Local non-profit, Family Initiative, has big plans after receiving $5 million from GolisanoCharlotte County deputies bust park drug deal after community tip
CAPE CORAL Local non-profit, Family Initiative, has big plans after receiving $5 million from Golisano A multi-million dollar donation is helping people with autism have priceless experiences.
PORT CHARLOTTE Charlotte County deputies bust park drug deal after community tip One man’s drug deal in Charlotte County wasn’t exactly a walk in the park.
Dog alerts Lee County woman to home intruder The Lee County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 22-year-old man for burglary and loitering after he broke into a woman’s home and stood inches away from her bed as she slept.
NAPLES Naples business owner accused of rape In 2023, 14,021 domestic violence 911 calls came into Collier County.
manasota key Charlotte County Commissioners vote ‘Yes’ to changes and redevelopment on Manasota Key The Charlotte County Commissioners voted to pass charges that residents on Manasota Key have been dreading.
The debate over fluoride in Florida’s water The water you drink and use to brush your teeth is fueling a community, state and national conversation.
SANIBEL Phase 2 of Sanibel Beach renourishment project set to begin Eric Jackson, Sanibel’s Public Information Officer, is encouraging residents and visitors to still come to the beach.
NAPLES Riding toward a brighter future for kids: The story of Bikes for Tykes For nearly four decades, Bikes for Tykes has been on a mission to give children and adults in need in Southwest Florida a chance to ride refurbished bicycles.
ENGLEWOOD SWFL agencies bring chaplains on staff to offer support to first responders First responders across the country face the devastating impact of suicide nationwide those numbers are rising.
NORTH FORT MYERS Lee County deputies arrest man for ATV and UTV thefts, fence destruction A North Fort Myers man has been arrested after allegedly stealing a four-wheeler, crashing it into a property fence, and later trying to flee on a second stolen vehicle.
‘I saw God twice:’ Boating accident survivor thanks Lee Health After surviving an unthinkable accident in Matlacha, one woman wants to thank the medical team that saved her.
MATLACHA Blue Dog restaurant in Matlacha thankful for decade of support The Blue Dog Bar & Grill in Matlacha has survived multiple hurricanes over the past decade. Now, they’re thanking the community for supporting them every step of the way.
NAPLES Nominee of Gulfshore Life Men and Women of the year volunteers for STARability Gulfshore Life has nominated Anne Fleming as one of its Men and Women of the Year for volunteering her time to raise money for a new home store for Starability.
WINK NEWS Holiday gift exchange scams targeting social media users During the holiday season, tidings of joy and goodwill can be shrouded by scammers seeking to take advantage of holiday shoppers.
New cancer fighting machinery arrives at Southwest Florida Proton All the pieces are in place now, but it will take about a year of calibrating and fine-tuning before the proton machine is up and running.
CAPE CORAL Local non-profit, Family Initiative, has big plans after receiving $5 million from Golisano A multi-million dollar donation is helping people with autism have priceless experiences.
PORT CHARLOTTE Charlotte County deputies bust park drug deal after community tip One man’s drug deal in Charlotte County wasn’t exactly a walk in the park.
Dog alerts Lee County woman to home intruder The Lee County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 22-year-old man for burglary and loitering after he broke into a woman’s home and stood inches away from her bed as she slept.
NAPLES Naples business owner accused of rape In 2023, 14,021 domestic violence 911 calls came into Collier County.
manasota key Charlotte County Commissioners vote ‘Yes’ to changes and redevelopment on Manasota Key The Charlotte County Commissioners voted to pass charges that residents on Manasota Key have been dreading.
The debate over fluoride in Florida’s water The water you drink and use to brush your teeth is fueling a community, state and national conversation.
SANIBEL Phase 2 of Sanibel Beach renourishment project set to begin Eric Jackson, Sanibel’s Public Information Officer, is encouraging residents and visitors to still come to the beach.
NAPLES Riding toward a brighter future for kids: The story of Bikes for Tykes For nearly four decades, Bikes for Tykes has been on a mission to give children and adults in need in Southwest Florida a chance to ride refurbished bicycles.
