Gov. DeSantis to hold news conference in Miami BeachWeb Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads Up
miami beach Gov. DeSantis to hold news conference in Miami Beach Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news conference in Miami Beach.
WINK NEWS 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.
FORT MYERS Drivers react to newly opened intersection on Colonial Blvd. The dreaded drive through one of our busiest intersections has been the focus of several construction projects.
Dinosaur from Shell Factory finds new home in Saint James City marina A dinosaur has found a new home at the soon-to-be Nauti-Dolphin Marina in Saint James City, Florida. This prehistoric attraction is already drawing attention even though it’s the only thing currently on the property. Dean Zoner, owner of the Nauti-Dolphin Marina, acquired the dinosaur from the Shell Factory, a local business that was going out […]
Florida lawmakers to vote on revamped Governor backed immigration bill on Thursday The House and Senate are set to vote on a new immigration bill on Thursday. The bill aims to address illegal immigration and support federal mass deportation efforts.
CLEWISTON Community raises concerns about Clewiston Animal Services The Clewiston Animal Shelter has made significant improvements, but there is still work to be done to bring conditions to a more humane level.
Collier County beachgoers react to Gulf of America name change The Gulf of Mexico has been officially renamed the “Gulf of America” following an executive order signed by former President Donald Trump.
ENGLEWOOD Englewood Beach’s closure impacts local economy; businesses seek answers Business owners on Englewood Beach are growing increasingly anxious as they await the reopening of the beach, which has been closed since hurricanes Helene and Milton.
FORT MYERS BEACH Food truck park proposal on Estero Blvd divides Fort Myers Beach locals The Fort Myers Beach Local Planning Agency recently voted on whether to transform a vacant lot on Estero Boulevard into a food truck park.
CCSO works with ICE to catch suspects in Southwest Florida State lawmakers are working on a new immigration bill. Here in Southwest Florida, one county has been following strict guidelines on illegal immigration for quite some time.
Burn ban in effect for Collier County The Board of County Commissioners has authorized a burn ban in Collier County.
FGCU FGCU’s Zavian McLean shares student athlete experience with podcast FGCU men’s basketball guard Zavian McLean shares what its like to be a Division I student athlete in his podcast “Truey Talks.”
Locals react to egg price increase Egg prices continue to soar. In fact, prices have gone up about 37% from where they were just one year ago, and the pricing and supply issues have started to impact Southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS BEACH Trump’s executive order on straws stirs debate in Fort Myers Beach President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order to bring back plastic straws, reversing a previous plan to reduce plastic reliance in the federal government.
Charlotte County official’s usage of racial slur prompts calls for resignation Charlotte County Commissioner Stephen Deutsch is under scrutiny after a complaint surfaced last week alleging he used the N-word during a work meeting.
miami beach Gov. DeSantis to hold news conference in Miami Beach Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news conference in Miami Beach.
WINK NEWS 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.
FORT MYERS Drivers react to newly opened intersection on Colonial Blvd. The dreaded drive through one of our busiest intersections has been the focus of several construction projects.
Dinosaur from Shell Factory finds new home in Saint James City marina A dinosaur has found a new home at the soon-to-be Nauti-Dolphin Marina in Saint James City, Florida. This prehistoric attraction is already drawing attention even though it’s the only thing currently on the property. Dean Zoner, owner of the Nauti-Dolphin Marina, acquired the dinosaur from the Shell Factory, a local business that was going out […]
Florida lawmakers to vote on revamped Governor backed immigration bill on Thursday The House and Senate are set to vote on a new immigration bill on Thursday. The bill aims to address illegal immigration and support federal mass deportation efforts.
CLEWISTON Community raises concerns about Clewiston Animal Services The Clewiston Animal Shelter has made significant improvements, but there is still work to be done to bring conditions to a more humane level.
Collier County beachgoers react to Gulf of America name change The Gulf of Mexico has been officially renamed the “Gulf of America” following an executive order signed by former President Donald Trump.
ENGLEWOOD Englewood Beach’s closure impacts local economy; businesses seek answers Business owners on Englewood Beach are growing increasingly anxious as they await the reopening of the beach, which has been closed since hurricanes Helene and Milton.
