Sanibel Church rebuilds after Hurricane IanCostco construction causes commotion in Collier County community
SANIBEL Sanibel Church rebuilds after Hurricane Ian The Sanibel Community Church has completed its remarkable rebuild after Hurricane Ian devastated their place of worship over two years ago.
NAPLES Costco construction causes commotion in Collier County community Costco is eyeing a plot of land in Collier County for a new store, but residents are voicing strong opposition.
NAPLES Dr. Cornelius “Pat” Cacho’s impact on education and Southwest Florida Dr. Cornelius “Pat” Cacho, a beloved philanthropist and advocate for education, dedicated his life to empowering others through opportunity and knowledge.
SANIBEL Sanibel cracks down on school zone speeders with new camera system Sanibel is tightening its grip on school zone speeders with newly installed cameras.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers food pantry expands efforts with Harry Chapin support The Harry Chapin Food Bank in Fort Myers plays a crucial role in supporting smaller food banks in the area.
Fort Myers Beach Pier scheduled to be finished a year ahead of schedule The Fort Myers Beach Pier remains a symbol of the destruction caused by Hurricane Ian two years ago. Efforts to rebuild it has taken a lot of time.
FORT MYERS Iconic Fort Myers statue to undergo repairs The iconic “Rachel at the Well” statue on McGregor Boulevard in Fort Myers has been a landmark for 94 years. However, it became a casualty of Hurricane Ian in 2022, and discussions for its repair are ongoing.
Salvation Army Thrift Store closing its doors in Collier County The Salvation Army has announced the permanent closure of the Naples Family Store on Davis Boulevard.
SANIBEL Rebuilding the Sanibel Causeway with a cause Construction crews are hard at work making the Sanibel Causeway more resilient. The bridge is being fortified to withstand future storms.
LEE COUNTY No. 2 prospect in MLB Roman Anthony with Red Sox for Spring Training Roman Anthony, who is ranked as the second best in baseball, is with the Boston Red Sox for his first Spring Training.
MANASOTA KEY Popular Manasota Key restaurant reopens after storm damage Manasota Key is steadily recovering from a challenging hurricane season, and residents are celebrating the reopening of a beloved local spot.
PINE ISLAND Construction to start on hurricane-proof fire station on Pine Island A new hurricane-proof fire station is coming to Pine Island. The current station, over 40 years old, is in dire need of replacement.
NORTH PORT Braves’ Chris Sale on the mound in southwest Florida once again Spring Training is in full swing for the Atlanta Braves, who’s full squad reported on Tuesday, that means Chris Sale is back in SWFL.
NAPLES Denise Brown speaks on domestic violence at Naples fundraiser event A record crowd of 825 people gathered at the Ritz Carlton Tiburon to raise money and awareness to end domestic violence.
NORTH NAPLES Construction on Collier County diverging diamond begins in March Construction on Southwest Florida’s third diverging diamond interchange is set to begin in March.
SANIBEL Sanibel Church rebuilds after Hurricane Ian The Sanibel Community Church has completed its remarkable rebuild after Hurricane Ian devastated their place of worship over two years ago.
NAPLES Costco construction causes commotion in Collier County community Costco is eyeing a plot of land in Collier County for a new store, but residents are voicing strong opposition.
NAPLES Dr. Cornelius “Pat” Cacho’s impact on education and Southwest Florida Dr. Cornelius “Pat” Cacho, a beloved philanthropist and advocate for education, dedicated his life to empowering others through opportunity and knowledge.
SANIBEL Sanibel cracks down on school zone speeders with new camera system Sanibel is tightening its grip on school zone speeders with newly installed cameras.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers food pantry expands efforts with Harry Chapin support The Harry Chapin Food Bank in Fort Myers plays a crucial role in supporting smaller food banks in the area.
Fort Myers Beach Pier scheduled to be finished a year ahead of schedule The Fort Myers Beach Pier remains a symbol of the destruction caused by Hurricane Ian two years ago. Efforts to rebuild it has taken a lot of time.
