LCSO: Lehigh Acres shooting investigation underwayLee County residents wait hours for D-SNAP assistance
lehigh acres LCSO: Lehigh Acres shooting investigation underway The Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting in Lehigh Acres early Saturday morning.
NORTH FORT MYERS Lee County residents wait hours for D-SNAP assistance The supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) is at the Lee Civic Center all weekend, ready to help southwest Florida.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA First eaglet hatches in famous SWFL eagle nest Welcome E24! The third eaglet from the nest of M15 and F23 has hatched according to the Southwest Florida eagle camera.
Rock for Equality: SWFL non-profit hosts benefit concert for Palestine A Southwest Florida non-profit hosted a benefit concert on Friday night to help with humanitarian aid in Palestine.
Warm, breezy Saturday with a few showers possible The Weather Authority is forecasting a breezy, warm weekend in store across Southwest Florida, with the chance of a few showers, particularly on Saturday.
CAPE CORAL Active investigation underway in South Cape Coral Cape Coral police are investigating at a home on Southwest 49th Terrace in South Cape Coral early Saturday morning.
16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier County According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, two airboats crashed south of U.S. 41 east between mile markers 74 and 75, leaving well over a dozen people injured.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashes There could be new detectives on the block, located in your nearest auto shop. A new state bill aims at trying to stop hit-and-run drivers from getting away.
CAPE CORAL New leash on life; Cape Coral shelter dog beats cancer with drug being tested for humans A drug now being studied in human trials to kill cancerous tumors, is already approved and helping animals.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral planning a new interchange with I-75 The city of Cape Coral is in the early stages of planning a new interchange with I-75, an idea that has been discussed for more than a decade.
Tracking invasive species after hurricanes Hurricanes Helene and Milton didn’t just bring wind and rain, they brought new threats to southwest Florida’s ecosystem.
PUNTA GORDA Woman in Punta Gorda shooting charged with 2nd degree murder A woman in a homicide investigation on Nasturtium Drive in Punta Gorda has been charged with 2nd-degree murder.
Lee County mother continuing fight to get children a bus stop The school district already told her she lives too close to the school to qualify for a bus route but she has not given up.
NORTH NAPLES Grant Thornton Invitational returns to Tiburon Golf Club Stars on the PGA and LPGA Tours are back in Southwest Florida for the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club.
FORT MYERS Black Flag brings classic punk energy to The Ranch in Fort Myers Legendary punk band Black Flag made their mark in Southwest Florida during the Fort Myers stop of their “First Four Years” tour.
lehigh acres LCSO: Lehigh Acres shooting investigation underway The Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting in Lehigh Acres early Saturday morning.
NORTH FORT MYERS Lee County residents wait hours for D-SNAP assistance The supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) is at the Lee Civic Center all weekend, ready to help southwest Florida.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA First eaglet hatches in famous SWFL eagle nest Welcome E24! The third eaglet from the nest of M15 and F23 has hatched according to the Southwest Florida eagle camera.
Rock for Equality: SWFL non-profit hosts benefit concert for Palestine A Southwest Florida non-profit hosted a benefit concert on Friday night to help with humanitarian aid in Palestine.
Warm, breezy Saturday with a few showers possible The Weather Authority is forecasting a breezy, warm weekend in store across Southwest Florida, with the chance of a few showers, particularly on Saturday.
CAPE CORAL Active investigation underway in South Cape Coral Cape Coral police are investigating at a home on Southwest 49th Terrace in South Cape Coral early Saturday morning.
16 transported after 2 airboats crash in Collier County According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, two airboats crashed south of U.S. 41 east between mile markers 74 and 75, leaving well over a dozen people injured.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA New bill filed: Auto shop and law enforcement must work together to solve hit-and-run crashes There could be new detectives on the block, located in your nearest auto shop. A new state bill aims at trying to stop hit-and-run drivers from getting away.
