North Collier firefighter beats cancer, educates others on safetyMan arrested in connection to brother’s death in Cape Coral
North Collier firefighter beats cancer, educates others on safety He’s a father, son, friend and mentor, but for the last four years, he’s been in a battle for his life.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested in connection to brother’s death in Cape Coral A man wanted for questioning in the death of his brother at his Cape Coral home has been arrested in Pennsylvania.
Candidates challenge Punta Gorda incumbents over land, building regulations A growing grassroots movement has united residents seeking to stem high density and restrict building heights, and three are challenging Punta Gorda City Council members who are up for reelection this year.
Hurricane season is one month away The outlook for the 2024 Hurricane Season is for it be active, potentially even hyperactive.
NORTH FORT MYERS 1 dead after crash on SR 31 and Busbee Rd. in North Fort Myers At around noon Wednesday, the Florida Highway Patrol said a PT Cruiser and a car hauler collided on State Road 31 and Busbee Road, near the Lee/Charlotte County line.
Man sentenced to 25 years in prison for molesting Lee County child A Florida man will spend the next 25 years in prison for molesting a child in Lee County.
LEHIGH ACRES Man accused of using stolen credit card from car burglary at Lehigh Acres CVS Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers is seeking information on a man who allegedly used a stolen credit card at the CVS in Lehigh Acres.
ARCADIA Family of flea market murder victim struggles to find closure The family of a woman who was murdered at an Arcadia flea market continues to seek justice as the accused killer awaits trial.
NAPLES Naples man accused of possessing child porn After an investigation, a Naples man has been arrested after allegedly having child pornography in his home.
CAPE CORAL Arrest report for volunteer softball coach accused of inappropriate behavior released New details have been released about the arrest of a Cape Coral volunteer softball coach accused of sending nude photos and touching a 17-year-old student.
The Weather Authority Isolated storms pop up this afternoon and evening Afternoon of isolated storms in Southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach to test hurricane emergency messaging alert The Town of Fort Myers Beach is set to test its CodeRED alert system as hurricane season begins in 31 days.
FORT MYERS Students make goodie bags for kids fighting Cancer A special delivery, straight from the heart, to Galisano’s Children’s Hospital. Three 8th graders from Lexington Middle School delivered 100 goodie bags to bring smiles to kids fighting cancer.
TICE Deputies respond to shots fired at park in Tice Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputies and K-9s were seen investigating at Schindler Hall Community Park on Palm Beach Boulevard in Tice.
CAPE CORAL Lee County superintendent candidates face off in debate These three people, Denise Carlin, Morgan Wright and Sheridan Chester, are making it clear that they want the job.
North Collier firefighter beats cancer, educates others on safety He’s a father, son, friend and mentor, but for the last four years, he’s been in a battle for his life.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested in connection to brother’s death in Cape Coral A man wanted for questioning in the death of his brother at his Cape Coral home has been arrested in Pennsylvania.
Candidates challenge Punta Gorda incumbents over land, building regulations A growing grassroots movement has united residents seeking to stem high density and restrict building heights, and three are challenging Punta Gorda City Council members who are up for reelection this year.
Hurricane season is one month away The outlook for the 2024 Hurricane Season is for it be active, potentially even hyperactive.
NORTH FORT MYERS 1 dead after crash on SR 31 and Busbee Rd. in North Fort Myers At around noon Wednesday, the Florida Highway Patrol said a PT Cruiser and a car hauler collided on State Road 31 and Busbee Road, near the Lee/Charlotte County line.
Man sentenced to 25 years in prison for molesting Lee County child A Florida man will spend the next 25 years in prison for molesting a child in Lee County.
LEHIGH ACRES Man accused of using stolen credit card from car burglary at Lehigh Acres CVS Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers is seeking information on a man who allegedly used a stolen credit card at the CVS in Lehigh Acres.
ARCADIA Family of flea market murder victim struggles to find closure The family of a woman who was murdered at an Arcadia flea market continues to seek justice as the accused killer awaits trial.
NAPLES Naples man accused of possessing child porn After an investigation, a Naples man has been arrested after allegedly having child pornography in his home.
CAPE CORAL Arrest report for volunteer softball coach accused of inappropriate behavior released New details have been released about the arrest of a Cape Coral volunteer softball coach accused of sending nude photos and touching a 17-year-old student.
