American Sand Sculpting Competition returns to Fort Myers BeachEnglewood nonprofit gives hope to residents amid hurricane recovery
FORT MYERS BEACH American Sand Sculpting Competition returns to Fort Myers Beach After a year’s long wait, the American Sand Sculpting Competition on Fort Myers Beach returned on Thursday.
ENGLEWOOD Englewood nonprofit gives hope to residents amid hurricane recovery Many people in Charlotte County were hit hard by storms this hurricane season, but that won’t stop them from giving back to their community.
NAPLES CSN’s Jayvian Tanelus and offensive line erupt in round one Community School of Naples’ offensive line and Jayvian Tanelus put on a show in round one of the playoffs earning them player of the week.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral family opens home up for the holidays A Cape Coral family has gotten over 1,000 interactions on a Facebook post after opening up their home for the holidays.
SANIBEL Sanibel police trained and certified to catch alligators by FWC Pinning an apex predator down with little more than bare hands and tape: That’s what the Sanibel Police Department went through during alligator-catching certification training.
Southwest Florida welcomes first proton beam therapy center This is a big week in cancer care for patients in Southwest Florida and beyond.
PUNTA GORDA Whats next after Punta Gorda city manager’s resignation? Punta Gorda city manager Greg Murray said he resigned Monday but told the council on Wednesday. Now, Melissa Reichert is the interim city manager.
FORT MYERS BEACH 34th annual American Sand Sculpting Championship begins on Fort Myers Beach After a years long wait, the American Sand Sculpting Competition on Fort Myers Beach returned on Thursday.
CAPE CORAL City council members talk about decision to repeal stipend ordinance A vote of 5 to 3 ends the saga over the Cape Coral City Council stipend and new members of the city council are sending a message they’re doing things differently.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers food pantry provides Thanksgiving meals to neighbors Dozens of people stopped by Sunshine Health’s food pantry one week before Thanksgiving. Sunshine Health is delivering hope.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach loses FEMA insurance discount The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has placed Fort Myers Beach (FMB) on probation.
FORT MYERS WINK News Game of the Week: Riverdale at Fort Myers Our WINK News Game of the Week is the regional semifinal matchup between Fort Myers and Riverdale, a rematch from the regular season finale two weeks ago.
NAPLES Hope for the Holidays turkey distribution event in Collier County A Naples nonprofit is expected to feed nearly 2,000 families.
Parts of Lee County to keep FEMA discount According to the Lee County Government, residents in parts of Lee County will keep their FEMA discount.
New blue-light system to be implemented to flag red-light runners Green means go, red means stop and blue means you just ran a red light.
FORT MYERS BEACH American Sand Sculpting Competition returns to Fort Myers Beach After a year’s long wait, the American Sand Sculpting Competition on Fort Myers Beach returned on Thursday.
ENGLEWOOD Englewood nonprofit gives hope to residents amid hurricane recovery Many people in Charlotte County were hit hard by storms this hurricane season, but that won’t stop them from giving back to their community.
NAPLES CSN’s Jayvian Tanelus and offensive line erupt in round one Community School of Naples’ offensive line and Jayvian Tanelus put on a show in round one of the playoffs earning them player of the week.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral family opens home up for the holidays A Cape Coral family has gotten over 1,000 interactions on a Facebook post after opening up their home for the holidays.
SANIBEL Sanibel police trained and certified to catch alligators by FWC Pinning an apex predator down with little more than bare hands and tape: That’s what the Sanibel Police Department went through during alligator-catching certification training.
Southwest Florida welcomes first proton beam therapy center This is a big week in cancer care for patients in Southwest Florida and beyond.
PUNTA GORDA Whats next after Punta Gorda city manager’s resignation? Punta Gorda city manager Greg Murray said he resigned Monday but told the council on Wednesday. Now, Melissa Reichert is the interim city manager.
