Trump pardons January 6th defendants; SWFL locals on the list?Neighbors speak out after Englewood resident killed in deputy shooting
Trump pardons January 6th defendants; SWFL locals on the list? President Donald Trump, after taking the presidential oath for a second time, issued pardons for individuals charged in the January 6 Capitol attack.
ENGLEWOOD Neighbors speak out after Englewood resident killed in deputy shooting The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office experienced four deputy-involved shootings over three months, with two occurring on consecutive nights.
FHP investigating deadly crash on Gasparilla Rd. and Keystone Blvd. A person is dead after a crash in Charlotte County.
Collier County celebrates President Trump’s inauguration Monday in southwest Florida consisted of many watch parties being held for President Trump’s inauguration.
SANIBEL Bald eagle nests thriving in Sanibel The eagle population in Southwest Florida is thriving, with ten nests discovered from Sanibel to North Captiva Island. This development is creating a haven for these majestic birds.
How a mother’s diet can affect their baby’s health Eating right isn’t just good for moms; it’s great for babies, too.
Costly real estate mistakes and how to avoid fraud Let’s face it: buying a home can be quite a daunting challenge for many, especially due to recent legal changes.
GOLDEN GATE ESTATES Golden Gate Estates resident discovers injured bear in backyard pond A video of a bear resting in a pond in Collier County gained attention online over the weekend.
NAPLES Naples honors MLK Day with parade and community celebration In Naples, the 28th annual Martin Luther King Jr. parade brought together many who feel a close connection to his legacy.
PUNTA GORDA Recent deputy-involved shootings bring mental health to the forefront In the last three months, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has had four deputy-involved shootings. One of them even led to loss of one of their own, Sgt. Elio Diaz.
Charlotte County grapples with 2 fatal deputy-involved shootings The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office is starting a new week with at least four deputies on administrative leave after back-to-back deadly shootings.
71-year-old dead after being struck by vehicle in Collier County The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a deadly crash involving a 71-year-old male pedestrian in Collier County.
Military Heritage Museum, Punta Gorda mutually terminate lease for city meetings Punta Gorda City Council and the city’s various committees and boards will no longer use the Military Heritage Museum as a meeting venue.
St. Matthew’s House keeps shelters open due to cold weather Due to the cold weather, St. Matthew’s House will continue to keep its emergency shelters open to the public.
Arthrex, Lee County Port Authority agree to 40-year lease for new Skyplex logistics facility Lee Board County Board of Port Commissioners voted unanimously to approve a lease-build agreement for Arthrex to construct a 1 million-square-foot logistics facility at Skyplex, just across Paul J. Doherty Parkway from where Gartner and Alta Resources.
Trump pardons January 6th defendants; SWFL locals on the list? President Donald Trump, after taking the presidential oath for a second time, issued pardons for individuals charged in the January 6 Capitol attack.
ENGLEWOOD Neighbors speak out after Englewood resident killed in deputy shooting The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office experienced four deputy-involved shootings over three months, with two occurring on consecutive nights.
FHP investigating deadly crash on Gasparilla Rd. and Keystone Blvd. A person is dead after a crash in Charlotte County.
Collier County celebrates President Trump’s inauguration Monday in southwest Florida consisted of many watch parties being held for President Trump’s inauguration.
SANIBEL Bald eagle nests thriving in Sanibel The eagle population in Southwest Florida is thriving, with ten nests discovered from Sanibel to North Captiva Island. This development is creating a haven for these majestic birds.
How a mother’s diet can affect their baby’s health Eating right isn’t just good for moms; it’s great for babies, too.
Costly real estate mistakes and how to avoid fraud Let’s face it: buying a home can be quite a daunting challenge for many, especially due to recent legal changes.
GOLDEN GATE ESTATES Golden Gate Estates resident discovers injured bear in backyard pond A video of a bear resting in a pond in Collier County gained attention online over the weekend.
NAPLES Naples honors MLK Day with parade and community celebration In Naples, the 28th annual Martin Luther King Jr. parade brought together many who feel a close connection to his legacy.
PUNTA GORDA Recent deputy-involved shootings bring mental health to the forefront In the last three months, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has had four deputy-involved shootings. One of them even led to loss of one of their own, Sgt. Elio Diaz.
Charlotte County grapples with 2 fatal deputy-involved shootings The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office is starting a new week with at least four deputies on administrative leave after back-to-back deadly shootings.
71-year-old dead after being struck by vehicle in Collier County The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a deadly crash involving a 71-year-old male pedestrian in Collier County.
Military Heritage Museum, Punta Gorda mutually terminate lease for city meetings Punta Gorda City Council and the city’s various committees and boards will no longer use the Military Heritage Museum as a meeting venue.
St. Matthew’s House keeps shelters open due to cold weather Due to the cold weather, St. Matthew’s House will continue to keep its emergency shelters open to the public.
Arthrex, Lee County Port Authority agree to 40-year lease for new Skyplex logistics facility Lee Board County Board of Port Commissioners voted unanimously to approve a lease-build agreement for Arthrex to construct a 1 million-square-foot logistics facility at Skyplex, just across Paul J. Doherty Parkway from where Gartner and Alta Resources.
Homes in majority Black neighbors are often undervalued due to systemic racism. (CREDIT: WINK News) In 1978, Gerri Ware and her husband built their dream home. It’s three levels with a stone front and measures around 2,000 square feet. They built on Barden Street in Dunbar, Fort Myers’ predominantly Black neighborhood. “I wanted to encourage my people that you can have a quality home wherever you choose to build it,” Ware said. “You don’t have to go outside of your community to have a lovely home.” It’s the biggest home on the block. It took a lot to achieve the dream. “We had to make a lot of sacrifices. My husband was a teacher and I was in nursing. I taught nursing in Collier County so on the weekends we all had different jobs,” Ware said. “Got small loans from the bank because they were never going to give us a lot of money. We knew that.” Racism prevented Black people from getting large home loans, Ware said. They eventually finished their home, but when it was time to have it appraised, it was devalued. “They appraised it at a lower value of what it would have been had it been built on McGregor and they told us that,” Ware said. The appraisal came in at $40,000 back in the 70s. Homes the same size or smaller in Cape Coral and on McGregor Boulevard sold for almost twice as that. A 2018 Brookings Institution study shows the devaluing of homes in Black neighborhoods is still happening today by an average of $48,000. In Fort Myers and Cape Coral, the study found homes in Back neighborhoods are undervalued by an average of more than $105,000. In Collier County, that climbs to $300,000. “Just sad that it’s OK. It is not right. It is not fair but that’s life and you are not going to cause me to lose my joy nor the passion for why we built it,” Ware said. Fourty years later, Ware still loves her dream home. She said she wouldn’t change a thing. Black people still can’t get home loans at the same rate as whites. A Zillow study published just last month found that Black mortage applicants are denied 84 percent more often than white borrowers.