NCH hosting open house amid Florida Blue negotiationsGov. DeSantis to hold news conference in West Palm Beach
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 Gov. DeSantis to hold news conference in West Palm Beach Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news conference 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.
FORT MYERS Victim of childhood sexual abuse speaks out after abuser receives 3 life sentences A survivor of childhood sexual abuse finally feels free after her abuser receives three life sentences.
No bond for Tice man accused of kidnaping and sexual assault A man accused of kidnapping and sexual assault will be held without bond.
CAPE CORAL 13th annual 239 Fest to showcase 16 local punk, ska and reggae bands The 13th edition of 239 Fest is coming next month and will feature 16 local punk, ska and reggae bands.
FORT MYERS BEACH Witnesses react to boat getting stuck under Matanzas Pass Bridge While the boat has since gotten out from underneath the bridge, it’s raised some questions about safety for onlookers.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Splash the otter, the unlikely hero bringing families closure Mike Hadsell has trained many animals in his lifetime, but the newest member of Peace River K9 Search and Rescue dive team, Splash the Asian small-clawed otter, is a first, even for him.
FORT MYERS Scrolling on your cell phone may be bad for your health; FGCU professor weighs in Scrolling through your phone might seem like a fun way to pass the time, but new research shows it can actually make you feel even more bored and unhappy.
WEST PALM BEACH DeSantis launches investigation into 2nd assassination attempt on Trump Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he will personally oversee the investigation into the second assassination attempt on former President Trump.
FHP reveals details behind crash that killed 4 young people A mangled car is all that remains from a crash that took the lives of four young people.
FORT MYERS 2 fires in 24 hours displace families in Fort Myers Two vicious fires left families’ homes and lives in ruins. Now, we are learning what help they are getting until their lives can be put back together.
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 Gov. DeSantis to hold news conference in West Palm Beach Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news conference 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.
FORT MYERS Victim of childhood sexual abuse speaks out after abuser receives 3 life sentences A survivor of childhood sexual abuse finally feels free after her abuser receives three life sentences.
No bond for Tice man accused of kidnaping and sexual assault A man accused of kidnapping and sexual assault will be held without bond.
CAPE CORAL 13th annual 239 Fest to showcase 16 local punk, ska and reggae bands The 13th edition of 239 Fest is coming next month and will feature 16 local punk, ska and reggae bands.
FORT MYERS BEACH Witnesses react to boat getting stuck under Matanzas Pass Bridge While the boat has since gotten out from underneath the bridge, it’s raised some questions about safety for onlookers.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Splash the otter, the unlikely hero bringing families closure Mike Hadsell has trained many animals in his lifetime, but the newest member of Peace River K9 Search and Rescue dive team, Splash the Asian small-clawed otter, is a first, even for him.
FORT MYERS Scrolling on your cell phone may be bad for your health; FGCU professor weighs in Scrolling through your phone might seem like a fun way to pass the time, but new research shows it can actually make you feel even more bored and unhappy.
WEST PALM BEACH DeSantis launches investigation into 2nd assassination attempt on Trump Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he will personally oversee the investigation into the second assassination attempt on former President Trump.
FHP reveals details behind crash that killed 4 young people A mangled car is all that remains from a crash that took the lives of four young people.
FORT MYERS 2 fires in 24 hours displace families in Fort Myers Two vicious fires left families’ homes and lives in ruins. Now, we are learning what help they are getting until their lives can be put back together.
A car flying into a canal, killing a 47-year-old man, has many raising the question of how it can be stopped from happening again. The latest crash happened late Monday night on Sunshine Boulevard N and 55th ST W in Lehigh Acres. RELATED: Driver killed following crash into canal in Lehigh Acres This crash adds to the long list of lives taken the exact same way. Cars crashing into plots of water like canals, retention ponds and even lakes and rivers are stories WINK News covers often. If you have lived in Florida long enough, you know these crashes are common. WINK News is now asking if there is something that could prevent these accidents. You’ll notice that around canals and water spaces in Southwest Florida, you don’t typically see guardrails. Neighbors living near canals, who spoke to WINK News Reporter Olivia Jean on Tuesday, said they agree with roadside safety advocate Stephen Eimers, also known as “the guardrail guy,” that guardrails are a good idea. “The purpose of a guardrail is to save lives,” Eimers said. Eimer’s daughter died almost eight years ago in a guardrail crash. “She was driving in McMinn County, Tennessee, went off the left side of the road and hit a guardrail and it went through her car. It led me to ask a whole lot of questions. My goal is to rob America’s streets of future victims of traffic violence involving our barriers,” Eimers said. Since the crash that took his daughter’s life, he has traveled across the country to study different crashes involving guardrails. He talked about, in some cases, the issue of guardrails not being designed according to their design drawings, leading to poor performance and safety risks. “Too often, we’re not following the recipe, and we end up seeing some really bad outcomes. We’re seeing folks go into bridges, go into water. We’re seeing guardrails that don’t perform, maybe kink up and come into a vehicle and kill or maim somebody. We shouldn’t have a device, a safety device called guardrail that is not guarding; that’s killing,” Eimers said. Eimers said the need for proper design and implementation of these guardrails are essential to ensure guardrails function as safety devices rather than causing harm. He said adding effective guardrails near Florida water could help. “Florida has one of the worst problems in our nation, with people hitting a guardrail and going into the water, or not hitting a guardrail and going into unguarded waters. There’s water everywhere in the state of Florida, and it becomes a very difficult thing,” Eimers said. Chloe Arenas died in 2015 after her car crashed into an Orange County pond. As a result, Chloe’s Law was passed in 2018. It requires guardrails to be installed where someone has drowned in a car crash. The problem is there is a limitation. It only applies to car crashes between 2006 to 2016. Other crashes outside of that time frame don’t get looked at. “One of the first and probably most important things that can happen in the next legislative session in the state of Florida is for the legislature to renew Chloe’s Law and make it permanent so that every time somebody’s going into the water in Florida, these are being investigated, and we’re learning from each and every single one of these crashes.” Eimers went on to say, “I’d love to see Governor DeSantis sign that into law at the in the next legislative session.” Neighbors of the canal that took a life Monday night agreed that guardrails could be a good idea. Florida Highway Patrol is still investigating the deadly crash.