ORLANDO Naples falls to Jones in state semifinals One win stood in between the Golden Eagles and a trip to the state title as Naples competed in its 12th state semifinal.
ESTERO 1 dead after crashing into tree in Estero According to the Florida Highway Patrol, one person is dead after crashing into a tree in Estero on Friday night.
IMMOKALEE 1 dead after hit-and-run crash in Immokalee Authorities are investigating a fatal hit-and-run crash that occurred Friday night in Immokalee.
NAPLES Vigil held for teen shot and killed at Collier party Family, friends and loved ones gathered at a candlelight vigil to remember and honor the life of 18-year-old D’eisha Arthur.
FORT MYERS Florida Gulf Coast University holds “Night at the Nest” fundraiser FGCU is holding its “Night at the Nest” fundraiser and gala on Friday. The money raised will go toward university scholarships.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda Veterans Village helping veterans during the holidays Residents and businesses at the Punta Gorda Veterans Village are stepping up to make military transitions a little easier this holiday season.
NORTH PORT Family pushes for class action against Heritage Insurance A North Port family is battling against Heritage Insurance over the damage Hurricane Ian did to their home.
Trails End Drive suspected double murder hit man and organizers back in court There are new developments in the murder-for-hire case that made headlines for weeks at the start of the year. The defendants are back in court.
CAPE CORAL 4 arrested on drug-related charges after FBI investigation Some Cape Coral residents woke up in the early morning hours to their neighbors’ homes being raided by federal agents.
Hope Card program protects victims of domestic violence in Lee County Lee County has implemented the Hope Card Program, a new statewide initiative to help victims of domestic violence.
SANIBEL 36th annual Sanibel Luminary Festival begins The Luminary Festival kicked off on Sanibel Island on Friday. This community-wide holiday event puts residents and visitors in the holiday spirit.
FORT MYERS Future unsure for Rachel at the Well During Hurricane Ian, Rachel at the well was uprooted from its spot in front of the Edison Park neighborhood.
NAPLES Naples Yacht Club appoints first woman commodore After 78 years, the Naples Yacht Club has appointed its first woman commodore. Kathy Parks King is her name.
FORT MYERS Mano Santa Tattoos, a woman-owned tattoo shop, opens in Fort Myers Mano Santa Tattoos is the newest tattoo studio in Fort Myers, offering an immersive tattoo experience to clients. The shop is woman-owned and women-staffed.
ORLANDO Naples falls to Jones in state semifinals One win stood in between the Golden Eagles and a trip to the state title as Naples competed in its 12th state semifinal.
ESTERO 1 dead after crashing into tree in Estero According to the Florida Highway Patrol, one person is dead after crashing into a tree in Estero on Friday night.
IMMOKALEE 1 dead after hit-and-run crash in Immokalee Authorities are investigating a fatal hit-and-run crash that occurred Friday night in Immokalee.
NAPLES Vigil held for teen shot and killed at Collier party Family, friends and loved ones gathered at a candlelight vigil to remember and honor the life of 18-year-old D’eisha Arthur.
FORT MYERS Florida Gulf Coast University holds “Night at the Nest” fundraiser FGCU is holding its “Night at the Nest” fundraiser and gala on Friday. The money raised will go toward university scholarships.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda Veterans Village helping veterans during the holidays Residents and businesses at the Punta Gorda Veterans Village are stepping up to make military transitions a little easier this holiday season.
NORTH PORT Family pushes for class action against Heritage Insurance A North Port family is battling against Heritage Insurance over the damage Hurricane Ian did to their home.
Trails End Drive suspected double murder hit man and organizers back in court There are new developments in the murder-for-hire case that made headlines for weeks at the start of the year. The defendants are back in court.
CAPE CORAL 4 arrested on drug-related charges after FBI investigation Some Cape Coral residents woke up in the early morning hours to their neighbors’ homes being raided by federal agents.
Hope Card program protects victims of domestic violence in Lee County Lee County has implemented the Hope Card Program, a new statewide initiative to help victims of domestic violence.
SANIBEL 36th annual Sanibel Luminary Festival begins The Luminary Festival kicked off on Sanibel Island on Friday. This community-wide holiday event puts residents and visitors in the holiday spirit.
FORT MYERS Future unsure for Rachel at the Well During Hurricane Ian, Rachel at the well was uprooted from its spot in front of the Edison Park neighborhood.
NAPLES Naples Yacht Club appoints first woman commodore After 78 years, the Naples Yacht Club has appointed its first woman commodore. Kathy Parks King is her name.
FORT MYERS Mano Santa Tattoos, a woman-owned tattoo shop, opens in Fort Myers Mano Santa Tattoos is the newest tattoo studio in Fort Myers, offering an immersive tattoo experience to clients. The shop is woman-owned and women-staffed.
New sand berm on Fort Myers Beach. CREDIT: WINK News Our beaches are getting rebuilt after Hurricane Ian damaged or destroyed them. As the rebuilding progresses, there are worries that people with disabilities are getting forgotten. WINK News spoke with Sue Haynes and her sister Jasmine Haynes after their home floated away during Hurricane Ian. They’re rebuilding it themselves because of how much they love the island and nearby beaches. Although, with the new sand berm, Sue suddenly feels much farther away. Since moving to Fort Myers Beach, Sue has done the same thing almost every day. Before Hurricane Ian took her home, it was a mere three lots down from the nearest beach access. “I just go straight across, or well, we go down Connecticut, excuse me — that access just right there, takes two seconds,” Sue said. It used to be a disability access point. “I had a stroke six years ago and lost mobility in my left side. I mean, I can do some things, but that’s why I’m on the trike: to get around. I mean, I drive a little bit, but that’s too… you know… how people walk down there, and I can’t do it,” Sue said. However, the area is blocked because of a sand berm about three feet high, and if Sue tries to scale the berm, she gets stuck. Sue Haynes stuck at the top of the sand berm. CREDIT: WINK News “You get stuck up there. It’s scary is what it is, but you know it was like, ‘Oh, just go fast, you know’… Yeah, you can’t really get over it,” Sue said. That is unless she has someone to push her over the top of the berm. For Sue, this is tantamount to a loss of freedom and autonomy. “I’m limited on what I can do and stuff,” Sue noted. A good Samaritan pushing Sue the rest of the way over the sand berm. CREDIT: WINK News A representative with Fort Myers Beach sent WINK News a statement regarding the access points. “You might not be aware that many beach accesses were ADA accessible before Ian … The plan is that, once the berm and the renourishment projects are done, the beach accesses will be restored as close as possible to what they were before Ian damaged them. You can read about the berm and renourishment projects at www.fmbgov.com/beach,” Jennifer Dexter, the communications coordinator for the Town of Fort Myers Beach, said. They also sent a list of ADA access points, shown below, on the island before Hurricane Ian. The town plans to restore the ones that have been damaged. Beach-AccessesDownload Sue would like this problem solved sooner rather than later. “They have to leave access to people, you know, maybe a couple of feet or something here and there,” Sue said. WINK News searched for the nearest public beach access point from Sue’s house that was not blocked by the sand berm. After a 17-minute walk, we found it. Sue said she would keep riding through a private lot. She isn’t totally comfortable about doing so, but a 17-minute trudge is a bit too much.