‘It’s devastating’: Neighbor reflects on fatal fire in Port Charlotte‘The sound of death’ Neighbors concerned by amount of crashes on Joel Blvd
PORT CHARLOTTE ‘It’s devastating’: Neighbor reflects on fatal fire in Port Charlotte A devastating house fire Monday night in Port Charlotte has left one person dead and another hospitalized while neighbors mourn the possible loss of a beloved member of their community.
‘The sound of death’ Neighbors concerned by amount of crashes on Joel Blvd A woman is heartbroken from witnessing crash after crash outside her Lehigh Acres home.
Fort Myers get 15% increase on flood insurance discount WINK News is finding out what led to the city of Fort Myers going from just a 5% FEMA flood insurance discount to a 20% discount.
FORT MYERS Locals house California wildfire victims The effects of the California fires are being felt worldwide as people evacuate some are in southwest Florida.
LOVERS KEY Couple returns to Lovers Key condo post Ian While Hurricane Ian is long gone from Southwest Florida, many are still feeling its impacts.
EVERGLADES Biden signs Water Resources Development Act, its effect on SWFL President Biden recently signed into law the Water Resources Development Act with an aim to improve rivers and harbors across the country and provide for the conservation of water. Southwest Florida was included in that act. Putting the 240-page plan together took a lot of work, not just from state and federal lawmakers, but also […]
Turning business travel into a vacation Would work travel seem a little easier if you could turn it into a vacation? Two professors say they have proof that would help business travel.
The future of biometrics: Safer security or new AI risks? In 2021, the Transportation Service Agency (TSA) launched its new touchless identity solution in the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County airport.
CAPE CORAL Pelican Elementary resource officer saves infant A school resource officer at Pelican Elementary saved an infants’ life at a traffic stop in Cape Coral.
FORT MYERS Progress being made on City View Park in Dunbar More promises made by a city that has not kept its promises for the last six years have some neighbors concerned about the future of their community.
COLLIER COUNTY Seacrest hoops player hits a full court buzzer beater Seacrest Country Day School boys basketball player Hayden Fuller hits full court buzzer beater against Aubrey Rogers.
NAPLES Cutting-edge ACL surgery reducing reinjury risk by 80% Known for its game-changing orthopedic repair options, Naples-based Arthrex has done it again.
NAPLES MacStrength FL offers sport and lifestyle training for young athletes In 2025, MacStrength FL is swinging for success with their current players and for a wider reach in its community.
You can appeal FEMA’s decision on your claim – Here’s how Now a week after the deadline for FEMA hurricane assistance has closed, the federal agency says you can appeal their decision on your claim if you don’t agree.
Naples selects city CFO as next city manager, averts national search Naples Deputy City Manager and Chief Financial Officer Gary Young will become the next city manager, averting a lengthy, expensive national search for a replacement.
PORT CHARLOTTE ‘It’s devastating’: Neighbor reflects on fatal fire in Port Charlotte A devastating house fire Monday night in Port Charlotte has left one person dead and another hospitalized while neighbors mourn the possible loss of a beloved member of their community.
‘The sound of death’ Neighbors concerned by amount of crashes on Joel Blvd A woman is heartbroken from witnessing crash after crash outside her Lehigh Acres home.
Fort Myers get 15% increase on flood insurance discount WINK News is finding out what led to the city of Fort Myers going from just a 5% FEMA flood insurance discount to a 20% discount.
FORT MYERS Locals house California wildfire victims The effects of the California fires are being felt worldwide as people evacuate some are in southwest Florida.
LOVERS KEY Couple returns to Lovers Key condo post Ian While Hurricane Ian is long gone from Southwest Florida, many are still feeling its impacts.
EVERGLADES Biden signs Water Resources Development Act, its effect on SWFL President Biden recently signed into law the Water Resources Development Act with an aim to improve rivers and harbors across the country and provide for the conservation of water. Southwest Florida was included in that act. Putting the 240-page plan together took a lot of work, not just from state and federal lawmakers, but also […]
Turning business travel into a vacation Would work travel seem a little easier if you could turn it into a vacation? Two professors say they have proof that would help business travel.
The future of biometrics: Safer security or new AI risks? In 2021, the Transportation Service Agency (TSA) launched its new touchless identity solution in the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County airport.
CAPE CORAL Pelican Elementary resource officer saves infant A school resource officer at Pelican Elementary saved an infants’ life at a traffic stop in Cape Coral.