FORT MYERS BEACH 34th annual American Sand Sculpting Championship begins on Fort Myers Beach After a years long wait, the American Sand Sculpting Competition on Fort Myers Beach returned on Thursday.
CAPE CORAL City council members talk about decision to repeal stipend ordinance A vote of 5 to 3 ends the saga over the Cape Coral City Council stipend and new members of the city council are sending a message they’re doing things differently.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers food pantry provides Thanksgiving meals to neighbors Dozens of people stopped by Sunshine Health’s food pantry one week before Thanksgiving. Sunshine Health is delivering hope.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach loses FEMA insurance discount The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has placed Fort Myers Beach (FMB) on probation.
FORT MYERS WINK News Game of the Week: Riverdale at Fort Myers Our WINK News Game of the Week is the regional semifinal matchup between Fort Myers and Riverdale, a rematch from the regular season finale two weeks ago.
NAPLES Hope for the Holidays turkey distribution event in Collier County A Naples nonprofit is expected to feed nearly 2,000 families.
Parts of Lee County to keep FEMA discount According to the Lee County Government, residents in parts of Lee County will keep their FEMA discount.
New blue-light system to be implemented to flag red-light runners Green means go, red means stop and blue means you just ran a red light.
The aftermath of Hurricane Ian has been devastating for many, and now some are dealing with violations and small fines as they repair their homes. WINK News investigative reporter Peter Fleischer visited a neighborhood where nearly 20 homes have been hit with Lee County code violations. Homeowners say they’re not trying to get away with illegal work; they’re just trying to get their lives back. It’s hard to imagine what some houses were like in Island Park before Hurricane Ian, but the aftermath and how it affected his neighbors break Greg Wieg’s heart. “They were just different individuals. I heard people in the neighborhood saying, ‘I wish I had been one of the people that drowned,'” said Wieg. Greg Wieg. (Credit: WINK News) Wieg and his wife have lived in the Island Park area for 17 years. Their house was hit during Ian, but the damage wasn’t catastrophic. Now, they’re buying their neighbor’s house. She was described as an elderly woman, and she didn’t have the strength or resources to rebuild. “It was just utter devastation. These homes took on almost six feet of water,” Wieg said. Inside the home left destroyed by Ian. (Credit: WINK News) The house is now a skeleton. A church group helped the woman gut her home when they were volunteering in the weeks after Ian. The goal was to prevent further mold and rot damage. Months later, the woman was hit with a Lee County code violation. She didn’t have a permit to remodel her house. “If the house is on fire, do you have to get a permit before you put the house fire out? Of course not,” said Wieg. Records show this house is one of at least 18 that have been hit with code violations in the neighborhood, and 115 violations have been issued in the Island Park zip code, but community members argue it’s not like they’re adding a second floor or digging a lavish pool. Jim Weiss. (Credit: WINK News) Jim Weiss has lived in the Island Park area for 25 years. Records show several homes on his street have been issued code violations since Ian. “I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about insurance,” said Weiss. Weiss worked on small projects around his home, trying to keep his house safe and clean while following county requirements. “You’ve got a group of people that don’t care too much about that. That’s not an important item. It’s dotting the I’s and crossing the t’s is more important.” Even with a livable home, the process and the suffering of his neighbors have taken their toll. “This situation has changed me greatly. It’s very difficult to think about,” Weiss said. As they recover and rebuild, Island Park asks for understanding. “The county and the building department needs to reach out to these people and explain to them the process that needs to occur so they can achieve the end game,” said Wieg. WINK News requested an interview with Lee County Code Enforcement, but they referred us to their website instead. Lee County Code Enforcement is only responsible for unincorporated Lee County. To contact Lee County Code Enforcement, residents can call 239-533-8895 or email complaints to codeenforcement@leegov.com. To look up code enforcement violations, follow the directions below: Go to the Lee County code enforcement database by clicking here. Make sure the “Code Enforcement” tab is selected, and then “Search Applications.” Fill out as much information as possible. There are options for specific types of violations, dates, addresses, etc.