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.
lehigh acres LCSO: Lehigh Acres shooting investigation underway The Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting in Lehigh Acres early Saturday morning.
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.
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.
lehigh acres LCSO: Lehigh Acres shooting investigation underway The Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting in Lehigh Acres early Saturday morning.
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.
It’s the latest traffic craze: the diverging diamond interchange. Plans for two diverging diamonds are underway in Southwest Florida, and it poses the question: is it worth the hassle? WINK News Reporter Amy Galo made the trip up to the Sarasota-Manatee County line, where the first-ever diverging diamond in Florida has been in place since 2017 and asked that question. Intersections like these temporarily allow for two directions of traffic to cross to the left side of the road. “You feel like you’re in Britain or something like that,” said a driver in Sarasota. The Sarasota diverging diamond is located at Interstate 75 and University Parkway. It was put in to alleviate heavy traffic. According to the Florida Department of Transportation, projects like these see a significant reduction in serious crash rates and interchange delay times. They also increase in overall capacity. RELATED: More changes near Colonial Blvd. and Six Mile Cypress in Fort Myers RELATED: FDOT making upgrades to I-75 diverging diamond interchange “It’s an efficient flow of traffic,” said Joe Gagliano, a Sarasota resident. “The only complaint I have is that the lights sometimes take a little too long.” It does, however, take some getting used to. “At first, it took me just a little time just to focus,” said Lindie Freed, a Sarasota resident. “I would just follow the person in front of me.” But over time, Freed got over her nerves, and now, she’s thankful for the change. Many others are too. “As long as people pay attention to what they’re doing,” said Gagliano. “It’s no problem.” As Southwest Florida prepares to get its first diamond interchange in Naples at Pine Ridge Road and another in Fort Myers at Colonial Boulevard, drivers in Sarasota have a message for their neighbors down south. “Don’t worry, stay calm and just keep your head and your eyes on the lights,” said Freed. With an eye roll, Gagliano added: “Try it. You’ll like it.” FDOT provided the below statistics regarding the area where they are implementing the diverging diamond interchange. “We have some specific data for the I-75/University Parkway that we can share: “Based on analysis and crash data from January 1, 2012 and July 31, 2015 (before the project), and from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2022 (after the project), the following conclusions were determined: 10% reduction in the occurrence of all crashes. This reduction can be attributed to the construction of the DDI intersection improvement with a confidence of 90%. 25% reduction in the occurrence of injury crashes. This reduction can be attributed to the construction of the DDI intersection improvement with a confidence of 99%.” There is a meeting happening Thursday night that will provide more information on Thursday starting at 5 p.m. and ends at 7 p.m. The meeting is at the North Collier Regional Park’s Exhibit Hall at 15000 Livingston Road. All are welcome and encouraged to attend the meeting. Some of the topics covered will be what Collier County’s diverging diamond interchange will do and when Collier County’s diverging diamond project will start.