Punta Gorda to repair old city hall buildingSWFL teen injured in New Orleans terror attack released from hospital
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda to repair old city hall building The City of Punta Gorda is scrapping plans to build a new city hall.
SWFL teen injured in New Orleans terror attack released from hospital According to the mom of one of the teens injured in the New Orleans Terror attack on New Year’s Day, she has been released from the hospital.
NAPLES Jay Leno comedy show coming to Southwest Florida One of the most famous comedians in the world is coming to Southwest Florida.
SOUTH NAPLES Collier neighbors anticipating second Costco location Members of a community are waiting for one of the most popular wholesale stores, but there is something standing in the way.
AVE MARIA Caught on camera: Massive gator seen in front of Ave Maria home A massive alligator was seen using a walking path in front of an Ave Maria home, and it was all caught on camera.
NCAA approves plan to pay women’s basketball tournament teams In a historic unanimous vote, the NCAA approves of a plan to pay women’s basketball teams that compete in March Madness.
FORT MYERS City of Fort Myers announces Caloosahatchee Celtic Festival The City of Fort Myers invites the public to the 21st anniversary of the Caloosahatchee Celtic Festival in downtown Fort Myers.
MATLACHA Neighbors to protest delay in repairs to Matlacha Pass Bridge People are set to take the streets and protest the delay in repairs to the Matlacha Pass Bridge.
Port Authority postpones talk of RSW’s $346M, four-year delayed terminal expansion Lee County and Port Authority Commissioner Brian Hamman finally had a public forum to get some answers on why a construction project went more than $346 million over budget and will be more than four years behind schedule to complete.
DeSantis responds to question on possible Sheriff Marceno suspension Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis addressed calls for the suspension of Lee County’s sheriff amid an FBI investigation into his office.
Annette’s Beach Book Nook celebrates grand reopening on Fort Myers Beach From 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Jan. 18, Annette Stillson finally will be celebrating the grand reopening of the new-look Annette’s Beach Book Nook.
Punta Gorda renowned media artist finds safe haven for work Former businessman and artist David Sussman, known for his photography on canvas and coffee-table photography books, has found a safe, flood-proof homestead after he lost several homes and studios to hurricanes.
Mugshot released of man accused of injuring deputy then leading multi-county chase The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has released the mugshot of Fritzson Paul, the man accused of leading deputies on a multi-county chase stemming from a carjacking.
FORT MYERS FDOT hosts ribbon-cutting ceremony for Caloosahatchee River Bridge sidewalk project The Florida Department of Transportation held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of the Caloosahatchee River Bridge and the New Sidewalk Project.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda to repair old city hall building The City of Punta Gorda is scrapping plans to build a new city hall.
SWFL teen injured in New Orleans terror attack released from hospital According to the mom of one of the teens injured in the New Orleans Terror attack on New Year’s Day, she has been released from the hospital.
NAPLES Jay Leno comedy show coming to Southwest Florida One of the most famous comedians in the world is coming to Southwest Florida.
SOUTH NAPLES Collier neighbors anticipating second Costco location Members of a community are waiting for one of the most popular wholesale stores, but there is something standing in the way.
AVE MARIA Caught on camera: Massive gator seen in front of Ave Maria home A massive alligator was seen using a walking path in front of an Ave Maria home, and it was all caught on camera.
NCAA approves plan to pay women’s basketball tournament teams In a historic unanimous vote, the NCAA approves of a plan to pay women’s basketball teams that compete in March Madness.
FORT MYERS City of Fort Myers announces Caloosahatchee Celtic Festival The City of Fort Myers invites the public to the 21st anniversary of the Caloosahatchee Celtic Festival in downtown Fort Myers.
MATLACHA Neighbors to protest delay in repairs to Matlacha Pass Bridge People are set to take the streets and protest the delay in repairs to the Matlacha Pass Bridge.
Port Authority postpones talk of RSW’s $346M, four-year delayed terminal expansion Lee County and Port Authority Commissioner Brian Hamman finally had a public forum to get some answers on why a construction project went more than $346 million over budget and will be more than four years behind schedule to complete.
DeSantis responds to question on possible Sheriff Marceno suspension Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis addressed calls for the suspension of Lee County’s sheriff amid an FBI investigation into his office.
Annette’s Beach Book Nook celebrates grand reopening on Fort Myers Beach From 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Jan. 18, Annette Stillson finally will be celebrating the grand reopening of the new-look Annette’s Beach Book Nook.
Punta Gorda renowned media artist finds safe haven for work Former businessman and artist David Sussman, known for his photography on canvas and coffee-table photography books, has found a safe, flood-proof homestead after he lost several homes and studios to hurricanes.
Mugshot released of man accused of injuring deputy then leading multi-county chase The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has released the mugshot of Fritzson Paul, the man accused of leading deputies on a multi-county chase stemming from a carjacking.
FORT MYERS FDOT hosts ribbon-cutting ceremony for Caloosahatchee River Bridge sidewalk project The Florida Department of Transportation held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of the Caloosahatchee River Bridge and the New Sidewalk Project.
Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau’s meeting. CREDIT: WINK News The Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau held its annual tourism outlook meeting to see if people are returning to our community after a year of rebuilding. Several business owners sought advice on pushing things forward and getting past Hurricane Ian’s damage. It’s no secret Southwest Florida’s tourism industry took a big hit after Ian. Peter Greenberg, the travel editor for CBS, was this year’s Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau’s keynote speaker for the 2023 Tourism Annual Meeting. “The key takeaway is not that you’re rebuilding buildings, you have to rebuild trust, you have to rebuild stories, you have to rebuild a reason for people to come and come back,” said Greenberg. Hundreds of locals and business owners are searching for answers. “How do we bring tourism back to our community,” asked Tamara Pigott, the Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau executive director. “In 2022, visitors spent over $4 billion in our community, and we want that money coming back,” said Pigott. “We want to bring those dollars back to our community to make our local businesses and people in our community employed and have successful businesses.” Lee VCB introduced its My Fort Myers marketing recovery campaign, designed to get people back to SWFL through a variety of ways, from songs to using influencers. Bob Rando, a local businessman and co-owner of Captiva Cruises, got a surprise and standing ovation. “I was in shock. I was slightly shaking. I don’t know if you could tell when I was on stage,” said Rando. Rando and the co-owners of Captiva Cruises received the Junonia Award. The award recognizes individuals who positively impacted Lee County’s tourism community through leadership, commitment and dedication.