ENGLEWOOD SWFL agencies bring chaplains on staff to offer support to first responders First responders across the country face the devastating impact of suicide nationwide those numbers are rising.
NORTH FORT MYERS Lee County deputies arrest man for ATV and UTV thefts, fence destruction A North Fort Myers man has been arrested after allegedly stealing a four-wheeler, crashing it into a property fence, and later trying to flee on a second stolen vehicle.
‘I saw God twice:’ Boating accident survivor thanks Lee Health After surviving an unthinkable accident in Matlacha, one woman wants to thank the medical team that saved her.
MATLACHA Blue Dog restaurant in Matlacha thankful for decade of support The Blue Dog Bar & Grill in Matlacha has survived multiple hurricanes over the past decade. Now, they’re thanking the community for supporting them every step of the way.
NAPLES Nominee of Gulfshore Life Men and Women of the year volunteers for STARability Gulfshore Life has nominated Anne Fleming as one of its Men and Women of the Year for volunteering her time to raise money for a new home store for Starability.
WINK NEWS Holiday gift exchange scams targeting social media users During the holiday season, tidings of joy and goodwill can be shrouded by scammers seeking to take advantage of holiday shoppers.
New cancer fighting machinery arrives at Southwest Florida Proton All the pieces are in place now, but it will take about a year of calibrating and fine-tuning before the proton machine is up and running.
Tranquility Lakes FEMA village. (Credit: WINK News) After months of waiting, we can now see trailers meant for people who lost their homes to Hurricane Ian. Previously, WINK News reported that a FEMA village was coming to Tranquility Lakes on Burnt Store Road. Now, we are getting a look at the property where it’s set up. Between 30 and 40 trailers arrive at the staging area each day. The 10-acre site will be used as a preparation center where workers can inspect each one before shipping them off to families in need. Charlotte County FEMA trailer staging area. (Credit: WINK News) “They’re getting two to three dozen, sometimes a day, into this staging area,” said Keith Denning, deputy federal coordinating officer for FEMA. Denning said it took about two weeks to build the site. It’ll help FEMA accelerate its distribution efforts. “Right now, we have 130 units like this that are on private sites around Southwest Florida, and 39 that are in that are in commercial parks,” Denning said. Denning expects that number to grow. One spot, in particular, will be the Tranquility Lakes community on Burnt Store Road. The temporary site is already being set up and is expected to open in the next few weeks. Tranquility Lakes FEMA village. (Credit: WINK News) “We have approximately 50 there at the moment, and we are bringing them in every day,” said Denning. Cape Coral City Councilman Tom Hayden said he’s excited to see a new option for people to turn to. “It’s needed in our community because we really don’t have an area to place these trailers. And, you know, we we know, we still face a lot of hardship with people that don’t have homes and may not have homes for a while,” said Hayden. 105 FEMA trailers will soon arrive in Cape Coral. 50 of them are already parked inside the Tranquility Lakes. “It’s basically an agreement between FEMA and the private owner. As these over 100 trailers start coming into that site to at least people now know that they have a place they can go,” said Hayden. While the city’s not in charge of who gets a FEMA trailer, Hayden knows there are lots of people dealing with many hardships. “I’m going to hope it goes smoothly. And, you know, and they can get people moved in and get them in a better situation.” Denning said that’s the goal. He predicted families would move into these mobile units in the next few weeks. “They’ve already been deemed eligible through our program, and they receive a pre-placement interview from one of our specialists.” Dozens of FEMA trailers arrive every day in Charlotte County, which will eventually go to not just families and needy folks across Southwest Florida. “We can ship them in very quickly, check them out and then get them out to where they need to be used,” said Denning. FEMA said while the agency has already selected the families that will move into the Tranquility Lakes community, if you’re in the cape and need assistance, you can still reach out for help. The agency does not have an exact timeline for how long the Tranquility Lakes site will remain open. The goal, for now, is to stay here as long as people are in need.