ALVA Woodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
NAPLES Naples youth flag football team to compete in Ohio tournament This weekend, the Naples Lunatics Green will compete in the Superhero Sports tournament in Canton, Ohio.
ALVA Woodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
NAPLES Naples youth flag football team to compete in Ohio tournament This weekend, the Naples Lunatics Green will compete in the Superhero Sports tournament in Canton, Ohio.
Credit: WINK News. Fort Myers was prepared to build a much-needed new police station, but multiple factors — a new mayor, a new city council, a pandemic and, most of all, the price — have led to talk of scrapping that plan. The Fort Myers Police Department took WINK News behind the scenes to see why it says there is an urgent need for a new location, like an evidence room so over-filled that storage pods in the parking lot are used to house evidence, even in murder cases. The parking lot is also too small to hold the department’s cars, so they end up stored around town. Fort Myers Police Chief Derrick Diggs says the parking lot is also where officers do roll call, “because the roll call room isn’t big enough.” “I’ve got command officers whose offices were in a closet,” Diggs said. He pointed to a watch commander’s office so small—6 feet by 8 feet—that you can’t even squeeze a chair in front of the desk, and it’s under a leaky roof. The old Southwest Florida News-Press building right down the street was supposed to be the answer. New plans would have completely transformed it, but the cost of renovating this building went from around $34 million to more than $80 million, which Mayor Kevin Anderson says is way too much. “I think, initially, we were just told a lower price,” Anderson said. “I don’t know if that was intentionally to get us to buy into it.” Anderson says the prior city manager initially put the deal together. The current price tag is in the $60 million range; a lot of money, but well below the $84 million Tallahassee is spending to renovate an old shopping mall. Six Fort Myers City Council members and the mayor all have different ideas about how to address a problem they agree is urgent. “It is a good time to hit the pause button,” said Councilman Liston Bochette. “It may take a little negotiation, but, as I’ve said… life is one big negotiation,” Anderson said. “And I’m confident we can work through this.” Options now include everything from selling off the News-Press Property which fronts Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Fowler Street to renovating the new site in phases. “And if somebody comes along with the right offer, I’d be all for selling it,” Anderson said. “We only have so many resources and we have to pick out, you know, ‘Chief, what do you want first?'” Liston said. But the architect in charge says phases may not be possible, so the focus is on getting it started at all, if everyone with a vote can agree on what they are starting. “You can’t be a 21st century police agency in a 1980s building,” Diggs said. “I’m optimistic on things, o I am hoping that within a year we will be turning dirt,” Anderson said. Councilwoman Teresa Watkins Brown says Fort Myers needs to move ahead with the old News-Press Site but thinks some of the money could possibly be made up in the future by moving City Hall to the same place and selling off the current City Hall, an idea Liston Bouchette also brought up. Councilman Fred Burson says he will have a hard time voting for the $60 million cost, but he might be persuaded. Any council members not quoted for this story did not respond to WINK News’ requests for comment.