RSW ranked 4th worst airport for holiday travelCritically injured man airlifted following crash on Palm Beach Blvd.
RSW ranked 4th worst airport for holiday travel As Thanksgiving approaches, a new study by Locals Insider ranked Southwest Florida International Airport as the fourth-worst airport for delays and cancellations during the holiday season.
Critically injured man airlifted following crash on Palm Beach Blvd. The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a two-vehicle crash on Palm Beach Boulevard, which led to a Med-Flight being called.
D-SNAP available to those affected by hurricanes in Charlotte and Sarasota counties The Department of Children and Families has launched its Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in Charlotte and Sarasota counties.
naples Rehabilitated manatee to be released into Port of the Islands Marina in Naples The Manatee Sightseeing and Wildlife Adventures is set to release a rehabilitated manatee back into the waters at the Port of the Island’s Marina.
the weather authority Wednesday morning showers slowly move out through the day The Weather Authority is tracking rain and showers expected throughout the day before an approaching cold front drops temperatures.
CAPE CORAL New Cape Coral City Council members to be sworn in The City of Cape Coral is experiencing a change in leadership, as five new council members are set to be sworn in.
lehigh acres FHP investigating fatal hit-and-run involving motorcyclist The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a hit-and-run that left a motorcyclist dead in Lee County.
FEMA agrees to outside investigation into avoiding homes with Trump signs FEMA’s administrator has agreed to an outside investigation to find out why her employee gave orders to deny trump supporters aid after Hurricane Milton.
Denise Carlin sworn in as Lee County Schools superintendent It’s a big night for families with kids attending Lee County Schools! Dr. Denise Carlin was just sworn in as superintendent.
PORT CHARLOTTE 8 illegal immigrants arrested in Charlotte County Eight people have been arrested in Port Charlotte for being in the country illegally.
SANIBEL Memorial statue unveiled for exotic birds at Jerry’s Foods on Sanibel Island For over 40 years, Dick Muench displayed many of his exotic birds from Central and South America at Jerry’s Foods on Sanibel.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers veteran worried about FEMA code compliance letter One marine veteran is worried sick over having to raise his home.
Residents oppose U-Haul storage unit development in Collier County A lush line of trees in Collier County may turn into storage units, and neighbors are unhappy.
LEHIGH ACRES Parents want changes made to Lee County Schools JROTC The Lee County School District is making changes after 25 students were treated by emergency services for heat exhaustion at a local high school on Friday.
FORT MYERS BEACH La Ola speaks out a day after FEMA deadline A day after the FEMA deadline for temporary structures on Fort Myers Beach to be removed, the scenery remains largely unchanged.
RSW ranked 4th worst airport for holiday travel As Thanksgiving approaches, a new study by Locals Insider ranked Southwest Florida International Airport as the fourth-worst airport for delays and cancellations during the holiday season.
Critically injured man airlifted following crash on Palm Beach Blvd. The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a two-vehicle crash on Palm Beach Boulevard, which led to a Med-Flight being called.
D-SNAP available to those affected by hurricanes in Charlotte and Sarasota counties The Department of Children and Families has launched its Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in Charlotte and Sarasota counties.
naples Rehabilitated manatee to be released into Port of the Islands Marina in Naples The Manatee Sightseeing and Wildlife Adventures is set to release a rehabilitated manatee back into the waters at the Port of the Island’s Marina.
the weather authority Wednesday morning showers slowly move out through the day The Weather Authority is tracking rain and showers expected throughout the day before an approaching cold front drops temperatures.
CAPE CORAL New Cape Coral City Council members to be sworn in The City of Cape Coral is experiencing a change in leadership, as five new council members are set to be sworn in.
lehigh acres FHP investigating fatal hit-and-run involving motorcyclist The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a hit-and-run that left a motorcyclist dead in Lee County.
