Scheduled bridge work on Marco Island to reduce lanesGov. DeSantis to hold news conference in Clearwater
MARCO ISLAND Scheduled bridge work on Marco Island to reduce lanes An evaluation on a bridge will impact Marco Island’s traffic beginning Thursday, closing down one lane.
clearwater Gov. DeSantis to hold news conference in Clearwater Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news conference in Clearwater.
PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) Punxsutawney Phil’s babies are named Shadow and Sunny. Just don’t call them the heirs apparent Punxsutawney Phil’s offspring now have names that just might help the famed weather-forecasting groundhog to predict when spring will begin.
lehigh acres Vehicle crash involving deputy car in Lehigh Acres A vehicle crash involving a Lee County deputy and another car has occurred in Lehigh Acres.
the weather authority Hot and breezy with scattered rain and storms this afternoon and evening The Weather Authority is tracking a warm and humid Wednesday morning with isolated storms expected for the afternoon.
WINK NEWS Deadline arrives for Hurricane Ian assistance through LeeCares Wednesday is the final day for Lee Cares Hurricane Housing Recovery Program applications.
CAPE CORAL Neighbors stuck with previous homeowners’ bill A Cape Coral woman says the city is trying to make her pay for someone else’s mistake after she received a utility bill meant for the home’s previous owner.
NAPLES Teenager denied entrance to prom for wearing a suit Prom is a rite of passage for many teenagers, but one teen had her prom dreams ruined after wasn’t allowed in because of what she was wearing.
SOUTH FORT MYERS Precautionary boil water notice for small portion of Lee County Utilities customers Repair work is expected to be completed overnight and water service will be restored before early morning Wednesday.
NEAR DUNNELLON 8 dead, at least 40 hurt after bus transporting farm workers overturns At least eight people have been killed, and dozens of others have been hurt in a bus crash near Dunnellon after it was hit by a pickup truck.
LEHIGH ACRES Could tiny homes be coming to Lee County? Miniopolis Builders, a company with a vision to revolutionize affordable housing, is facing challenges in bringing their innovative concept to life in Lee County.
ARCADIA Fifteen-year-old beat up during basketball game A pick-up game of basketball at Desoto County High School turned into a physical beating for fifteen-year-old Jeremiah Ward.
PORT CHARLOTTE Port Charlotte man found guilty for role in January 6 riots John Joseph Richter is now convicted of obstruction of an official proceeding.
Commissioners react to colleague living outside of his district The first Glades Commissioners meeting since Florida Department of Law Enforcement released their investigation findings happened on Tuesday.
NAPLES Former News-Press Food Critic writes powerful memoir, “The Mango Tree” For 15 years, Annabelle Tometich wrote under the famous byline Jean Le Beouf as a food critic for the News-Press. Now, she tells her personal story in her book, “The Mango Tree.”
MARCO ISLAND Scheduled bridge work on Marco Island to reduce lanes An evaluation on a bridge will impact Marco Island’s traffic beginning Thursday, closing down one lane.
clearwater Gov. DeSantis to hold news conference in Clearwater Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news conference in Clearwater.
PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) Punxsutawney Phil’s babies are named Shadow and Sunny. Just don’t call them the heirs apparent Punxsutawney Phil’s offspring now have names that just might help the famed weather-forecasting groundhog to predict when spring will begin.
lehigh acres Vehicle crash involving deputy car in Lehigh Acres A vehicle crash involving a Lee County deputy and another car has occurred in Lehigh Acres.
the weather authority Hot and breezy with scattered rain and storms this afternoon and evening The Weather Authority is tracking a warm and humid Wednesday morning with isolated storms expected for the afternoon.
WINK NEWS Deadline arrives for Hurricane Ian assistance through LeeCares Wednesday is the final day for Lee Cares Hurricane Housing Recovery Program applications.
CAPE CORAL Neighbors stuck with previous homeowners’ bill A Cape Coral woman says the city is trying to make her pay for someone else’s mistake after she received a utility bill meant for the home’s previous owner.
NAPLES Teenager denied entrance to prom for wearing a suit Prom is a rite of passage for many teenagers, but one teen had her prom dreams ruined after wasn’t allowed in because of what she was wearing.
