16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier CountyNew bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashes
16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier County According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, two airboats crashed south of U.S. 41 east between mile markers 74 and 75, leaving well over a dozen people injured.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashes There could be new detectives on the block, located in your nearest auto shop. A new state bill aims at trying to stop hit-and-run drivers from getting away.
CAPE CORAL New leash on life; Cape Coral shelter dog beats cancer with drug being tested for humans A drug now being studied in human trials to kill cancerous tumors, is already approved and helping animals.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral planning a new interchange with I-75 The city of Cape Coral is in the early stages of planning a new interchange with I-75, an idea that has been discussed for more than a decade.
Tracking invasive species after hurricanes Hurricanes Helene and Milton didn’t just bring wind and rain, they brought new threats to southwest Florida’s ecosystem.
PUNTA GORDA Woman in Punta Gorda shooting charged with 2nd degree murder A woman in a homicide investigation on Nasturtium Drive in Punta Gorda has been charged with 2nd-degree murder.
Lee County mother continuing fight to get children a bus stop The school district already told her she lives too close to the school to qualify for a bus route but she has not given up.
NORTH NAPLES Grant Thornton Invitational returns to Tiburon Golf Club Stars on the PGA and LPGA Tours are back in Southwest Florida for the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club.
FORT MYERS Black Flag brings classic punk energy to The Ranch in Fort Myers Legendary punk band Black Flag made their mark in Southwest Florida during the Fort Myers stop of their “First Four Years” tour.
Charlotte Technical College breaks ground on aviation facility The Charlotte County School District is flying high and keeping its “Space Academy” designation with a new aviation training facility for students.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested in connection with Cape Coral home invasion The Cape Coral Police Department has announced the arrest of one of three men suspected in a home invasion that took place earlier this month.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral residents react to $100M North Cape land deal The city of Cape Coral is seeing two projects that will change the city. One is called one of the most lucrative deals in county history.
Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association breaks ground on new Fort Myers headquarters As Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association’s president pointed out, about 1,000 people are still moving to Florida every day, and many of them are finding their way to Southwest Florida.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County drug trafficker sentenced to 10 years A Charlotte County man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug trafficking.
lehigh acres ‘How to sign away parental rights?’; Lehigh Acres woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby.
16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier County According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, two airboats crashed south of U.S. 41 east between mile markers 74 and 75, leaving well over a dozen people injured.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashes There could be new detectives on the block, located in your nearest auto shop. A new state bill aims at trying to stop hit-and-run drivers from getting away.
CAPE CORAL New leash on life; Cape Coral shelter dog beats cancer with drug being tested for humans A drug now being studied in human trials to kill cancerous tumors, is already approved and helping animals.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral planning a new interchange with I-75 The city of Cape Coral is in the early stages of planning a new interchange with I-75, an idea that has been discussed for more than a decade.
Tracking invasive species after hurricanes Hurricanes Helene and Milton didn’t just bring wind and rain, they brought new threats to southwest Florida’s ecosystem.
PUNTA GORDA Woman in Punta Gorda shooting charged with 2nd degree murder A woman in a homicide investigation on Nasturtium Drive in Punta Gorda has been charged with 2nd-degree murder.
Lee County mother continuing fight to get children a bus stop The school district already told her she lives too close to the school to qualify for a bus route but she has not given up.
NORTH NAPLES Grant Thornton Invitational returns to Tiburon Golf Club Stars on the PGA and LPGA Tours are back in Southwest Florida for the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club.
FORT MYERS Black Flag brings classic punk energy to The Ranch in Fort Myers Legendary punk band Black Flag made their mark in Southwest Florida during the Fort Myers stop of their “First Four Years” tour.
Charlotte Technical College breaks ground on aviation facility The Charlotte County School District is flying high and keeping its “Space Academy” designation with a new aviation training facility for students.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested in connection with Cape Coral home invasion The Cape Coral Police Department has announced the arrest of one of three men suspected in a home invasion that took place earlier this month.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral residents react to $100M North Cape land deal The city of Cape Coral is seeing two projects that will change the city. One is called one of the most lucrative deals in county history.
Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association breaks ground on new Fort Myers headquarters As Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association’s president pointed out, about 1,000 people are still moving to Florida every day, and many of them are finding their way to Southwest Florida.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County drug trafficker sentenced to 10 years A Charlotte County man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug trafficking.
lehigh acres ‘How to sign away parental rights?’; Lehigh Acres woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby.
A memorial in downtown Fort Myers is a reminder of the lives lost in Lee County due to Ian. (CREDIT: WINK News) Memories of those lost during Hurricane Ian remain across Southwest Florida. Signs of love and grief are still displayed for an entire region to mourn. The latest numbers from the coroner’s office show Hurricane Ian is responsible for 137 total deaths, 61 in Lee County. Dan Noah has been with the National Weather Service for more than 30 years, and the tragedy has stuck with him. “We know people died in the storm, and that’s unacceptable,” Noah says. “So we are going to do everything we can possible to make the forecasts better and help people understand it.” WINK News investigative reporter Peter Fleischer analyzed the most recent available county data and confirmed disturbing trends. The average age of victims in Lee County was almost 70 years old, and more than 80 percent of victims lived in evacuation Zone A. These people should have been the first to leave. “The big thing is communication,” Noah claims. “How do we communicate to the people that need to evacuate, to get them to respond?” Lee County Manager Roger Desjarlais ordered an evacuation for Ian at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 27, when Southwest Florida was already feeling the impact. During a press conference that began at 8:40 a.m. on Sept. 27, Desjarlais announced, “we are modifying the evacuation plan and ordering evacuation for all of Zone A and Zone B.” A study by the Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council shows it would take 36 hours to evacuate all of Zone A. By that standard, Lee County did not leave enough time for everyone in Zone A to leave safely. A records request revealed an email between county staff and the county’s Public Safety Director Sandra Tapfumaneyi sent at 7:03 pm Monday night. That email was a draft of an evacuation order. Yet Lee County waited 12 hours until Tuesday morning to issue the evacuation order for Zone A and parts of B. Making the call Monday night would have met and exceeded the planning council’s recommendation to safely evacuate. For weeks, WINK investigative reporter Peter Fleischer called, emailed and stopped by the county offices to request interviews with Desjarlais and every county commissioner. They all refused to interview with Fleischer even after one of the deadliest storms in Florida history. Eventually, they spoke outside their office. “Initially, we believed the storm surge was going to have more of an effect on the uninhabited areas of the Zone A,” Desjarlais admitted. “That’s why we were a little slower to pull that trigger than we might have otherwise.” Commissioner Ray Sandelli pointed to the number of factors involved: “Could we have done it differently? Maybe. But I guess you’re dealing with these variables.” Lee County Commissioner Cecil Pendergrass (left) and Lee County Manager Roger Desjarlais (CREDIT: WINK News) Cecil Pendergrass served as Chairman of the commission when Hurricane Ian hit. He refused to discuss holding the evacuation order for 12 hours or the evacuation protocols entirely, instead calling WINK News “fake news” and claiming his office had issued statements on the email in question. But Pendergrass has never sent WINK News any statement on delaying the announcement of the evacuation order. The National Weather Service began communicating its timeline with Lee County emergency staff about a week before Ian arrived and eventually realized a disaster was imminent. “We knew it was going to be catastrophic somewhere on the west coast of Florida on Sunday,” Noah said. “Everybody gets that information. They ask questions. And then, they make their decisions.” Ian shifted in the days leading up to its arrival, crushing Lee County. The results were catastrophic but not shocking. “Ian behaved pretty well. It’s just those tiny changes in the track,” Noah explains. “While it looked like a big jog to the right, it really wasn’t a big jog.” So, how and when will Lee County make changes to hurricane protocol? Officials didn’t have specifics and will not say if evacuation orders could come earlier next time. The damage left behind by Hurricane Ian. (CREDIT: WINK News) “After every storm, we always evaluate protocols. We will sometime in the next month or two,” Desjarlais claimed. “We’ll be gathering not just county staff but all of our partnering agencies as well.” “Is it second-guessing? Nobody’s trying to guess. Nobody’s trying to hurt anybody,” Sandelli said. “We’re all trying to make sure we put out the best information.” With dozens of families grieving, Ian is not an experience Southwest Florida wants to repeat. WINK News reached out to county Communication Director Betsy Clayton and Public Safety Director Sandra Tapfumaneyi about the decision to delay the evacuation order. They declined our interview requests.