ALVA Woodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
NAPLES Naples youth flag football team to compete in Ohio tournament This weekend, the Naples Lunatics Green will compete in the Superhero Sports tournament in Canton, Ohio.
ALVA Woodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
NAPLES Naples youth flag football team to compete in Ohio tournament This weekend, the Naples Lunatics Green will compete in the Superhero Sports tournament in Canton, Ohio.
Issues in the City of Fort Myers water system has caused the Department of Health in Lee County to intervene. (CREDIT: WINK News) The State of Florida will provide oversight, which could include potential penalties, after numerous violations have been found in the City of Fort Myers’ water system. A 9-page draft consent order from the Department of Health in Lee County reveals serious problems and explains why the city has struggled to provide quality water and enough water to residents. The consent order, obtained by WINK News, shows violation after violation and it shows how the state will make sure improvements get made. “With or without the consent order, we were going to do these things once it was brought to our attention. What this does is hanging over our heads, it’s kind of like that carrot,” said Fort Myers Mayor Kevin Anderson, adding that, “there’s not an overnight fix.” The consent order is a draft and Anderson said it is expected to be finalized in a month or two. WINK News reached out to the Department of Health in Lee County on Friday. They asked for a list of questions. We will update the story when we hear back. The consent order comes after years of apparent neglect. WINK News has covered the lack of water in the Fort Myers system, but the order shows the system can’t produce enough water to meet daily demand, even when there is enough water to go around. The state said the system hasn’t been maintained properly with some equipment leaking and showing disrepair. “Initially I was very, very disgusted and disappointed and embarrassed when the magnitude of the problem came to light,” Anderson said. Since the water issues came to light this year, the City has turned up its efforts, building two new water wells and buying water from Lee County. It has helped with the water pressure problems across the city. “We’ve been able to ween ourselves off that. The water pressure has been much, much better,” Anderson said. For Tami Adamson, it’s still the same. “If they say change is coming, I can’t wait,” Adamson said. Not all issues have improved. Adamson said she can’t remember the last time her water looked clean. “It’s rust-colored and you feel it on your body and skin so you have to continuously scrub like, ugh, what is on me,” Adamson said. With sink and shower water that can come out discolored and grimy, Adamson and her family are considering leaving Fort Myers. “We’re tired of paying so much money on water and taxes on something that hasn’t been fixed. We know the fix is coming, but it’s a long time coming. We’re just tired of waiting,” she said. The consent order lays out specific deadlines for the City. By December 31, 2023, Fort Myers should finish water system improvements. The city will also have to submit written quarterly updates to the state and pay penalties ranging from $1,000 to $15,000 daily if the city fails to comply with requirements. “We’re talking now just tens of millions but hundreds of millions of dollars it’s going to cost us to get out of this problem,” Anderson said. Anderson said the state and the city have been meeting and he describes the relationship as “cooperative.” “There’s not an overnight fix. We are very comfortable that we’re in a position to serve water pressure to serve current citizens,” Anderson said.