Properly removing debris from Charlotte County streets following Hurricane MiltonSeasonal afternoon with highs in the upper 80s
Properly removing debris from Charlotte County streets following Hurricane Milton Hurricane Milton created havoc throughout Florida, impacting several areas, including Charlotte County.
The Weather Authority Seasonal afternoon with highs in the upper 80s The Weather Authority is tracking a seasonal Tuesday afternoon, with temperatures topping out in the upper 80s.
CLEWISTON Clewiston teen killed by stray bullet during dance A Clewiston teenager lost her life after multiple shots were fired into a building during a dance on Friday night.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda battles debris after dual hurricanes It’s been hard for some to move forward after facing Milton; every time they step outside their homes, they’re greeted by piles of debris.
BOCA GRANDE Boca Grande businesses clean up after Milton No matter how much you prepare for a hurricane, you never know what awaits you in the aftermath.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA All you need to know if you are applying for FEMA disaster assistance One of the biggest hurdles southwest Florida had to deal with after Hurricane Ian was FEMA. Many didn’t know how to apply, which forms needed to be filled out and how to get money.
MANASOTA KEY North Manasota Key picks up the pieces while south waits to see their home Homes in North Manasota Key have been hollowed out from the storm surge after Hurricane Milton. Now, residents living on Manasota Key are trying to figure out their next steps moving forward while coping with the loss.
FORT MYERS Acting now helps avoid storm PTSD Even with storms Helene and Milton behind us, stress levels remain high. It’s leaving many people to manage post-hurricane anxiety.
PUNTA GORDA Preventing mold in Punta Gorda after Milton Right now, families with flooded homes from the hurricanes have to race to action. The water can cause black mold in damp areas of homes, but you can take steps to prevent the mold from forming or spreading.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda faces devastation with resilience An entire street in Punta Gorda was flooded, forcing the community out of their homes.
ESTERO FPL answers questions about power surges and outages, days after Milton Days after Hurricane Milton tore through Florida, people coast to coast are still experiencing power outages and power surges, and now we’re hearing from Florida Power and Light (FPL).
FORT MYERS Miracle Moment: Basketball player bouncing back A basketball player, Karsten Schafer, is preparing to get off the bench and back in the game after doctors told him he might never play again.
NORTH FORT MYERS 3 arrested after 2 carjackings in Lee County leaves cars totaled A woman was carjacked at gunpoint on McGregor Blvd. early Sunday morning. The accused carjacker is in jail.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach comes together to move forward after Milton Fort Myers Beach is slowly getting back on its feet after Hurricane Milton, with some businesses just now opening.
FORT MYERS Volunteers at Harry Chapin helping out after Milton The Harry Chapin Food Bank has been extending its resources to assist in recovery efforts in response to Hurricane Milton.
Properly removing debris from Charlotte County streets following Hurricane Milton Hurricane Milton created havoc throughout Florida, impacting several areas, including Charlotte County.
The Weather Authority Seasonal afternoon with highs in the upper 80s The Weather Authority is tracking a seasonal Tuesday afternoon, with temperatures topping out in the upper 80s.
CLEWISTON Clewiston teen killed by stray bullet during dance A Clewiston teenager lost her life after multiple shots were fired into a building during a dance on Friday night.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda battles debris after dual hurricanes It’s been hard for some to move forward after facing Milton; every time they step outside their homes, they’re greeted by piles of debris.
BOCA GRANDE Boca Grande businesses clean up after Milton No matter how much you prepare for a hurricane, you never know what awaits you in the aftermath.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA All you need to know if you are applying for FEMA disaster assistance One of the biggest hurdles southwest Florida had to deal with after Hurricane Ian was FEMA. Many didn’t know how to apply, which forms needed to be filled out and how to get money.
MANASOTA KEY North Manasota Key picks up the pieces while south waits to see their home Homes in North Manasota Key have been hollowed out from the storm surge after Hurricane Milton. Now, residents living on Manasota Key are trying to figure out their next steps moving forward while coping with the loss.
FORT MYERS Acting now helps avoid storm PTSD Even with storms Helene and Milton behind us, stress levels remain high. It’s leaving many people to manage post-hurricane anxiety.
