Voters meet with Collier County candidatesTexas Roadhouse honors memory of five teenagers lost in tragic crash
NAPLES Voters meet with Collier County candidates It was a packed house at Seed to Table on Tuesday night as Collier County voters met with the candidates running to represent them.
FORT MYERS Texas Roadhouse honors memory of five teenagers lost in tragic crash It has been one year since the tragic crash that took the lives of five teenagers on Top Golf Way in Lee County.
CAPE CORAL Locals react to Wade Wilson jury recommendation Wade Wilson, the man found guilty of killing two innocent women, has his life in the hands of a jury and judge. In less than two hours on Tuesday – the jury came to their decision.
FORT MYERS Austan Cristiaan talks joining Bishop Verot and first D-1 offers Quarterback Austan Cristiaan talks about joining Bishop Verot for his freshman season and securing his first two D-1 offers.
FL researchers testing Zika virus to fight childhood brain cancer Neuroblastoma is one of the deadliest childhood cancers. Now, a team of researchers out of Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando are taking a novel approach to wipe out disease. Their studies involve the use of the Zika virus.
FORT MYERS Community Redevelopment Agency seeks public input for Cleveland Avenue project Mayor Kevin Anderson said Tuesday was an opportunity for the Community Redevelopment Agency and leaders to hear what the public thinks this redevelopment should look like.
FGCU professor agrees with US Surgeon General: gun violence is a public health crisis Gun violence: We’ve seen it here firsthand in southwest Florida. Many agree gun violence is a growing problem in the United States. Now, the U.S. Surgeon General is calling it a crisis.
Charlotte County Charlotte County now requiring condo and co-op inspections for building 25-years or older On the 3-year anniversary of the Champlain Towers South building collapse in Surfside, FL, many look to remember those lost and continue to learn from the tragedy.
FORT MYERS A third diamond interchange on its way to Southwest Florida The third iteration of a construction project that strikes fear into some drivers could be a tell-tell sign about the trends of Southwest Florida.
NAPLES Naples practice comes under fire from a former employee A Naples dermatology practice acknowledges it had issues when it first opened two years ago but says those issues are now behind them.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral hosts more FEMA hearings Red tags are rearing their ugly head. Cape Coral homeowners who were slapped with these tags and found non-compliant with city code permits are back to defend themselves.
4 local music shows to choose from in one day If you’re an indecisive local music fan, Friday will be a tough day for you.
FORT MYERS Walt Wesley Way unveiled in honor of local legend Take a drive down Lincoln Blvd. in Fort Myers and you will notice above the street sign is another that reads ‘Honorary Walt Wesley Way.’
LABELLE Man reunited with dog after she appears in LaBelle 2 years after disappearing in Maryland A man has been reunited with his dog after she went missing for two years and many states away.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Several brands of ice cream, a variety of products, recalled for possible Listeria contamination Several brands of ice cream sold at Southwest Florida grocery stores are part of a massive nationwide recall involving 14 brands.
NAPLES Voters meet with Collier County candidates It was a packed house at Seed to Table on Tuesday night as Collier County voters met with the candidates running to represent them.
FORT MYERS Texas Roadhouse honors memory of five teenagers lost in tragic crash It has been one year since the tragic crash that took the lives of five teenagers on Top Golf Way in Lee County.
CAPE CORAL Locals react to Wade Wilson jury recommendation Wade Wilson, the man found guilty of killing two innocent women, has his life in the hands of a jury and judge. In less than two hours on Tuesday – the jury came to their decision.
FORT MYERS Austan Cristiaan talks joining Bishop Verot and first D-1 offers Quarterback Austan Cristiaan talks about joining Bishop Verot for his freshman season and securing his first two D-1 offers.
FL researchers testing Zika virus to fight childhood brain cancer Neuroblastoma is one of the deadliest childhood cancers. Now, a team of researchers out of Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando are taking a novel approach to wipe out disease. Their studies involve the use of the Zika virus.
FORT MYERS Community Redevelopment Agency seeks public input for Cleveland Avenue project Mayor Kevin Anderson said Tuesday was an opportunity for the Community Redevelopment Agency and leaders to hear what the public thinks this redevelopment should look like.