CAPE CORAL New leash on life; Cape Coral shelter dog beats cancer with drug being tested for humans A drug now being studied in human trials to kill cancerous tumors, is already approved and helping animals.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral planning a new interchange with I-75 The city of Cape Coral is in the early stages of planning a new interchange with I-75, an idea that has been discussed for more than a decade.
Tracking invasive species after hurricanes Hurricanes Helene and Milton didn’t just bring wind and rain, they brought new threats to southwest Florida’s ecosystem.
PUNTA GORDA Woman in Punta Gorda shooting charged with 2nd degree murder A woman in a homicide investigation on Nasturtium Drive in Punta Gorda has been charged with 2nd-degree murder.
Lee County mother continuing fight to get children a bus stop The school district already told her she lives too close to the school to qualify for a bus route but she has not given up.
NORTH NAPLES Grant Thornton Invitational returns to Tiburon Golf Club Stars on the PGA and LPGA Tours are back in Southwest Florida for the Grant Thornton Invitational at Tiburon Golf Club.
FORT MYERS Black Flag brings classic punk energy to The Ranch in Fort Myers Legendary punk band Black Flag made their mark in Southwest Florida during the Fort Myers stop of their “First Four Years” tour.
Gopher Tortoise in a burrow in Cape Coral. CREDIT: WINK News One of Southwest Florida’s most beloved reptiles is finally getting celebrated the way it always deserved to be. Gopher Tortoise Day is April 10, with the goal of raising awareness for the threatened species. CREDIT: WINK News WINK News saw a couple of gopher tortoises enjoying the afternoon weather on Wednesday. However, that is exactly why Lee County decided to be part of the Gopher Tortoise Day celebration. Nonprofits, like the Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife, see the widespread protection needed for reptiles, especially considering they’re constantly in harm’s way. White flags and dozens of poles across open land might lead you to believe it’s just another development site in Cape Coral. “Each one of these poles marks a gopher tortoise burrow, and gopher tortoises dig burrows into the ground. And that’s where they live,” said Janet Windisch, the corresponding secretary for the Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife. Gopher tortoise burrow. CREDIT: WINK News The Cape Coral Wildlife Trust owns 69 of those lots across the city. Each of them has dozens of gopher tortoises, perhaps huddled inside their burrows or wandering around grazing on their favorite veggies. Gopher tortoises are one of the oldest living species on the planet, but the species is categorized as ‘regionally threatened,’ and that’s why Lee County is celebrating the tortoise species on its special day. Gopher tortoise burrows and eggs are protected by law but still find themselves in constant danger. Happy Gopher Tortoise Day!Today is dedicated to Florida’s only native tortoise. Individuals and organizations across Florida play an important role in helping us achieve our mission to conserve tortoises and the over 350 species that call their burrows home. Gopher Tortoise Day… pic.twitter.com/n35cMJjLE2 — MyFWC (@MyFWC) April 10, 2024 Whether it’s drivers missing the signs to watch out for crossing tortoises, plastic bags blocking their burrows, or even someone who recently thought it was a great idea to spray paint a tortoise’s shell. “There are regulations in place about not disturbing gopher tortoise burrows. But it’s really up to the community and folks who live in these neighborhoods to be respectful of, sometimes people just don’t understand what’s going on. So that’s one of the purposes of Gopher Tortoise Day is to raise awareness,” said Windisch. RELATED: Marco Island sees increase in gopher tortoise roadkill RELATED: Protecting gopher tortoises, a threatened Florida species That’s because the more we learn about these native tortoises, the more we do our part in protecting them. “Watch out for our little fellas, that are precious and crucial to the environment and to 300 different species of animals that rely on that burrow to survive,” said Pascha Donaldson, a member of the Cape Coral Wildlife Trust. Donaldson was also a former president of Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife. Gopher tortoise crossing the road in Cape Coral. CREDIT: WINK News Some of the ways you can help and be involved are by donating land, money or time as a volunteer. It’s important to help maintain the burrow lots can go a long way for the nonprofit. If you see an injured gopher tortoise, call 850-921-1030 to report it to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Click here to learn more about gopher tortoises. Click here to learn about FWC’s Gopher Tortoise Management Plan.