Naples-based fashion designer supports teen who was denied entrance to promStaying safe against rip currents
NAPLES Naples-based fashion designer supports teen who was denied entrance to prom Sophie Savidge is getting some swanky bow ties from Naples-based fashion designer Peter Jean-Marie.
FORT MYERS BEACH Staying safe against rip currents Mother Nature is throwing us for a loop. Right now, most of our beaches are at high risk for rip currents.
FORT MYERS Football officials work to keep the ‘Friday’ in Friday night lights Whether you think they are making good calls or bad ones, without officials there would be no Friday night lights.
LAKE OKEECHOBEE Army Corps prepares Lake Okeechobee ahead of ‘extremely active’ hurricane season This year, we had an abnormally wet dry season. The lake rose when it should have been receding.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral man charged with felony after allegedly backing into Publix employee A man on a grocery store run turned into a hit-and-run victim after he allegedly backed onto a Publix employee, according to the arrest report.
FORT MYERS Avoiding the “Summer Slide”: How to keep students engaged during the summer Every kid looks forward to summer, but they also face the “Summer Slide”, a term for students who aren’t mentally engaged over the summer.
NAPLES Details: Judge Judy files defamation suit against National Enquirer parent company Television personality Judge Judy Sheindlin, a resident of Collier County, filed a defamation lawsuit Monday against Accelerate360 and A360 Media LLC, the parent companies of the National Enquirer and InTouch Weekly.
CAPE CORAL Exclusive video shows why family of 13-year-old hit and killed in Cape Coral is filing civil rights complaint In a newly released exclusive video sent to WINK news, you can see the moments before a 13-year-old was fatally struck while riding his electric scooter in Cape Coral.
Tackling the teacher shortage in Lee County Are your kids losing out on the value of going to school because of inconsistency in who their teachers are?
6 bus crash victims identified; Immokalee community mourns loss Eight Mexican migrant farmworkers’ lives were cut short in an instant during a bus crash in Central Florida, and now we know who at least six of them were.
CAPE CORAL CCPD holds memorial service for fallen officers The Cape Coral Police Department, along with city employees took some time Wednesday to pray, thank, and honor the men and women who risk their lives every day to make sure our families are safe.
NAPLES Greater Naples Fire Rescue District starts Project Fire Buddies Greater Naples Fire is the first fire department to start a Project Fire Buddies program in Florida.
LEHIGH ACRES LCSO investigating shooting at Fleming Ecological Park in Lehigh Acres; 1 injured The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is reporting one person has been injured in a shooting near the Jim Fleming Ecological Park in Lehigh Acres, and though they haven’t arrested anyone, they are investigating.
LEHIGH ACRES Deputies investigating reports of man pulling rifle on Waste Pro worker in Lehigh Acres The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating reports of a man pulling a rifle on a garbage truck worker in Lehigh Acres.
Collier County Schools postpones possible school zoning changes The Collier County School Board voted four to one against two different proposals that could redraw school boundaries.
NAPLES Naples-based fashion designer supports teen who was denied entrance to prom Sophie Savidge is getting some swanky bow ties from Naples-based fashion designer Peter Jean-Marie.
FORT MYERS BEACH Staying safe against rip currents Mother Nature is throwing us for a loop. Right now, most of our beaches are at high risk for rip currents.
FORT MYERS Football officials work to keep the ‘Friday’ in Friday night lights Whether you think they are making good calls or bad ones, without officials there would be no Friday night lights.
LAKE OKEECHOBEE Army Corps prepares Lake Okeechobee ahead of ‘extremely active’ hurricane season This year, we had an abnormally wet dry season. The lake rose when it should have been receding.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral man charged with felony after allegedly backing into Publix employee A man on a grocery store run turned into a hit-and-run victim after he allegedly backed onto a Publix employee, according to the arrest report.
FORT MYERS Avoiding the “Summer Slide”: How to keep students engaged during the summer Every kid looks forward to summer, but they also face the “Summer Slide”, a term for students who aren’t mentally engaged over the summer.
NAPLES Details: Judge Judy files defamation suit against National Enquirer parent company Television personality Judge Judy Sheindlin, a resident of Collier County, filed a defamation lawsuit Monday against Accelerate360 and A360 Media LLC, the parent companies of the National Enquirer and InTouch Weekly.
CAPE CORAL Exclusive video shows why family of 13-year-old hit and killed in Cape Coral is filing civil rights complaint In a newly released exclusive video sent to WINK news, you can see the moments before a 13-year-old was fatally struck while riding his electric scooter in Cape Coral.
Tackling the teacher shortage in Lee County Are your kids losing out on the value of going to school because of inconsistency in who their teachers are?
6 bus crash victims identified; Immokalee community mourns loss Eight Mexican migrant farmworkers’ lives were cut short in an instant during a bus crash in Central Florida, and now we know who at least six of them were.
CAPE CORAL CCPD holds memorial service for fallen officers The Cape Coral Police Department, along with city employees took some time Wednesday to pray, thank, and honor the men and women who risk their lives every day to make sure our families are safe.
NAPLES Greater Naples Fire Rescue District starts Project Fire Buddies Greater Naples Fire is the first fire department to start a Project Fire Buddies program in Florida.