FORT MYERS Progress being made on City View Park in Dunbar More promises made by a city that has not kept its promises for the last six years have some neighbors concerned about the future of their community.
COLLIER COUNTY Seacrest hoops player hits a full court buzzer beater Seacrest Country Day School boys basketball player Hayden Fuller hits full court buzzer beater against Aubrey Rogers.
NAPLES Cutting-edge ACL surgery reducing reinjury risk by 80% Known for its game-changing orthopedic repair options, Naples-based Arthrex has done it again.
NAPLES MacStrength FL offers sport and lifestyle training for young athletes In 2025, MacStrength FL is swinging for success with their current players and for a wider reach in its community.
You can appeal FEMA’s decision on your claim – Here’s how Now a week after the deadline for FEMA hurricane assistance has closed, the federal agency says you can appeal their decision on your claim if you don’t agree.
Naples selects city CFO as next city manager, averts national search Naples Deputy City Manager and Chief Financial Officer Gary Young will become the next city manager, averting a lengthy, expensive national search for a replacement.
Hurricane Season 2023 has officially begun, but Hurricane Ian recovery is far from ending. Many Southwest Florida homeowners blame their insurance companies for the slow recovery. Insurance experts advise homeowners to check their coverage at the beginning of the season and update it as needed. Some have said a lot of Southwest Floridians found out after Ian that they didn’t have enough homeowner’s coverage. One Port Charlotte couple said they did understand their policy before Hurricane Ian. They knew what was in it and they had enough. But now, they believe their insurance company isn’t following its own directions more than eight months later. Peggy and Mike Ludgate, Credit: WINK News Peggy and Mike Ludgate are a very happy and friendly couple but coming out of Hurricane Ian has left them with some emotional scars. “Something blew through the master bedroom window,” Peggy added. “It sounded like a bomb went off.” There are physical scars all around their home as well. “It’s just been like a long, bad nightmare,” Peggy said. “We couldn’t sleep for quite a while,” added Mike. “No, we couldn’t,” Peggy finished. “We had nightmares for months.” Credit: WINK News The nightmares continue as the Ludgates claim they’ve struggled to get their company, SafePoint Insurance, to honor their policy as written. SafePoint sent them a check for $7,449.16. The Ludgates said their estimated damages are about $55,000. “You see how we’re living? Would you want to live this way? We think we’ve paid our insurance in good faith. It’s time for you to pay your share in good faith,” Peggy gestured around her home. “They’re playing games. We’re not trying to get rich off insurance. You hear people say ‘Oh, you know, you got a good claim going here.’ We just want what we deserve. What’s owed to us to recoup our savings that we’d spent and depleted.” One of the Ludgates’ bedrooms after Hurricane Ian They added one of the reasons they went with SafePoint for coverage in the first place was no one would write them a policy since their roof was considered old. Credit: WINK News “We finally got SafePoint, who agreed to insure it at what they said was 30 percent. It actually turned out to be 28 percent that they would pay and we would have to pay the difference, which we understand that. We didn’t know we were going to have to do it so soon,” Peggy said. “Because the [roofing] company did not get paid within 90 days, they liened the house,” added Curt Vogel, the owner of Reliable Insurance Consulting and the Ludgates’ public adjuster. Vogel said SafePoint eventually paid the roofing company and the lien was removed. He said the current battle is replacing the broken windows. He argued SafePoint wants to replace the windows with the same windows. Florida Building Code says if 25 percent or more of the windows in a house need to be replaced after a hurricane, they need to be replaced with hurricane impact windows. Vogel said SafePoint is still refusing even though the policy requires they be replaced with hurricane impact windows. One of the broken windows in need of replacement “We’re only going to replace the windows with like kind and quality,” Vogel recalled from past email conversations with the insurance company. “Which means that they’re only going to put in panes of glass where they can’t.” WINK News called and emailed SafePoint hoping to get answers. A couple of days later, the Ludgates told WINK News the insurance company called and said someone would look more into their case. Now, the couple hopes for the best at mediation. “We want to get this resolved. If we don’t get a result at mediation, we’re going to have to go legal,” Vogel said. The Ludgates updated WINK News that SafePoint accepted their counter offer at the end of May 2023. They said it’s not what they hoped for, but they needed the money. WINK News reached out to SafePoint insurance again. The company said they are not at liberty to discuss pending claims. Data from the Florida Department of Financial Services shows 3,916 homeowners filed complaints against their insurer after Hurricane Ian through May 31, 2023. 43 of those are against SafePoint, including the Ludgates’ complaint. 38 have been resolved.