NORTH FORT MYERS LCSO searching for missing endangered adult Lee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a missing person.
The Weather Authority: Scattered storms for your Saturday The Weather Authority is tracking afternoon scattered storms for Saturday this Labor Day weekend.
WINK NEWS SWFL Scoreboard: High School Football Week 2 The Golden Eagles took down the Cougars 64-7 to win the Crosstown Showdown for the 26th year in a row.
NAPLES Naples mayor speaks out after DUI arrest Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann has sent a statement to WINK News after being charged with a DUI.
FORT MYERS Woman stabbed at Fort Myers gas station Authorities responded to an active scene at a 7-eleven in Fort Myers after a woman was stabbed early Friday evening.
FORT MYERS FMPD investigating a van that followed a student from bus stop Police said a suspicious van followed a middle school student home from the bus stop on Thursday and yelled, “Get in the van.”
CAPE CORAL Report: Teen was on crosswalk when she was hit The driver of the box truck told officers he didn’t see Kendra as she rode in front of him, and he started to go.
FORT MYERS BEACH Celebration of Jimmy Buffet Day at Margaritaville Friday was Jimmy Buffett Day at Margaritaville and Fort Myers Beach is gearing up for a fun party all weekend long.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County deputies hold training for mental health encounters Charlotte County deputies are entering the community equipped with a new tool for handling mental health: the crisis initiative training.
Neighbors worried about flooding in Rotonda Heights Neighbors in Rotonda Heights are fed up with the flooding and they want to see it fixed.
ORLANDO Smart living moms reclaim their careers Betsy Gardner president and CEO of the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce started Relaunch, a program to help stay-at-home moms.
FORT MYERS BEACH A closer look at the gas leak that killed 2 men at Fort Myers Beach home A closer look at the gas leak that killed two men in Fort Myers Beach has revealed some new details leading up to the deaths.
SANIBEL Sanibel CVS Pharmacy reopening after Hurricane Ian The CVS Pharmacy in Sanibel is reopening nearly two years after Hurricane Ian caused severe damage to it.
FORT MYERS Woman transported after boat hits large wake under Midpoint Bridge A woman had to be transported to the hospital after suffering an injury when the boat she was in struck the wake of a yacht.
NEW YORK (AP) Trump has history sparking outrage for incidents around veterans even as military voters backed him The reported altercation at Arlington National Cemetery involving Donald Trump’s staff was far from the first time that veterans or the families of service members have criticized the former president for words or behavior they saw as disparaging.
NORTH FORT MYERS LCSO searching for missing endangered adult Lee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a missing person.
The Weather Authority: Scattered storms for your Saturday The Weather Authority is tracking afternoon scattered storms for Saturday this Labor Day weekend.
WINK NEWS SWFL Scoreboard: High School Football Week 2 The Golden Eagles took down the Cougars 64-7 to win the Crosstown Showdown for the 26th year in a row.
NAPLES Naples mayor speaks out after DUI arrest Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann has sent a statement to WINK News after being charged with a DUI.
FORT MYERS Woman stabbed at Fort Myers gas station Authorities responded to an active scene at a 7-eleven in Fort Myers after a woman was stabbed early Friday evening.
FORT MYERS FMPD investigating a van that followed a student from bus stop Police said a suspicious van followed a middle school student home from the bus stop on Thursday and yelled, “Get in the van.”
CAPE CORAL Report: Teen was on crosswalk when she was hit The driver of the box truck told officers he didn’t see Kendra as she rode in front of him, and he started to go.
FORT MYERS BEACH Celebration of Jimmy Buffet Day at Margaritaville Friday was Jimmy Buffett Day at Margaritaville and Fort Myers Beach is gearing up for a fun party all weekend long.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County deputies hold training for mental health encounters Charlotte County deputies are entering the community equipped with a new tool for handling mental health: the crisis initiative training.
Neighbors worried about flooding in Rotonda Heights Neighbors in Rotonda Heights are fed up with the flooding and they want to see it fixed.