LEHIGH ACRES LCSO investigating shooting at Fleming Ecological Park in Lehigh Acres; 1 injured The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is reporting one person has been injured in a shooting near the Jim Fleming Ecological Park in Lehigh Acres, and though they haven’t arrested anyone, they are investigating.
LEHIGH ACRES Deputies investigating reports of man pulling rifle on Waste Pro worker in Lehigh Acres The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating reports of a man pulling a rifle on a garbage truck worker in Lehigh Acres.
Collier County Schools postpones possible school zoning changes The Collier County School Board voted four to one against two different proposals that could redraw school boundaries.
Credit: The Associated Press Five U.S. Marines aboard a helicopter that went down during stormy weather in the mountains outside of San Diego are confirmed dead, military said Thursday. Authorities say the CH-53E Super Stallion vanished late Tuesday night while returning to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego after training at Creech Air Force Base, northwest of Las Vegas. “It is with a heavy heart and profound sadness that I share the loss of five outstanding Marines from 3d Marine Aircraft Wing and the “Flying Tigers,” Maj. Gen. Michael J. Borgschulte, commander of 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, said in a statement. “To the families of our fallen Marines, we send our deepest condolences and commit to ensuring your support and care during this incredibly difficult time,” Borgshulte said. “Though we understand the inherent risks of military service, any loss of life is always difficult.” Efforts to recover the remains of the five have begun and an investigation into the crash is underway, according to the statement. The craft was discovered Wednesday morning near the mountain community of Pine Valley, an hour’s drive from San Diego. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. The military said search-and-rescue efforts were continuing for five U.S. Marines after their helicopter went down during stormy weather in the Southern California mountains. Here’s what we know so far: WHAT HAPPENEDA CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter was returning from a training mission in Nevada when it disappeared Tuesday night. Civilian authorities searching on ground and by air located the aircraft just after 9 a.m. Wednesday near the mountain community of Pine Valley, about a 45-mile (72-kilometer) drive from San Diego. With rescuers having to battle through heavy snow, there was no word Wednesday night on whether they had reached the chopper or on the fate of the five people aboard. The Marines were flying from Creech Air Force Base, northwest of Las Vegas, where they had been doing unit-level training and were returning home to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, defense officials said. The last known contact with the helicopter was at about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, Mike Cornette of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection told CBS 8 news. That location was based on a “ping” reported to a Cal Fire dispatch center. The helicopter, which was designed to fly in harsh conditions, went missing as an historic storm dumped heavy snow and record rain over California. More rain and snow hit the region Wednesday night, forecasters said. WHO IS MISSINGThe people aboard the aircraft haven’t been named but they were assigned to Miramar’s Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, the military said in a statement. While it can carry dozens of people, the normal crew component for the Super Stallion is four: a pilot, copilot, crew chief, and mechanic/gunner, according to a U.S. Navy website. President Joe Biden was briefed on the missing Marines, said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who answered questions as the president flew to New York City for campaign fundraisers. “We’re watching this closely and again our thoughts are for the best,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said. THE RESCUE EFFORTThe military was working with federal, state and local agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Border Patrol, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and the state Civil Air Patrol. But weather and rugged terrain made the task difficult. Pine Valley is at about 3,700 feet (1,127 meters) in elevation in the Cuyamaca Mountains, an area which saw as much 8 inches (20 centimeters) of accumulating snow within hours Tuesday night and early Wednesday and saw more falling Wednesday night, according to forecasters. The area includes San Diego County’s second highest mountain, Cuyamaca Peak, at 6,512 feet (1,985 meters), and is also near the Cleveland National Forest, which covers 720 square miles (1,860 square kilometers) with much of it steep, rocky and with limited trails. THE HELICOPTERThe CH-53E Super Stallion is the largest helicopter in the military and the Marines have used it for heavy-lifting duties around the world for more than three decades. More than 130 are in operation. Equipped with GPS, infrared radar and other equipment, the aircraft has performed “a full range of military combat operations in Beirut, Somalia, the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya,” according to a U.S. Navy website. About 99 feet (30 meters) long, the Super Stallion can move troops and equipment from ships to shore, ferry supplies and launch amphibious assaults. Nicknamed the “hurricane maker” because of the downwash from its three engines, the Super Stallion has a 50-mile (80.5-kilometer) range. It was designed to carry up to 55 troops or about 16 tons (more than 13,000 kilograms) of cargo both inside and slung outside the cabin. With an external load, the helicopter can weigh up to nearly 35 tons (31,638 kilograms). Two CH-53E helicopters were used in the civil war-torn capital of Mogadishu, Somalia, in January 1990 to rescue American and foreign allies from the U.S. embassy. The helicopter has been involved in several deadly accidents. In 2018, four Marines from Miramar died when their Super Stallion crashed near El Centro, near the California-Mexico border, during a training mission. The Marine Corps ruled out pilot error for the accident. The victims’ families later sued two companies they alleged provided a defective part that they blamed for the crash. In 2005, a Super Stallion went down in a sandstorm in Iraq, killing 31 people on board. The accident, blamed on pilot error, was the single deadliest loss of U.S. troops during the war.