Police Explorer Marcus Freeman remembered 14 years after North Port crashFort Myers Beach celebrates early St. Patrick’s Day with lively parade
NORTH PORT Police Explorer Marcus Freeman remembered 14 years after North Port crash The North Port Police Department is remembering a young life lost too soon.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach celebrates early St. Patrick’s Day with lively parade Fort Myers Beach celebrated St. Patrick’s Day early with a lively parade, bringing the island to life with Irish spirit.
the weather authority A breezy Saturday with near-record high heat in store The Weather Authority says a warm Saturday with near-record high heat is in store with sun and clouds overhead.
SANIBEL Sanibel Beach shines as a top 2025 destination for shelling Southwest Florida’s beaches are a major draw for visitors from around the world.
911 calls save two kayakers in distress on Caloosahatchee River After strong winds left them stranded, two kayakers were rescued from the Caloosahatchee River.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral woman tricked into romance scam, police seek recovery Cape Coral police are working to recover more than $250,000 from a bank account that may be tied to criminal activity.
Captiva’s Mucky Duck plans reopening after hurricane damage The Mucky Duck, a beloved restaurant on Captiva Island, is determined to clear up any rumors about its closure.
PORT CHARLOTTE Tampa Bay Rays’ future in Port Charlotte raises business concerns The Tampa Bay Rays are planning to stay at Tropicana Field for the 2026 season while they repair damage from Hurricane Milton.
Red tide health alert lifted in certain Lee County areas The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has lifted the red tide health alerts issued in certain areas.
Charlotte Sheriff elected as chair of Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell is stepping into a new role as chair of the Florida Sheriff’s Youth Ranches.
NAPLES Naples groups unite to protect endangered Florida Panthers The third Saturday in March marks the official Save the Florida Panther Day.
New housing development in Collier County raises environmental concerns Instead of fields of oranges fueling the local economy, rows of homes could soon take their place in the region.
NAPLES La Gondola: Venice experience in Southwest Florida Imagine cruising down the Southwest Florida waterways in your very own gondola, bringing a touch of Italy to Naples.
FORT MYERS Bubbles for Bug; Carwash raising funds for furry friend A Southwest Florida dog named Bug needs help. His owner, Lex Montanaro, is hosting a carwash fundraiser to raise the $10,000 Bug needs for surgery.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda’s Celtic Ray preps for St. Patrick’s Day bash Punta Gorda is gearing up for a massive St. Patrick’s Day celebration this weekend.
NORTH PORT Police Explorer Marcus Freeman remembered 14 years after North Port crash The North Port Police Department is remembering a young life lost too soon.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach celebrates early St. Patrick’s Day with lively parade Fort Myers Beach celebrated St. Patrick’s Day early with a lively parade, bringing the island to life with Irish spirit.
the weather authority A breezy Saturday with near-record high heat in store The Weather Authority says a warm Saturday with near-record high heat is in store with sun and clouds overhead.
SANIBEL Sanibel Beach shines as a top 2025 destination for shelling Southwest Florida’s beaches are a major draw for visitors from around the world.
911 calls save two kayakers in distress on Caloosahatchee River After strong winds left them stranded, two kayakers were rescued from the Caloosahatchee River.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral woman tricked into romance scam, police seek recovery Cape Coral police are working to recover more than $250,000 from a bank account that may be tied to criminal activity.
Captiva’s Mucky Duck plans reopening after hurricane damage The Mucky Duck, a beloved restaurant on Captiva Island, is determined to clear up any rumors about its closure.
PORT CHARLOTTE Tampa Bay Rays’ future in Port Charlotte raises business concerns The Tampa Bay Rays are planning to stay at Tropicana Field for the 2026 season while they repair damage from Hurricane Milton.
Red tide health alert lifted in certain Lee County areas The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has lifted the red tide health alerts issued in certain areas.
Charlotte Sheriff elected as chair of Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell is stepping into a new role as chair of the Florida Sheriff’s Youth Ranches.
NAPLES Naples groups unite to protect endangered Florida Panthers The third Saturday in March marks the official Save the Florida Panther Day.
New housing development in Collier County raises environmental concerns Instead of fields of oranges fueling the local economy, rows of homes could soon take their place in the region.
NAPLES La Gondola: Venice experience in Southwest Florida Imagine cruising down the Southwest Florida waterways in your very own gondola, bringing a touch of Italy to Naples.
FORT MYERS Bubbles for Bug; Carwash raising funds for furry friend A Southwest Florida dog named Bug needs help. His owner, Lex Montanaro, is hosting a carwash fundraiser to raise the $10,000 Bug needs for surgery.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda’s Celtic Ray preps for St. Patrick’s Day bash Punta Gorda is gearing up for a massive St. Patrick’s Day celebration this weekend.
Tracee and John Tobler Credit: WINK News Construction Manager John Tobler has become the first Black person in Lee County to be awarded a large, prime construction contract for the School District of Lee County. How will they rise to the historic challenge? It takes hard work and dedication to break barriers, to pave your own path, to be “the first.” John Tobler, president and co-owner of Tobler construction, knows that very well. “It’s just a beautiful thing, growing up here, knowing the things that we’ve had to go through in this community and to be a part of bringing jobs back home, keeping the jobs home, and just being a part of increasing the economy right here,” he said. John and his wife, Tracee, were born and raised in Dunbar, and that’s where they’re making history. Tobler Construction and OAK are teaming up to rebuild Franklin Park Elementary School. Tobler is the first Black-owned construction management company to be awarded a prime contract of that size. The Franklin Park Elementary School rebuilding project is estimated to cost anywhere from $55 million to $65 million. The Tobler/OAK Joint Venture was designed as a partnership to split power and control over the rebuilding project. To date, they’ve worked on several projects together, including Lehigh Acres Middle School. “I think this is going to be a transformational project for the school district of Lee County, for the community of Dunbar,” said Jan-Erik Hustrulid, community outreach coordinator for the Tobler/OAK Joint Venture. “To have the boys and girls who are going to walk by that job site on the daily basis see you there, moms and dads and grandparents working on the job site, will be tremendously invaluable for them to see that so they will have a future to look forward to hopefully in construction.” “We are moving towards that American dream, which we all so dearly want,” said James Muwakkil, president of Lee County’s NAACP Chapter. The new building will be making history as well. It will become the School District of Lee County’s first community partnership school, meaning it will have classrooms and social services all under one roof. “It’s not just about the children. It’s going to be about the community and finally having something beautiful,” said school board member Debbie Jordan. The hope is, that after this contract, history will repeat itself. “Hopefully, it will open the doors to other contractors in the area, subcontractors of color that will be able to move into the spaces where we previously not been represented,” said Tracee Tobler, vice president and co-owner of Tobler Construction. “Those kids that live right here in this community, they will see the name Tobler plastered on their building and they will know,” John said. “If he did it, I can do it.”