Some Floridians want more alone time during the holidaysHendry County rolls out cameras for school speed zones
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Some Floridians want more alone time during the holidays The holidays are all about spending time with family and friends, but nearly half of Americans say they really want more alone time during the holiday.
LABELLE Hendry County rolls out cameras for school speed zones The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office has rolled out a new way of enforcing school zone speed limits by using cameras that will target drivers traveling over a certain speed in a school zone.
Aggressive driving concerns on the rise in Southwest Florida The arrest of a man who, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said, killed a motorcyclist after crashing into him on purpose is raising concerns over aggressive driving in Southwest Florida.
SANIBEL Sanibel School students prepare for community Christmas performance The school that has had to claw and fight its way back more than once to reopen is getting the chance to celebrate.
FORT MYERS Rock For Equality: SWFL music scene to hold benefit concert for Palestine A two-venue, eight-band benefit concert is coming to Southwest Florida.
NAPLES Naples man sentenced in deadly bar shooting A man has been sentenced for a deadly shooting that took place at a Naples bar in March 2021.
New ovarian cancer treatments Ovarian cancer is a problematic disease because of symptoms such as nausea, bloating and diarrhea.
Largest Lee County land deal closes, $100M for 1,745 acres in northwest Cape Coral The most lucrative land deal in Lee County history just closed at a price of $100 million for 1,745 acres in northwest Cape Coral, where building up to 3,500 homes and commercial property to support it has been in the planning stages for almost two years.
CHARLOTTE HARBOR Crash between RV and semi temporarily shuts down NB lanes of U.S. 41 in Charlotte A major collision near Sunseeker Resort in Charlotte County temporarily closed all northbound lanes of U.S. 41, according to the Charlotte County Sherriff’s Office.
FORT MYERS Apple AirPods lead LCSO to an arrest; over $100,000 worth of stolen items recovered Through the use of Apple Airpods, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office was able to locate nearly $100,000 worth of stolen items, leading to an arrest.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral officials approve replacement funding for hurricane-damaged stop signs The Cape Coral City Council has approved funding to replace stop signs damaged during Hurricane Milton, resulting in an emergency purchase.
Holiday events happening in Southwest Florida Southwest Florida is embracing the holiday spirit with a variety of festive events this Christmas season.
Collier man accused of supplying fentanyl-laced pills, enough to kill 531,500 people The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of supplying more than 10,000 fentanyl-laced pills disguised as prescription painkillers.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral council supports construction of I-75 interchange into city The Cape Coral City Council has approved a resolution requesting support from Lee and Charlotte counties to prioritize state and federal funding for the Interstate 75 Interchange at Slater Road.
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.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Some Floridians want more alone time during the holidays The holidays are all about spending time with family and friends, but nearly half of Americans say they really want more alone time during the holiday.
LABELLE Hendry County rolls out cameras for school speed zones The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office has rolled out a new way of enforcing school zone speed limits by using cameras that will target drivers traveling over a certain speed in a school zone.
Aggressive driving concerns on the rise in Southwest Florida The arrest of a man who, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said, killed a motorcyclist after crashing into him on purpose is raising concerns over aggressive driving in Southwest Florida.
SANIBEL Sanibel School students prepare for community Christmas performance The school that has had to claw and fight its way back more than once to reopen is getting the chance to celebrate.
FORT MYERS Rock For Equality: SWFL music scene to hold benefit concert for Palestine A two-venue, eight-band benefit concert is coming to Southwest Florida.
NAPLES Naples man sentenced in deadly bar shooting A man has been sentenced for a deadly shooting that took place at a Naples bar in March 2021.
New ovarian cancer treatments Ovarian cancer is a problematic disease because of symptoms such as nausea, bloating and diarrhea.
Largest Lee County land deal closes, $100M for 1,745 acres in northwest Cape Coral The most lucrative land deal in Lee County history just closed at a price of $100 million for 1,745 acres in northwest Cape Coral, where building up to 3,500 homes and commercial property to support it has been in the planning stages for almost two years.
CHARLOTTE HARBOR Crash between RV and semi temporarily shuts down NB lanes of U.S. 41 in Charlotte A major collision near Sunseeker Resort in Charlotte County temporarily closed all northbound lanes of U.S. 41, according to the Charlotte County Sherriff’s Office.
