2024 python challenge winner caught 20 pythonsLee commission awards $39.2M contract to nourish Lovers Key and Bonita Beach shoreline
2024 python challenge winner caught 20 pythons The 2024 Florida Python Challenge has concluded, and we have a winner.
WINK NEWS Lee commission awards $39.2M contract to nourish Lovers Key and Bonita Beach shoreline The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to award a nearly $39.2 contract to nourish beaches on Lovers Key and Bonita Beach.
LEE COUNTY Lee County votes to purchase nearly 100 acres for Conservation 20/20 Lee County Commissioners voted to purchase about 100 acres in southeastern Lee County for the Conservation 20/20 land acquisition program.
LEHIGH ACRES Lehigh freshman to play in Dream Football Classic All-American Game Lehigh freshman defensive lineman Julian Graham was picked to play in the Dream Football Classic All-American Game.
Matanzas Pass Bridge hit again by the same shrimp boat The Florida Department of Transportation has reported that the Matanzas Pass Bridge was hit again by the same passing shrimp boat that struck it a day before.
Twin Cutz owner launches Barber Academy in south Fort Myers More than a decade after establishing his chain of Twin Cutz barbershops across Southwest Florida, Sean Casey began looking into the next step in his professional journey.
Great Wolf Lodge to launch early in Naples Launching a week earlier than originally announced, the massive Great Wolf Lodge South Florida resort and indoor water park will open Sept. 18.
CAPE CORAL Man accused of 3-vehicle DUI crash in Cape Coral A man has been arrested after allegedly being responsible for a three-vehicle crash while driving under the influence in Cape Coral.
GOLDEN GATE ESTATES Volunteers wanted for Track to Trail Thoroughbreds rehabilitation The volunteer ran horserace rehabilitation effort Track to Trail Thoroughbreds is enlisting additional help from the Southwest Florida community.
NAPLES NCH hosting open house amid Florida Blue negotiations With less than two weeks until the September 30th deadline, NCH and Florida Blue still haven’t reached an agreement on contract negotiations.
WEST PALM BEACH DeSantis signs executive order to hand attempted assassination case of Donald Trump to state attorney general Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order to allow the state attorney general to investigate the attempted assassination of Donald Trump in West Palm Beach.
The Weather Authority The Weather Authority: More rain and storms for your Tuesday The Weather Authority is tracking more rain and storms due to tropical moisture entering into the Southwest Florida area.
NAPLES Veterans hit the water in Naples Every September, a local group of captains and anglers hosts an event to take soldiers on the water. More than 130 troops and 65 captains were at the Naples Take a Soldier Fishing event.
Collier County teachers reach contract agreement Collier County teachers have come to an agreement with the school district in their contract negotiations.
NORTH PORT North Port Police searching for man who struck officer with car The North Port Police Department is on the search for a man who committed battery on an officer, among other charges.
2024 python challenge winner caught 20 pythons The 2024 Florida Python Challenge has concluded, and we have a winner.
WINK NEWS Lee commission awards $39.2M contract to nourish Lovers Key and Bonita Beach shoreline The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to award a nearly $39.2 contract to nourish beaches on Lovers Key and Bonita Beach.
LEE COUNTY Lee County votes to purchase nearly 100 acres for Conservation 20/20 Lee County Commissioners voted to purchase about 100 acres in southeastern Lee County for the Conservation 20/20 land acquisition program.
LEHIGH ACRES Lehigh freshman to play in Dream Football Classic All-American Game Lehigh freshman defensive lineman Julian Graham was picked to play in the Dream Football Classic All-American Game.
Matanzas Pass Bridge hit again by the same shrimp boat The Florida Department of Transportation has reported that the Matanzas Pass Bridge was hit again by the same passing shrimp boat that struck it a day before.
Twin Cutz owner launches Barber Academy in south Fort Myers More than a decade after establishing his chain of Twin Cutz barbershops across Southwest Florida, Sean Casey began looking into the next step in his professional journey.
Great Wolf Lodge to launch early in Naples Launching a week earlier than originally announced, the massive Great Wolf Lodge South Florida resort and indoor water park will open Sept. 18.
CAPE CORAL Man accused of 3-vehicle DUI crash in Cape Coral A man has been arrested after allegedly being responsible for a three-vehicle crash while driving under the influence in Cape Coral.
GOLDEN GATE ESTATES Volunteers wanted for Track to Trail Thoroughbreds rehabilitation The volunteer ran horserace rehabilitation effort Track to Trail Thoroughbreds is enlisting additional help from the Southwest Florida community.
NAPLES NCH hosting open house amid Florida Blue negotiations With less than two weeks until the September 30th deadline, NCH and Florida Blue still haven’t reached an agreement on contract negotiations.
WEST PALM BEACH DeSantis signs executive order to hand attempted assassination case of Donald Trump to state attorney general Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order to allow the state attorney general to investigate the attempted assassination of Donald Trump in West Palm Beach.
The Weather Authority The Weather Authority: More rain and storms for your Tuesday The Weather Authority is tracking more rain and storms due to tropical moisture entering into the Southwest Florida area.
NAPLES Veterans hit the water in Naples Every September, a local group of captains and anglers hosts an event to take soldiers on the water. More than 130 troops and 65 captains were at the Naples Take a Soldier Fishing event.
Collier County teachers reach contract agreement Collier County teachers have come to an agreement with the school district in their contract negotiations.
NORTH PORT North Port Police searching for man who struck officer with car The North Port Police Department is on the search for a man who committed battery on an officer, among other charges.
The Lee County School District has had the persistent issue of maintaining teachers due to several conflicts. The top three complaints from employee feedback are competitive pay with market peers, adjusting compensation for cost of living, and aligning pay within the district according to job functions. All three issues have the same commonality—money. As the school year is in full swing, the Lee County School District is considering solutions to maintain its teaching staff. During the Wednesday school board meeting, members heard from Evergreen Solutions, a K-12 consultation firm whose job is to create surveys and figure out the most prominent issues regarding the low retention rate with Lee County teachers. Some of the research findings suggested that “74% of the participants felt that the raises and services and pay grade assignments weren’t fair and weren’t equally distributed among employees, and a lot of that has to do with understanding how it works, and employees felt the salaries were not keeping up with the local cost of living.” WINK News spoke with Kevin Daly, the President of the Teachers Association in Lee County, who mentioned that Collier and Charlotte Counties have yet to meet with a consultation firm but figured that the findings would not be surprising. “Quiet honestly, the district should know it too; they should know their employees are underpaid compared to other districts and other states across the nation, and it doesn’t bind them to allocate additional resources,” said Daly. WINK News reached out to the school district regarding the vacant positions. Rob Spicker, the Lee County School District’s public information officer, started bringing in Kelly Services to help fill the vacant positions for the 2024-2025 school year. Originally, they had 186 vacant spots, with 99.4% of those positions filled by substitutes. The school district mentioned that the most experienced teachers have received salary increases in the last two years, and further negotiations with the teachers union will begin in 2025.