3 charged for major theft organization targeting luxury vehiclesMan arrested for DUI after slamming into Port Charlotte home’s garage
LEHIGH ACRES 3 charged for major theft organization targeting luxury vehicles Three men, one from Lehigh Acres, has been charged for their role in a major theft organization targeting luxury vehicles.
port charlotte Man arrested for DUI after slamming into Port Charlotte home’s garage The North Port Police Department has arrested a man accused of DUI and crashing into a Port Charlotte home’s garage.
CAPE CORAL New information on nurse accused of starving premature baby New information has been released about what happened behind closed doors when a nurse allegedly starved a premature baby.
BONITA SPRINGS World’s largest bounce castle to spring into Bonita Springs The Big Bounce America, the world’s largest inflatable bounce castle is set to appear in Bonita Springs.
palmdale Gatorama owner bitten during alligator feeding show Gatorama owner Allen Register was sent to hospital after being bitten by an alligator during a feeding show.
CAPE CORAL Man accused of Cape Coral DUI accident with serious injuries A man has been arrested after allegedly causing an accident with injuries while driving under the influence in Cape Coral.
wink news Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads Up As construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox Rosen knows the best way to traverse the roadways in this web-exclusive feature.
the weather authority Another warm afternoon for your Tuesday plans The Weather Authority is tracking a warm Tuesday afternoon with stray rain showers expected in our inland communities.
NORTH FORT MYERS Cape Coral man faces 16 charges after fleeing multiple traffic stops Marcus Selby, 24, is facing multiple charges after a dramatic series of events involving Cape Coral police and Florida Highway Patrol troopers.
SANIBEL Sanibel residents brace for traffic surge with new advisory and app aid Sanibel residents are bracing for increased traffic as the city issued a “heavy traffic advisory” for the entire week.
FGCU FGCU’s Casey Santoro battles back from Achilles injury FGCU women’s basketball player Casey Santoro is back on the floor after suffering an Achilles injury a season ago.
BABCOCK RANCH Heaviest Florida panther ever recorded located in Babcock Ranch Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission biologists recently captured and collared the heaviest Florida panther ever recorded.
Lee County deputies using VR for safe high-risk training scenarios The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has taken a significant step forward in training by incorporating virtual reality technology.
NAPLES FC Naples signs local soccer star Joffre followed his dream across continents after graduating from Gulf Coast. Now he’s back on the professional soccer pitch in his hometown.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach businesses face floodplain compliance deadline Fort Myers Beach’s businesses face pressure to comply with floodplain regulations or leave the island by March 1.
LEHIGH ACRES 3 charged for major theft organization targeting luxury vehicles Three men, one from Lehigh Acres, has been charged for their role in a major theft organization targeting luxury vehicles.
port charlotte Man arrested for DUI after slamming into Port Charlotte home’s garage The North Port Police Department has arrested a man accused of DUI and crashing into a Port Charlotte home’s garage.
CAPE CORAL New information on nurse accused of starving premature baby New information has been released about what happened behind closed doors when a nurse allegedly starved a premature baby.
BONITA SPRINGS World’s largest bounce castle to spring into Bonita Springs The Big Bounce America, the world’s largest inflatable bounce castle is set to appear in Bonita Springs.
palmdale Gatorama owner bitten during alligator feeding show Gatorama owner Allen Register was sent to hospital after being bitten by an alligator during a feeding show.
CAPE CORAL Man accused of Cape Coral DUI accident with serious injuries A man has been arrested after allegedly causing an accident with injuries while driving under the influence in Cape Coral.
wink news Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads Up As construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox Rosen knows the best way to traverse the roadways in this web-exclusive feature.
the weather authority Another warm afternoon for your Tuesday plans The Weather Authority is tracking a warm Tuesday afternoon with stray rain showers expected in our inland communities.
NORTH FORT MYERS Cape Coral man faces 16 charges after fleeing multiple traffic stops Marcus Selby, 24, is facing multiple charges after a dramatic series of events involving Cape Coral police and Florida Highway Patrol troopers.
SANIBEL Sanibel residents brace for traffic surge with new advisory and app aid Sanibel residents are bracing for increased traffic as the city issued a “heavy traffic advisory” for the entire week.
FGCU FGCU’s Casey Santoro battles back from Achilles injury FGCU women’s basketball player Casey Santoro is back on the floor after suffering an Achilles injury a season ago.
