Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association breaks ground on new Fort Myers headquartersCharlotte County drug trafficker sentenced to 10 years
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.
Punta Gorda Man accused of indecent exposure at school bus stop in Punta Gorda The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of indecent exposure at a school bus stop in Punta Gorda.
estero Firefighters to perform 76-acre prescribed burn at Koreshan State Park San Carlos Park Fire Protection & Rescue Service District performs a 76-acre prescribed burn at Koreshan State Park today.
Tim Aten Knows: 2 new eateries coming to East Naples After operating La Rosa Pizzeria for more than 15 years, owners Bill and Alda Rosa decided to sell their local business and restaurant space.
the weather authority Warmer with sun and clouds for your Friday plans The Weather Authority is tracking a warmer day ahead, with a mixture of sun and clouds expected this Friday afternoon.
FDOT opens all lanes of Caloosahatchee Bridge year ahead of construction schedule The Florida Department of Transportation announced it will open all lanes of the Caloosahatchee Bridge a year ahead of its pedestrian sidewalk project.
NAPLES 12-year-old collecting donations for the needy during the holidays A 12-year-old Naples boy isn’t worried about what he’s getting for Christmas. Instead, he’s working on his 6th annual “Holiday Sock Drive.”
Fort Myers man facing homelessness before the holidays A 75-year-old man is on the brink of homelessness despite working over 80 hours a week.
NAPLES Adoptee uses non-profit to provide suitcases for foster children This holiday season, a Naples woman is on a mission to bring foster children something many take for granted: a suitcase filled with dignity.
MARCO ISLAND City of Marco Island discusses lead awareness during city council meeting The city of Marco Island sent out 4900 letters to residents warning them that their pipes could contain plastic or lead.
NAPLES The future of electric planes in Southwest Florida Features of living near an airport include persistent headache-inducing engine rumbles and foul-smelling jet fuel, but electric planes could play a part in the solution.
PORT CHARLOTTE Neighbors awaiting answers on Port Charlotte Beach Park repairs Neighbors said a contractor hired by the Florida Division of Emergency Management mishandled the boats at Port Charlotte Beach Park.
FGCU introduces new technology for cognitive health screenings Ten minutes. That’s all it takes for doctors to assess how well you remember, how quickly you learn things, and how your brain is working overall.
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.
Punta Gorda Man accused of indecent exposure at school bus stop in Punta Gorda The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of indecent exposure at a school bus stop in Punta Gorda.
estero Firefighters to perform 76-acre prescribed burn at Koreshan State Park San Carlos Park Fire Protection & Rescue Service District performs a 76-acre prescribed burn at Koreshan State Park today.
Tim Aten Knows: 2 new eateries coming to East Naples After operating La Rosa Pizzeria for more than 15 years, owners Bill and Alda Rosa decided to sell their local business and restaurant space.
the weather authority Warmer with sun and clouds for your Friday plans The Weather Authority is tracking a warmer day ahead, with a mixture of sun and clouds expected this Friday afternoon.
FDOT opens all lanes of Caloosahatchee Bridge year ahead of construction schedule The Florida Department of Transportation announced it will open all lanes of the Caloosahatchee Bridge a year ahead of its pedestrian sidewalk project.
NAPLES 12-year-old collecting donations for the needy during the holidays A 12-year-old Naples boy isn’t worried about what he’s getting for Christmas. Instead, he’s working on his 6th annual “Holiday Sock Drive.”
Fort Myers man facing homelessness before the holidays A 75-year-old man is on the brink of homelessness despite working over 80 hours a week.
NAPLES Adoptee uses non-profit to provide suitcases for foster children This holiday season, a Naples woman is on a mission to bring foster children something many take for granted: a suitcase filled with dignity.
MARCO ISLAND City of Marco Island discusses lead awareness during city council meeting The city of Marco Island sent out 4900 letters to residents warning them that their pipes could contain plastic or lead.
NAPLES The future of electric planes in Southwest Florida Features of living near an airport include persistent headache-inducing engine rumbles and foul-smelling jet fuel, but electric planes could play a part in the solution.
PORT CHARLOTTE Neighbors awaiting answers on Port Charlotte Beach Park repairs Neighbors said a contractor hired by the Florida Division of Emergency Management mishandled the boats at Port Charlotte Beach Park.
FGCU introduces new technology for cognitive health screenings Ten minutes. That’s all it takes for doctors to assess how well you remember, how quickly you learn things, and how your brain is working overall.
Hurricane Ian’s damage closed a lot of parks across Lee County, and some are still closed. Lakes Regional Park is one of them. Kids usually enjoy the Christmas lights there, but this year, the park is being used as a staging area for the Department of Emergency Management. There are parks that are back open after the storm, and people are taking advantage of them. Every Thursday, a group of wheelchair athletes gets together to do what they love. “It’s now good to come back here,” said Paul Hart. Rutenberg Park tennis courts. (Credit: WINK News) When Hurricane Ian tore through Southwest Florida, it took many of our beautiful parks with it. Last Friday, Hart, and friends got one of their favorite spots back; the tennis courts at Rutenberg Park. “If you can’t play, you know, you’re like, what are you going to do?” asked Hart. Figuring out what to do is what Hart has done for most of his life. “I got paralyzed at 16, almost 17 years old. So I just was forced into a world of not using my legs anymore.” That never stopped him. He still swims, rides a bike, and skis. He’s probably more active than most people who don’t have the same everyday challenges, so you bet when the gates opened at the park, he was back. “I think wheelchair tennis is my thing. So I really enjoy it,” Hart said. Not every park is open for enjoyment. There are 17 Lee County parks either still cleaning up from the storm or set up to help with recovery efforts. That was the case at Hart’s favorite place before he got back on the court. “I really liked the county do the right thing and allowed this facility to be used for storm reparations and so on.” Hunter Park. (Credit: WINK News) Then there are spots like Hunter Park or Brooks Park. Both are partially open but don’t expect to be able to park in the lot. It’s still closed since it was a debris drop-off site. You can walk up to the open pickleball courts, where the next shot at victory awaits. Fort Myers staff told WINK News the damage at Centennial Park is less than expected. They hope to re-open the park by the end of February, right before the Edison Festival. Lakes Park looks great from afar, But the jolly Christmas train won’t run its cars this year. The park will stay closed until January while repairs are made, and it’s a spot where the Department of Emergency Management has set up shop. Lakes Park. (Credit: WINK News) Mike Flynn’s favorite tennis court at Rutenberg park opened up again last Friday. Flynn himself is a billboard for encouragement. He had to lose a leg to a bacterial infection. “They said it was either take my leg off, or there was only maybe a 25% chance I was gonna make it,” said Flynn. It is fair to say he knows a thing or two about recovery, so getting out and playing his favorite sport in a spot once used to help with hurricane recovery tells him brighter times are coming to Lee County parks. “I think it’s great. I was happy to get back here,” Flynn said. With 17 more parks still waiting to open, Flynn is assured Lee County will once again be a beautiful place. You can find a complete list of open parks on the Lee County parks website.