ESTERO 1 injured after shooting at Coconut Point Mall According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, one person has been injured after a shooting at the Coconut Point Mall on Friday.
CAPE CORAL CCPD cruiser damaged after officer involved crash An officer-involved crash leaves a Cape Coral police cruiser smashed.
PORT CHARLOTTE Sweet’s Diner in Port Charlotte reopens After months of fundraising and rebuilding, this diner, which had a car fly-through it, is back open.
FWC pushing to protect Florida’s endangered manatees Florida Fish and Wildlife is pushing to protect endangered manatees. One danger that animals face is when boats bash into them, leaving deep scars across their backs.
FORT MYERS The Fort Myers Fire Department looks towards new year Fighting fires is always top of mind for the Fort Myers Fire Department. The Fort Myers Fire Department leads the way when it comes to protecting your property when a fire breaks out.
WINK NEWS Palisades Wildfire devastates SWFL family Just hours after evacuating their Malibu home, the Wohl family learned they would never go back.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral expands with development The Cove at 47th The Cove sits in south Cape Coral between Cape Coral Parkway and Southeast 47th Terrace right next to Cork Soakers.
FORT MYERS ‘Operation Ghost Buster’: 16 arrested in Fort Myers drug operation The Fort Myers Police Department Narcotics Unit conducted an operation targeting drug traffickers and individuals unlawfully selling and possessing firearms in Fort Myers.
FORT MYERS ‘A Distinctive Honor’: Bank of America award benefits FSW Nursing Program Bank of America has been awarded Florida Southwestern State College the 2024 Neighborhood Champion Award.
CAPTIVA One step closer to decision on South Seas building density After hearing arguments from both sides, the judge said he stood by his earlier decision in favor of the Captiva Civic Association.
Governor signs death warrant for man accused of 1997 killing of 2 in Charlotte County Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed the death warrant for a man accused of killing two people in Charlotte County in 1997.
Community input needed for renaming Challenger Boulevard While Lee Health continues construction on the area’s newest hospital, there are decisions to be made.
ESTERO SWFL Lady Hammerheads find community through rugby The southwest Florida Lady Hammerheads are the Florida Women’s Rugby Union’s newest team.
Heavy law enforcement presence near Arcadia Popeyes According to the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office, there is a heavy law enforcement presence near a Popeyes restaurant.
Punta Gorda City Council searches for new home Punta Gorda City Council sought a temporary solution when it was unable to meet Jan. 9 at the Military Heritage Museum because elevators weren’t working, which would have been a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
ESTERO 1 injured after shooting at Coconut Point Mall According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, one person has been injured after a shooting at the Coconut Point Mall on Friday.
CAPE CORAL CCPD cruiser damaged after officer involved crash An officer-involved crash leaves a Cape Coral police cruiser smashed.
PORT CHARLOTTE Sweet’s Diner in Port Charlotte reopens After months of fundraising and rebuilding, this diner, which had a car fly-through it, is back open.
FWC pushing to protect Florida’s endangered manatees Florida Fish and Wildlife is pushing to protect endangered manatees. One danger that animals face is when boats bash into them, leaving deep scars across their backs.
FORT MYERS The Fort Myers Fire Department looks towards new year Fighting fires is always top of mind for the Fort Myers Fire Department. The Fort Myers Fire Department leads the way when it comes to protecting your property when a fire breaks out.
WINK NEWS Palisades Wildfire devastates SWFL family Just hours after evacuating their Malibu home, the Wohl family learned they would never go back.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral expands with development The Cove at 47th The Cove sits in south Cape Coral between Cape Coral Parkway and Southeast 47th Terrace right next to Cork Soakers.
FORT MYERS ‘Operation Ghost Buster’: 16 arrested in Fort Myers drug operation The Fort Myers Police Department Narcotics Unit conducted an operation targeting drug traffickers and individuals unlawfully selling and possessing firearms in Fort Myers.
FORT MYERS ‘A Distinctive Honor’: Bank of America award benefits FSW Nursing Program Bank of America has been awarded Florida Southwestern State College the 2024 Neighborhood Champion Award.
CAPTIVA One step closer to decision on South Seas building density After hearing arguments from both sides, the judge said he stood by his earlier decision in favor of the Captiva Civic Association.
Governor signs death warrant for man accused of 1997 killing of 2 in Charlotte County Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed the death warrant for a man accused of killing two people in Charlotte County in 1997.
Community input needed for renaming Challenger Boulevard While Lee Health continues construction on the area’s newest hospital, there are decisions to be made.
ESTERO SWFL Lady Hammerheads find community through rugby The southwest Florida Lady Hammerheads are the Florida Women’s Rugby Union’s newest team.
Heavy law enforcement presence near Arcadia Popeyes According to the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office, there is a heavy law enforcement presence near a Popeyes restaurant.
Punta Gorda City Council searches for new home Punta Gorda City Council sought a temporary solution when it was unable to meet Jan. 9 at the Military Heritage Museum because elevators weren’t working, which would have been a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
A still from a public service announcement by Sandy Hook Promise. On Monday, the School District of Lee County aims to add another layer of safety to its schools by joining the STOP School Violence Program. The STOP School Violence Program is an educational training program that teaches students and staff to recognize, intervene and get help for individuals who may be socially isolated or at risk of hurting themselves or others. It is offered by Sandy Hook Promise, a national nonprofit organization founded and led by many of the family members whose loved ones were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14, 2012. The group believes in empowering youth to “know the signs” and unite all people who value the protection of children to take action to prevent gun violence and stop the tragic loss of life. The Lee County School District is in the early process of applying for a grant of $850,476 that would cover program costs if awarded. The Lee County School Board is set to vote on approval of the grant submission today, which would then be submitted to Sandy Hook Promise. Lee County calls this a logical next step in strengthening school safety. Students being evacuated from Sandy Hook Elementary School following a deadly shooting in 2012. “We are entrusted by parents every single day to take care of their children,” said LCSD spokesman Rob Spicker. “We take that seriously. And what we hope comes out of this STOP School Violence Program is that we really do create students in schools that feel connected and care for each other. If you have that, then you’ve got a big step ahead of protecting your schools. The STOP School Violence Program is made up of three main components. The first is an educational campaign called “Start with Hello,” which teaches students the importance of making students feel like they’re not alone, encouraging them to reach out to those who may feel socially isolated. The second campaign is “Say Something,” which trains students and staff how to recognize something that may be a threat and how to act on that threat in terms of who to tell. The third component implements what are called SAVE Clubs, SAVE standing for “Students Against Violence Everywhere.” These are clubs started at the schools to empower students to take control of making their school a safer place. Mark Barden, a co-founder of the Sandy Hook Promise program who lost his 7-year-old son Daniel in the shooting, says the mission to protect kids from what his son endured feels personal to him. “The shooter at sandy hook was chronically socially isolated, and was giving off—for what we know, from what we can tell—at least a year of warning signs,” Barden said. “I think about it all the time. If somebody like my little Daniel or somebody who was trained in the ‘Start with a Hello Program,’ who was able to recognize chronic social isolation, maybe had one more conversation with this individual, it may have changed everything.” If LCSD does end up receiving the grant, it could be by as soon as the end of the year.