SNIP Collier volunteer traps her 1000th feral catSaint James City man sentenced to 5 years for possessing child sexual abuse material
SNIP Collier volunteer traps her 1000th feral cat A Spay and Neuter Initiative Program has reached a milestone as a Collier County volunteer has captured 1,000 feral cats.
SAINT JAMES CITY Saint James City man sentenced to 5 years for possessing child sexual abuse material A St. James City man has been sentenced to five years for possessing images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.
CAPE CORAL Sword-wielding Cape Coral man accused of threatening person with Molotov Cocktail The Cape Coral Police Department arrested a man who allegedly threatened another person with a sword and Molotov Cocktail.
PORT CHARLOTTE Tampa Bay Rays announces spring training season in Port Charlotte The Tampa Bay Rays have announced spring training ticket information for the 2025 spring season in Port Charlotte.
Fort Myers Job Fair set to begin; on-site interviews and offers possible The Fort Myes Job Fair is set to begin, with over 100 openings available from various employers.
the weather authority Tracking rain and storms for your Wednesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a strong cold front along with rain and storms throughout your Wednesday afternoon.
Man arrested following intense vehicle pursuit; accused of shooting into pregnant girlfriend’s home The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man accused of shooting into his pregnant girlfriend’s home and leading law enforcement through a multi-county pursuit.
ESTERO Everblades head coach Brad Ralph captures 500th career win Florida Everblades head coach Brad Ralph becomes just the fourth coach in ECHL history to record 500 career regular season wins.
Vehicle pursuit in Charlotte County ends in crash A pursuit between the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office and a vehicle on Interstate 75 ended in a crash.
Red tide looms off Southwest Florida coastline Beware of the beach! Red tide is making its way towards Southwest Florida once again.
FORT MYERS BEACH $1.2 million approved for repairs for FMB and Sanibel schools This hurricane season left an expensive mess at Fort Myers Beach Elementary and the Sanibel school, but who’s paying the $1.2 million price tag?
FORT MYERS Teen carjacks woman after escaping mental health facility A teenager accused of carjacking a woman in a church parking lot on Friday had just escaped from a facility where he was being held under the Baker Act, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
Teachers union raises issues with Lee County School District after arbitration Being a teacher is just like any other profession. Teachers need to take days off, get sick, and sometimes cover for co-workers.
LABELLE LaBelle Animal Shelter hoping to raise money to avoid property being sold The owner of Animal Rescue Inc. in LaBelle is doing everything she can to prevent the shelter from disappearing in a matter of months.
County settlement allows Links of Naples golf course to redevelop into homes Collier County residents are vocalizing their concerns over the commissioner’s decision to develop housing on the Naples Golf Course.
SNIP Collier volunteer traps her 1000th feral cat A Spay and Neuter Initiative Program has reached a milestone as a Collier County volunteer has captured 1,000 feral cats.
SAINT JAMES CITY Saint James City man sentenced to 5 years for possessing child sexual abuse material A St. James City man has been sentenced to five years for possessing images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.
CAPE CORAL Sword-wielding Cape Coral man accused of threatening person with Molotov Cocktail The Cape Coral Police Department arrested a man who allegedly threatened another person with a sword and Molotov Cocktail.
PORT CHARLOTTE Tampa Bay Rays announces spring training season in Port Charlotte The Tampa Bay Rays have announced spring training ticket information for the 2025 spring season in Port Charlotte.
Fort Myers Job Fair set to begin; on-site interviews and offers possible The Fort Myes Job Fair is set to begin, with over 100 openings available from various employers.
the weather authority Tracking rain and storms for your Wednesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a strong cold front along with rain and storms throughout your Wednesday afternoon.
Man arrested following intense vehicle pursuit; accused of shooting into pregnant girlfriend’s home The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man accused of shooting into his pregnant girlfriend’s home and leading law enforcement through a multi-county pursuit.
ESTERO Everblades head coach Brad Ralph captures 500th career win Florida Everblades head coach Brad Ralph becomes just the fourth coach in ECHL history to record 500 career regular season wins.
Vehicle pursuit in Charlotte County ends in crash A pursuit between the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office and a vehicle on Interstate 75 ended in a crash.
Red tide looms off Southwest Florida coastline Beware of the beach! Red tide is making its way towards Southwest Florida once again.
FORT MYERS BEACH $1.2 million approved for repairs for FMB and Sanibel schools This hurricane season left an expensive mess at Fort Myers Beach Elementary and the Sanibel school, but who’s paying the $1.2 million price tag?
FORT MYERS Teen carjacks woman after escaping mental health facility A teenager accused of carjacking a woman in a church parking lot on Friday had just escaped from a facility where he was being held under the Baker Act, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
Teachers union raises issues with Lee County School District after arbitration Being a teacher is just like any other profession. Teachers need to take days off, get sick, and sometimes cover for co-workers.
LABELLE LaBelle Animal Shelter hoping to raise money to avoid property being sold The owner of Animal Rescue Inc. in LaBelle is doing everything she can to prevent the shelter from disappearing in a matter of months.
County settlement allows Links of Naples golf course to redevelop into homes Collier County residents are vocalizing their concerns over the commissioner’s decision to develop housing on the Naples Golf Course.
The face of healthcare in Southwest Florida could soon change if Lee Health gets its way. As WINK News has reported for months, Lee Memorial Health System, et al. has worked to change from a public nonprofit to a private nonprofit. On Thursday, Lee County posted a mission agreement draft between the county and the hospital system related to the proposal. The healthcare system first opened its doors in 1916 as a community-centered nonprofit. In 1968, Lee Health began operating as an independent special healthcare district created by the State and governed by an elected Board of Directors. Now, the system wants to convert into a private nonprofit healthcare provider. The Lee Health System operates 6 hospitals in SWFL, numerous specialty and service centers, and employs over 15,000 people. The conversion plan comes after Governor Ron DeSantis and the State Legislature approved House Bill 227 to amend a Florida law to allow the system to convert to a private nonprofit entity. The draft explained, “The County has never had any role in the operation or oversight of the health system, but must now approve the plans to determine if converting to a non-governmental Florida nonprofit entity is in the best interest of Lee County residents.” Lee Health said the conversion would help the system financially, add stability to high-quality care for the community, and ensure that Lee County taxpayers bear no tax burden.Lee Health also claimed the conversion would allow expansion to other areas. “It allows us to do some of the things that we can’t do now, doing things like joint ventures with other physicians, with other organizations, being able to work outside the county. We recognize that 20% of our patients are coming from outside the county,” said Lee Health CEO Dr. Lawrence Antonucci. You can read the process overview here. Dr. Larry Antonucci, CEO and President of Lee Health. The full draft of the agreement can be read here. County Commissioners agreed to publish the draft on the county’s website and did so on Thursday. It must stay active until October 11, 2024, to give the community time to better understand and comment on the draft. During Tuesday’s commission meeting, the commission also questioned Lee Health about how becoming private will help the community. Lee County Commission meeting, August 20, 2024 “I’m trying to understand the need for this. I’m trying to understand where you’re going. Why are we doing this?” asked Commissioner Kevin Ruane. “If we get to October and we have learned things about this that we – through our due diligence – don’t agree with or are really concerned with, then we don’t vote to move forward in October,” added Commissioner Brian Hamman. Lee County Commissioners would still need to sign off before anything becomes official. They are scheduled to vote by or on October 11th. WINK News will bring you any developments as they happen.