Genesis of Naples breaking ground on new car dealershipEmails show beginnings, contradictions of South Seas resort amendment
Genesis of Naples breaking ground on new car dealership A genesis—or new beginning—is under way for Genesis of Naples. The local franchise plans to break ground this summer on a new and expanded luxury auto dealership in North Naples.
Emails show beginnings, contradictions of South Seas resort amendment South Seas resort ownership group’s engineer proposed a land-use amendment for Lee County’s government at least six months before the first public discussions and at least seven weeks before the county’s official timeline began, emails between the resort’s representatives and county show.
CAPE CORAL 13-year-old arrested for allegedly getting involved in hit-and-run with stolen car, fleeing from Cape Coral police A teen was arrested on multiple charges after allegedly getting involved in a hit-and-run with a stolen car and then fleeing from police.
NORTH FORT MYERS Caloosahatchee River Bridge to close overnight for construction The Caloosahatchee River Bridge from First Street to North Key Drive in North Fort Myers will close so crews can perform bridge work.
CAPE CORAL Accused Cape Coral double murderer, Wade Wilson, will be in court to try to get death penalty off the table Wade Wilson, the man who allegedly murdered two women, will be in court to try to persuade the court to get the death penalty off the table.
Jupiter DeSantis announces funding for developmentally disabled individuals Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke on education for children with developmental disabilities at the Els Center of Excellence in Jupiter.
CHARLOTTE COUNTY Bradenton man arrested after allegedly masturbating inside Charlotte County Walmart A man from Bradenton has been arrested after he was allegedly masturbating inside a Walmart in Charlotte County.
LEHIGH ACRES Lehigh Acres work trailer explosion injures 1 The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District responded to a work trailer explosion that injured one person.
CBS News Trump and DeSantis, once GOP rivals, meet in South Florida to talk about 2024 election Florida Governor Ron DeSantis met privately with former President Donald Trump for several hours on Sunday morning to talk, in part, about fundraising ahead of the 2024 general election, several sources familiar with the meeting tell CBS News.
WINK NEWS Florida Prepaid open enrollment deadline approaches All parents fear the expense of college for their children; however, the state offers a great option in the Florida Prepaid Plan.
The Weather Authority Few showers this Monday afternoon after a pleasant and dry morning The Weather Authority is tracking a cool and pleasant Monday morning start with the possibility of afternoon rain showers.
NORTH FORT MYERS 1 dead, 1 arrested after North Fort Myers shooting The Lee County Sheriff’s Office arrested one person following an evening shooting that killed a man in North Fort Myers.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Bishop of the Diocese of Venice releases statement following sexual abuse allegations by SWFL priest The Bishop of the Diocese of Venice is speaking out after Charlotte County Reverend Leo Riley was arrested on five counts of sexual battery stemming from his past work as a priest in Iowa.
NEW YORK (AP) Biden officials indefinitely postpone ban on menthol cigarettes amid election-year pushback President Joe Biden’s administration is indefinitely delaying a long-awaited menthol cigarette ban, a decision that infuriated anti-smoking advocates but could avoid a political backlash from Black voters in November.
FORT MYERS Gone but not forgotten: Traveling Vietnam Memorial pays tribute to veterans A powerful symbol of honor and remembrance is standing proudly here in Southwest Florida. The Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall is open to the public, a reminder of those we lost who served our country.
Genesis of Naples breaking ground on new car dealership A genesis—or new beginning—is under way for Genesis of Naples. The local franchise plans to break ground this summer on a new and expanded luxury auto dealership in North Naples.
Emails show beginnings, contradictions of South Seas resort amendment South Seas resort ownership group’s engineer proposed a land-use amendment for Lee County’s government at least six months before the first public discussions and at least seven weeks before the county’s official timeline began, emails between the resort’s representatives and county show.
CAPE CORAL 13-year-old arrested for allegedly getting involved in hit-and-run with stolen car, fleeing from Cape Coral police A teen was arrested on multiple charges after allegedly getting involved in a hit-and-run with a stolen car and then fleeing from police.
NORTH FORT MYERS Caloosahatchee River Bridge to close overnight for construction The Caloosahatchee River Bridge from First Street to North Key Drive in North Fort Myers will close so crews can perform bridge work.
CAPE CORAL Accused Cape Coral double murderer, Wade Wilson, will be in court to try to get death penalty off the table Wade Wilson, the man who allegedly murdered two women, will be in court to try to persuade the court to get the death penalty off the table.
Jupiter DeSantis announces funding for developmentally disabled individuals Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke on education for children with developmental disabilities at the Els Center of Excellence in Jupiter.
CHARLOTTE COUNTY Bradenton man arrested after allegedly masturbating inside Charlotte County Walmart A man from Bradenton has been arrested after he was allegedly masturbating inside a Walmart in Charlotte County.
LEHIGH ACRES Lehigh Acres work trailer explosion injures 1 The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District responded to a work trailer explosion that injured one person.
