positions in their top ranks. The situation has left what experts say is a major morale crisis throughout the federal government, and Biden said Monday that “rebuilding the full set of our instruments of foreign policy and national security is the key challenge” he and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris face when they take office on January 20.