From the ballpark to the beach: the Minnesota Twins are back for Spring TrainingWarm stretch continues throughout this weekend
FORT MYERS From the ballpark to the beach: the Minnesota Twins are back for Spring Training 1700 miles later the Twins truck is here and the team from Minnesota is ready to spend the next six weeks here in Fort Myers.
the weather authority Warm stretch continues throughout this weekend The Weather Authority says if you are a fan of the warmer weather, you are going to love this weekend.
SANIBEL Sanibel’s red tide raises health alerts and wildlife concerns With great weather in the forecast, it’s shaping up to be a perfect beach weekend. However, visitors to the barrier islands should exercise caution.
NAPLES Naples Automotive Experience raises funds for St. Matthew’s House The Naples Automotive Experience brought excitement and philanthropy to the community, raising money for St. Matthew’s House.
MATLACHA Little Pine Island bridge work causes delays, FDOT promises progress Construction on the Little Pine Island Bridge has narrowed traffic to one lane, causing significant delays for drivers.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Support women’s heart health on National Wear Red Day The first Friday in February marks National Wear Red Day!
Ongoing repairs following Naples plane crash A deadly plane crash that occurred one year ago in Naples, Florida continues to impact lives in Southwest Florida. The tragic event involved two pilots who lost their lives on Interstate 75.
Naples jet crash, one year later: new details on emergency response Sunday marks one year since a jet crashed after its pilots attempted an emergency landing on I-75 just outside of Naples. “Your mind goes back to everything that happened that day,” said Heather Mazurkiewicz, public information officer with the North Collier Fire Rescue. “I think about the fact that there weren’t more lives lost.” At […]
LCSO cutting down law enforcement response times The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is gearing up to implement “Prepared 9-1-1,” a new tool designed to enhance emergency response times.
How Harry Chapin Food Bank supports struggling families In the heart of Dunbar, a neighborhood in Fort Myers, the STARS Complex becomes a place of hope as the Harry Chapin Food Bank supports families in need.
MOORE HAVEN African American family breaking barriers in Moore Haven politics Breaking barriers is a family tradition for Rashondra Croskey and her godmother, Gloria Reese.
Charlotte County unlicensed contractor accused of fraud The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office said that a contractor has been arrested after he was hired to build a room in a home without a license.
Studies show that menopause is linked to heart risks Menopause is a natural part of life for middle-aged women, typically occurring between ages 45 and 55. However, it can bring serious health complications, including an increased risk of heart disease.
FORT MYERS Local band Shy Blossom to open up for ’90s rockers Sister Hazel at The Ranch A Southwest Florida-based band will be opening for the legendary ’90s rock fusion group Sister Hazel.
golden gate Bear Brawl: Black bears duke it out in Golden Gate backyard Two black bears were caught on camera tussling for garbage in the backyard of a Golden Gate home.
FORT MYERS From the ballpark to the beach: the Minnesota Twins are back for Spring Training 1700 miles later the Twins truck is here and the team from Minnesota is ready to spend the next six weeks here in Fort Myers.
the weather authority Warm stretch continues throughout this weekend The Weather Authority says if you are a fan of the warmer weather, you are going to love this weekend.
SANIBEL Sanibel’s red tide raises health alerts and wildlife concerns With great weather in the forecast, it’s shaping up to be a perfect beach weekend. However, visitors to the barrier islands should exercise caution.
NAPLES Naples Automotive Experience raises funds for St. Matthew’s House The Naples Automotive Experience brought excitement and philanthropy to the community, raising money for St. Matthew’s House.
MATLACHA Little Pine Island bridge work causes delays, FDOT promises progress Construction on the Little Pine Island Bridge has narrowed traffic to one lane, causing significant delays for drivers.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Support women’s heart health on National Wear Red Day The first Friday in February marks National Wear Red Day!
Ongoing repairs following Naples plane crash A deadly plane crash that occurred one year ago in Naples, Florida continues to impact lives in Southwest Florida. The tragic event involved two pilots who lost their lives on Interstate 75.
Naples jet crash, one year later: new details on emergency response Sunday marks one year since a jet crashed after its pilots attempted an emergency landing on I-75 just outside of Naples. “Your mind goes back to everything that happened that day,” said Heather Mazurkiewicz, public information officer with the North Collier Fire Rescue. “I think about the fact that there weren’t more lives lost.” At […]
LCSO cutting down law enforcement response times The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is gearing up to implement “Prepared 9-1-1,” a new tool designed to enhance emergency response times.