The Weather Authority Isolated storms pop up this afternoon and evening Afternoon of isolated storms in Southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach to test hurricane emergency messaging alert The Town of Fort Myers Beach is set to test its CodeRED alert system as hurricane season begins in 31 days.
FORT MYERS Students make goodie bags for kids fighting Cancer A special delivery, straight from the heart, to Galisano’s Children’s Hospital. Three 8th graders from Lexington Middle School delivered 100 goodie bags to bring smiles to kids fighting cancer.
TICE Deputies respond to shots fired at park in Tice Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputies and K-9s were seen investigating at Schindler Hall Community Park on Palm Beach Boulevard in Tice.
CAPE CORAL Lee County superintendent candidates face off in debate These three people, Denise Carlin, Morgan Wright and Sheridan Chester, are making it clear that they want the job.
The price of living in paradise is growing, and soon, some families may be forced out of Southwest Florida. Marissa Stafford is a Southwest Florida native, born and raised. She says recently, she’s had to work multiple jobs to support her family. They rented the same house for years, where they were happy. That was until the pandemic hit more than two years ago. I got COVID. I was very, very sick,” Stafford explained. “I didn’t work for a good solid two months.” As Stafford recovered, she connected with Lee Cares, an emergency rental assistance program in Lee County. It helped her pay rent, and Stafford was able to get current on her bills. “I made sure they were all caught up. Every penny,” Stafford says. “Nothing was owed to them. I stayed in communication with them.” She kept using rental assistance as the pandemic continued to affect her work. But once the moratorium on evictions ended, Stafford felt her rental company treated her differently. “Towards the end, they just became very nasty,” Stafford claims. “Because I received assistance, they looked down upon me.” The Staffords claim they were informed their lease wouldn’t be renewed. WINK News reached out multiple times to their leasing company, Marshall Reddick, hoping to get more information on why. We haven’t gotten an answer yet. With barely a month’s notice and a limited budget, the Staffords faced homelessness. FGCU professor Dr. Thomas Felke said this experience is becoming more regular. “The most common type of homelessness that we see is called transitional,” Felke says. “We see individuals that experience some sort of major life event, maybe the loss of a job; that’s been a very common thing that we’ve seen recently.” The family eventually found a new rental where they pay more money to live in a smaller house. They’re OK for now but wonder what life will be like when this lease ends. “This can’t keep continuing. Something’s got to be done,” Stafford insists. “These people are struggling; it’s not easy out there. I don’t understand why it’s allowed.” Lois Healy, CEO of the Affordable Homeownership Foundation, says these types of situations are happening more often than ever before. “We get this every day,” Healy said. “We’ve lived here all of our lives, why can’t I afford an apartment?” She says the trend has gotten worse recently. “The last six months we’ve seen an uptick since rent started going crazy and housing prices went even higher.” WINK News requested Lee County’s most recent budget for homelessness aid. It totaled more than $21 million from 23 different sources. But the money is not all spent on housing. More than $4.4 million went toward “mandated behavioral health.” $2.7 million was allocated to emergency solutions grants, while almost $2 million went toward energy assistance. The fight against homelessness isn’t as simple as finding money to put roofs over people’s heads. It takes different shapes and requires a variety of approaches. “Homelessness is not as simple as taking an individual and putting them in a home,” Felke says. “They have to be able to maintain it and be responsible for it.” It can also be challenging for families to know where to turn for help. “This is a complex issue. Who is ultimately responsible for this?” Felke asks. “Is it the city? The county? Government agencies? My estimation is, everybody has a role to play in this.” WINK News reached out to Lee County for an interview about how the county is tackling the homelessness problem, but they declined our request. We also tried more than a dozen times to schedule an interview with Lee County Homeless Coalition’s Continuum of Care group, but no one ever sat down for an interview. Healy says local resources are overwhelmed. “The county’s having the same problems as every other business is,” Healy explains. “Getting employees to actually work. This job is not easy.” And even when families get connected to funding, like the Staffords did, Healy says community partners are less likely to cooperate with families that need help. “We’ve seen a change,” Healy says. “These large corporations come in, they change the rules. Landlords need to get a grip.” “This is to the point where this is not expensive; it’s now scary,” Stafford says. “It’s to the point where you don’t want to live here.” “We’re going to have a lot more homeless people,” Healy worries. “A lot more homeless families. We’re gonna have a huge problem.” RESOURCES Lee Cares Lee County Coalition of Care Housing Authority of Fort Myers Affordable Housing Foundation Intake Form Charlotte County affordable housing Collier County assistance program