Neighbors react to chaos at Barefoot LakeThe story of Ollie’s Pub and what kept it open through years of hardships
BAREFOOT LAKE Neighbors react to chaos at Barefoot Lake Imagine being scared to leave your home on the weekends. Ana and Anrik understand the feeling all too well.
CAPE CORAL The story of Ollie’s Pub and what kept it open through years of hardships Before Ollie’s housed weekly events, packed to the brim with artwork and home to many, it was a simple dream and an empty space.
Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for May 1, 2024 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for May 1, 2024.
FORT MYERS BEACH Remembering Fort Myers Beach ‘Mayor’ Brad Benson To know Brad Benson was to know a legend. He recently passed away at the age of 71 after battling health issues.
CAPE CORAL Proposed Cape Coral City Council meeting time change fails In a 4 to 4 vote, the motion to move Cape Coral meeting times from 4:30 to 9 a.m. failed.
Greater Dunbar initiative begins A duplex that has been around since the 1960s and is filled with generations of memories is being demolished.
Caught on camera: funnel clouds, hail and more during thunderstorm Wednesday’s thunderstorms storms have produced hail and funnel clouds.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New mammography guidelines Breast cancer is much easier to treat when it’s caught early.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral church picking up the pieces after massive fire Calvary Connection ministries is unrecognizable after a massive fire swept through a Cape Coral Complex on Monday.
CAPE CORAL Day Two of FEMA code compliance hearings in Cape Coral Another 50 people were summoned Wednesday for the second day of code compliance hearings before the special magistrate.
PUNTA GORDA Cracking down on vapes in Charlotte County schools Vaping is taking over, and that’s why three Charlotte County High schools are testing out vape sensors.
State lawmakers want to hear your opinion on voting in Lee County Right now, everyone votes for or against all five of the Lee Commissioners, but they’re talking about changing the system so that each commissioner represents a specific part of the county.
FORT MYERS Migrants entering Florida under controversial parole program The House Committee on Homeland Security has released documents, which show a surge in migrants entering the United States through a parole program, sparking debate over immigration policies and border security.
North Collier firefighter beats cancer, educates others on safety He’s a father, son, friend and mentor, but for the last four years, he’s been in a battle for his life.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested in connection to brother’s death in Cape Coral A man wanted for questioning in the death of his brother at his Cape Coral home has been arrested in Pennsylvania.
BAREFOOT LAKE Neighbors react to chaos at Barefoot Lake Imagine being scared to leave your home on the weekends. Ana and Anrik understand the feeling all too well.
CAPE CORAL The story of Ollie’s Pub and what kept it open through years of hardships Before Ollie’s housed weekly events, packed to the brim with artwork and home to many, it was a simple dream and an empty space.
Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for May 1, 2024 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for May 1, 2024.
FORT MYERS BEACH Remembering Fort Myers Beach ‘Mayor’ Brad Benson To know Brad Benson was to know a legend. He recently passed away at the age of 71 after battling health issues.
CAPE CORAL Proposed Cape Coral City Council meeting time change fails In a 4 to 4 vote, the motion to move Cape Coral meeting times from 4:30 to 9 a.m. failed.
Greater Dunbar initiative begins A duplex that has been around since the 1960s and is filled with generations of memories is being demolished.
Caught on camera: funnel clouds, hail and more during thunderstorm Wednesday’s thunderstorms storms have produced hail and funnel clouds.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New mammography guidelines Breast cancer is much easier to treat when it’s caught early.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral church picking up the pieces after massive fire Calvary Connection ministries is unrecognizable after a massive fire swept through a Cape Coral Complex on Monday.
CAPE CORAL Day Two of FEMA code compliance hearings in Cape Coral Another 50 people were summoned Wednesday for the second day of code compliance hearings before the special magistrate.
PUNTA GORDA Cracking down on vapes in Charlotte County schools Vaping is taking over, and that’s why three Charlotte County High schools are testing out vape sensors.
State lawmakers want to hear your opinion on voting in Lee County Right now, everyone votes for or against all five of the Lee Commissioners, but they’re talking about changing the system so that each commissioner represents a specific part of the county.
FORT MYERS Migrants entering Florida under controversial parole program The House Committee on Homeland Security has released documents, which show a surge in migrants entering the United States through a parole program, sparking debate over immigration policies and border security.
North Collier firefighter beats cancer, educates others on safety He’s a father, son, friend and mentor, but for the last four years, he’s been in a battle for his life.
