Voters in Downtown Fort Myers ready for 2024 ElectionPunta Gorda residents frustrated by hurricane debris delays
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Voters in Downtown Fort Myers ready for 2024 Election A lot can change in four years. During the 2020 election, many voters masked up as they cast their ballots, and the pandemic was at the top of many voters’ minds.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda residents frustrated by hurricane debris delays Many people in parts of southwest Florida feel like they’ve dealt with more than their fair share of storm damage lately.
Miracle Moment: A rosy outlook following surprise diagnosis It’s time for Miracle Moment. Today, we meet a toddler diagnosed with a disease without known prevention or cure.
Poll workers ready for Election Day rush in Collier County Poll workers gear up for a busy Tuesday in Collier County; some have been there for a while, and this year marks their first time working at a polling place for others.
CAPE CORAL Voters decide: Will Cape Coral City Council members stay or go? Stipends, Jaycee Park and new developments have been topics of concern in the City of Cape Coral for months now.
MATLACHA Lee County residents still dealing with damage from hurricanes Hurricane recovery has been an ongoing project here in Southwest Florida since Hurricane Ian.
FGCU Former FGCU golfer Frankie Capan III makes PGA Tour After playing two seasons on the Korn Ferry Tour, former FGCU golfer Frankie Capan III is moving up to the PGA Tour.
Parents cast their votes for Lee County school superintendent With just hours now until the election, WINK News wants to highlight a few local races that haven’t gotten as much attention. One of them is the election of Lee County’s next superintendent of schools.
NORTH FORT MYERS Former Dollar General employee accused of stealing $7,000 in returns A woman has been arrested after defrauding a Dollar General in North Fort Myers.
FORT MYERS BEACH The Tropics and Red Tide; what happens if or when they interact? The Tropics are active despite the fact that there’s less than a month left in hurricane season. But how will a system interact with red tide?
CAPE CORAL Police investigate gunfire at Cape Coral rental home The bullet holes left behind by shots heard in a normally quiet Cape Coral neighborhood scared one woman into buying security cameras for her home.
CAPE CORAL Bimini Basin residents face housing challenges Time is running out for the families who live in one Cape Coral community to find places to call home.
Harris and Trump make a furious final push before Election Day A presidential campaign that has careened through a felony trial, an incumbent president being pushed off the ticket and multiple assassination attempts comes down to a final sprint across a handful of states on Election Day eve.
Using AI to detect pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States. That’s due in part to the limited testing available for early detection.
the weather authority Tropical Storm Rafael forms in the Caribbean The Weather Authority meteorologists are monitoring the Caribbean as Tropical Storm Rafael has formed.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Voters in Downtown Fort Myers ready for 2024 Election A lot can change in four years. During the 2020 election, many voters masked up as they cast their ballots, and the pandemic was at the top of many voters’ minds.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda residents frustrated by hurricane debris delays Many people in parts of southwest Florida feel like they’ve dealt with more than their fair share of storm damage lately.
Miracle Moment: A rosy outlook following surprise diagnosis It’s time for Miracle Moment. Today, we meet a toddler diagnosed with a disease without known prevention or cure.
Poll workers ready for Election Day rush in Collier County Poll workers gear up for a busy Tuesday in Collier County; some have been there for a while, and this year marks their first time working at a polling place for others.
CAPE CORAL Voters decide: Will Cape Coral City Council members stay or go? Stipends, Jaycee Park and new developments have been topics of concern in the City of Cape Coral for months now.
MATLACHA Lee County residents still dealing with damage from hurricanes Hurricane recovery has been an ongoing project here in Southwest Florida since Hurricane Ian.
FGCU Former FGCU golfer Frankie Capan III makes PGA Tour After playing two seasons on the Korn Ferry Tour, former FGCU golfer Frankie Capan III is moving up to the PGA Tour.
Parents cast their votes for Lee County school superintendent With just hours now until the election, WINK News wants to highlight a few local races that haven’t gotten as much attention. One of them is the election of Lee County’s next superintendent of schools.
NORTH FORT MYERS Former Dollar General employee accused of stealing $7,000 in returns A woman has been arrested after defrauding a Dollar General in North Fort Myers.