SOUTH FORT MYERS Precautionary boil water notice for small portion of Lee County Utilities customers Repair work is expected to be completed overnight and water service will be restored before early morning Wednesday.
NEAR DUNNELLON 8 dead, at least 40 hurt after bus transporting farm workers overturns At least eight people have been killed, and dozens of others have been hurt in a bus crash near Dunnellon after it was hit by a pickup truck.
LEHIGH ACRES Could tiny homes be coming to Lee County? Miniopolis Builders, a company with a vision to revolutionize affordable housing, is facing challenges in bringing their innovative concept to life in Lee County.
ARCADIA Fifteen-year-old beat up during basketball game A pick-up game of basketball at Desoto County High School turned into a physical beating for fifteen-year-old Jeremiah Ward.
PORT CHARLOTTE Port Charlotte man found guilty for role in January 6 riots John Joseph Richter is now convicted of obstruction of an official proceeding.
Commissioners react to colleague living outside of his district The first Glades Commissioners meeting since Florida Department of Law Enforcement released their investigation findings happened on Tuesday.
NAPLES Former News-Press Food Critic writes powerful memoir, “The Mango Tree” For 15 years, Annabelle Tometich wrote under the famous byline Jean Le Beouf as a food critic for the News-Press. Now, she tells her personal story in her book, “The Mango Tree.”
Fort Myers Broadcasting Company, the parent company of WINK-TV and an affiliated company with Gulfshore Business, just paid $18.5 million for its future new home and broadcast center.   The 57,260-square-foot building and adjacent 5.6-acre parking lot, 12641 Corporate Lakes Drive, previously had served home to a Comcast service and dispatch center. The building is off Daniels Parkway, about 3.5 miles east of Interstate 75. Elm Tree Capital LLC, the seller, removed the building and parking lot parcels from its portfolio of properties, a process that added a few weeks to getting the deal done. The off-market deal ended a search for the CBS-TV affiliate to find a suitable new home after Hurricane Ian flooded the station’s current home near downtown Fort Myers. Enn Luthringer, a commercial real estate broker and partner with CRE Consultants, brokered the deal on behalf of Fort Myers Broadcasting Company, the last family-owned TV broadcaster in Southwest Florida. “We beat the bushes to find this,” Luthringer said. “That was not on the market. So we contacted everyone who had a big enough office. “I’m just happy to find this facility in time for the upcoming hurricane season. The location, based on being as far away from the water line as possible—they’re not going to get flooded again.” Luthringer also looked at a nearby building that had been used by Alta Resources. But the former Comcast building better suited the TV station’s needs, with a higher ceiling in which to build the future TV studio. Other than those two buildings, Luthringer could not find any other suitable, existing office buildings on the market in central Southwest Florida. “This was a better location for a broadcast studio,” Luthringer said. “It has an additional parking lot that is 5.67 acres. So that needs to be factored into the overall deal.” Constructing a building that size from scratch in today’s market would cost at least about $300 per square foot—or north of $17 million. But the construction time would have been about two years. The transition into this building should happen within one year, said Mark Gilson, operations manager at WINK-TV. “The move, meticulously planned and executed, will begin immediately and unfold over the course of the next year,” Gilson said. “As each department’s space is fully built out in the new center, they will seamlessly transition into their new environment. This phased approached ensures minimal disruption to our operations and continuity of services for our viewers and listeners.” WINK-TV has been broadcasting from 2824 Palm Beach Blvd. since 1954. The long-term future use of that 32,551-square-foot building remains uncertain. “We have not determined the best use for the future of the building,” Gilson said of the current location. “The use remains an open canvas. However, our broadcasting headquarters are moving to the Gateway facility.” WINK-TV already had intended to renovate the existing building before the storm, Gilson said. “Hurricane Ian’s impact on our current facility was a stark reminder of nature’s unpredictable power,” he said. “While we have significantly grown our operations over the past 70 years, the storm underscored the inevitability of our need for a larger, more resilient facility. In a way, Hurricane Ian accelerated our decision-making process, nudging us toward the inevitable transition sooner than anticipated.” The new location also will become home to Fort Myers Broadcasting’s other broadcast properties, including WINK FM, WTLQ FM, WAVV FM and Winknews.com.