Egg prices leading to some locals raising their own chickensFort Myers Beach Library to reopen following Hurricane Ian
Egg prices leading to some locals raising their own chickens High egg prices have some people considering raising their own chickens, but it’s not as simple as it sounds.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach Library to reopen following Hurricane Ian The Fort Myers Beach Library plans to reopen its doors to the public on March 16.
FORT MYERS Save This Life pet microchips closes down For many, protecting your pet is as important as keeping your kids safe.
Rosie, dog lost during I-75 crash, back home with family New information has been released about Rosie, the dog that went missing in a car crash last weekend and was found Wednesday.
Gatorama owner loses fingers at feeding show The owner of Gatorama in Palmdale was bitten by one of his gators during a feeding show over the weekend, losing two fingers.
WWII Veteran hits 100th birthday milestone Hundreds of people came to celebrate WWII veteran Vernon Nelson’s 100th birthday.
FORT MYERS Volunteers boost Harry Chapin Food Bank’s reach The Harry Chapin Food Bank relies heavily on its volunteers to make a significant impact in the community.
SOUTH FORT MYERS Twins’ superfan attends Spring Training for more than two decades Twins’ superfan Neil Pierce lives more than one thousand miles away from Hammond Stadium and never misses a game in Lee County.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers gears up for Edison Festival of Light with safety in focus The parade will begin at Fort Myers High School, travel up U.S. Highway 41, and conclude in downtown Fort Myers.
Byron Donalds accused of voter fraud U.S. Congressman Byron Donalds is being accused of voter fraud. A fellow lawmaker on Capitol Hill is making the allegations.
NAPLES FWC seeks Naples community’s help for derelict boat removal The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is searching for derelict boats in Southwest Florida and is asking for community assistance.
FORT MYERS Red dye ban and Valentine’s Day Red is synonymous with Valentine’s Day, seen in everything from roses to candy. However, some red sweets may not be as appealing this year due to a recent ban on a common dye linked to cancer risks.
FORT MYERS Savannah Bananas at JetBlue Park this weekend Are you heading out to watch the Savannah Bananas this weekend? This is what you need to know.
Punta Gorda Historic District home set for demolition, rebuild When builder T.J. Thornberry was hired by clients to demolish and build two new homes on their Chasteen Street properties within the Punta Gorda Historic District, little did he realize he would be embarking on an odyssey laden with roadblocks lasting nearly three months.
PORT CHARLOTTE Rays begin Spring Training ahead of season away from home The Charlotte Sports Park is home to the Tampa Bay Rays for the next six weeks for, but after that they don’t actually get to go home.
Egg prices leading to some locals raising their own chickens High egg prices have some people considering raising their own chickens, but it’s not as simple as it sounds.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach Library to reopen following Hurricane Ian The Fort Myers Beach Library plans to reopen its doors to the public on March 16.
FORT MYERS Save This Life pet microchips closes down For many, protecting your pet is as important as keeping your kids safe.
Rosie, dog lost during I-75 crash, back home with family New information has been released about Rosie, the dog that went missing in a car crash last weekend and was found Wednesday.
Gatorama owner loses fingers at feeding show The owner of Gatorama in Palmdale was bitten by one of his gators during a feeding show over the weekend, losing two fingers.
WWII Veteran hits 100th birthday milestone Hundreds of people came to celebrate WWII veteran Vernon Nelson’s 100th birthday.
FORT MYERS Volunteers boost Harry Chapin Food Bank’s reach The Harry Chapin Food Bank relies heavily on its volunteers to make a significant impact in the community.
SOUTH FORT MYERS Twins’ superfan attends Spring Training for more than two decades Twins’ superfan Neil Pierce lives more than one thousand miles away from Hammond Stadium and never misses a game in Lee County.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers gears up for Edison Festival of Light with safety in focus The parade will begin at Fort Myers High School, travel up U.S. Highway 41, and conclude in downtown Fort Myers.
Byron Donalds accused of voter fraud U.S. Congressman Byron Donalds is being accused of voter fraud. A fellow lawmaker on Capitol Hill is making the allegations.
NAPLES FWC seeks Naples community’s help for derelict boat removal The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is searching for derelict boats in Southwest Florida and is asking for community assistance.
FORT MYERS Red dye ban and Valentine’s Day Red is synonymous with Valentine’s Day, seen in everything from roses to candy. However, some red sweets may not be as appealing this year due to a recent ban on a common dye linked to cancer risks.
FORT MYERS Savannah Bananas at JetBlue Park this weekend Are you heading out to watch the Savannah Bananas this weekend? This is what you need to know.
