Tribute breakfast to be held for Charlotte County Sgt. Elio DiazGov. DeSantis to hold news conference in Winter Haven
port charlotte Tribute breakfast to be held for Charlotte County Sgt. Elio Diaz A tribute breakfast is set to be held for Charlotte County Sgt. Elio Diaz, who was killed in the line of duty in December.
winter haven Gov. DeSantis to hold news conference in Winter Haven Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news conference in Winter Haven.
FORT MYERS Shell Factory & Nature Park announces online auction liquidation of remaining inventory Fans of the now-closed Shell Factory & Nature Park will have a final chance to own a piece of nostalgia with two virtual auctions.
the weather authority More clouds than sun for your Wednesday The Weather Authority is tracking an increased cloud coverage along with cooler conditions this Wednesday afternoon.
Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads-Up As construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox-Rosen knows the best way to traverse the roadways in this web-exclusive feature.
PORT CHARLOTTE ‘It’s devastating’: Neighbor reflects on fatal fire in Port Charlotte A devastating house fire Monday night in Port Charlotte has left one person dead and another hospitalized while neighbors mourn the possible loss of a beloved member of their community.
‘The sound of death’ Neighbors concerned by amount of crashes on Joel Blvd A woman is heartbroken from witnessing crash after crash outside her Lehigh Acres home.
Fort Myers get 15% increase on flood insurance discount WINK News is finding out what led to the city of Fort Myers going from just a 5% FEMA flood insurance discount to a 20% discount.
FORT MYERS Locals house California wildfire victims The effects of the California fires are being felt worldwide as people evacuate some are in southwest Florida.
LOVERS KEY Couple returns to Lovers Key condo post Ian While Hurricane Ian is long gone from Southwest Florida, many are still feeling its impacts.
EVERGLADES Biden signs Water Resources Development Act, its effect on SWFL President Biden recently signed into law the Water Resources Development Act with an aim to improve rivers and harbors across the country and provide for the conservation of water. Southwest Florida was included in that act. Putting the 240-page plan together took a lot of work, not just from state and federal lawmakers, but also […]
Turning business travel into a vacation Would work travel seem a little easier if you could turn it into a vacation? Two professors say they have proof that would help business travel.
The future of biometrics: Safer security or new AI risks? In 2021, the Transportation Service Agency (TSA) launched its new touchless identity solution in the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County airport.
CAPE CORAL Pelican Elementary resource officer saves infant A school resource officer at Pelican Elementary saved an infants’ life at a traffic stop in Cape Coral.
FORT MYERS Progress being made on City View Park in Dunbar More promises made by a city that has not kept its promises for the last six years have some neighbors concerned about the future of their community.
port charlotte Tribute breakfast to be held for Charlotte County Sgt. Elio Diaz A tribute breakfast is set to be held for Charlotte County Sgt. Elio Diaz, who was killed in the line of duty in December.
winter haven Gov. DeSantis to hold news conference in Winter Haven Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news conference in Winter Haven.
FORT MYERS Shell Factory & Nature Park announces online auction liquidation of remaining inventory Fans of the now-closed Shell Factory & Nature Park will have a final chance to own a piece of nostalgia with two virtual auctions.
the weather authority More clouds than sun for your Wednesday The Weather Authority is tracking an increased cloud coverage along with cooler conditions this Wednesday afternoon.
Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads-Up As construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox-Rosen knows the best way to traverse the roadways in this web-exclusive feature.
PORT CHARLOTTE ‘It’s devastating’: Neighbor reflects on fatal fire in Port Charlotte A devastating house fire Monday night in Port Charlotte has left one person dead and another hospitalized while neighbors mourn the possible loss of a beloved member of their community.
‘The sound of death’ Neighbors concerned by amount of crashes on Joel Blvd A woman is heartbroken from witnessing crash after crash outside her Lehigh Acres home.
Fort Myers get 15% increase on flood insurance discount WINK News is finding out what led to the city of Fort Myers going from just a 5% FEMA flood insurance discount to a 20% discount.
FORT MYERS Locals house California wildfire victims The effects of the California fires are being felt worldwide as people evacuate some are in southwest Florida.
LOVERS KEY Couple returns to Lovers Key condo post Ian While Hurricane Ian is long gone from Southwest Florida, many are still feeling its impacts.
EVERGLADES Biden signs Water Resources Development Act, its effect on SWFL President Biden recently signed into law the Water Resources Development Act with an aim to improve rivers and harbors across the country and provide for the conservation of water. Southwest Florida was included in that act. Putting the 240-page plan together took a lot of work, not just from state and federal lawmakers, but also […]
Turning business travel into a vacation Would work travel seem a little easier if you could turn it into a vacation? Two professors say they have proof that would help business travel.
The future of biometrics: Safer security or new AI risks? In 2021, the Transportation Service Agency (TSA) launched its new touchless identity solution in the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County airport.
CAPE CORAL Pelican Elementary resource officer saves infant A school resource officer at Pelican Elementary saved an infants’ life at a traffic stop in Cape Coral.
FORT MYERS Progress being made on City View Park in Dunbar More promises made by a city that has not kept its promises for the last six years have some neighbors concerned about the future of their community.