CAPE CORAL Man arrested in connection to brother’s death in Cape Coral A man wanted for questioning in the death of his brother at his Cape Coral home has been arrested in Pennsylvania.
Fort Myers Beach Nov. 2022 Credit: WINK News In late March, the Federal Emergency Management Agency alerted Lee County that people living in several jurisdictions should expect to lose the 25 percent discount they are currently allotted through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Congressmen Byron Donalds and Greg Steube joined Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio in responding to FEMA’s actions. They sent a letter to the FEMA Administrator, Deanne Criswell, urging the agency to reverse its decision to eliminate the discount. The retrograde of the NFIP premium discount is yet another unforeseen challenge for Lee County residents, who continue their fight to recover from Hurricane Ian. In the wake of disaster recovery and skyrocketing inflation, Lee County residents now face even higher living costs as a result of this decision. We urge you to immediately conduct a thorough review of this decision, honor the original discounts and meet with local leaders to remedy any issues and keep NFIP discounts in place. Byron Donalds (R-FL) Member of CongressGreg Steube (R-FL) Member of CongressRick Scott (R-FL) United States SenatorMarco Rubio (R-FL) United States Senator About 699,000 residents live in areas impacted by the cancelled discount – Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, Village of Estero, Town of Fort Myers Beach, and unincorporated Lee County, including Captiva. Fort Myers BeachNov. 2022Credit: WINK News Fort Myers BeachNov. 2022Credit: WINK News According to the county, 51,103 NFIP policies are enforced in unincorporated Lee County. At Tuesday’s Commission meeting, local leaders called on FEMA to pause the decision, which is now expected to take effect October 1, 2024. They also called on federal lawmakers for assistance. FEMA’s recent decision to lower discounts and raise premiums for some NFIP policyholders in Lee County is liable to create yet another unacceptable rise in costs for Southwest Florida families and businesses still recovering from Hurricane Ian that is catastrophic for their financial stability. It is critical to the livelihoods of Florida families and businesses that FEMA does everything needed to work with local leaders to ensure further cost increases do not take effect. Byron Donalds (R-FL) Member of CongressGreg Steube (R-FL) Member of CongressRick Scott (R-FL) United States SenatorMarco Rubio (R-FL) United States Senator According to information provided by FEMA, “the large amount of unpermitted work, lack of documentation, and failure to properly monitor activity in special flood hazard areas, including substantial damage compliance,” are at issue. “Ian was the third costliest hurricane to hit the United States, and many of our residents are still reeling financially from its impacts,” said Lee Board of County Commission Chairman Mike Greenwell. Hurricane Ian is pictured from the International Space Station by NASA Johnson is licensed under CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0 The County provided WINK News with copies of ongoing email exchanges with FEMA post-Ian. One letter from FEMA to Commissioner Cecil Pendergrass pointed to the 50% Rule. It is a “regulation of the National Flood Insurance Program that prohibits improvements to a structure exceeding 50% of its market value unless the entire structure is brought into full compliance with current flood regulations.” “We are committed to helping these communities take appropriate remediation actions to participate in the Community Rating System again and work towards future policy discounts,” said Lea Crager, FEMA spokesperson. FEMA explained the Community Rating System as a “voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages community floodplain management practices that exceed the minimum requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program. In CRS communities, flood insurance premium rates are discounted to reflect the reduced flood risk resulting from the community’s efforts that address the three goals of the program: Reduce and avoid flood damage to insurable property Strengthen and support the insurance aspects of the National Flood Insurance Program Foster comprehensive floodplain management The CRS uses a rating system to determine discounts ranging from Class 10 (low) to Class 1 (high). Charlotte County and Collier County are CRS Class 5, meaning property owners receive a 25% discount on their insurance premiums. Flood Insurance Overview from Florida CFO: Most flood insurance policies currently providing coverage in Florida are underwritten by the NFIP. The NFIP is managed by the Federal Insurance & Mitigation Administration which is a part of FEMA. These policies may be issued directly by the NFIP or by various property and casualty insurance companies through a NFIP program called “Write Your Own.” Through the WYO program, the insurance company issues and services the policy, however the NFIP is responsible for paying any claims arising from the policy. A policy underwritten by the NFIP will always have a NFIP Policy Number listed on the declarations page. Additional information about purchasing or renewing a NFIP Flood Insurance policy may be obtained at FloodSmart.gov. Additional information regarding the NFIP’s newly implemented rating methodology known as Risk Rating 2.0, is available at FEMA.gov/flood-insurance/risk-rating.