Punta Gorda man arrested for death threats against local leadersCape Coral man arrested for stealing Jeep, possessing firearm illegally
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda man arrested for death threats against local leaders A Punta Gorda man has been arrested for sending over thirty threatening emails to senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott and a Punta Gorda police officer.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral man arrested for stealing Jeep, possessing firearm illegally A 39-year-old man was arrested early Saturday morning in Cape Coral after being accused of stealing a Jeep and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
NORTH PORT North Port Firefighters rescue dog, cats during structure fire North Port Fire Rescue crews responded to a structure fire, saving one dog and four cats from a burning home.
CAPE CORAL Runners turn out for 13th annual LCEC 5K for United Way Jim Jeffers Park in Cape Coral transformed into a sea of runners Saturday morning as people laced up their shoes for the 13th annual LCEC 5K for United Way.
the weather authority A cool, comfortable first weekend of 2025 with lots of sunshine The Weather Authority is kicking off the first weekend of 2025 on a chilly note with morning temperatures in the 40s and 50s across Southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS Locals respond to Surgeon General advisory on alcohol Many think a cancer warning label won’t stop anyone who is planning on having a drink from having one. But at the same time, hearing alcohol could increase their cancer risk did get them thinking about drinking.
New provision to Florida law gives public the authority to sue over homeless camping People now have the power to sue local leaders for not stopping the homeless from camping in public if a report is made.
CAPE CORAL Understanding water restriction in Cape Coral The city of Canals has water problems again!
SANIBEL Future of the Sanibel Pier Sanibel Island is looking much better since Hurricane Ian, but while the lighthouse is standing tall, the pier isn’t doing too well.
downtown fort myers Large crowds expected for Fort Myers Seafood & Music Festival Downtown Fort Myers is on higher alert as this weekend’s 4th Annual Fort Myers Seafood & Music Festival is expected to draw large crowds.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral neighborhood growing frustrated over debris piles Pounds of trash and debris are blowing through a Cape Coral neighborhood, through the streets, into canals and every which way.
Inside a Lee County special corrections program More than 3,000 bags of trash, 19 interstate projects, nearly 100 citizen requests and over one hundred truckloads of trash—that’s the work done by nonviolent offenders in Lee County, who are doing their part to make our county more beautiful.
FGCU NCAA implements rules for checking pitchers for foreign substances The NCAA will soon send out an instructional video on in-game foreign substance checks for pitchers.
Surgeon General calls for cancer warnings on alcohol In the new year, there’s a new call to warn Americans about the negative effects of alcohol.
Family of Charlotte deputy killed during traffic stop releases statement The family of Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Sgt. Elio Diaz is breaking their silence.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda man arrested for death threats against local leaders A Punta Gorda man has been arrested for sending over thirty threatening emails to senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott and a Punta Gorda police officer.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral man arrested for stealing Jeep, possessing firearm illegally A 39-year-old man was arrested early Saturday morning in Cape Coral after being accused of stealing a Jeep and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
NORTH PORT North Port Firefighters rescue dog, cats during structure fire North Port Fire Rescue crews responded to a structure fire, saving one dog and four cats from a burning home.
CAPE CORAL Runners turn out for 13th annual LCEC 5K for United Way Jim Jeffers Park in Cape Coral transformed into a sea of runners Saturday morning as people laced up their shoes for the 13th annual LCEC 5K for United Way.
the weather authority A cool, comfortable first weekend of 2025 with lots of sunshine The Weather Authority is kicking off the first weekend of 2025 on a chilly note with morning temperatures in the 40s and 50s across Southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS Locals respond to Surgeon General advisory on alcohol Many think a cancer warning label won’t stop anyone who is planning on having a drink from having one. But at the same time, hearing alcohol could increase their cancer risk did get them thinking about drinking.
New provision to Florida law gives public the authority to sue over homeless camping People now have the power to sue local leaders for not stopping the homeless from camping in public if a report is made.
CAPE CORAL Understanding water restriction in Cape Coral The city of Canals has water problems again!
SANIBEL Future of the Sanibel Pier Sanibel Island is looking much better since Hurricane Ian, but while the lighthouse is standing tall, the pier isn’t doing too well.
downtown fort myers Large crowds expected for Fort Myers Seafood & Music Festival Downtown Fort Myers is on higher alert as this weekend’s 4th Annual Fort Myers Seafood & Music Festival is expected to draw large crowds.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral neighborhood growing frustrated over debris piles Pounds of trash and debris are blowing through a Cape Coral neighborhood, through the streets, into canals and every which way.
Inside a Lee County special corrections program More than 3,000 bags of trash, 19 interstate projects, nearly 100 citizen requests and over one hundred truckloads of trash—that’s the work done by nonviolent offenders in Lee County, who are doing their part to make our county more beautiful.
FGCU NCAA implements rules for checking pitchers for foreign substances The NCAA will soon send out an instructional video on in-game foreign substance checks for pitchers.
Surgeon General calls for cancer warnings on alcohol In the new year, there’s a new call to warn Americans about the negative effects of alcohol.
Family of Charlotte deputy killed during traffic stop releases statement The family of Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Sgt. Elio Diaz is breaking their silence.
(CREDIT: WINK News) People who live in the six counties hardest hit by Hurricane Ian can get help paying their insurance deductibles. Those six counties include Lee, Charlotte, Collier, Desoto, Hardee and Sarasota. The governor made an announcement on Saturday and WINK News dug in to see how to apply since the announcement may have come with little preparation. Ian damaged thousands of homes and left many families wondering how they can pay their deductibles to get their houses back to normal and safe. Now there are millions of dollars available to you to make that happen. Governor Ron DeSantis, in Punta Gorda on Saturday said, “We understand there’s a lot of challenges here. We understand that those deductibles can be difficult to meet and we want to be able to help. And so, folks can stand by and you will be getting information about that very soon.” But applying or even just trying to find the application proved to be impossible. None of the six counties listed had an application ready online for people to apply for help. According to the state, you apply through your county’s state housing initiatives partnership or ship program which you can find by going to floridahousing.org. WINK News first looked for Lee County and ran into a roadblock, the web page was not found. While checking the other counties, more roadblocks presented themselves. Collier County links worked and the website said to call a number to apply, after calling that number WINK News was met with a message relaying that the person in charge is out of the office until Halloween. As for Charlotte County, the numbers both the state and the county provided were met with automated messages. WINK News emailed the contact listed for Charlotte County and they responded with the following message: The program announced by Governor DeSantis on Saturday, October 22, 2022 will officially launch on Tuesday, October 25, 2022. Having received over 60 email inquiries already, we have not had an opportunity to read and respond to each one individually. This program is new, and will be sought by many. Your patience as we navigate this together is much appreciated. Some preliminary information: Proof of US citizenship and full-time, permanent Charlotte County residency required Proof of insurance claim (renters or homeowners) and FEMA registration required Full application with proper identification and verification of income of all household members will be processed Acknowledgement of the Fraud Policy and notarized Duplication of Benefits affidavit required A minimum of 1 in-person appointment required; Englewood and Port Charlotte locations available Maximum grant award = $12,000 No direct payments/reimbursement to applicant; eligible payments direct to insurance provider or qualified vendor But the application isn’t on the website and it wasn’t in the email. Desoto County’s website said you have to apply in person at the social services department in Arcadia. WINK News did hear back from the Florida Housing Finance Corporation. They said some local ship offices will have applications up on their websites as early as Tuesday or closer to the end of the week. They are also training workers on using the documentation to help get money out to you as soon as possible.