PUNTA GORDA Preventing mold in Punta Gorda after Milton Right now, families with flooded homes from the hurricanes have to race to action. The water can cause black mold in damp areas of homes, but you can take steps to prevent the mold from forming or spreading.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda faces devastation with resilience An entire street in Punta Gorda was flooded, forcing the community out of their homes.
ESTERO FPL answers questions about power surges and outages, days after Milton Days after Hurricane Milton tore through Florida, people coast to coast are still experiencing power outages and power surges, and now we’re hearing from Florida Power and Light (FPL).
FORT MYERS Miracle Moment: Basketball player bouncing back A basketball player, Karsten Schafer, is preparing to get off the bench and back in the game after doctors told him he might never play again.
NORTH FORT MYERS 3 arrested after 2 carjackings in Lee County leaves cars totaled A woman was carjacked at gunpoint on McGregor Blvd. early Sunday morning. The accused carjacker is in jail.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach comes together to move forward after Milton Fort Myers Beach is slowly getting back on its feet after Hurricane Milton, with some businesses just now opening.
FORT MYERS Volunteers at Harry Chapin helping out after Milton The Harry Chapin Food Bank has been extending its resources to assist in recovery efforts in response to Hurricane Milton.
The now-withdrawn proposal for the Southland Water Resource Project was submitted to the South Florida Water Management District in July by contractor Phillips and Jordan. It lays out plans for an 8,000-acre water storage project south of Lake Okeechobee in the Everglades Agricultural Area. Daniel Andrews is the Executive Director of Captains for Clean Water, a group that pushes for Everglades restoration. He said, “The land that it’s being built on is land that is very valuable to the state for Everglades restorations and is owned by the sugar industry. And they’ve repeatedly said, ‘The land’s not for sale; we need this for agriculture, for production of our crops.'” When Andrews discovered the proposal, he found plans for more than water storage. “The proposal that was submitted doesn’t really say anything about mining, but diving further into the public records on it, and some permitting from the Department of Environmental Protection, it’s aggregate they’re looking for limestone to build roads or concrete,” Andrews said. The permit titled “Supplemental information for Stormwater Management Systems for Mines,” was submitted by Phillips and Jordan to FDEP Feb. 2 for the Southland Water Resource Project. Captains for Clean Water said that’s the application you fill out if you’re mining. The application proposes an on-site processing facility where excavated material will be sorted, washed and graded for rail transport off-site. It also proposes building a rail spur to transport high-quality limestone aggregate for road construction. “It appears to be a large-scale mining operation disguised as a water resource project.” Daniel Andrews, Captains for Clean Water “There’s been a long history of attempts to mine this area, and they’ve all been stopped, either in court or before it even got to that point,” said Andrews. “There appears to be a loophole if this is considered a water resource project, for that type of mining to be allowed.” On the application, the contractor said it projects to excavate 1.4 million yards of material every year with construction anticipated to span 20 years or more. Incentives and Risks Captains for Clean Water said the incentive behind this project is the roughly $800 million worth of rock to be mined in the process, and it’s at the cost of our environment. The nonprofit said rock mining in the Everglades Agriculture Area brings risks to the aquifer and our drinking water, impacts the ecosystem and threatens Everglades restoration. “It is immediately adjacent, due north, of the largest Everglades restoration reservoir, the EAA reservoir and STA. Could the blasting and dredging over a course of decades or longer have an impact on the integrity of that reservoir?” said Andrews. In March, one month after Phillips and Joran submitted the permitting application, FDEP responded to the contractor with five pages worth of questions. There is no record of a response from the contractor. WINK News reached out to Phillips and Jordan, asking why they withdrew the proposal and if this is temporary but never heard back with answers. While the proposal has since been withdrawn, Captains for Clean Water said they spoke up out of fear this wasn’t the last of it. “Is this coming back? Is it coming back in a different form? Is it going to go through a different process, like the legislature? We just don’t know at this point.” WINK reached out to US Sugar and Florida Crystals, who own the land where the project is proposed, for comment and did not hear back.