Market Circle on Enterprise Drive in Charlotte County to be closed for road workTim Aten Knows: Collier details road projects in Estates
PORT CHARLOTTE Market Circle on Enterprise Drive in Charlotte County to be closed for road work A portion of Enterprise Drive will be closed temporarily for road work along the mill and overlay on Market Circle in Charlotte County.
Tim Aten Knows: Collier details road projects in Estates Design of the Randall Boulevard widening and Randall-Immokalee Road intersection project in Golden Gate Estates began in mid-2022, but construction is not expected to start for another two years.
FGCU hosts emergency disaster drill training The FGCU is hosting an emergency disaster drill training to educate students on how first responders prepare for crises.
the weather authority Few showers along a front moving through this Friday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a cold front dropping temperatures along with a few afternoon showers this Friday.
the weather authority Tracking Tropical Storm Sara; likely to dissipate over Central America The Weather Authority is monitoring Tropical Storm Sara, which is expected to strengthen slightly before dissipation over Central America.
NAPLES “Don’t give up. You’re worth it. God sees you.” St. Matthew’s graduates speak out Susan and Dustin Cheatwood credit the Justin’s Place recovery program for saving their lives and stopping them from becoming a statistic.
ENGLEWOOD EAST FEMA relocation notice shocks mobile home park residents The Federal Emergency Management Agency issued relocation notices to residents living in one of their temporary housing parks in Englewood East.
Six dogs rescued after being left in a box by SR-29 Six dogs, including four puppies and two adult dogs, were found stranded in an empty box on the corner of Experimental Road and State Road 29 in Immokalee.
FORT MYERS Players of the Week: Dunbar’s Ken’Dahrius Green and Jeremy Ware Dunbar High School’s Special Teams unit has shown out these past two weeks, scoring a special teams touchdown in wins over South Fort Myers and Fort Myers.
NAPLES Collier County golfer lands shot on the back of an alligator “Play it safe.” That’s what Greg Irving thought he may be doing when he swung his puck Wednesday morning while golfing with his friend Joe Pack.
PUNTA GORDA Southwest Florida veterans honored during round trip honor flight Veterans from Southwest Florida made a round trip to Washington, DC, and back in honor of their service.
NAPLES Path to freedom: From Cuban prison to NCH operating room It’s rare that a serious heart condition is a blessing, but that was the case for a Naples man. The surgery he received at NCH saved his life in more ways than one.
SANIBEL Changing landscape after hurricanes Many of you know what saltwater surge does to your homes after surviving hurricanes Ian, Helene and Milton. It’s highly corrosive and destructive. It also has a similar impact on plants and wildlife, but that’s not all bad news.
Former FGCU basketball player talks Karl Smesko joining WNBA Las Vegas Aces guard Kierstan Bell made a lot of memories playing at FGCU. From winning ASUN championships to playing for one of the winningest coaches in the sport Karl Smesko.
LEHIGH ACRES Suspicious fire sparks at Lehigh Acres church Daycare services at one church are canceled after a small fire at Victory church in Lehigh Acres.
PORT CHARLOTTE Market Circle on Enterprise Drive in Charlotte County to be closed for road work A portion of Enterprise Drive will be closed temporarily for road work along the mill and overlay on Market Circle in Charlotte County.
Tim Aten Knows: Collier details road projects in Estates Design of the Randall Boulevard widening and Randall-Immokalee Road intersection project in Golden Gate Estates began in mid-2022, but construction is not expected to start for another two years.
FGCU hosts emergency disaster drill training The FGCU is hosting an emergency disaster drill training to educate students on how first responders prepare for crises.
the weather authority Few showers along a front moving through this Friday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a cold front dropping temperatures along with a few afternoon showers this Friday.
the weather authority Tracking Tropical Storm Sara; likely to dissipate over Central America The Weather Authority is monitoring Tropical Storm Sara, which is expected to strengthen slightly before dissipation over Central America.
NAPLES “Don’t give up. You’re worth it. God sees you.” St. Matthew’s graduates speak out Susan and Dustin Cheatwood credit the Justin’s Place recovery program for saving their lives and stopping them from becoming a statistic.
ENGLEWOOD EAST FEMA relocation notice shocks mobile home park residents The Federal Emergency Management Agency issued relocation notices to residents living in one of their temporary housing parks in Englewood East.
