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.
Travelers across the country are losing their luggage and patience as they put holiday festivities on hold because of flight cancellations. The issue is also one impacting those in Southwest Florida. Southwest Florida International Airport’s flight board is full of cancellations, most of which are from Southwest Airlines. Man looks at RSW flight board amid string of Southwest Airlines’ cancellations. (Credit: WINK News) This is a days-long issue that is expected to continue through New Year’s weekend. One of the biggest problems is people are having trouble getting rebooked before the weekend. The travelers waiting in the long lines at RSW are tired of waiting, remaking travel plans, and trying to find a place to stay until Southwest Airlines can get them out of Southwest Florida. On RSW’s flight information boards, “Southwest” is now synonymous with canceled. The Rodriguez family is trying to get home to Houston, but Southwest has canceled their flights four times since Thursday. “I’m walking away disappointed because every time I fly, I fly with Southwest. I haven’t had any issues but they really just say dropped the ball. And I know they’re working as hard as they can, but then I look over and see all the other airlines flying out,” said Sabrie Rodriguez. On Tuesday, Southwest’s canceled 52 flights in and out of RSW. Nationwide, that number is nearly 2,500. Flight Aware estimates Southwest will cancel another 42 flights in and out of RSW on Wednesday. “We’ve been here trying to go back to Houston. We’re flying from here to Orlando. They canceled our flight as soon as we got here. We’ve been in line for about an hour and a half. They said they can’t refund us right now, that we’re gonna have to call customer service,” said Rodriguez. Customer service lines are jammed with passengers looking for refunds, vouchers, and other ways to get where they’re going. As for the other airlines, things seem to be running smoothly, with no lines or cancelations. “I feel like they’re doing as much as they can. It’s just unfortunate because I just wanted to get home at this point,” Rodriguez said. The Rodriguez family has given up on Southwest. They are renting a car and driving 17 hours home to Houston. A Southwest spokesperson said yes, it’s true that the airline won’t be able to reschedule most passengers until New Year’s Eve at the earliest. WINK News asked passengers suddenly stuck in line what the airline was telling them. “We had a plane, we had pilot, first officer, we had no flight attendants. The gate agent said that there are flight attendants at a local hotel, but they couldn’t get them here to the airport. So now we’re canceled and waiting to be rebooked somewhere,” said Nora Brathol, visiting from Milwaukee. “I’m trying to get my daughter here. She was supposed to come Christmas Eve. And her flight was canceled because they didn’t have a pilot,” said Candice Portis, who was trying to get her daughter to Southwest Florida. Other passengers said their flights were canceled because flight attendants couldn’t get to the airport or their systems were down. In a statement, Southwest blamed the worldwide problems on the weather but did not explain why it cannot get most people rebooked until New Year’s Eve at the earliest.