“Don’t give up. You’re worth it. God sees you.” St. Matthew’s graduates speak outFEMA relocation notice shocks mobile home park residents
NAPLES “Don’t give up. You’re worth it. God sees you.” St. Matthew’s graduates speak out Susan and Dustin Cheatwood credit the Justin’s Place recovery program for saving their lives and stopping them from becoming a statistic.
ENGLEWOOD EAST FEMA relocation notice shocks mobile home park residents The Federal Emergency Management Agency issued relocation notices to residents living in one of their temporary housing parks in Englewood East.
Six dogs rescued after being left in a box by SR-29 Six dogs, including four puppies and two adult dogs, were found stranded in an empty box on the corner of Experimental Road and State Road 29 in Immokalee.
FORT MYERS Players of the Week: Dunbar’s Ken’Dahrius Green and Jeremy Ware Dunbar High School’s Special Teams unit has shown out these past two weeks, scoring a special teams touchdown in wins over South Fort Myers and Fort Myers.
NAPLES Collier County golfer lands shot on the back of an alligator “Play it safe.” That’s what Greg Irving thought he may be doing when he swung his puck Wednesday morning while golfing with his friend Joe Pack.
PUNTA GORDA Southwest Florida veterans honored during round trip honor flight Veterans from Southwest Florida made a round trip to Washington, DC, and back in honor of their service.
NAPLES Path to freedom: From Cuban prison to NCH operating room It’s rare that a serious heart condition is a blessing, but that was the case for a Naples man. The surgery he received at NCH saved his life in more ways than one.
SANIBEL Changing landscape after hurricanes Many of you know what saltwater surge does to your homes after surviving hurricanes Ian, Helene and Milton. It’s highly corrosive and destructive. It also has a similar impact on plants and wildlife, but that’s not all bad news.
Former FGCU basketball player talks Karl Smesko joining WNBA Las Vegas Aces guard Kierstan Bell made a lot of memories playing at FGCU. From winning ASUN championships to playing for one of the winningest coaches in the sport Karl Smesko.
LEHIGH ACRES Suspicious fire sparks at Lehigh Acres church Daycare services at one church are canceled after a small fire at Victory church in Lehigh Acres.
State of Florida sues FEMA for ‘conspiracy to interfere with civil rights’ The State of Florida is suing the Federal Emergency Management Agency for “conspiring to interfere with civil rights,” according to an official complaint filed by Florida Attorney General Ashely Moody.
WINK NEWS Game of the Week: Cape Coral Seahawks vs. Immokalee Indians The Seahawks are undefeated on the road and the Indians have never lost on home turf. Friday night only one will advance to round two.
Disaster assistance available for Charlotte County residents Charlotte County residents affected by hurricanes Ian, Helene or Milton can now apply for disaster assistance from local resources through Community Organizations Active in a Disaster (COAD).
Great Wolf Lodge celebrates grand opening with Rob Gronkowski Pack your trunks. We’re taking you to the grand opening of the Great Wolf Lodge resort in Collier County.
BOCA GRANDE Lee County issues red tide alert near Boca Grande Pass The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a health alert for the presence of red tide near Boca Grande Pass.
NAPLES “Don’t give up. You’re worth it. God sees you.” St. Matthew’s graduates speak out Susan and Dustin Cheatwood credit the Justin’s Place recovery program for saving their lives and stopping them from becoming a statistic.
ENGLEWOOD EAST FEMA relocation notice shocks mobile home park residents The Federal Emergency Management Agency issued relocation notices to residents living in one of their temporary housing parks in Englewood East.
Six dogs rescued after being left in a box by SR-29 Six dogs, including four puppies and two adult dogs, were found stranded in an empty box on the corner of Experimental Road and State Road 29 in Immokalee.
FORT MYERS Players of the Week: Dunbar’s Ken’Dahrius Green and Jeremy Ware Dunbar High School’s Special Teams unit has shown out these past two weeks, scoring a special teams touchdown in wins over South Fort Myers and Fort Myers.
NAPLES Collier County golfer lands shot on the back of an alligator “Play it safe.” That’s what Greg Irving thought he may be doing when he swung his puck Wednesday morning while golfing with his friend Joe Pack.
PUNTA GORDA Southwest Florida veterans honored during round trip honor flight Veterans from Southwest Florida made a round trip to Washington, DC, and back in honor of their service.
NAPLES Path to freedom: From Cuban prison to NCH operating room It’s rare that a serious heart condition is a blessing, but that was the case for a Naples man. The surgery he received at NCH saved his life in more ways than one.
SANIBEL Changing landscape after hurricanes Many of you know what saltwater surge does to your homes after surviving hurricanes Ian, Helene and Milton. It’s highly corrosive and destructive. It also has a similar impact on plants and wildlife, but that’s not all bad news.
Former FGCU basketball player talks Karl Smesko joining WNBA Las Vegas Aces guard Kierstan Bell made a lot of memories playing at FGCU. From winning ASUN championships to playing for one of the winningest coaches in the sport Karl Smesko.