FORT MYERS Iconic Fort Myers statue to undergo repairs The iconic “Rachel at the Well” statue on McGregor Boulevard in Fort Myers has been a landmark for 94 years. However, it became a casualty of Hurricane Ian in 2022, and discussions for its repair are ongoing.
Salvation Army Thrift Store closing its doors in Collier County The Salvation Army has announced the permanent closure of the Naples Family Store on Davis Boulevard.
SANIBEL Rebuilding the Sanibel Causeway with a cause Construction crews are hard at work making the Sanibel Causeway more resilient. The bridge is being fortified to withstand future storms.
LEE COUNTY No. 2 prospect in MLB Roman Anthony with Red Sox for Spring Training Roman Anthony, who is ranked as the second best in baseball, is with the Boston Red Sox for his first Spring Training.
MANASOTA KEY Popular Manasota Key restaurant reopens after storm damage Manasota Key is steadily recovering from a challenging hurricane season, and residents are celebrating the reopening of a beloved local spot.
PINE ISLAND Construction to start on hurricane-proof fire station on Pine Island A new hurricane-proof fire station is coming to Pine Island. The current station, over 40 years old, is in dire need of replacement.
NORTH PORT Braves’ Chris Sale on the mound in southwest Florida once again Spring Training is in full swing for the Atlanta Braves, who’s full squad reported on Tuesday, that means Chris Sale is back in SWFL.
NAPLES Denise Brown speaks on domestic violence at Naples fundraiser event A record crowd of 825 people gathered at the Ritz Carlton Tiburon to raise money and awareness to end domestic violence.
NORTH NAPLES Construction on Collier County diverging diamond begins in March Construction on Southwest Florida’s third diverging diamond interchange is set to begin in March.
Fire Station 13 breaks ground in northeast Cape Coral. (Credit: WINK News) A new fire station is being built in northeast Cape Coral to cut down on response times. Fire Station 13 is going in between two existing fire stations and will help with all the growth being seen in Southwest Florida’s largest city. The station will be on Northeast 6th Street, between stations 2 and 5. Cape Coral city leaders broke ground on Thursday afternoon. Fire Chief Ryan Lamb says it’s only one of four new stations coming to Cape Coral. “Our master plan is looking at about 16 fire stations, and so we still have 14, 15 and 16 [left],” Lamb said. “In the plans right now, we’ve got land, and a lot of that’s going to be based off of growth.” Fire Station 13 plans in northeast Cape Coral. (credit: WINK News) When Fire Station 13 opens, the city expects response times to improve instantly. Fire Station 2 and Fire Station 5, on either side of it, are the busiest departments in the city. Lamb says they’ve seen an 11% increase in calls in the last year. “We have a goal of—from the time somebody calls 911 to showing up at their front door—[getting there] within 10 minutes 90% of the time,” Lamb said. Lamb admits this doesn’t always happen. In a true emergency, he knows every second counts. “A fire doubles in size every 30 seconds,” Lamb said. “If you’re having a heart attack or myocardial infarction, the time is tissue.” The building will cost the city almost $7.5 million to complete. But Mayor John Gunter isn’t much concerned with the price tag. “If you look at the last several years, the cost of goods and services definitely went up,” Gunter said. “But when it comes to public safety, you know, that is first and foremost.” Construction should be complete by December. As more people come to the city of Cape Coral, Firefighters feel the heat. More homes and businesses mean more calls for help. “In this particular area in northeast Cape Coral, we’ve seen a lot of growth not only of residences but of businesses. And so it’s important that we continue to match city services to city growth,” said Lamb. The new facility will house a four-person fire engine, which should help firefighters better their response times. Right now, the goal is to get there within 10 minutes, but it doesn’t always happen in northeast Cape, where the city’s busiest fire stations are located. “Even though this area is going to see an increase, the whole city is going to see a benefit because less trucks are going to have to be pulled into this area,” Lamb said. More trucks on the road throughout the city means more employment opportunities. Fire Chief Lamb said 15 firefighters have already been offered positions. Cape Coral Mayor John Gunter said construction opportunities would also open up, bringing some potential economic benefits to the area temporarily. “Some of these types of projects, outside contractors come in, they’re going to have housing needs. I’m sure there’ll be visiting our businesses over that time period.”