CBS News Trump and DeSantis, once GOP rivals, meet in South Florida to talk about 2024 election Florida Governor Ron DeSantis met privately with former President Donald Trump for several hours on Sunday morning to talk, in part, about fundraising ahead of the 2024 general election, several sources familiar with the meeting tell CBS News.
WINK NEWS Florida Prepaid open enrollment deadline approaches All parents fear the expense of college for their children; however, the state offers a great option in the Florida Prepaid Plan.
The Weather Authority Few showers this Monday afternoon after a pleasant and dry morning The Weather Authority is tracking a cool and pleasant Monday morning start with the possibility of afternoon rain showers.
NORTH FORT MYERS 1 dead, 1 arrested after North Fort Myers shooting The Lee County Sheriff’s Office arrested one person following an evening shooting that killed a man in North Fort Myers.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Bishop of the Diocese of Venice releases statement following sexual abuse allegations by SWFL priest The Bishop of the Diocese of Venice is speaking out after Charlotte County Reverend Leo Riley was arrested on five counts of sexual battery stemming from his past work as a priest in Iowa.
NEW YORK (AP) Biden officials indefinitely postpone ban on menthol cigarettes amid election-year pushback President Joe Biden’s administration is indefinitely delaying a long-awaited menthol cigarette ban, a decision that infuriated anti-smoking advocates but could avoid a political backlash from Black voters in November.
FORT MYERS Gone but not forgotten: Traveling Vietnam Memorial pays tribute to veterans A powerful symbol of honor and remembrance is standing proudly here in Southwest Florida. The Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall is open to the public, a reminder of those we lost who served our country.
One man has an incredible Hurricane Ian survivor story, but it’s what happened after that’s nearly brought him to tears: enduring an almost 14-month journey to get into his new home. He saved a dozen people during Hurricane Ian’s immense downpour. “He was floating in a white jacket, holding onto a boat. We were like, ‘Come on, let’s go,'” said Kevin Ott. All this time later, he needs help. In particular, why it has taken more than a year to get him and his children into their new home. “When you work your hardest trying to give something to your kids and you get nothing, you get basically slapped in the face,” said Ott. When that happened, the South Fort Myers dad turned to WINK News anchor Nicole Gabe for help. The Ott family purchased a mobile home, hoping to move in, but they wound up stuck in limbo. It’s been an ongoing journey for the Ott family. They bought a mobile home in February of 2023, but if you skip to Monday, they’re one step closer to moving into their new home. Ott has quite the Hurricane Ian story to tell. “She was floating in the canoe with the dog, her daughter, her daughter’s boyfriend, the cat. And I was like, we gotta get them,” he said. “My kids jumped out, broke the door open, they kicked the door open and out comes the canoe with all of them on it.” Using a pontoon boat, he rescued 12 people, a dog and two cats in the middle of Hurricane Ian, a storm reaching Category 5 status. “We didn’t think… we just kept on going, as fast as we could, picking up people,” said Ott. Similar to others, Ott lost his South Fort Myers home in the storm. Since then, Ott feels everything’s gone downhill. “It’s kind of discouraging more than anything. Because here I am with three kids raised. That’s hard, extremely, not have a place to put them in,” said Ott. After Ian, he applied for loans, got permits and spoke with FEMA. On Nov. 25, 2022, the SBA Loan came through. The contract shows Ott purchased a mobile home from Black Wolf Holdings LLC. in South Fort Myers in Feburary 2023. “Five bedrooms, three baths and big kitchen, big living room and plenty room for all the kids. It’s a brand new Clayton home,” said Ott. But when Ott first contacted WINK News in November 2023, he still hadn’t seen the home. “I’ve asked for pictures, no pictures. I’ve asked what’s inside – nothing,” said Ott. All he had was a lot full of dirt. So WINK News reached out to Steven Game, the manager of Black Wolf. That set off claims from both sides of miscommunication, incorrect paperwork and blame. It also ignited movement on the project. Ten months after signing the contract, it looked like progress. The pad was set. But that’s all that happened for a while. In late December 2023, WINK News went to LaBelle, where Black Wolf Homes stores mobile homes to ask about Ott’s home. That’s where WINK News met Steven Game. He invited us onto the property and showed us Ott’s home. Steven Game got the installer TEK-9 on the phone and worked out a delivery date. Jan. 2, 2024, a whopping 11 months after Ott purchased the trailer, it was delivered. “Going right positive direction, I guess you could say we’ve had a rough year, but starting now, first two days, three days into the new year, it’s gonna be nice,” said Ott. It started looking good for Ott until days turned into weeks. It would be nearly two months before the home was installed and hooked up. The final part of the installation process happened on April 1. The skirting was installed around the home. After nearly 14 months of back and forth, Ott is getting closer to the finish line. One of the last steps for Ott to officially move in was getting his certificate of occupancy. On Monday, Ott said the county approved him. That means he has the green light. Ott told WINK News his daughters have birthdays at the end of April, and he hopes to move in and settled by then to celebrate. Black Wolf and the installer have both talked with WINK News throughout the process but did not want to be interviewed for the story.