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.
FILE: Airport flight status board showing canceled flights at RSW. (Credit: WINK News) Spirit Airlines is still having issues as cancellations continued Thursday. The flight boards at Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) show that most of Spirit’s arriving and departing flights have been canceled. Those include flights to or from Kansas City, Detroit, Indianapolis, Atlantic City and Pittsburgh. (Check RSW flights here.) The airline has been plagued this week by problems that include staffing shortages, severe weather and system outages. A spokesperson told WINK News on Wednesday that cancellations would drop Thursday, but so far, only two flights in to and two flights out of RSW appeared to still be planned for the day. Passengers say they are more than upset. In just four days, Spirit has canceled more than 383 flights across the country, nearly half of all the airline’s trips. The Miramar-based budget carrier canceled another 412 flights Thursday, which is more than 52% of its total schedule, according to FlightAware. Tim Worthington said he was able to find a ticket with another airline after his flight was canceled, but he worries for those who can’t. “I think it’s sad. I really am. The people with families that are flying. I mean I can afford to go to Delta and buy a ticket. A lot of these people are here on vacation with four or five kids. They’re gonna have to pay $1,000 to $1,200 to get home and they don’t have that kind of money.” Worthington said the airline sent him a cancellation email. He asked for a refund but instead was sent a $50 voucher for a future flight. According to the Department of Transportation, travelers whose flights have been canceled are due a refund if the traveler chooses not to take another flight. “Spirit’s a shame,” he said. For five days, Spirit has asked for patience despite disappointing, even angering thousands of passengers like Bobby Gordon because of repeated cancellations. Gordon said Spirit promised him on Wednesday that he and his family were clear for takeoff Thursday morning. “We took our rental car back and got an Uber and on the way back… on the way to the airport, they sent us a text saying our flight was canceled, on the way to the airport.” Gordon said Spirit gave him the option to fly out next Tuesday or find another airline. He chose to wait until Tuesday, but that’s an option many travelers can’t afford. “The tickets I’m seeing now are $290 for a one-way when I have already spent probably 1,000 just to get home and I haven’t received any credits back,” said Shaylyn Goldthwaite. She and her brother don’t know what’s next for them. Their flights were canceled and they need to get home for work. “We work at the same job. We have a point system, so that potentially is going to cause issues at our job. Obviously with our checks, not having enough funds to even make it home.” Goldthwaite did say Spirit gave her her money back, but she still hasn’t been able to schedule a trip home on any airline. Joe Ficarra and his wife are stuck at RSW, but unlike everyone else, he isn’t quick to blame the airline’s employees. He figures they have one of the toughest jobs in the nation right now. “I brought the attendants some brownies as a peace offering because I know it’s not their fault,” he said. Most passengers see other airlines coming and going, so they’re hitting up the Spirit ticket counter, hoping the airline can find them a flight. “They canceled our flight. We looked yesterday. It was canceled and then we had to get another flight, so we were hoping that this one wouldn’t be canceled too,” said Connie Krok. Spirit offers just a handful of flights every day out of RSW, unlike major carriers, so it’s much harder for Spirit to help stranded passengers. “We’ll never go with spirit again,” Krok said. But Ficarra said to hold the blame until we know more. “I guess they were inundated with people flying left and right and they just weren’t ready for it because of COVID. And I’m sure they’ll have it back and over soon,” he said. The CEO of Spirit Airlines, Edward M. Christie III, refused to publicly address what’s happening. The company had yet to issue any new statements Thursday. A check of Spirit’s flights into and out of RSW for Friday had yet to show any cancellations.