Fatal crash in Immokalee leaves 2 dead, both cars engulfed in flamesMotorcyclist dies in crash with pickup truck in Collier County
immokalee Fatal crash in Immokalee leaves 2 dead, both cars engulfed in flames The Florida Highway Patrol responded to a crash that left one person dead in Immokalee near the intersection of State Road 82 and Gators Slough Road.
NAPLES Motorcyclist dies in crash with pickup truck in Collier County The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a deadly crash on Wilson Boulevard, near 10th Avenue Northeast in Collier County.
southwest florida Plenty of sunshine and less humid air for your Saturday plans The Weather Authority says this weekend is kicking off with some beautiful, less humid weather, perfect for any outdoor plans you may have!
WINK NEWS SWFL Scoreboard: High School Football Playoffs Round 1 21 Southwest Florida high school football teams were in action in round one of the playoffs trying to keep their state title hopes alive.
CLEWISTON Police respond to shots fired at Clewiston Walmart According to the Clewiston Police Department, an active shooter was present at the Walmart in Clewiston Friday night.
WINK Investigates: Everything we know so far about Beattie Development A southwest Florida developer has now surrendered his six different contracting licenses, which include general contracting, plumbing and roofing. Paul Beattie, owner of Beattie Development cannot build homes anymore. It’s not a permanent situation, but part of a settlement agreement with the state says he’d need to pay $300,000 before he could get a new […]
Florida Attorney General speaks out following lawsuit against FEMA Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has spoken out following the filing of a lawsuit alleging that a FEMA supervisor directed aid workers to avoid going to homes in Lake Placid that had yard signs supporting Trump.
FORT MYERS BEACH How to increase odds of getting your hurricane insurance claim paid When Hurricane Helene hit Southwest Florida in September followed by Milton, many people’s lives were affected.
lehigh acres 25 students treated for heat exhaustion on Lehigh Sr. High School football field The Tice Fire Department treated around 25 students for heat exhaustion on the Lehigh Senior High School football field.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda pilots speak out on Allegiant Air strike Allegiant Air pilots said they want a new contract, one that’s amendable, fair and, in their words, what they should be paid.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach couple sues insurance over Hurricane Ian claim In the last two months, southwest Florida experienced a hurricane double punch with Helene and Milton, but for many people out there, it’s still all about Hurricane Ian from 2022.
CAPE CORAL Couple struggling after hurricanes receives $10K from Cape Coral High students A couple who lost everything to Hurricane Milton has received a blessing in more ways than one.
FORT MYERS BEACH FEMA denies extension for business trailers on Fort Myers Beach FEMA has denied an extension for business trailers on Fort Myers Beach.
Mistrial declared in case of former Hendry County deputy A mistrial has been called in the trial of Tyler Williams, a former Hendry County deputy. The court declared the mistrial after the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on either count in the indictment. Williams was charged with two felonies in federal court in early April 2024, after knocking a handcuffed man unconscious. […]
Examining healthy breast tissue to understand how cancer starts A new approach being researched by scientists has led to the examination of healthy breast tissue to better understand how cancer develops.
immokalee Fatal crash in Immokalee leaves 2 dead, both cars engulfed in flames The Florida Highway Patrol responded to a crash that left one person dead in Immokalee near the intersection of State Road 82 and Gators Slough Road.
NAPLES Motorcyclist dies in crash with pickup truck in Collier County The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a deadly crash on Wilson Boulevard, near 10th Avenue Northeast in Collier County.
southwest florida Plenty of sunshine and less humid air for your Saturday plans The Weather Authority says this weekend is kicking off with some beautiful, less humid weather, perfect for any outdoor plans you may have!
WINK NEWS SWFL Scoreboard: High School Football Playoffs Round 1 21 Southwest Florida high school football teams were in action in round one of the playoffs trying to keep their state title hopes alive.
CLEWISTON Police respond to shots fired at Clewiston Walmart According to the Clewiston Police Department, an active shooter was present at the Walmart in Clewiston Friday night.
WINK Investigates: Everything we know so far about Beattie Development A southwest Florida developer has now surrendered his six different contracting licenses, which include general contracting, plumbing and roofing. Paul Beattie, owner of Beattie Development cannot build homes anymore. It’s not a permanent situation, but part of a settlement agreement with the state says he’d need to pay $300,000 before he could get a new […]
Florida Attorney General speaks out following lawsuit against FEMA Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has spoken out following the filing of a lawsuit alleging that a FEMA supervisor directed aid workers to avoid going to homes in Lake Placid that had yard signs supporting Trump.
FORT MYERS BEACH How to increase odds of getting your hurricane insurance claim paid When Hurricane Helene hit Southwest Florida in September followed by Milton, many people’s lives were affected.
lehigh acres 25 students treated for heat exhaustion on Lehigh Sr. High School football field The Tice Fire Department treated around 25 students for heat exhaustion on the Lehigh Senior High School football field.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda pilots speak out on Allegiant Air strike Allegiant Air pilots said they want a new contract, one that’s amendable, fair and, in their words, what they should be paid.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach couple sues insurance over Hurricane Ian claim In the last two months, southwest Florida experienced a hurricane double punch with Helene and Milton, but for many people out there, it’s still all about Hurricane Ian from 2022.
