2 Fort Myers men arrested in separate cases involving childrenPhase 2 in the Corkscrew Rd. Widening project begins
FORT MYERS 2 Fort Myers men arrested in separate cases involving children Two men from Fort Myers have been arrested; one faces charges related to child pornography and another faces child molestation charges.
ESTERO Phase 2 in the Corkscrew Rd. Widening project begins Phase 1 of Corkscrew Road’s widening has been completed, and phase 2 is now commencing.
Miracle Moment: Reaching a milestone at Golisano Children’s Hospital Kindergarten is an exciting time for children as they make their first big steps into becoming big kids.
2 years since Charlotte County deputy was killed on I-75 It is a somber day for the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office as one of their own was killed during a traffic stop on Interstate 75 exactly two years ago.
the weather authority Mostly sunny and cool afternoon ahead for your Friday The Weather Authority is tracking a mostly sunny and cool Friday afternoon with breezy conditions throughout the day.
ENGLEWOOD Englewood nonprofit gives hope to residents amid hurricane recovery Many people in Charlotte County were hit hard by storms this hurricane season, but that won’t stop them from giving back to their community.
NAPLES CSN’s Jayvian Tanelus and offensive line erupt in round one Community School of Naples’ offensive line and Jayvian Tanelus put on a show in round one of the playoffs earning them player of the week.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral family opens home up for the holidays A Cape Coral family has gotten over 1,000 interactions on a Facebook post after opening up their home for the holidays.
SANIBEL Sanibel police trained and certified to catch alligators by FWC Pinning an apex predator down with little more than bare hands and tape: That’s what the Sanibel Police Department went through during alligator-catching certification training.
Southwest Florida welcomes first proton beam therapy center This is a big week in cancer care for patients in Southwest Florida and beyond.
PUNTA GORDA Whats next after Punta Gorda city manager’s resignation? Punta Gorda city manager Greg Murray said he resigned Monday but told the council on Wednesday. Now, Melissa Reichert is the interim city manager.
FORT MYERS BEACH 34th annual American Sand Sculpting Championship begins on Fort Myers Beach After a years long wait, the American Sand Sculpting Competition on Fort Myers Beach returned on Thursday.
CAPE CORAL City council members talk about decision to repeal stipend ordinance A vote of 5 to 3 ends the saga over the Cape Coral City Council stipend and new members of the city council are sending a message they’re doing things differently.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers food pantry provides Thanksgiving meals to neighbors Dozens of people stopped by Sunshine Health’s food pantry one week before Thanksgiving. Sunshine Health is delivering hope.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach loses FEMA insurance discount The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has placed Fort Myers Beach (FMB) on probation.
FORT MYERS 2 Fort Myers men arrested in separate cases involving children Two men from Fort Myers have been arrested; one faces charges related to child pornography and another faces child molestation charges.
ESTERO Phase 2 in the Corkscrew Rd. Widening project begins Phase 1 of Corkscrew Road’s widening has been completed, and phase 2 is now commencing.
Miracle Moment: Reaching a milestone at Golisano Children’s Hospital Kindergarten is an exciting time for children as they make their first big steps into becoming big kids.
2 years since Charlotte County deputy was killed on I-75 It is a somber day for the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office as one of their own was killed during a traffic stop on Interstate 75 exactly two years ago.
the weather authority Mostly sunny and cool afternoon ahead for your Friday The Weather Authority is tracking a mostly sunny and cool Friday afternoon with breezy conditions throughout the day.
ENGLEWOOD Englewood nonprofit gives hope to residents amid hurricane recovery Many people in Charlotte County were hit hard by storms this hurricane season, but that won’t stop them from giving back to their community.
NAPLES CSN’s Jayvian Tanelus and offensive line erupt in round one Community School of Naples’ offensive line and Jayvian Tanelus put on a show in round one of the playoffs earning them player of the week.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral family opens home up for the holidays A Cape Coral family has gotten over 1,000 interactions on a Facebook post after opening up their home for the holidays.
SANIBEL Sanibel police trained and certified to catch alligators by FWC Pinning an apex predator down with little more than bare hands and tape: That’s what the Sanibel Police Department went through during alligator-catching certification training.
Southwest Florida welcomes first proton beam therapy center This is a big week in cancer care for patients in Southwest Florida and beyond.
PUNTA GORDA Whats next after Punta Gorda city manager’s resignation? Punta Gorda city manager Greg Murray said he resigned Monday but told the council on Wednesday. Now, Melissa Reichert is the interim city manager.
FORT MYERS BEACH 34th annual American Sand Sculpting Championship begins on Fort Myers Beach After a years long wait, the American Sand Sculpting Competition on Fort Myers Beach returned on Thursday.
CAPE CORAL City council members talk about decision to repeal stipend ordinance A vote of 5 to 3 ends the saga over the Cape Coral City Council stipend and new members of the city council are sending a message they’re doing things differently.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers food pantry provides Thanksgiving meals to neighbors Dozens of people stopped by Sunshine Health’s food pantry one week before Thanksgiving. Sunshine Health is delivering hope.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach loses FEMA insurance discount The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has placed Fort Myers Beach (FMB) on probation.
When Hurricane Ian made landfall, Lee County bore the brunt of the storm. The medical examiner’s office says more than 70 people died across the county as a result. In the aftermath, Lee County searched for answers, paying for an after-action report to find out what worked and what didn’t. Lee County Commission Chairman Brian Hamman admits the tragedy of Hurricane Ian still lingers one year later. “Obviously, we are taking this to heart,” Hamman says. “Everyone wants to do everything we can to make sure we don’t see a storm like this again. The truth is, we’re going to.” But, how is Lee County going to navigate future storms? The after-action report gives an assessment of the county’s actions, first highlighting the good. The report praises the way separate agencies communicated before, during, and after the storm. It also notes how the county took lessons learned from Hurricane Irma in 2017. County personnel knew their roles and moved quickly once the storm hit. “The plan that we had in place really worked well,” Hamman claims. “The departments all communicated well with each other and did everything they could to make sure residents of Lee County had the best chance to protect themselves as this storm bared down on us.” But, the report also admits the county can be more transparent with the public, peeling back the curtain into how and when they make major safety decisions. “It’s one of the things that we’re evaluating and looking at,” Lee County Public Safety Director Ben Abes explains. “It’s something from the behavior of the community, how we message that in the days leading up to a potential evacuation is important. That’s something we’re going to take into consideration.” County personnel came under fire in 2022 for how they announced mandatory evacuations. A WINK News exclusive revealed the county approved an evacuation order 12 hours before it was actually announced. One month after the storm, Grace Nolan spoke with investigative reporter Peter Fleischer about her cousin Becky Bodner. Bodner and her husband were killed when Ian devastated Fort Myers Beach. “I feel they were greatly failed,” Nolan admitted about a month after the storm hit. She felt more transparency from the county could have saved her cousin’s life. “They could have gotten all of those people out, even if they went door to door,” Nolan sadly reflected. “It’s just beyond belief.” “That communication back and forth is something that we identified in this report that can be improved in the future,” Hamman agrees. “And what we’re going to do is create positions and protocols to make sure that communication takes place.” Hamman’s commitment to creating new positions sounds reassuring. But WINK News has asked Lee County staff several times for specifics into what positions will be added and how they will help keep residents safe. County officials have not responded to our questions.