LEHIGH ACRES Suspicious fire sparks at Lehigh Acres church Daycare services at one church are canceled after a small fire at Victory church in Lehigh Acres.
State of Florida sues FEMA for ‘conspiracy to interfere with civil rights’ The State of Florida is suing the Federal Emergency Management Agency for “conspiring to interfere with civil rights,” according to an official complaint filed by Florida Attorney General Ashely Moody.
WINK NEWS Game of the Week: Cape Coral Seahawks vs. Immokalee Indians The Seahawks are undefeated on the road and the Indians have never lost on home turf. Friday night only one will advance to round two.
Disaster assistance available for Charlotte County residents Charlotte County residents affected by hurricanes Ian, Helene or Milton can now apply for disaster assistance from local resources through Community Organizations Active in a Disaster (COAD).
Great Wolf Lodge celebrates grand opening with Rob Gronkowski Pack your trunks. We’re taking you to the grand opening of the Great Wolf Lodge resort in Collier County.
BOCA GRANDE Lee County issues red tide alert near Boca Grande Pass The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a health alert for the presence of red tide near Boca Grande Pass.
Damage to Fort Myers Beach from Hurricane Ian. CREDIT: WINK News Lee County Commissioners pledged to fight back after FEMA announced more than 100,000 homeowners will lose their 25-percent discount on their flood insurance policies as of October 1. Who’s to blame? Well, it depends on who you ask. Lee County Commissioners feel blindsided, but were they? FEMA sent Lee County multiple letters. At least three of them say something along the lines of “failure to enforce these regulations may result in sanctions against the community, including retrograde of Community Rating System (CRS) class, probation, or suspension from the [National Flood Insurance Program].” A retrograde of CRS class would take away homeowners’ 25-percent flood insurance discounts. The county said they responded to each letter and still argue FEMA never said homeowners would lose that discount. “This isn’t good for our community,” one homeowner said in Tuesday’s Lee County Commissioners meeting. “This is a hot issue, especially in this state where insurance costs for everything are going sky high,” another homeowner said. The news sent a jolt through Lee County homeowners and its elected leaders. “The federal government is here to help. Well, are you?” Lee County Commissioner Chair Mike Greenwell said. But that frustration and blame game won’t help wallets come October. The County issued a release last Friday stating, “Without any prior notice, FEMA verbally informed Lee County and some of its municipalities late Thursday that it was altering discounts on National Flood Insurance Program premiums that allow residents to save up to 25 percent.” Lee County’s CRS class was retrograded from 5 to 10. “Based on the discussion that we had with them, they stated that this was a final decision and that there were no appeals available to us,” Lee County Manager Dave Harner said in Tuesday’s meeting. The three letters sent by FEMA to county leaders are dated February 15, 2023, June 7, 2023, and December 6, 2023. FEMA requested specific documentation from Lee County, including a list of communities with substantial damage. Homes that are considered to have substantial damage suffered repair costs worth more than 50 percent of the market value. They have to be brought up to compliance, like by lifting it. FEMA also asked for lists and copies of permits sent after Ian as well as elevation certificates for any completed work in the Special Flood Hazard Area. In documents Lee County sent WINK News after Tuesday’s meeting, the County told FEMA only 37 permits were given to properties with substantial damage about a year after Ian. Yet in a letter sent in December, FEMA said its teams saw 590 sites under construction but were not provided documentation for the work. “We did provide voluminous amounts of information and continue to beyond the dates that I stated here,” Harner added. “There are a number of emails back and forth regarding information and information requests.” County Chair Mike Greenwell said the agency never told them the County would lose its rating and your flood insurance discounts. “There were multiple letters that FEMA sent and you guys responded back. What’s the difference between FEMA saying if you guys don’t do X, Y, Z then this will happen? How are you guys blindsided by that?” WINK News Consumer Investigator Andryanna Sheppard asked. “Well you’re blindsided by this because there has to be dialogue in that,” Greenwell responded. “We thought we were complying with everything they asked us to do. If that’s not the case, then why was there not more dialogue?” As for why the discount will disappear, FEMA told WINK News a “large amount of unpermitted work, lack of documentation and failure to properly monitor activity in Special Flood Hazard Areas.” “I don’t have any evidence that the County did anything wrong” Lee County Commissioner Brian Hamman said when asked if it was possible the County made a mistake. “I think we need to look at all the data. We need to look at FEMA and all the information. They haven’t given us anything in writing. If they can give us in writing something that shows what happened here and it doesn’t match up, then absolutely we need to figure out what happened here.” Harner said FEMA is expected to send more detailed documentation on what the County did wrong sometime this month. As of now, the earliest Lee County could see its rating come back is April 2026. Homeowners wouldn’t see discounts again until October 2026. The Commissioners want FEMA to suspend its decision and walk to talk to someone from FEMA in person, even if that means going to Washington, D.C.