FORT MYERS BEACH Food truck park proposal on Estero Blvd divides Fort Myers Beach locals The Fort Myers Beach Local Planning Agency recently voted on whether to transform a vacant lot on Estero Boulevard into a food truck park.
CCSO works with ICE to catch suspects in Southwest Florida State lawmakers are working on a new immigration bill. Here in Southwest Florida, one county has been following strict guidelines on illegal immigration for quite some time.
Burn ban in effect for Collier County The Board of County Commissioners has authorized a burn ban in Collier County.
FGCU FGCU’s Zavian McLean shares student athlete experience with podcast FGCU men’s basketball guard Zavian McLean shares what its like to be a Division I student athlete in his podcast “Truey Talks.”
Locals react to egg price increase Egg prices continue to soar. In fact, prices have gone up about 37% from where they were just one year ago, and the pricing and supply issues have started to impact Southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS BEACH Trump’s executive order on straws stirs debate in Fort Myers Beach President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order to bring back plastic straws, reversing a previous plan to reduce plastic reliance in the federal government.
Charlotte County official’s usage of racial slur prompts calls for resignation Charlotte County Commissioner Stephen Deutsch is under scrutiny after a complaint surfaced last week alleging he used the N-word during a work meeting.
The Seminole Gulf Railway needs repairs to help speed up SWFL recovery from Ian. (CREDIT: WINK News) Lumber, drywall, and stone are just some of the essential items being brought to the Southwest Florida area by the Seminole Gulf Railway. The railway is a key feature in the rebuilding process for Southwest Florida, but damage from Ian is disrupting that vital link. Think about it like this, what the trains can bring in through one railcar is the equivalent of five semi-truck loads of material. The Seminole Gulf Railway. (CREDIT: WINK News) That means one railcar can hold more than 117,000 board feet of drywall, which adds up to walls for more than 150 bedrooms. The Seminole Gulf Railway can’t get any of that material to the area because the bridges over the Caloosahatchee and Peace River are down. So, getting these trains back on track becomes paramount for Southwest Florida to recover. But, it’s also another expense for the owners of the railway who hope to add the federal and state government’s tab. Seminole Gulf Railway is home to the well-known murder mystery Dinner Train. Bruce Fay and his family put in all that work because the train tracks mean to him a lot to him. “You’re sitting in this dining car, it actually came out of Ringling Brother’s Circus. And we took, and we built this in house,” Bruce said. “We cut it all apart, put the windows in, put the tables in.” “This is everything. This is my family’s business since 1987, so we’ve been here working on this as a private enterprise to serve Southwest Florida since that time,” Bruce said. But this isn’t just everything to the Fay family, they need to make major repairs to the more than 100 miles of train tracks. That’s because the trains would really benefit and help Southwest Florida recover from Ian. Train tracks on the Seminole Gulf Railway. (CREDIT: WINK News) That’s exactly the reason why Bruce’s brother, Robert Fay, called upon elected officials, like representative Byron Donalds, to see the damage. The hope is that state and federal funding will get the engines chugging North of the Caloosahatchee. “We can transport the necessary goods as part of the critical infrastructure to rebuild Pine Island to rebuild Fort Myers Beach to rebuild Island Park on our own go. The countless communities that have been affected,” Robert said. When asked if Robert believes the officials understood the urgency, Robert said he thought he did because seeing the damage in person can be a difference-maker. “Once again it demonstrates the level of damage we’ve seen here and how deep it’s gone into every aspect of Southwest Florida,” Donalds said. However, as one would imagine the price tag for the repairs is not cheap. “Our estimate’s now it’s going to be in the neighborhood of $28 million,” Robert said. Some of the damages to the Seminole Gulf Railway. (CREDIT: WINK News) But Robert said the $28,000,000 would be well spent. That’s because the faster they get chugging, the stronger Southwest Florida stands against another disaster like Ian. “Everything that makes up your backyard barbecue, or in this case, everything that we need to rebuild our homes and our community is what Trent Seminole golf railway transports,” Robert said. Don’t forget, that this is a family business, and that means it’s privately funded. So government funding ordinarily doesn’t flow to the railway. In the end, however, they get the money the Fay family hopes to get the railroad up and running again within the next 90 days.