SOUTHWEST FLORIDA First eaglet hatches in famous SWFL eagle nest Welcome E24! The third eaglet from the nest of M15 and F23 has hatched according to the Southwest Florida eagle camera.
lehigh acres LCSO: Lehigh Acres shooting investigation underway The Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting in Lehigh Acres early Saturday morning.
Rock for Equality: SWFL non-profit hosts benefit concert for Palestine A Southwest Florida non-profit hosted a benefit concert on Friday night to help with humanitarian aid in Palestine.
Warm, breezy Saturday with a few showers possible The Weather Authority is forecasting a breezy, warm weekend in store across Southwest Florida, with the chance of a few showers, particularly on Saturday.
CAPE CORAL Active investigation underway in South Cape Coral Cape Coral police are investigating at a home on Southwest 49th Terrace in South Cape Coral early Saturday morning.
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.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA First eaglet hatches in famous SWFL eagle nest Welcome E24! The third eaglet from the nest of M15 and F23 has hatched according to the Southwest Florida eagle camera.
lehigh acres LCSO: Lehigh Acres shooting investigation underway The Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting in Lehigh Acres early Saturday morning.
Rock for Equality: SWFL non-profit hosts benefit concert for Palestine A Southwest Florida non-profit hosted a benefit concert on Friday night to help with humanitarian aid in Palestine.
Warm, breezy Saturday with a few showers possible The Weather Authority is forecasting a breezy, warm weekend in store across Southwest Florida, with the chance of a few showers, particularly on Saturday.
CAPE CORAL Active investigation underway in South Cape Coral Cape Coral police are investigating at a home on Southwest 49th Terrace in South Cape Coral early Saturday morning.
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.
Two more popular spots on Fort Myers Beach are in the process of finalizing deals to sell out. On Friday, WINK News learned that The Cottage was selling for $16 million. Prices on the island keep skyrocketing, with some into the tens of millions of dollars. Many people on the island worry they won’t recognize their neighborhood once it’s rebuilt. The owner of Pete’s Time Out was 61 days from retirement when Hurricane Ian hit. He’d owned the business for two decades and was ready to sell it to his daughter, who would continue the family tradition as the third generation of the family to run the restaurant. The hurricane had other plans, destroying the restaurant and a family’s dream. Unfortunately, their story is not unique. For nearly everyone on the island, rebuild is a word that is much easier to say than it is to do. No matter what you do on the beach, people are trying to prepare themselves for the change in the charm. “I’ve been coming to the beach since middle school, high school. Since we were kids,” said Keny Charles, who ran a business on Fort Myers Beach. Wave of Vitality. (Credit: Wave of Vitality) Charles’ business, Wave of Vitality, went underwater during the storm. “To see this like this, it kinda feels unreal,” Charles said. Instead of treading water, Charles believes a new wave will come to Fort Myers Beach. “I don’t think that Fort Myers Beach is going to be that small-town Fort Myers Beach anymore, man. I feel like it’s going to be more of that corporate route. You’re going to get a lot of luxury coming to the beach,” Charles said. “You’re 60, 70, 80 years old. You don’t really want to go through a rebuilding process of five years again. You know what I mean? John Lallo, the owner of Pete’s Time Out, isn’t 70 or 80 years old, he is 59, but he understands what Charles is saying. “It’s just getting old. It’s getting old. I looked at what our possibilities are. We basically said Pete’s Time Out will never ever be the same,” said Lallo. Destroyed Fort Myers Beach building. (Credit: WINK News) Lallo was only a couple of months away from selling the business to his daughter, who would have been the third generation to run it. “It’s gonna cost anywhere from one to two million dollars to rebuild it. And we’d do it with no income. So we made a decision. Our quality of life is more important than making money. So we decided it’s just not for us right now,” Lallo said. “Everyone’s got their own boat they’re rolling in in this storm, you know? And our boat just said ‘you’re done.’ so, we’re done.” Lallo won’t wallow in any sadness, though. “Once I sell it, I really don’t care. It’s a business. Yeah, it’s our livelihood, and it’s emotional at first, but when it comes down to it, it’s just dollars and cents. And it makes no sense to spend those cents. You know what I’m saying??” The one thing that will never change about Fort Myers Beach is the people. They don’t have restaurants to go to, they don’t have ice cream to buy, they don’t have bathrooms and showers, and they don’t care. No matter what is built or not built on the island, the people on the beach say they are still going to show up.