MATLACHA Construction on Little Pine Island Bridge continues If you’re taking a trip to Matlacha this week, you might begin to see some traffic back ups.
LEHIGH ACRES LCSO deputies investigating attempted carjacking The Lee County Sheriffs office is investigating a scene they say was an attempted carjacking.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Road rage and drug trafficking This weeks segment of WINK neighborhood watch features road rage, drones, and drugs.
NORTH FORT MYERS Tommy Bohanon Foundation Youth Football Camp kicks kids off to good start School’s out for summer, but on Saturday morning, more than 300 kids learned what it takes to be a football player at the annual Tommy Bohanon Foundation Youth Football Camp.
NORTH NAPLES Water contaminating some Southwest Florida gas tanks With the record amount of rain we received, some people in Southwest Florida have struggled with an issue that isn’t visible to the eye, like street flooding.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: A bit drier today; not a bad day to head out on the boat A great day to celebrate dad. Drier weather with temps topping out in the low 90s under mostly cloudy skies.
NAPLES FC Naples debuts club name, crest and colors FC Naples, the USL League One soccer club, debuted its name, crest and colors Saturday morning.
NAPLES Fire rescue exhibit gives children firefighter experience Children learned how to put out fires from real-life firefighters and got tips on how to stay under the flames with the help of Tank the K9.
PORT CHARLOTTE New video: Search continues for Metro Diner tip jar thief Someone stole a tip jar meant to help a mom with her baby in the NICU. Now, the restaurant is asking for help finding the guy who did it.
FORT MYERS Right lane cleared on Edison Bridge after hit-and-run crash The Fort Myers police department has confirmed this is a hit-and-run crash, and there are no reported injuries at this time.
CAPE CORAL The Weather Authority’s Chief Meteorologist Matt Devitt speaks at Cape Coral Hurricane Expo Meet Matt Devitt, pick up a WINK Hurricane Guide and rain gauge at the Cape Coral Hurricane Expo.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA The Weather Authority: Scattered storms, mostly cloudy skies, below averages temperatures Signs of improvement in your weekend weather forecast, but some lingering tropical moisture means scattered storms.
FORT MYERS Businesses struggling to stay open in downtown Fort Myers Snowbird season is over, traffic is a mess from the Caloosahatchee Bridge closure and the new parking system isn’t exactly perfect in downtown Fort Myers.
FORT MYERS BEACH New numbers show open hotel rooms in parts of Lee County are low Lee County released new data this week on how different areas in the county are bouncing back after Ian by looking at how many hotels have reopened since the storm.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Lake Okeechobee on the rise after recent tropical moisture, days of rain Lake O’s water level has gone up by half a foot over the last several days due to the drenching the southern part of the state has received.
MATLACHA Construction on Little Pine Island Bridge continues If you’re taking a trip to Matlacha this week, you might begin to see some traffic back ups.
LEHIGH ACRES LCSO deputies investigating attempted carjacking The Lee County Sheriffs office is investigating a scene they say was an attempted carjacking.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Road rage and drug trafficking This weeks segment of WINK neighborhood watch features road rage, drones, and drugs.
NORTH FORT MYERS Tommy Bohanon Foundation Youth Football Camp kicks kids off to good start School’s out for summer, but on Saturday morning, more than 300 kids learned what it takes to be a football player at the annual Tommy Bohanon Foundation Youth Football Camp.
NORTH NAPLES Water contaminating some Southwest Florida gas tanks With the record amount of rain we received, some people in Southwest Florida have struggled with an issue that isn’t visible to the eye, like street flooding.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: A bit drier today; not a bad day to head out on the boat A great day to celebrate dad. Drier weather with temps topping out in the low 90s under mostly cloudy skies.
NAPLES FC Naples debuts club name, crest and colors FC Naples, the USL League One soccer club, debuted its name, crest and colors Saturday morning.
NAPLES Fire rescue exhibit gives children firefighter experience Children learned how to put out fires from real-life firefighters and got tips on how to stay under the flames with the help of Tank the K9.
PORT CHARLOTTE New video: Search continues for Metro Diner tip jar thief Someone stole a tip jar meant to help a mom with her baby in the NICU. Now, the restaurant is asking for help finding the guy who did it.
FORT MYERS Right lane cleared on Edison Bridge after hit-and-run crash The Fort Myers police department has confirmed this is a hit-and-run crash, and there are no reported injuries at this time.
CAPE CORAL The Weather Authority’s Chief Meteorologist Matt Devitt speaks at Cape Coral Hurricane Expo Meet Matt Devitt, pick up a WINK Hurricane Guide and rain gauge at the Cape Coral Hurricane Expo.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA The Weather Authority: Scattered storms, mostly cloudy skies, below averages temperatures Signs of improvement in your weekend weather forecast, but some lingering tropical moisture means scattered storms.
FORT MYERS Businesses struggling to stay open in downtown Fort Myers Snowbird season is over, traffic is a mess from the Caloosahatchee Bridge closure and the new parking system isn’t exactly perfect in downtown Fort Myers.
FORT MYERS BEACH New numbers show open hotel rooms in parts of Lee County are low Lee County released new data this week on how different areas in the county are bouncing back after Ian by looking at how many hotels have reopened since the storm.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Lake Okeechobee on the rise after recent tropical moisture, days of rain Lake O’s water level has gone up by half a foot over the last several days due to the drenching the southern part of the state has received.
An update on the historic Richards Building in downtown Fort Myers: it’s going into foreclosure. To recap, the building has been the center of controversy since it was stained white over the original brick despite a stop work order. On Friday, it was revealed that the century-old building is in foreclosure, and according to the lawsuit, it’s happening for several reasons. Among them was performing or contracting unpermitted work and failing to preserve the property. For more than 100 years, the Richards Building stood tall in downtown Fort Myers. “My great-grandfather was RQ Richards. He was the namesake for this building up until about a month ago,” said Whitney Richards Kearns. CREDIT: WHITNEY RICHARD KEARMS CREDIT: WHITNEY RICHARD KEARMS When the current owner, 1617 Hendry LLC, decided to put up a new sign. “Pythian Building was the name of the original building,” said Kearns, “so it was, I’ll acknowledge, historically that, but for the better part of the century, it bore the name of somebody who truly helped shape the community into what it is today.” RELATED: Owners of Richards Building speak out over paint job of historic property RELATED: Manufacturer providing stain for Richards Building calls unpermitted work ‘heartbreaking’ And if removing the Richards sign wasn’t enough, the owner also painted the building white despite a stop-work order. “It says to me they never truly cared about the historic aspect of this building to begin with,” said Kearns. The owner faces a lawsuit that was filed on Wednesday by Ashley Barrett Bloom, the mortgage holder. It accuses the owner of failing to comply with local ordinances, failing to repair broken windows, remove graffiti, and maintain wind insurance coverage. It also cites a failure to deliver plans, permits and copies of insurance policies to Bloom. “It pleases me, and at the same time, it worries me because I understand how foreclosures work,” said Kearns. Whitney said she would buy it back if she had the means. But since she can’t, she can only hope it falls into the right hands for the time being. “I hope that the Richards Building and the other historic places in the area are still around when my kids are bringing their kids downtown and generations to come,” said Kearns. WINK News spoke with Bloom on the phone, who touched on their decision to sue the current owners, saying, “Our corner is the security interest in the building and any impairment of that interest.” WINK News also reached out to the lawyer representing the building’s current owner but has not heard back.