Gov. DeSantis to hold news conference in Manatee CountyFort Myers woman accused of stealing, selling boat and trailer
Gov. DeSantis to hold news conference in Manatee County Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news conference in Manatee County.
CAPE CORAL Fort Myers woman accused of stealing, selling boat and trailer A woman has been arrested after allegedly stealing a boat and trailer and trying to sell it off by forging the owner’s signature.
Lee County Supervisor of Elections to mail sample ballots The Lee County Supervisor of Elections will soon begin sending out mail sample ballots for the upcoming 2024 election.
The Weather Authority The Weather Authority: More rain and storms this Thursday afternoon and evening The Weather Authority is tracking more rain and storms this Thursday, possibly heavily impacting some areas this afternoon.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers CRA discusses downtown expansion On Wednesday, the Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency discussed an expansion of the area they oversee.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda couple salvages what’s left after dramatic rescue A Punta Gorda couple is awaiting FEMA assistance after dealing with damage from Helene.
BOCA GRANDE Rebuilding after Hurricane Helene and avoiding contractor pitfalls Neighbors across Southwest Florida and beyond are picking up the pieces and assessing the damage left by Hurricane Helene.
PORT CHARLOTTE Areas of Port Charlotte flooded due to heavy rain Some areas of Port Charlotte are underwater after heavy rain Wednesday evening.
PINE ISLAND The Greater Pine Island Alliance is seeking volunteers to help recovery efforts The Greater Pine Island Alliance is looking for volunteers, and age or skill set does not matter; if you want to help, they have a job for you.
FORT MYERS Whiskey Creek residents frustrated by worsened flooding Whiskey Creek residents do not know why flooding has worsened, but they said they want something done about it.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs firefighters rescue a bulldog in Helene’s aftermath In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Bonita Springs Fire Station 27 received a guest: a sweet little bulldog.
FGCU professor speaks on port worker strike 45,000 port workers on the East and Gulf Coasts are officially on strike as of Wednesday after their labor contract with the U.S. Maritime Alliance expired.
CAPE CORAL Oasis head football coach leading the Sharks after 22 years with Cape Coral Police Oasis High School head football coach Brice Bearman in his first season after retiring from the Cape Coral Police Department after 22 years.
NAPLES Naples City Council votes to repair Naples Pier Though Helene did cause further damage to the Naples Pier, the city manager said it would not get in the way of its reconstruction.
Florida voter registration deadline upcoming Monday, Oct. 7, is the deadline to register to vote in November’s general election.
Gov. DeSantis to hold news conference in Manatee County Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news conference in Manatee County.
CAPE CORAL Fort Myers woman accused of stealing, selling boat and trailer A woman has been arrested after allegedly stealing a boat and trailer and trying to sell it off by forging the owner’s signature.
Lee County Supervisor of Elections to mail sample ballots The Lee County Supervisor of Elections will soon begin sending out mail sample ballots for the upcoming 2024 election.
The Weather Authority The Weather Authority: More rain and storms this Thursday afternoon and evening The Weather Authority is tracking more rain and storms this Thursday, possibly heavily impacting some areas this afternoon.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers CRA discusses downtown expansion On Wednesday, the Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency discussed an expansion of the area they oversee.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda couple salvages what’s left after dramatic rescue A Punta Gorda couple is awaiting FEMA assistance after dealing with damage from Helene.
BOCA GRANDE Rebuilding after Hurricane Helene and avoiding contractor pitfalls Neighbors across Southwest Florida and beyond are picking up the pieces and assessing the damage left by Hurricane Helene.
PORT CHARLOTTE Areas of Port Charlotte flooded due to heavy rain Some areas of Port Charlotte are underwater after heavy rain Wednesday evening.
PINE ISLAND The Greater Pine Island Alliance is seeking volunteers to help recovery efforts The Greater Pine Island Alliance is looking for volunteers, and age or skill set does not matter; if you want to help, they have a job for you.
FORT MYERS Whiskey Creek residents frustrated by worsened flooding Whiskey Creek residents do not know why flooding has worsened, but they said they want something done about it.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs firefighters rescue a bulldog in Helene’s aftermath In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Bonita Springs Fire Station 27 received a guest: a sweet little bulldog.
FGCU professor speaks on port worker strike 45,000 port workers on the East and Gulf Coasts are officially on strike as of Wednesday after their labor contract with the U.S. Maritime Alliance expired.
CAPE CORAL Oasis head football coach leading the Sharks after 22 years with Cape Coral Police Oasis High School head football coach Brice Bearman in his first season after retiring from the Cape Coral Police Department after 22 years.
NAPLES Naples City Council votes to repair Naples Pier Though Helene did cause further damage to the Naples Pier, the city manager said it would not get in the way of its reconstruction.
Florida voter registration deadline upcoming Monday, Oct. 7, is the deadline to register to vote in November’s general election.
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.