Six dogs rescued after being left in a box by SR-29 Six dogs, including four puppies and two adult dogs, were found stranded in an empty box on the corner of Experimental Road and State Road 29 in Immokalee.
FORT MYERS Players of the Week: Dunbar’s Ken’Dahrius Green and Jeremy Ware Dunbar High School’s Special Teams unit has shown out these past two weeks, scoring a special teams touchdown in wins over South Fort Myers and Fort Myers.
NAPLES Collier County golfer lands shot on the back of an alligator “Play it safe.” That’s what Greg Irving thought he may be doing when he swung his puck Wednesday morning while golfing with his friend Joe Pack.
PUNTA GORDA Southwest Florida veterans honored during round trip honor flight Veterans from Southwest Florida made a round trip to Washington, DC, and back in honor of their service.
NAPLES Path to freedom: From Cuban prison to NCH operating room It’s rare that a serious heart condition is a blessing, but that was the case for a Naples man. The surgery he received at NCH saved his life in more ways than one.
SANIBEL Changing landscape after hurricanes Many of you know what saltwater surge does to your homes after surviving hurricanes Ian, Helene and Milton. It’s highly corrosive and destructive. It also has a similar impact on plants and wildlife, but that’s not all bad news.
Former FGCU basketball player talks Karl Smesko joining WNBA Las Vegas Aces guard Kierstan Bell made a lot of memories playing at FGCU. From winning ASUN championships to playing for one of the winningest coaches in the sport Karl Smesko.
LEHIGH ACRES Suspicious fire sparks at Lehigh Acres church Daycare services at one church are canceled after a small fire at Victory church in Lehigh Acres.
Covered furniture in the SalusCare Crisis Stabilization Unit after it was flooded by Hurricane Ian. Credit: WINK News On Friday morning, SalusCare, a mental health and substance abuse facility in Fort Myers, is set to announce its reopening plans after suffering major damage during Hurricane Ian. SalusCare has been closed since Ian devastated the building at 10140 Deer Run Farms Road. The empty beds and closed doors mean hundreds of people are not getting the help they need. But now there is some light at the end of the tunnel: At 10 a.m., WINK News will get a tour inside the repaired facility and hear an update on its reopening plans. Hurricane Ian sent 2 feet of water flooding into the SalusCare Crisis Stabilization Unit, but the damage hurt more than just the building. Since the storm, so many people who are hurting mentally have not had SalusCare to help, and it remains one of the only mental health crisis units in Lee County. Michelle Locke remembers the nights that seemed to never end. “You don’t want to go to sleep because you don’t want to feel the guilt and shame of you know, not being there with your family, your kids. So you just struggled to stay awake and do drugs,” Locke said. Michelle said she was a slave to drugs for 20 years. “You walk the streets. you sell your body you sell your soul. It’s embarrassing. You’d be walking down 41 It’s just a horrible existence,” Locke said. Four years later, Locke smiles from her undeniably successful and happy steps forward. “I like to go to the beach. I love reading. I love working out. Watching TV, and being with my friends and family. Yeah, it’s just as simple things are what makes me happy. Now I live a very simple life,” Locke said. It’s also the place police departments take people in a mental health crisis. SalusCare receives between 500 and 600 patients monthly to evaluate through the Baker Act. But with the stabilization unit closed, the Lee Health Emergency Department, Park Royal Hospital, the David Lawrence Center, and Charlotte Behavioral Health Care have had to process and care for an increase in patients. “They were flooded with individuals needing psychiatric service. And they’re not prepared for that. It was a very quick spike a very quick increase in demand. So no, it’s not something that the community was prepared for. It’s not something that we were prepared for,” SalusCare President Stacey Cook said. Re-opening has come with challenges. With no insurance reimbursement, SalusCare used emergency reserves to start the work. WINK spoke to SalusCare in January about what was needed to get back open. “If that means borrowing money, if it means community fundraising, we’ll do that,” said Ed Kleinow, SalusCare treasurer. “I think we may have wasted too much time already waiting on the insurance company.” Cook “We’re able to stabilize an individual who is suicidal and homicidal; we’re able to link patients to services that they need in order to become well, so it’s absolutely critical,” Cook said. “It’s an important and essential component of health care, and it’s missing right now. It is a huge missing link.” The crisis stabilization unit cost over $1 million. SalusCare says it is limiting its purchases to essentials and asking for funds from the community.