Punta Gorda Historic District home set for demolition, rebuild When builder T.J. Thornberry was hired by clients to demolish and build two new homes on their Chasteen Street properties within the Punta Gorda Historic District, little did he realize he would be embarking on an odyssey laden with roadblocks lasting nearly three months.
PORT CHARLOTTE Rays begin Spring Training ahead of season away from home The Charlotte Sports Park is home to the Tampa Bay Rays for the next six weeks for, but after that they don’t actually get to go home.
Sanibel’s recovery efforts seven months after Hurricane Ian. CREDIT: WINK News Friday marks seven months since Hurricane Ian made landfall in Southwest Florida, and in that time, many people have gone the extra mile to help others in their community. The Barrier Islands are an exemplary demonstration of that effort. Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach, in particular, since those communities became almost unrecognizable after overwhelming flooding, damage, and devastation. The remarkable grit and resolve of the people on Sanibel are evident after seeing how the island came back. The amount of traffic on Sanibel and the Causeway, rebuilt in less than a month after Ian, it’s clear that the people of Sanibel can, and will, do whatever it takes for their community. After Hurricane Ian, many people wondered how Sanibel and its Causeway would come back and how long would it take? “Seriously, whenever you say that, it still gives me chills,” Councilmember Holly Smith said. Friday, for perhaps the first time, we know what happened behind closed doors in the days after Hurricane Ian. In the room, the Mayor of Sanibel at the time, Holly Smith, and Governor Ron DeSantis. “He turned to me, and he said we’ve got to get that bridge built,” Councilmember Smith said. Smith, now the former Mayor of Sanibel, loved the governor’s idea but didn’t know how he could get it done. “In my conversations with the Governor, we were talking about having a Ferry. We didn’t know… it could take months, it could take a year… we didn’t have a timeline, really,” Councilmember Smith said. It would be an understatement to say they went on a mission. “Two days later, they started digging that dirt, and four days later, they were able to get the power trucks over,” Councilmember Smith said. On Oct. 19, 2022, three weeks after Ian washed away two major parts of the Causeway, Desantis announced it would reopen to the public. “There was about 5,500 cars coming on the island. That was construction workers, residence employees, and things like that. Right now. It’s up to about 8,000 a day,” Marcus Preece, general manager of Cielo, said. Since the Causeway is open, places like Cielo have sprung new life. “One of our dumpsters floated out from his cage across the parking lot and was about 10 feet back in the trees,” Preece said. When he returned to the island, Preece didn’t know if his restaurant would even be standing. “Just getting dropped off and walking up and down Periwinkle. Everything was brown, the dirt, the mud everywhere. It’s astounding to see,” Preece said. After the cleanup, and less than two months after the storm hit, Cielo became the first restaurant to open on Sanibel. So people like Keith Isaacson could sit down and enjoy a good meal again. “The business community has really dug in and gotten things going quickly,” Isaacson said. WINK News asked if Isaacson would be going anywhere anytime soon. “No,” Isaacson said emphatically. Perhaps more incredible than the story of the Sanibel Causeway and the status of local businesses is the stories of the people who rode out that storm on the island and had to fend for themselves and each other to survive. Like the story of Trace Tillo, who had one leg and had to get out of his house surrounded by water and debris before signaling for help. When the Coast Guard got to Southwest Florida, Tillo was one of the people that needed rescuing. “I watched out my window ground-level homes go totally underwater,” Tillo said. “I had 15 feet of water and other parts of my property. It was crazy.” Tillo, who spent his life dedicated to his artistry, had been through every major storm to hit Southwest Florida in the last few decades. “It was a lot like Charlie, it turned last minute. We were told that it was going to go to Tampa for… every day,” Tillo said. So, Tillo decided to stick around. And as the water was crashing in on his home, Tillo was fighting to survive. He made it through the night and into the next morning. But, while going through his home… “Slipping on that damn mud… trying to clean my downstairs,” Tillo said. He fractured his foot while picking up the pieces of his life. “I knew I needed to get to the off the island for medical attention,” Tillo said. And Tillo went on to limp to safety. “I’m praying out of nowhere a car pulls up right after I was done praying right where a car pulls up out of nowhere. And you can tell the car was under had been underwater. And someone had put in a new starter and a new battery in the car well, and they rolled down the window, and they say, Excuse me, sir, do you need help? And they said notice I’m limping, and I’ve got all these heavy bags. And I said, Yes, that’d be great,” Tillo said. And seven months later, Sanibel is beginning to look familiar. After the Causeway reopened, 5,500 people were coming onto the island every day, and now that number has risen to 8,000. WINK News asked the City of Sanibel what the estimated population on the island is, but because of the number of people that live there part-time, it’s difficult to gauge an accurate number.