BABCOCK RANCH Heaviest Florida panther ever recorded located in Babcock Ranch Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission biologists recently captured and collared the heaviest Florida panther ever recorded.
Lee County deputies using VR for safe high-risk training scenarios The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has taken a significant step forward in training by incorporating virtual reality technology.
NAPLES FC Naples signs local soccer star Joffre followed his dream across continents after graduating from Gulf Coast. Now he’s back on the professional soccer pitch in his hometown.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach businesses face floodplain compliance deadline Fort Myers Beach’s businesses face pressure to comply with floodplain regulations or leave the island by March 1.
(Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP) State economists expressed optimism Tuesday that already-rebounding tourism numbers will see a quicker-than-anticipated boost from international travelers as Canada eases COVID-19 border restrictions. While decisions remain from the White House about Canadian travelers entering the United States, members of Florida’s Economic Estimating Conference said Tuesday they anticipate changes will be made to make it more convenient for people traveling south of the U.S.-Canada border. “The borders closed. The border opens. You’re going to have a big jump in people,” Holger Ciupalo, policy coordinator for the governor’s Office of Policy and Budget, said as the economists looked at a long-range outlook for Florida’s economy. On Monday, the Canadian government announced that starting Aug. 9, fully vaccinated U.S. citizens will be able to visit Canada without having to quarantine for two weeks. Children under 12 who are not approved to receive vaccines will also be exempt from the quarantine rule so long as they follow public-health measures such as avoiding certain group settings, including camps and day care. Even with growing uncertainty about the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant, which sent the stock market reeling on Monday, the panel of Florida economists looked Tuesday to move a forecast for Canadian travel to reach pre-pandemic figures earlier than the first quarter of 2022. With less than 48 percent of eligible Florida residents fully vaccinated against COVID-19, Amy Baker, coordinator of the Legislature’s Office of Economic & Demographic Research, expressed hesitancy about being too optimistic in forecasting travel because of the Delta variant. But Ciupalo said he expects the White House to match the Canadian border-policy changes within the next three weeks. “Yes, you have the Delta variant coming out. However, Canada’s over 70 percent vaccinated. They’re still getting vaccinated,” Ciupalo said. “Yes, the U.S. is lacking on that. Be that as it may. So, I do not think that the forecast for Canadians should come down from wherever it is right now.” The United States and Canada restricted non-essential travel across the border because of the pandemic. On Monday, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters that international travel decisions await guidance from public-health and medical experts. “We take this incredibly seriously, but we look and are guided by our own medical experts. I wouldn’t look at it through a reciprocal intention,” she said Canadian travel into Florida for the first quarter of 2021 was down 97.2 percent from the same period in 2020, with Florida attracting 34,000 Canadians during the period, according to Visit Florida numbers. The state’s tourism-promotion agency also estimated that overall international tourism was down 74.4 percent during the first quarter of 2021, compared to the same period in 2020. The state drew an estimated 564,000 overseas visitors the first three months of the year, with many nations imposing border screening and other travel restrictions due to COVID-19. Second-quarter numbers from Visit Florida aren’t expected to be released until next month. Those numbers are expected to easily top the second quarter of 2020, when the tourism industry bottomed out because of the pandemic. Florida this year drew an overall 26.16 million visitors from Jan. 1 to March 31, down from 30.4 million tourists during the first quarter of 2020, according to Visit Florida. Vesselka McAlarney, who conducts economic forecasts for the Office of Economic & Demographic Research, said this year’s first-quarter numbers might be in part “artificially boosted” by former part time residents and online workers permanently relocating to Florida. But that shouldn’t impact the anticipated growth in international travel to Florida. Florida attracted an estimated 79.75 million tourists in 2020, a 39.3 percent drop from 2019. The 2020 figures were the lowest in a decade for a state that relies heavily on tourism to fuel its economy. Until the pandemic, Florida posted nine consecutive years of increased tourism numbers, topped by 131.4 million travelers in 2019. The pandemic began hammering the state’s economy in March 2020, amid a period of the year that includes tourist draws such as spring break and baseball spring training. The number of tourists fell to 9.92 million in the second quarter of 2020, a 69.4 percent drop from the prior year, before increasing to 20.33 million in the third quarter and 19.096 million in the fourth quarter.