One bunker model sold by Rising S Company sells for $4.2 million and includes an air filtration system, bullet-resistant doors, shower, hot water heater and infrared security system. Credit: CBS News In a matter of weeks, COVID-19 pandemic fears in Europe have given way to another concern that nightmares are made of: the possibility that Russia could use a nuclear weapon. Since Russia’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine, U.S. and overseas manufacturers of residential bunkers say they’ve seen a spike in customer inquiries and orders — a surge they attribute to the war in Eastern Europe and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision late last month to put his country’s nuclear forces on alert. Gary Lynch, general manager of Rising S Company, a residential bunker builder based in Murchison, Texas, said he recently started receiving inquiries from prospective customers in Italy, Romania, Sweden and the U.K., in addition to the U.S. and Canada. “We’ve got a world superpower threatening to use nuclear weapons; that alone is enough to be scary,” he told CBS MoneyWatch. “Excellent man caves” Manufacturers say the pre-fab shelters will withstand exposure to chemical, biological and nuclear attacks. Some use a steel frame strong enough to resist earthquakes and include bullet-resistant doors. The highest-end models — which can cost millions of dollars — may include air filtration systems, solar charging stations, freshwater inlets, waste removal tanks and infrared security. Rising S makes bunkers in a local factory and ships them overseas. Over a recent 10-day period, Lynch said he got 1,600 inquiries from people interested in an underground shelter where they could take refuge in the event of a nuclear incident. That compares with the two to six calls he normally would have fielded over that same span of time from consumers looking to build a panic room or secure storage spaces for weapons or valuables. Forty of those customer inquiries led to sales of bunkers ranging in price from $60,000 to around $200,000, including installation. “Normally, in that same time frame I would have sold five,” Lynch said, describing his new customers as “hardworking people who are taking the measures to protect their loved ones.” “They make excellent man caves or extra sleeping for extended family, and they’re good for safe rooms,” he added. “Maybe you don’t use it today, but you use it in a week or a year.” Interest in residential bunkers is coming from people across the income ladder. Mathieu Séranne, founder of Artemis Protection, a Paris-based company that sells and installs luxury, prefabricated bunkers for a variety of uses, said he’s noticed a similar uptick in interest for his company’s products. Before the war, Séranne’s 1-year-old company primarily worked with wealthy clients, but interest in shelters is now pouring in from people of various income levels in Finland, France, Poland, Russia, the U.S. and Canada, he told CBS MoneyWatch. That includes inquiries from entrepreneurs, a doctor, a postal worker and an Amazon worker, among others. “I used to cater to all high-net-worth individuals because the shelters we build are spacious and equipped with everything they need. Since the Ukraine crisis happened, we’ve heard from so many normal people, and we had to adapt in an emergency to build smaller, bare-bones shelters that we can produce and deliver quickly,” he said. One bunker model sold by Rising S Company sells for $4.2 million and includes an air filtration system, bullet-resistant doors, shower, hot water heater and infrared security system. Credit: CBS News The site of an underground bunker built by Rising S Company in Texas.Credit: RISING S COMPANY VIA CBS NEWS Giulio Cavicchioli, owner of Minus Energie, said demand for his bunkers, like the one pictured above, has skyrocketed since war broke out in Ukraine. Credit: MINUS ENERGIE via CBS News France’s Artemis Protection has sold 40 bunkers over the past couple of weeks, a record for the company. Credit: ARTEMIS PROTECTION via CBS News A luxury bunker from Artemis Protection can cost millions of dollars — and people are willing to pay up as nuclear war fears mount. Credit: ARTEMIS PROTECTION via CBS News Million-dollar panic room Today’s generation of residential bunkers are far more comfortable than the spartan fallout shelters that many Americans added to their homes in the early days of the Cold War, when President John F. Kennedy urged people to build radiation-proof structures. Indeed, a premium Artemis Protection bunker resembles a luxury apartment, complete with high ceilings, recessed lighting and high-end fittings, along with basic amenities including a living room, shower and television. A basic model with fewer amenities and measuring just over 30-square-feet runs roughly $166,000. “Then the sky is the limit for the rest,” Séranne said. “Some people want them to be more than 100 square meters [1,076 square feet], which costs more than 1 million euros.” The nicer bunkers are designed to resemble “an underground mountain chalet,” according to Séranne. “We’re not selling creepy bunkers. Clients come to us because they want something nice that they can live in all year and feel good in. It’s something warm and welcoming that changes the image one has of a bunker.” Since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Séranne has received over 700 requests for quotes, about 40 of which ended in sales. “It’s an emotional situation. People are afraid. We didn’t expect this in our marketing strategy,” he conceded. “Only calling about fears of atomic war” Séranne also thinks some new clients are stretching their budgets, an indication of the intense level of anxiety the Ukraine conflict — the biggest land war in Europe since World War II — has caused among Europeans. In another sign of the times, pharmacies in Finland, Norway and Luxembourg have sold out of iodine and potassium iodide pills, which can be used to blunt the effects of exposure to nuclear radiation. “Some of them can afford it, others will take out lines of credit with their banks — or are deciding not to invest in an RV and go on a road trip, and are instead putting the money into a home extension,” he said. Giulio Cavicchioli, owner of Minus Energie, an Italian maker of “secured homes,” said that over the past two weeks he has received more requests from prospective buyers than he has in the past 22 years. Previously, Minus Energie catered largely to clients interested in building safe rooms for their valuables or weapons storage structures. “Now they are only calling about fears of atomic war; that’s it,” Cavicchioli said. From start to finish, securing the appropriate permits and building a bunker designed to survive a nuclear blast takes about four months. “I hope this tragedy will be over a lot sooner than that,” he said.