CAPE CORAL Cape Coral hosts annual Holiday Boat-a-Long Families, residents, and businesses came out to enjoy Cape Coral’s annual Holiday Boat-a-Long and Christmas movie on Saturday.
FORT MYERS FGCU head volleyball coach steps down to coach UCF FGCU coach Matt Botsford announced that he is stepping down as head volleyball coach to join the University of Central Florida Knights.
FORT MYERS Top rated prospects shine in City of Palms Classic Year-after-year some of the top high school teams featuring many of the top players in the country compete in the Fort Myers Tournament.
Meals for Hope brings Southwest Florida together to fight hunger On Saturday morning, Meals for Hope held its annual Holidays Without Hunger event, aiming to ensure no one in Southwest Florida goes hungry during the holidays.
1 dead, 2 injured in four-vehicle crash on I-75 in Collier County A collision involving four vehicles on northbound Interstate 75 near mile marker 108 resulted in one fatality, minor injuries to two others, and a large paint spill.
Lee County woman’s home transforms into Santa’s Workshop for families in need One Lee County woman’s home has looked like Santa’s workshop since June.
Chilly first day of winter with plenty of sunshine overhead The Weather Authority says Saturday is the first day of the winter solstice, and it feels like it across Southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS Kitten recovering after surviving horrific abuse At 12 pounds and 12 weeks old, this little kitty was snatched from her home and literally dragged through the unthinkable.
Losing loved ones in the line of duty; Community offers support to Diaz family Heartbreak over Sergeant Elio Diaz’s death consumed the Charlotte County community, after the fallen hero was laid to rest Friday.
CAPTIVA Impacts of hurricane season on fishing in SWFL Whipping winds and torrential downpours are all too common with hurricanes.
CAPE CORAL What to know before gifting pets this holiday season Gifting someone a pet for Christmas may sound like a good idea but not always. Animal experts remind us that owning an animal takes a big commitment.
NAPLES ‘Beverly’s Angels’ prepare holiday sacks for kids in need Beverly’s Angels in Naples is providing kids the essentials they need during the holiday season, and they got some help from high school students across Southwest Florida.
‘He was a phenomenal human being’: Woman says Elio Diaz inspired her to turn life around WINK News has shared stories about people greatly impacted by Deputy Sergeant Elio Diaz’s work. Now we hear from a woman whose life he affected for the better.
PUNTA GORDA ShorePoint Health in Punta Gorda to permanently close If people in Punta Gorda consider themselves patients of ShorePoint Hospital, they will have to look for an alternate place of healthcare.
LEHIGH ACRES Lehigh Acres Fire and Rescue District gives holiday candle safety tips Holiday celebrations are a few days away, and nothing sets the mood better than candles. This warning is best given before the holidays.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral hosts annual Holiday Boat-a-Long Families, residents, and businesses came out to enjoy Cape Coral’s annual Holiday Boat-a-Long and Christmas movie on Saturday.
FORT MYERS FGCU head volleyball coach steps down to coach UCF FGCU coach Matt Botsford announced that he is stepping down as head volleyball coach to join the University of Central Florida Knights.
FORT MYERS Top rated prospects shine in City of Palms Classic Year-after-year some of the top high school teams featuring many of the top players in the country compete in the Fort Myers Tournament.
Meals for Hope brings Southwest Florida together to fight hunger On Saturday morning, Meals for Hope held its annual Holidays Without Hunger event, aiming to ensure no one in Southwest Florida goes hungry during the holidays.
1 dead, 2 injured in four-vehicle crash on I-75 in Collier County A collision involving four vehicles on northbound Interstate 75 near mile marker 108 resulted in one fatality, minor injuries to two others, and a large paint spill.
Lee County woman’s home transforms into Santa’s Workshop for families in need One Lee County woman’s home has looked like Santa’s workshop since June.
Chilly first day of winter with plenty of sunshine overhead The Weather Authority says Saturday is the first day of the winter solstice, and it feels like it across Southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS Kitten recovering after surviving horrific abuse At 12 pounds and 12 weeks old, this little kitty was snatched from her home and literally dragged through the unthinkable.
Losing loved ones in the line of duty; Community offers support to Diaz family Heartbreak over Sergeant Elio Diaz’s death consumed the Charlotte County community, after the fallen hero was laid to rest Friday.
CAPTIVA Impacts of hurricane season on fishing in SWFL Whipping winds and torrential downpours are all too common with hurricanes.
CAPE CORAL What to know before gifting pets this holiday season Gifting someone a pet for Christmas may sound like a good idea but not always. Animal experts remind us that owning an animal takes a big commitment.
NAPLES ‘Beverly’s Angels’ prepare holiday sacks for kids in need Beverly’s Angels in Naples is providing kids the essentials they need during the holiday season, and they got some help from high school students across Southwest Florida.
‘He was a phenomenal human being’: Woman says Elio Diaz inspired her to turn life around WINK News has shared stories about people greatly impacted by Deputy Sergeant Elio Diaz’s work. Now we hear from a woman whose life he affected for the better.
PUNTA GORDA ShorePoint Health in Punta Gorda to permanently close If people in Punta Gorda consider themselves patients of ShorePoint Hospital, they will have to look for an alternate place of healthcare.
LEHIGH ACRES Lehigh Acres Fire and Rescue District gives holiday candle safety tips Holiday celebrations are a few days away, and nothing sets the mood better than candles. This warning is best given before the holidays.
Florida’s property insurance crisis is getting worse after tens of thousands more homeowner policies get canceled. It’s happening one week before lawmakers are coming back together to find a solution. FedNat Insurance Group is downgrading to survive. Experts say last year’s ice storm in Texas and Hurricane Ida in Louisiana hit the company hard. On top of that, it’s struggling with roof replacement schemes and lawsuits like so many other Florida insurers. This leaves those losing their coverage less than two months to find new coverage during hurricane season. It is affecting about 68,000 Floridians. FedNat and its sister companies have canceled nearly half of its Florida policies, giving homeowners about 45 days to get new coverage. “The Florida private property insurance market is in freefall. We’ve seen this collapse coming for many months. We’ve already seen three Florida residential insurers declared insolvent this year,” said Mark Friedlander, with the Insurance Information Institute. Friedlander said most of the people affected will end up with the state-backed Citizen’s Property Insurance Company. He said Citizens is quickly becoming the go-to company in Florida which is not a good thing. One bad storm means the state loses a lot of money helping people fix damages. “Not only would a major storm loss potentially wipe out the reserves of Citizens, but it could lead to a surcharge for every homeowner and every auto owner in the state of Florida,” Friedlander said. The state’s Insurance Consumer Advocate Tasha Carter points to property insurance problems like these as the main reason behind the special legislative session next week. “I am hopeful that this upcoming special session will, you know, provide additional opportunities to be able to, you know, at least consider and pass legislation that’s going to specifically address some of the factors that’s resulting in the adverse impact that consumers are experiencing in our marketplace,” said Carter, with the Florida Department of Financial Services. But don’t expect these issues to go away immediately. It could take a year or more to see any impacts. “It will be the first step on the road to recovery for the unstable Florida market, and take steps to make the market more stable and more viable for homeowners across the state. And for insurers to continue to operate effectively in the state,” Friedlander said. Friedlander said the best thing for those FedNat policyholders to do now is shop for insurance with your agents so you’re protected in time for hurricane season.