FORT MYERS Apple AirPods lead LCSO to an arrest; over $100,000 worth of stolen items recovered Through the use of Apple Airpods, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office was able to locate nearly $100,000 worth of stolen items, leading to an arrest.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral officials approve replacement funding for hurricane-damaged stop signs The Cape Coral City Council has approved funding to replace stop signs damaged during Hurricane Milton, resulting in an emergency purchase.
Holiday events happening in Southwest Florida Southwest Florida is embracing the holiday spirit with a variety of festive events this Christmas season.
Collier man accused of supplying fentanyl-laced pills, enough to kill 531,500 people The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of supplying more than 10,000 fentanyl-laced pills disguised as prescription painkillers.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral council supports construction of I-75 interchange into city The Cape Coral City Council has approved a resolution requesting support from Lee and Charlotte counties to prioritize state and federal funding for the Interstate 75 Interchange at Slater Road.
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.
Speed limit sign along Imperial Golf Club Boulevard in North Naples. Homeowners nearby would like to see the speed limit increased to reduce the bad behavior of drivers, which includes speeding, that other drivers say they have witnessed. Credit: WINK News. Florida roadways are no stranger to speeding drivers and revving engines. Illegal street takeovers and street racing have caught the attention of Florida State Representatives behind House Bill 449. House Rep. Kyian Michael and Rep. Douglas Bankson first filed the “Motor Vehicle Racing Penalties” bill in November of 2023. As of March 29, this bill was on its second read in the Florida Senate. According to the Florida Senate, the bill aims to raise fines and penalties for those a part of these dangerous vehicle crimes. RELATED: Man arrested for illegal street racing and evading police The state senate website describes the bill as, “Motor Vehicle Racing Penalties; Increases fine for specified offenses; increases criminal penalty & revising applicability of criminal penalty for second offenses of specified violations occurring within specified time period; provides penalties for impeding, obstructing, or interfering with an emergency vehicle while participating in drag race, street takeover, stunt driving, competition, contest, test, or exhibition; increases penalty for third or subsequent offenses of specified violations occurring within specified time period; increases fine for such violations; increases fine for acting as spectator at specified violations.” Residential roads see speeding in SWFL Parker Perry is a car enthusiast first but a neighbor second. He said his street in San Carlos Park sees lots of fast drivers speed by his home often. “People are kind of getting off work, and they’re just driving home. I know that people drive fast, but I would say it’s mostly when people get off of work,” Perry said. He knows fast cars because he has a fast car. One of the few cars sitting in his driveway is a Mark 4 Supra, originally from Japan. RELATED: Cracking down on Illegal Street Racing in Lee County He knows having a fast car means being responsible on the roadways. “If you do stuff on the street like there’s a time in place, and the track is the time in place, if you’re going to do it on the street, you might as well be ready to face the consequences,” he said. Hearing about House Bill 499, he’s supportive of it. He knows it will keep the roadways safer because he’s seen how dangerous illegal street takeovers can get. Perry, like many others, remembers the illegal street takeover that claimed two lives in Lehigh Acres last March. Raising awareness nationwide for reckless driving The nonprofit organization Street Racing Kills was started in 2013. The founder, Lili Trujillo Puckett, started the organization after losing her daughter, Valentina, to a street racing crash. “I didn’t want any parent to lose a child. That was like my first goal. The pain was different. What I was feeling was different than any other pain I’ve ever felt, and I knew that it was 100% preventable,” said Puckett. Today, she educates drivers, parents, and communities nationwide about the consequences of reckless driving and how to be a more responsible driver. Her passion for others makes preventing tragic crashes like this possible. “We’re going to go to the schools. We are very excited that we’re going to school, which is where we’re going to be talking about all the dangers, the consequences, how to save lives, give the students and young drivers these tools where they can start driving and not engage into this behavior. I do believe in mentoring our future drivers. It is so important,” Puckett said. RELATED: Neighbors start petition to stop speeding drivers in Naples She said illegal street takeovers and street racing is a trend she sees nationwide. Based out of California, she’s happy to see representatives from the state of Florida working towards a safer tomorrow for people on our roadways. More than improving conditions, Puckett said seeing this bill pass would bring justice to the lives lost from these dangerous accidents. “I am sure that as they hear this new bill and other bills that they have been Florida, they [will] feel a little bit of peace in their heart because they know there’s something being done about it,” she said. If this bill is passed, it will go into effect on July 1st. For more information on this bill or to track its progress, you can visit the Florida Senate’s website.