FEMA agrees to outside investigation into avoiding homes with Trump signs FEMA’s administrator has agreed to an outside investigation to find out why her employee gave orders to deny trump supporters aid after Hurricane Milton.
Denise Carlin sworn in as Lee County Schools superintendent It’s a big night for families with kids attending Lee County Schools! Dr. Denise Carlin was just sworn in as superintendent.
PORT CHARLOTTE 8 illegal immigrants arrested in Charlotte County Eight people have been arrested in Port Charlotte for being in the country illegally.
SANIBEL Memorial statue unveiled for exotic birds at Jerry’s Foods on Sanibel Island For over 40 years, Dick Muench displayed many of his exotic birds from Central and South America at Jerry’s Foods on Sanibel.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers veteran worried about FEMA code compliance letter One marine veteran is worried sick over having to raise his home.
Residents oppose U-Haul storage unit development in Collier County A lush line of trees in Collier County may turn into storage units, and neighbors are unhappy.
LEHIGH ACRES Parents want changes made to Lee County Schools JROTC The Lee County School District is making changes after 25 students were treated by emergency services for heat exhaustion at a local high school on Friday.
FORT MYERS BEACH La Ola speaks out a day after FEMA deadline A day after the FEMA deadline for temporary structures on Fort Myers Beach to be removed, the scenery remains largely unchanged.
(Credit: WINK News) Rent is skyrocketing, especially here in Southwest Florida. Some people see their rent hiked hundreds of dollars a month when it’s time to renew. Finding a good place to live at a reasonable price is becoming increasingly difficult. Senate Bill 580 aims to alleviate some of the pressure on renters. The bill’s sponsor, Florida Senator Victor Torres, said this would allow local municipalities the power to provide more rental assistance. Rita Roberts is one of the people upset with rent prices. She said she would rather sleep outside than pay rent. “I’d move somewhere in a tent,” Roberts said, because she, like many others, can’t afford the rising rents. Jessica Sprague said, “it’s absolutely insane. It’s almost to the point where it would make more sense to buy a house and start paying some type of mortgage.” Roberts and Sprague have seen the hike in prices, with some places charging hundreds of dollars more upon renewal of a lease. “There’s zero affordable housing,” Elizabeth Radi lives in Naples. Her rent is somewhere around $1,100, but she excepts a price hike too. She thinks renters need some protection. “Get a moratorium for the rent hikes. They need to not allow them to go above a certain amount. Because, you know, like I said, even with my apartment, that’s 250% rent increase. That’s, that’s insane.” Radi says she doesn’t think putting the power in local government will help. “We need something done statewide. I think this is just a band-aid, and they’re trying to pacify.” Shawn Williams, with the Lee County Attainable Housing Coalition, said, “I think that giving local jurisdictions the power to facilitate change within their areas is very important. I think that at home rule is a good thing because they are closest to the communities that they serve.” SB 580 is still in the early stages in the state senate. A house version has not been filed. Senator Torres released the following statement about the current affordable housing crisis: The lack of affordable housing in Florida has reached a crisis point. Florida has a long history of preempting local governments from regulating certain issues and keeping that regulation solely for the state. More than 50 years ago this preemption was created that denies cities or counties from setting up local housing programs like rent-controlled apartments or subsidized local housing programs. I believe cities and counties need more flexibility to do what is best for their communities to create more affordable housing choices for their residents. If this bill becomes law, cities, and counties would be allowed to create local programs or Ordinances that could provide rental assistance to residents or create new and much-needed local affordable housing programs with rent controls or sliding scale rent prices based on someone’s income. Unfortunately, very few Floridians can afford to pay 1/3 more a month for where they currently live. We have 1,000 people a day are moving to Florida and that is driving up the cost of home purchases and rental prices and decreasing the number of available affordable housing for seniors, veterans, and working families in Florida. This has to be a priority issue or things will only get worse and too many Floridians will find themselves homeless or living in unsafe housing conditions.