ORLANDO Smart living moms reclaim their careers Betsy Gardner president and CEO of the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce started Relaunch, a program to help stay-at-home moms.
FORT MYERS BEACH A closer look at the gas leak that killed 2 men at Fort Myers Beach home A closer look at the gas leak that killed two men in Fort Myers Beach has revealed some new details leading up to the deaths.
SANIBEL Sanibel CVS Pharmacy reopening after Hurricane Ian The CVS Pharmacy in Sanibel is reopening nearly two years after Hurricane Ian caused severe damage to it.
FORT MYERS Woman transported after boat hits large wake under Midpoint Bridge A woman had to be transported to the hospital after suffering an injury when the boat she was in struck the wake of a yacht.
NEW YORK (AP) Trump has history sparking outrage for incidents around veterans even as military voters backed him The reported altercation at Arlington National Cemetery involving Donald Trump’s staff was far from the first time that veterans or the families of service members have criticized the former president for words or behavior they saw as disparaging.
An endangered smalltooth sawfish thrashing above shallow water. CREDIT: WINK News Officials are preparing an emergency response to the mysterious sawfish mortality and abnormal fish behavior happening in the Lower Florida Keys. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries, at least 28 smalltooth sawfish deaths have happened as of March 24, a considerable spike from the typical four or five mortalities in a year. Smalltooth research. CREDIT: FWC NOAA is working with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, along with other organizations, to coordinate the emergency response. The organizations aim to rescue and rehabilitate the endangered species that have been impacted and prevent more animals from dying. This is the first time authorities have attempted to rescue and rehabilitate the endangered smalltooth sawfish from the wild. FWC, NOAA Fisheries, and partners are initiating a project to rescue and rehabilitate smalltooth sawfish affected by the ongoing mortality event in South Florida. Learn more: https://t.co/QqG5Z0uieh — MyFWC (@MyFWC) March 28, 2024 “We’re hopeful for positive outcomes from these rescue attempts and grateful to our partners for their support as we work to protect this endangered species,” said Adam Brame, NOAA Fisheries’ sawfish recovery coordinator. RELATED: 21 endangered smalltooth sawfish deaths spur fishkill investigation RELATED: Sawfish dying at an alarming rate – is it something in the water? “It’s important to note that active rescue and rehabilitation are not always effective in saving stranded animals. However, it can still give us critical information to learn about the nature of the distress,” he added. While 28 smalltooth sawfish mortalities have been documented. However, a total of 109 have been impacted by the event, as of March 24. “We suspect that total mortalities are greater since sawfish are negatively buoyant and thus unlikely to float after death,” said Brame. “Given the limited population size of smalltooth sawfish, the mortality of at least two dozen sawfish could have an impact on the recovery of this species.” An endangered smalltooth fish thrashing above shallow water. CREDIT: WINK News The recovered endangered species will be taken to either Ripley’s Aquariums, Mote Marine Laboratory or Dynasty Marine Associates, Inc. Scientists are investigating the cause of how the issue is developing. Once rescued, the endangered species will be under constant observation at quarantine facilities. With help from the Smalltooth Sawfish Recovery Implementation Team and other partners, authorities will make the final decision about an animal’s rehabilitation status. “Our goal is to release all rescued sawfish back to the wild once rehabilitated,” said Brame. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission added a new website tracking the abnormal fish behavior event. Smalltooth sawfish death investigation. CREDIT: U.S. Sawfish Recovery According to the report, 365 fish kills have been reported, along with 203 fish samples and 138 water samples collected. Twelve smalltooth sawfish and 52 other fish have been sent from the Commission to the University of South Alabama for analysis. Report sawfish sightings by calling 1-844-472-9347 or sending an email to Sawfish@myfwc.com. Click here for more information about the abnormal fish behavior event in the Florida Keys. The organizations below are involved in the rehabilitation efforts: NOAA Fisheries Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Havenworth Coastal Conservation Ripley’s Aquariums Mote Marine Laboratory Dynasty Marine Associates, Inc.