LABELLE Fatal crash on State Road 29 in LaBelle According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a fatal crash occurred on State Road 29 on Tuesday evening.
NAPLES Naples on alert but staying calm ahead of potential storm It’s understandable to get anxious whenever we hear about the possibility of severe weather with Tropical Storm Rafael gaining strength in the Caribbean.
BONITA SPRINGS The race for US senate in Florida Aside from the presidential and local races, many people are watching the battle for the U.S. Senate.
FORT MYERS The race for Lee County Supervisor of Elections Voters in Lee County are going to the polls to decide the next supervisor of elections.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda RV residents concerned about hurricane damage The people at the Harbor Belle RV Resort had concerns about their homes before hurricanes Helene and Milton.
WINK NEWS How Hispanic voters in SWFL are casting their ballots The Hispanic community in Southwest Florida is seemingly divided as they cast their votes for the next president of the United States.
WEST PALM BEACH Trump and supporters gear up for election night in West Palm Beach All eyes are on the presidential election between Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump.
SANIBEL City of Sanibel to open time capsule for 50th anniversary It’s a chance to see what the past was like. 41 years ago, the city of Sanibel put items in a time capsule to be opened on the 50th anniversary of the city’s incorporation. On Tuesday, WINK News was there to see what people had to say about the island decades ago.
FORT MYERS BEACH Lee Commission approves contract to restore 2 waterfront parks on Fort Myers Beach The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted to award a contract for the design of the restoration of two waterfront parks on Fort Myers Beach.
Direct approach to hip replacement Surgeons in the United States perform more than 500,000 hip replacements every year, and that number is only expected to increase as our population ages.
ARCADIA DeSoto County Jail employee accused of trafficking contraband into facility An employee at the DeSoto County Jail has been arrested after allegedly trafficking illegal contraband into the jail.
Soluna Restaurant & Bar launches at Bayfront in Naples Emulating its namesake fusion of the sun and moon, Soluna Restaurant & Bar has arisen to illuminate the Naples dining scene.
NAPLES CFO Jimmy Patronis reminds Floridians to check their constructor contracts for post-storm fraud The Florida Department of Financial Services’ Chief Financial Officer, Jimmy Patronis, will hold a news conference in Naples on post-storm fraud prevention.
Know where your voting precinct is in Southwest Florida Election Day is only one day away, so it is important to know where to go and if you qualify to vote in Southwest Florida.
The Weather Authority Tracking Tropical Storm Rafael; expected to become hurricane The Weather Authority Meteorologists are watching the Caribbean as Tropical Storm Rafael will strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane later Tuesday night.
LABELLE Fatal crash on State Road 29 in LaBelle According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a fatal crash occurred on State Road 29 on Tuesday evening.
NAPLES Naples on alert but staying calm ahead of potential storm It’s understandable to get anxious whenever we hear about the possibility of severe weather with Tropical Storm Rafael gaining strength in the Caribbean.
BONITA SPRINGS The race for US senate in Florida Aside from the presidential and local races, many people are watching the battle for the U.S. Senate.
FORT MYERS The race for Lee County Supervisor of Elections Voters in Lee County are going to the polls to decide the next supervisor of elections.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda RV residents concerned about hurricane damage The people at the Harbor Belle RV Resort had concerns about their homes before hurricanes Helene and Milton.
WINK NEWS How Hispanic voters in SWFL are casting their ballots The Hispanic community in Southwest Florida is seemingly divided as they cast their votes for the next president of the United States.
WEST PALM BEACH Trump and supporters gear up for election night in West Palm Beach All eyes are on the presidential election between Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump.
SANIBEL City of Sanibel to open time capsule for 50th anniversary It’s a chance to see what the past was like. 41 years ago, the city of Sanibel put items in a time capsule to be opened on the 50th anniversary of the city’s incorporation. On Tuesday, WINK News was there to see what people had to say about the island decades ago.
FORT MYERS BEACH Lee Commission approves contract to restore 2 waterfront parks on Fort Myers Beach The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted to award a contract for the design of the restoration of two waterfront parks on Fort Myers Beach.
Direct approach to hip replacement Surgeons in the United States perform more than 500,000 hip replacements every year, and that number is only expected to increase as our population ages.
ARCADIA DeSoto County Jail employee accused of trafficking contraband into facility An employee at the DeSoto County Jail has been arrested after allegedly trafficking illegal contraband into the jail.
Soluna Restaurant & Bar launches at Bayfront in Naples Emulating its namesake fusion of the sun and moon, Soluna Restaurant & Bar has arisen to illuminate the Naples dining scene.
NAPLES CFO Jimmy Patronis reminds Floridians to check their constructor contracts for post-storm fraud The Florida Department of Financial Services’ Chief Financial Officer, Jimmy Patronis, will hold a news conference in Naples on post-storm fraud prevention.
Know where your voting precinct is in Southwest Florida Election Day is only one day away, so it is important to know where to go and if you qualify to vote in Southwest Florida.
The Weather Authority Tracking Tropical Storm Rafael; expected to become hurricane The Weather Authority Meteorologists are watching the Caribbean as Tropical Storm Rafael will strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane later Tuesday night.
People look at the partially collapsed Champlain Towers South Condo in Surfside, Fla., Thursday, June 24, 2021. (David Santiago/Miami Herald via AP) When the Champlain Towers South building fell in the middle of the night on June 24, 2021, people living in high-rises across the state began to question their safety. A year later, the cause of the collapse that killed 98 people is still unknown. After initially failing to take action, the Florida legislature passed a law on high-rise inspections during a special session. How does this bill impact condos moving forward? Like the beach and endless sunshine are essential Florida staples, so are condos. Surfside is in State Sen. Jason Pizzo’s district, and he lives in a condo with his family. “It took the loss of 98 precious souls for everybody to understand the state has a compelling interest to ensure people are safe. It took that long, and here we are,” Pizzo said. There are 1.5 million condos in Florida, according to a state analysis. More than 912 thousand of them are older than 30 years. The Champlain Towers South was 40 years old and in the middle of a 40-year safety recertification process when it collapsed. Pizzo calls it a wake-up call. FILE – In this June 25, 2021 file photo, rescue personnel work at the remains of the Champlain Towers South condo building in Surfside, Fla. A tentative deal was announced Friday, Feb. 11, 2022 that would pay $83 million to people who lost condominium units and personal property in the collapse of a Florida building that killed 98 people. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File) Before the new law, only Miami-Dade and Broward counties had recertification processes to make sure condo buildings were safe. The new condo safety law is statewide and requires recertification after 30 years, or 25 years if the building is within 3 miles of the coast. After that, every 10 years. Condo associations also have to put money aside for major repairs and a study every 10 years. They have to give the inspection reports to condo owners and if any repairs are needed, they have to get to work within a year of the report. State Sen. Jennifer Bradley said, “Every aging building in the state of Florida has a professional going in to make sure that it is safe for its intended use, which is for families to live.” But again, the law only applies to buildings three stories or taller. And apartment buildings are not included, no matter how big or small. Are there enough inspectors to handle the workload? State Sen. Lauren Book said, ”Is it a perfect product? Is it a completed product? It is not a perfect product, and we are going to continue to work on this.” But it is a step to keeping families safe. “We look down the road, and if we look down 10 years,” Bradley said. “I think that the financial health of condos will be a much different place because of this bill and because of market forces pushing us there.”