Demolition begins on Bimini East propertiesMost Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for January 22, 2025
CAPE CORAL Demolition begins on Bimini East properties Demolition has begun on the Bimini East properties that are part of the City of Cape Coral’s revitalization development.
Lee County Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for January 22, 2025 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for January 22, 2025.
Charlotte County sheriff: deputy-involved shooting suspect was on 68 medications Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell has revealed new details regarding a deputy-involved shooting on Eager Road last week.
Plans for Aquarius Hotel receive final design approval in Naples A proposed 18-unit boutique hotel with a restaurant received unanimous final design approval Jan. 22 by the Naples Design Review Board.
What you need to know for FEMA transitional sheltering assistance Many in Southwest Florida are dealing with unlivable conditions after a series of hurricanes hit the area last fall.
FORT MYERS BEACH Suspect wanted for stealing electric bike in Fort Myers Beach Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers is asking for the public’s help in identifying a suspect who stole an electric bike in Fort Myers Beach.
Kelly’s Roast Beef, Oar & Iron continue SWFL expansion A Massachusetts-based restaurant company is bringing a taste of its home state to Southwest Florida, plus a new surf and turf concept aimed at people who call the region home.
GOLDEN GATE Investigation at Golden Gate Middle School after overnight burglary An overnight burglary at a middle school had deputies rushing to the scene, causing parents to have to wait to drop their children off.
Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann court date rescheduled Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann is set to appear in court after pleading not guilty to her drunk driving charge.
Bonita springs ‘Cold stunned’ evening bat rescued by CROW amid frigid Florida weather The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife rescued an evening bat in Bonita Springs suspected of being “cold-stunned.”
THE WEATHER AUTHORITY Morning showers move out for your Wednesday afternoon plans The Weather Authority is tracking Wednesday morning showers, then chillier conditions remain throughout the afternoon.
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.
LEHIGH ACRES Lee County cousins arrested for street racing at 90 mph in Lehigh Acres Lee County deputies arrested two men after witnessing them racing down Lee Boulevard at nearly 90 mph.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers activist reacts to shutdown of government reproductive rights website The website ReproductiveRights.gov, which offered resources on abortion and reproductive rights, is no longer accessible.
2 Southwest Floridians involved in Jan. 6 attack pardoned and commuted by President Trump Two men involved in the January 6th attack are now back in southwest Florida, thanks to a series of pardons from President Trump.
CAPE CORAL Demolition begins on Bimini East properties Demolition has begun on the Bimini East properties that are part of the City of Cape Coral’s revitalization development.
Lee County Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for January 22, 2025 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for January 22, 2025.
Charlotte County sheriff: deputy-involved shooting suspect was on 68 medications Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell has revealed new details regarding a deputy-involved shooting on Eager Road last week.
Plans for Aquarius Hotel receive final design approval in Naples A proposed 18-unit boutique hotel with a restaurant received unanimous final design approval Jan. 22 by the Naples Design Review Board.
What you need to know for FEMA transitional sheltering assistance Many in Southwest Florida are dealing with unlivable conditions after a series of hurricanes hit the area last fall.
FORT MYERS BEACH Suspect wanted for stealing electric bike in Fort Myers Beach Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers is asking for the public’s help in identifying a suspect who stole an electric bike in Fort Myers Beach.
Kelly’s Roast Beef, Oar & Iron continue SWFL expansion A Massachusetts-based restaurant company is bringing a taste of its home state to Southwest Florida, plus a new surf and turf concept aimed at people who call the region home.
GOLDEN GATE Investigation at Golden Gate Middle School after overnight burglary An overnight burglary at a middle school had deputies rushing to the scene, causing parents to have to wait to drop their children off.
Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann court date rescheduled Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann is set to appear in court after pleading not guilty to her drunk driving charge.
Bonita springs ‘Cold stunned’ evening bat rescued by CROW amid frigid Florida weather The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife rescued an evening bat in Bonita Springs suspected of being “cold-stunned.”