CAPE CORAL Couple struggling after hurricanes receives $10K from Cape Coral High students A couple who lost everything to Hurricane Milton has received a blessing in more ways than one.
FORT MYERS BEACH FEMA denies extension for business trailers on Fort Myers Beach FEMA has denied an extension for business trailers on Fort Myers Beach.
Mistrial declared in case of former Hendry County deputy A mistrial has been called in the trial of Tyler Williams, a former Hendry County deputy. The court declared the mistrial after the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on either count in the indictment. Williams was charged with two felonies in federal court in early April 2024, after knocking a handcuffed man unconscious. […]
Examining healthy breast tissue to understand how cancer starts A new approach being researched by scientists has led to the examination of healthy breast tissue to better understand how cancer develops.
Merchandise hanging in Synergy Sportswear’s new store front in Sanibel. Sanibel Island is continuing to recover from Hurricane Ian, as many other Southwest Florida communities are. What many thought would be a long process is turning into a quick turnaround for many on-island businesses this season. The Sanibel and Captiva Chamber of Commerce President, John Lai, says by the end of this season, there should be dozens of new businesses open to the public. The Sanibel and Captiva Chamber of Commerce on Sanibel Island. “We were averaging four ribbon cuttings a week right now. So when you think about that, if you know, that’s 12 weeks, I’m sorry, four weeks, 16 a month. So we’re probably looking at 40 businesses from the beginning of the year, until the end of season that have just come back online in some form or fashion,” said Lai. Post Ian, there are 141 businesses reopened between Sanibel and Captiva. This is compared to the 541 businesses they had before Hurricane Ian. RELATED: Another piece of Sanibel Island is being restored with birds flocking because of it His offices have attended these re-openings and have seen the community come back one open sign at a time. Lai said what they expected to be year’s worth of rebuilding is starting to finish much faster. “For those of us who remember what this island looked like the day after we came back from Hurricane Ian. In our heads, it was going to be a five to 10-year rebuild process. So, the fact that we can shorten that timeline or expedite that timeline, maybe three to five. It’s encouraging, and it’s rewarding and inspirational for all of us on the island that work and live and play here,” said Lai. Island business owners becoming family Bringing businesses back in time for this year’s season came with hardships for some. After being closed for over 400 days, the Sanibel Cafe re-opened in December and has seen customers in and out of its doors since. Owner Richard McCurry said putting up the open sign is a group effort. With each business’s doors opening, other owners and islanders are cheering them on from the sidelines. The Sanibel Cafe re-opened after being closed for over a year in December of 2023. “We’re all rooting for each other. We want to go help the guys and gals that are getting ready to open if they need help, they know they can call us, or if we need help, we call them. We work together; we support each other, lift each other up,” said McCurry. RELATED: The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum is back and better! At the other end of the plaza from Sanibel Cafe is a retail shop, Adventures in Paradise. Josh Stewart and McCurry have seen the progress on the island from outside their shop windows because they live on the island. Stewart said being a part of recovery as a business owner and homeowner, he’s gotten to see how strong their community is. “It’s humbling, but it’s also really encouraging to see everybody more like-minded on wanting things to get back to normal as fast as possible.” Newest business on the block Synergy Sportswear just opened its doors Tuesday for the first time since Hurricane Ian. Catching customers mid-season, they said being back up and running is something they’ve waited for. “We just reopened yesterday. Still getting set up. This is probably the best table, but the others are getting filled as we speak. We just got in some boxes,” said Vice President Michael Tateosian. RELATED: Sea Shelling do’s and dont’s With boxes still to be unpacked and merchandise to be hung up, customers have welcomed this reopening with open arms. Amidst being open for just shy of two days, they’ve seen people come through their doors ready to invite them back to the island. Sanibel attire on sale for the first time in Synergy Sportswear since their closure after hurricane Ian in Fall of 2022. Tateosian said, “It was good. Busier than I thought it was gonna be, and customers are happy to be in here. They don’t mind the mess. Because a lot of people are dealing with it themselves.” More openings are on the way Speaking of re-openings, one of the many businesses to re-open this month since Hurricane Ian is Over Easy Cafe. According to their Facebook, on March 17th, the restaurant will celebrate their Grand Re-opening. With more people on the island and more businesses coming back, Lai said coming back stronger than ever is the island’s motivation. “Every day, we’re one day closer to the new Sanibel Island and Captiva Island coming back online. What’s next for Sanibel is a more resilient Sanibel. We take what we know we built Sanibel on in the past and incorporate some of the lessons that we need to learn for the future,” said Lai.