FGCU professor agrees with US Surgeon General: gun violence is a public health crisis Gun violence: We’ve seen it here firsthand in southwest Florida. Many agree gun violence is a growing problem in the United States. Now, the U.S. Surgeon General is calling it a crisis.
Charlotte County Charlotte County now requiring condo and co-op inspections for building 25-years or older On the 3-year anniversary of the Champlain Towers South building collapse in Surfside, FL, many look to remember those lost and continue to learn from the tragedy.
FORT MYERS A third diamond interchange on its way to Southwest Florida The third iteration of a construction project that strikes fear into some drivers could be a tell-tell sign about the trends of Southwest Florida.
NAPLES Naples practice comes under fire from a former employee A Naples dermatology practice acknowledges it had issues when it first opened two years ago but says those issues are now behind them.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral hosts more FEMA hearings Red tags are rearing their ugly head. Cape Coral homeowners who were slapped with these tags and found non-compliant with city code permits are back to defend themselves.
4 local music shows to choose from in one day If you’re an indecisive local music fan, Friday will be a tough day for you.
FORT MYERS Walt Wesley Way unveiled in honor of local legend Take a drive down Lincoln Blvd. in Fort Myers and you will notice above the street sign is another that reads ‘Honorary Walt Wesley Way.’
LABELLE Man reunited with dog after she appears in LaBelle 2 years after disappearing in Maryland A man has been reunited with his dog after she went missing for two years and many states away.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Several brands of ice cream, a variety of products, recalled for possible Listeria contamination Several brands of ice cream sold at Southwest Florida grocery stores are part of a massive nationwide recall involving 14 brands.
At least eight people have been killed, and dozens of others have been hurt in a bus crash near Dunnellon after it was hit by a pickup truck. Tuesday, just after 5 p.m., Florida Highway Patrol said they had arrested the driver of the Ford Ranger truck involved in the crash, Bryan MacLean Howard, for driving under the influence. According to records from the Marion County Clerk of Courts, he has a long history of driving-related offenses. Bryan MacLean Howard. CREDIT: Marion County Sheriff’s Office The owner of the bus told WINK News that the bus was recently used to transport workers from Immokalee. FHP said the bus was carrying farm workers in Central Florida before it rolled over, killing eight people and injuring at least another 40 passengers, Tuesday, around 6:35 a.m. “This is the death you do not expect for your family members,” said Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods during a press conference. “My heart bleeds for them. My heart goes out to them.” Authorities said the bus had 53 farm workers. Howard’s truck sideswiped it on State Road 40, just west of Southwest 148 Court, and it swerved off-road in Marion County, north of Orlando. The bus crashed through a fence and ended up in a field. The workers were on their way to Cannon Farms in Dunnellon. FHP continues investigating the crash. A spokesperson said the investigation could continue for months before they know what exactly happened. “This will be a very long, lengthy and thorough investigation,” said Pat Riordan, PIO for the Florida Highway Patrol. “We do not get in a hurry to conclude what happened until we have all the facts, and with that, I can tell you that it’s gonna be probably six months at least before we conclude factually what transpired here today.” According to a job order form, this job was advertised for H2A workers, which means they would have been foreign nationals. The forms state they were hired to work at Cannon Farms and were housed in Gainesville. The bus is owned by Olvera Trucking Harvesting Corp., which is based in Immokalee. It remains unknown when the bus left Immokalee. No identifying information has been released on the 53 workers. We know they were on their way to Cannon Farms, where they’d been harvesting watermelon when the tragic crash happened. “Federal statistics show that vehicle crashes were the leading cause of job-related deaths among farmworkers in 2022, the latest year available. They accounted for 81 of 171 fatalities,” according to AP News. If you have to travel to this part of Florida, seek an alternate route if possible. State Road 40 remains closed on Tuesday afternoon. Howard has since been charged with eight counts of DUI manslaughter. Stay tuned to WINKNews.com, WINK News App, streaming, and on-air for any new developments on this story. ____ The Associated Press contributed to this report.