THE WEATHER AUTHORITY Morning showers move out for your Wednesday afternoon plans The Weather Authority is tracking Wednesday morning showers, then chillier conditions remain throughout the afternoon.
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.
LEHIGH ACRES Lee County cousins arrested for street racing at 90 mph in Lehigh Acres Lee County deputies arrested two men after witnessing them racing down Lee Boulevard at nearly 90 mph.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers activist reacts to shutdown of government reproductive rights website The website ReproductiveRights.gov, which offered resources on abortion and reproductive rights, is no longer accessible.
2 Southwest Floridians involved in Jan. 6 attack pardoned and commuted by President Trump Two men involved in the January 6th attack are now back in southwest Florida, thanks to a series of pardons from President Trump.
Homes damaged during Hurricane Ian. (Credit: WINK News) The City of Cape Coral is recommending you wait to start fixing your home if it was damaged by Hurricane Ian. The recommendation applies to other areas in Southwest Florida too. FEMA’s 50% rule says your home improvements can’t exceed 50% of the market value, or you’ll have to bring it up to current code, which could cost you a lot more. This rule will ensure more homes are built to code in the future. The 50% rule requires structures with damage exceeding 50% of their market value to be rebuilt to current flood evaluation and state building code standards. While it would ensure better protection in a future storm, homeowners are worried about the price tag of starting over. Inside Justin Lammer’s south Cape Coral home. (Credit: WINK News) Above is Justin Lammer’s south Cape Coral home, where he lived with his wife and daughter up until Ian brought chest-deep water inside. The water took away memories like Lammer’s wife’s wedding dress and left the neighborhood filled with debris. “It’s like, gutted to the studs. I mean, you can’t have any drywall. You can’t have any cabinets that had mold. I mean, it was like a rainbow of mold colors,” said Lammer. Lammer’s life is now out on the curb. He wanted his home fixed fast, up until, “I saw it on Facebook, the City of Cape Coral Government, they ended up putting a thing out that said is your home built before 1981? If so, do not end up doing any repairs until December. And I was like, that’s strange. So I started looking into it. And they’re saying that any of the potential improvements that we did on our home in the last five years could potentially count against us towards that 50% rule.” The 50% rule is a National Flood Insurance Program regulation requiring homes or buildings with damage exceeding 50% of their market value to be rebuilt to conform to the most recent codes in mind. In Cape Coral, that means any permits filed over the last five years will count against a homeowner on top of the damage caused by Ian. Tom Hayden, with the Cape Coral City Council, said that is why the council wants people to wait until December to make repairs. That way, the council has time to change the policy. “The way that will work is we can change the ordinance, but we have to go through our processes that has to go through planning and zoning. First, we have to introduce the ordinance. And then at that point, then probably the first of December, we can act on it. We’re not telling people they don’t have to remodel. They’re free to do what they want to do. We’re just trying to get them information that if they’re willing to wait, that they might get a break on the 50%,” said Hayden. “It’s just kind of a kick you while you’re down type deal. It didn’t seem like we got the information, you know, none of us seem to really know about it. And it’s like, we just right when you feel like you had a little ounce of hope. You know, when you meet a contractor, and they say, ‘it’s gonna be OK, we’re going to be able to help you fix your home,’ Then you hear this, and then you’re like, ‘I might not be able to even fix my home, I might have to demolish it, and I can’t afford to rebuild it.’ So it sucks a lot,” said Lammer. Cape Coral City Council said it is working to reduce the five-year permit window to a year or less that would count toward the 50% rule. In Charlotte County, that time frame is one year. Collier County said homes that require the 50% review are homes that are located in a high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area in which the Finished Flood elevation is not constructed to Base Flood Elevation plus one foot. The county also said it has not issued any guidance asking residents to delay work on their homes. For information about the 50% rule in Collier County, click here. WINK News reached out to Lee County about their rules for permits that would count toward the 50% rule and have not heard back.