ESTERO 1 dead after crashing into tree in Estero According to the Florida Highway Patrol, one person is dead after crashing into a tree in Estero on Friday night.
IMMOKALEE 1 dead after hit-and-run crash in Immokalee Authorities are investigating a fatal hit-and-run crash that occurred Friday night in Immokalee.
NAPLES Vigil held for teen shot and killed at Collier party Family, friends and loved ones gathered at a candlelight vigil to remember and honor the life of 18-year-old D’eisha Arthur.
FORT MYERS Florida Gulf Coast University holds “Night at the Nest” fundraiser FGCU is holding its “Night at the Nest” fundraiser and gala on Friday. The money raised will go toward university scholarships.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda Veterans Village helping veterans during the holidays Residents and businesses at the Punta Gorda Veterans Village are stepping up to make military transitions a little easier this holiday season.
NORTH PORT Family pushes for class action against Heritage Insurance A North Port family is battling against Heritage Insurance over the damage Hurricane Ian did to their home.
Trails End Drive suspected double murder hit man and organizers back in court There are new developments in the murder-for-hire case that made headlines for weeks at the start of the year. The defendants are back in court.
CAPE CORAL 4 arrested on drug-related charges after FBI investigation Some Cape Coral residents woke up in the early morning hours to their neighbors’ homes being raided by federal agents.
Hope Card program protects victims of domestic violence in Lee County Lee County has implemented the Hope Card Program, a new statewide initiative to help victims of domestic violence.
SANIBEL 36th annual Sanibel Luminary Festival begins The Luminary Festival kicked off on Sanibel Island on Friday. This community-wide holiday event puts residents and visitors in the holiday spirit.
FORT MYERS Future unsure for Rachel at the Well During Hurricane Ian, Rachel at the well was uprooted from its spot in front of the Edison Park neighborhood.
NAPLES Naples Yacht Club appoints first woman commodore After 78 years, the Naples Yacht Club has appointed its first woman commodore. Kathy Parks King is her name.
FORT MYERS Mano Santa Tattoos, a woman-owned tattoo shop, opens in Fort Myers Mano Santa Tattoos is the newest tattoo studio in Fort Myers, offering an immersive tattoo experience to clients. The shop is woman-owned and women-staffed.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda residents awaiting Gilchrist Park repairs The City of Punta Gorda has yet to complete repairs or remove the boats that remain stranded in Gilchrist Park after Hurricane Milton.
ESTERO 1 dead after crashing into tree in Estero According to the Florida Highway Patrol, one person is dead after crashing into a tree in Estero on Friday night.
IMMOKALEE 1 dead after hit-and-run crash in Immokalee Authorities are investigating a fatal hit-and-run crash that occurred Friday night in Immokalee.
NAPLES Vigil held for teen shot and killed at Collier party Family, friends and loved ones gathered at a candlelight vigil to remember and honor the life of 18-year-old D’eisha Arthur.
FORT MYERS Florida Gulf Coast University holds “Night at the Nest” fundraiser FGCU is holding its “Night at the Nest” fundraiser and gala on Friday. The money raised will go toward university scholarships.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda Veterans Village helping veterans during the holidays Residents and businesses at the Punta Gorda Veterans Village are stepping up to make military transitions a little easier this holiday season.
NORTH PORT Family pushes for class action against Heritage Insurance A North Port family is battling against Heritage Insurance over the damage Hurricane Ian did to their home.
Trails End Drive suspected double murder hit man and organizers back in court There are new developments in the murder-for-hire case that made headlines for weeks at the start of the year. The defendants are back in court.
CAPE CORAL 4 arrested on drug-related charges after FBI investigation Some Cape Coral residents woke up in the early morning hours to their neighbors’ homes being raided by federal agents.
Hope Card program protects victims of domestic violence in Lee County Lee County has implemented the Hope Card Program, a new statewide initiative to help victims of domestic violence.
SANIBEL 36th annual Sanibel Luminary Festival begins The Luminary Festival kicked off on Sanibel Island on Friday. This community-wide holiday event puts residents and visitors in the holiday spirit.
FORT MYERS Future unsure for Rachel at the Well During Hurricane Ian, Rachel at the well was uprooted from its spot in front of the Edison Park neighborhood.
NAPLES Naples Yacht Club appoints first woman commodore After 78 years, the Naples Yacht Club has appointed its first woman commodore. Kathy Parks King is her name.
FORT MYERS Mano Santa Tattoos, a woman-owned tattoo shop, opens in Fort Myers Mano Santa Tattoos is the newest tattoo studio in Fort Myers, offering an immersive tattoo experience to clients. The shop is woman-owned and women-staffed.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda residents awaiting Gilchrist Park repairs The City of Punta Gorda has yet to complete repairs or remove the boats that remain stranded in Gilchrist Park after Hurricane Milton.
Credit: WINK News. Five people hospitalized in the last two weeks are recovering from lightning strikes in Southwest Florida. Wednesday, the detection system went off, warning people of lightning from a nearby storm. We were near Lowdermilk Beach in Naples when we heard the system working. That’s the problem: Locals who go to the beach daily told us these lightning prediction horns are loud and impossible to miss. But there are always people who ignore them. That’s frustrating for a man who is in the business of protecting people from dangerous lightning strikes. “In a typical strike, we’re going to give 15-20 minutes warning,” said Bob Dugan, the CEO of Thor Guard. That should be plenty of time for people to pack up and get to shelter, but Dugan said that doesn’t always happen. “It is frustrating, but you know, I’ve been doing this for 31 years. I’ve seen everything,” Dugan said. “Sad thing is, up until June 12, this was the first year in recorded history that no one had been hit and killed by lightning in the United States. Then all of a sudden in our backyard, we get three. Now, they didn’t die, but it’s pretty tragic.” During the past three weeks, people were hit by lightning on Sanibel, Marco Island and at Clam Pass Park. All victims survived. Dugan’s systems are located throughout Southwest Florida beaches to prevent these tragedies. There are 11 on Marco Island and five in the City of Naples, including one at Lowdermilk Beach, where Trish Ocker spends five to six hours a day. She’s always looking out for dark clouds but says she doesn’t always seek shelter when she hears the warning system. “I go by my radar more so than the sound because 10 miles is pretty far and can pass very quickly so,” Ocker said. Phyllis Casoria started to get off the beach when she saw stormy weather begin to appear. “And you realize it’s a real threat. You have to do what you have to do. When you know it’s imminent, you leave,” Casoria said. “A lot of people don’t want to do that, but it’s a bad choice to make.” Dugan hopes people start to make better choices but knows it’s out of his control. “There’s not much you can do about it,” Dugan said. “They’re taking their chances.” Dugan told us his company is constantly maintaining its systems to make sure they work properly. Collier County Public Schools plans to upgrade its lightning prediction systems before the start of the school year.