Crews removing derelict boats from Gilchrist Park33rd endangered Florida panther death of 2024; killed by vehicle in Hardee County
PUNTA GORDA Crews removing derelict boats from Gilchrist Park Crews are working to remove derelict boats from Gilchrist Park after several of them washed ashore during Hurricane Milton in October.
33rd endangered Florida panther death of 2024; killed by vehicle in Hardee County Another Florida panther was killed by a vehicle, this time in Hardee County, increasing the death toll of the endangered species to 33 for 2024.
the weather authority Cool and breezy for your Thursday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking cold morning conditions before temperatures warm up to the low 70s this Thursday.
Students react to threat made at Florida Gulf Coast University Students at Florida Gulf Coast University said they don’t know the specifics of a threat made last week, but they do know it was taken care of.
Missing and endangered boy found in Lehigh Acres Authorities have found a missing and endangered boy in Lehigh Acres. Police asked for the public’s help in locating Zachariah McKelvin.
School District denies bus service to student despite mother’s measurements When we think of the bus stop, we typically think of it as a safe place for our children, but one mother says the Lee County School District told her they live too close to the school to get a bus route.
MATLACHA 2 stranded dolphins rescued from mangroves near Matlacha Two stranded dolphins were pulled from mangroves near Matlacha.
CAPE CORAL NAACP honors Cape Coral Police Chief after acknowledging hate crime NAACP President, James Muwakkil, was so impressed with Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore that he wanted the entire city to know.
NAPLES Jingled Elves trolley tour underway Breaking out your best dance moves and spreading Christmas cheer. These ‘jingled elves’ are breaking it down with a purpose.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs Elementary School’s demolition plans There’s a new lesson plan at Bonita Springs Elementary School: Demolition 101. The school is set to be knocked down, and there’s good reason.
MARCO ISLAND Marco Island Councilmember’s dogs allegedly attack 13-year-old girl Councilor Tamara Goehler is coming under fire after her dogs allegedly attacked a 13-year-old girl and the girl’s five-month-old puppy.
PUNTA GORDA Gilchrist Park’s future brightens as boat cleanup commences The boats blocking Gilchrist Park are ready to be moved two years after Hurricane Milton.
Lee County Department of Health issues red tide alert for Bowman’s Beach The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a health alert for the presence of red tide near Bowman’s Beach.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral working on project to address canal safety An older Cape Coral couple drove into a canal last year. Neighbors are now saying something needs to be done about canal safety.
NAPLES Collier County mental health center receives $4 million donation A giant donation is dedicated to providing people with better mental health care in southwest Florida.
PUNTA GORDA Crews removing derelict boats from Gilchrist Park Crews are working to remove derelict boats from Gilchrist Park after several of them washed ashore during Hurricane Milton in October.
33rd endangered Florida panther death of 2024; killed by vehicle in Hardee County Another Florida panther was killed by a vehicle, this time in Hardee County, increasing the death toll of the endangered species to 33 for 2024.
the weather authority Cool and breezy for your Thursday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking cold morning conditions before temperatures warm up to the low 70s this Thursday.
Students react to threat made at Florida Gulf Coast University Students at Florida Gulf Coast University said they don’t know the specifics of a threat made last week, but they do know it was taken care of.
Missing and endangered boy found in Lehigh Acres Authorities have found a missing and endangered boy in Lehigh Acres. Police asked for the public’s help in locating Zachariah McKelvin.
School District denies bus service to student despite mother’s measurements When we think of the bus stop, we typically think of it as a safe place for our children, but one mother says the Lee County School District told her they live too close to the school to get a bus route.
MATLACHA 2 stranded dolphins rescued from mangroves near Matlacha Two stranded dolphins were pulled from mangroves near Matlacha.
CAPE CORAL NAACP honors Cape Coral Police Chief after acknowledging hate crime NAACP President, James Muwakkil, was so impressed with Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore that he wanted the entire city to know.
NAPLES Jingled Elves trolley tour underway Breaking out your best dance moves and spreading Christmas cheer. These ‘jingled elves’ are breaking it down with a purpose.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs Elementary School’s demolition plans There’s a new lesson plan at Bonita Springs Elementary School: Demolition 101. The school is set to be knocked down, and there’s good reason.
MARCO ISLAND Marco Island Councilmember’s dogs allegedly attack 13-year-old girl Councilor Tamara Goehler is coming under fire after her dogs allegedly attacked a 13-year-old girl and the girl’s five-month-old puppy.
PUNTA GORDA Gilchrist Park’s future brightens as boat cleanup commences The boats blocking Gilchrist Park are ready to be moved two years after Hurricane Milton.
Lee County Department of Health issues red tide alert for Bowman’s Beach The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a health alert for the presence of red tide near Bowman’s Beach.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral working on project to address canal safety An older Cape Coral couple drove into a canal last year. Neighbors are now saying something needs to be done about canal safety.
NAPLES Collier County mental health center receives $4 million donation A giant donation is dedicated to providing people with better mental health care in southwest Florida.
Sea turtles nesting. (Credit: WINK News) While 2023 was a record-breaking year with 878 loggerhead sea turtle nests laid on Sanibel and 299 on Captiva, hatchling numbers were the fewest in seven years. According to the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, the reason is partly due to storms, predation, and the hot and dry summer months. Photo by Jolo Diaz on Pexels.com Captiva saw a meager 2,268 sea turtle hatchlings emerge, equivalent to a 10% success rate. While on Sanibel, 24,961 hatchlings emerged, equal to a slightly improved 32% success rate. “While we should be encouraged by these impressive nest numbers and proud of the ongoing conservation efforts leading up to this point, they only tell half the story,” said SCCF Coastal Wildlife Director and Sea Turtle Program Coordinator Kelly Sloan. June, July and August saw some of the hottest temperatures on record for that time of year, impacting eggs during incubation. “This excessive heat can kill developing embryos and likely did impact the number of hatchlings produced this summer. Additionally, warm temperatures skew hatchling sex ratios,” Sloan explained. RELATED: Record loggerhead sea turtle nests in 2023; hurricanes remain persistent obstacle RELATED: Collier County’s plan to save sea turtles during nesting season Dr. Jeanette Wyneken, a turtle biologist from Florida Atlantic University, said between 87% and 100% of the turtle hatchlings she has tested throughout the last few seasons are female. “Florida hosts the largest nesting population of loggerheads in the world and limited production of male hatchlings may have serious impacts on future populations,” Sloan said. Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Pexels.com The lower numbers SCCF gave were also concerning. About 43% of all nests on Sanibel and Captiva didn’t produce hatchinglings. Other factors like Hurricane Ian and lesser amounts of inland prey may have also contributed to the number of hatchlings. Hurricane Idalia also played a role in the low turtle hatchling success. Storm surge from Idalia overwhelmed 121 nests and likely flooded others. Nevertheless, nest predation posed a consequential threat to sea turtles during the 2023 summer. “In addition to these threats to embryos, the hatchlings that did emerge experienced more light pollution than in the past, and we documented our highest number of disoriented nests in a single season,” Sloan said. Photo by Darwis Alwan on Pexels.com “Record nest counts alone should not be taken as an indication that the population has recovered,” Sloan said. “Ongoing monitoring and research to identify and manage these threats are critical to their success in the future.“ Legitimate improvements to sea turtle conservation have been made over the last few decades, and continue to improve each year. However, it doesn’t deny other growing threats put the already stressed sea turtle population in further peril.