How Harry Chapin Food Bank supports struggling families In the heart of Dunbar, a neighborhood in Fort Myers, the STARS Complex becomes a place of hope as the Harry Chapin Food Bank supports families in need.
MOORE HAVEN African American family breaking barriers in Moore Haven politics Breaking barriers is a family tradition for Rashondra Croskey and her godmother, Gloria Reese.
Charlotte County unlicensed contractor accused of fraud The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office said that a contractor has been arrested after he was hired to build a room in a home without a license.
Studies show that menopause is linked to heart risks Menopause is a natural part of life for middle-aged women, typically occurring between ages 45 and 55. However, it can bring serious health complications, including an increased risk of heart disease.
FORT MYERS Local band Shy Blossom to open up for ’90s rockers Sister Hazel at The Ranch A Southwest Florida-based band will be opening for the legendary ’90s rock fusion group Sister Hazel.
golden gate Bear Brawl: Black bears duke it out in Golden Gate backyard Two black bears were caught on camera tussling for garbage in the backyard of a Golden Gate home.
Credit: WINK News. Lake Okeechobee discharges will be reduced to the Caloosahatchee River but will continue at the same rate to the St. Lucie River — indefinitely. The Caloosahatchee will get 969 million gallons per day, down from an average 1.3 billion gallons a day since Feb. 13, Col. Andrew Kelly, Florida commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, announced in a news conference call Thursday. The St. Lucie will continue to get a weekly average rate of 323 million gallons per day, the same amount since discharges started March 6, Kelly said. “We (released lake water) really early, and really hard to the Caloosahatchee estuary,” Kelly said. “We think we’re achieving a balance, and an equity between those releases.” At 14 feet, 8 inches Thursday (March 25), Lake O’s elevation above sea level has dropped over 6½ inches since March 6, but is still 2½ feet higher than this time last year. The Army Corps projects the lake level will be about 13½ feet by June 1, but the agency typically wants it a foot lower by the start of the summer rainy season, so it can be stored in the lake, not released east and west to the coastal estuaries. “We are working with Mother Nature currently to do the best we can,” Kelly said. The too-high lake level is blamed on Tropical Storm Eta in November, which raised it to a peak of 16 feet, 5 inches, but it didn’t recede as fast as the Army Corps had hoped. Drier weather recently has helped lower the lake level: Martin, Okeechobee and western St. Lucie counties were classified as “abnormally dry” on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s drought monitor Thursday. STILL NO ALGAE THREAT Over three weeks into this latest discharge event, there still appears to be no current threat of cyanobacteria, commonly called blue-green algae, being dumped into the St. Lucie River. A true-color satellite image taken Wednesday showed little or no blue-green algae on Lake O, with a clear sky showing the lake’s surface in its entirety. Clumps of algae swooped throughout the lake’s northern half, according to the Cyanobacteria Index, operated by NOAA. High levels of blue-green algae would appear as red on the index, which depicts what the naked eye can’t see, as the algae’s density increased. There are some algae gathered along the Port Mayaca Lock and Dam, where water flows are “minimal,” Kelly said. “It is very, very challenging” to project what the algae threat will be once the warmer, wetter mid-summer months arrive, when algae begin to thrive, Kelly said. That’s why the Army Corps is discharging water now, in hopes of avoiding that in June or July. CORPS RESPONDS TO MAST BILLS U.S. Rep. Brian Mast, R-Palm City, announced Monday three water bills to mitigate public health risks from toxic Lake O discharges. The bills aim to keep toxic algae out of the St. Lucie River, prioritize public health and alert people to the hazards of Lake O discharges. If passed, one of the three bills would require the Corps to notify at-risk coastal communities of potential incoming health hazards before releasing water containing blue-green algae. The bill (HR 977), called the Toxic Health Threat Warning Act, would require tests to determine whether the lake water is contaminated. If it is, the Corps would have to notify the public about the human health risks, Mast said. Kelly assured the Corps is doing all it can to notify the public about Lake O releases, and committed Thursday to “utilize every piece of data” to inform the public about potential algae threats. “We’re trying to be as communicative as possible about releases on Lake Okeechobee every day of the year, all the time,” Kelly said. “We’re telling everybody about releases every time we do it, before we do it, what we’re thinking about doing, and what we potentially might do.”