FORT MYERS BEACH The Tropics and Red Tide; what happens if or when they interact? The Tropics are active despite the fact that there’s less than a month left in hurricane season. But how will a system interact with red tide?
CAPE CORAL Police investigate gunfire at Cape Coral rental home The bullet holes left behind by shots heard in a normally quiet Cape Coral neighborhood scared one woman into buying security cameras for her home.
CAPE CORAL Bimini Basin residents face housing challenges Time is running out for the families who live in one Cape Coral community to find places to call home.
Harris and Trump make a furious final push before Election Day A presidential campaign that has careened through a felony trial, an incumbent president being pushed off the ticket and multiple assassination attempts comes down to a final sprint across a handful of states on Election Day eve.
Using AI to detect pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States. That’s due in part to the limited testing available for early detection.
the weather authority Tropical Storm Rafael forms in the Caribbean The Weather Authority meteorologists are monitoring the Caribbean as Tropical Storm Rafael has formed.
Pine Island Road is no stranger to crashes. On Saturday, Mary Lou Sharp lost her life when she got hit by a car while she was eating lunch at That BBQ Place, a roadside restaurant in Matlacha. Pine Island Road was built years ago before Southwest Florida took off, but it wasn’t built to sustain the amount of traffic it serves daily. Mary Lou isn’t the first to be killed on this road. In 2020, the Blue Dog Bar and Grill, right across the street from That BBQ Place, suffered property damage after a car veered off the road and hit the restaurant. That BBQ Place Owner John Petrus said people pay no attention to the 30 miles-per-hour speed limit. “Some of them think that they can drive down at 40 miles an hour to pass people turning into Blue Dog and yell and scream at us for putting signs out or putting cones out to keep them from doing it because we’ve inconvenienced them for four seconds,” Petrus said. Petrus was not the only one to express concerns. Several people WINK News Reporter Olivia Jean spoke to said the same thing. “I’ve invited the sheriff’s department to sit on my driveway. They have yet to take me up on that,” said Petrus, “I will block off my driveway.” Some people say that speeding is so bad that there is an increase in police presence. On Tuesday, WINK saw multiple police vehicles camped out, catching people for speeding. But many say they still feel the road is very dangerous and has been for years. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office also said they get many reports of speeding on Pine Island Road. In addition to speeding, concerns are that drivers aren’t paying attention to pedestrians. WINK News reached out to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office for data. They provided information related to the intersections of Burnt Store and Pine Island Rd, and Stringfellow and Pine Island Rd so far this year. Burnt Store/Pine Island Rd had 11 traffic stops (9 of this having tickets or warnings issued), no crashes. Stringfellow/Pine Island has had 12 traffic stops (all resulting in tickets or warnings), and no crashes listed. It will take time to pull data from the specific stretch of road in Matlacha, but WINK News will keep you updated. Cody Allen with Matlacha and Pine Island Fire tried to help on Saturday. He was working when he got the call that five people had been hit by a car. He saw the chaotic scene. “Anything of that nature and that mechanism, it’s going to be a highly emotionally charged scene,” Allen said. He grew up in Southwest Florida and has been called to Matlacha several times since working at the station. With all that foot traffic, there’s going to be an element of danger associated with it when you have people walking around highly trafficked area,” Allen said. Construction crews with Florida Department of Transportation have been working on the bridge and roadway. Only time will tell if it makes the road safer. Here is the project website: 451937-2 Pine Island Causeway and Bridge Reconstruction Project WINK News spoke with Janella Newsome from the Florida Department of Transportation. “We are making sure the barrels or the cones are quite visible. We will also make sure that our employees can be well seen as people are making their travel through,” Newsome said. “We’re doing everything that we possibly know to do to keep motorists safe and to also keep the traffic flowing in a safe manner. But we can’t do it alone.” She went on to say, “We’ve got to have the help of the drivers themselves. And so that means making sure that you stay alert and be vigilant right. Be aware of your surroundings, cars in front of you and back have you, be aware of the speed limit.” Unfortunately, there may not be a fix for Pine Island Road’s dangers. Stay alert when driving and walking around.