WINK Investigates: For the first time, Beattie Development owner Paul Beattie speaks out during liquidation after allegationsLocal Rabbi and Israeli soldier speak on Iran missile attack
CAPE CORAL WINK Investigates: For the first time, Beattie Development owner Paul Beattie speaks out during liquidation after allegations On Tuesday for the first time, Paul Beattie, owner of Beattie Development, who a lot of people say owe them a lot of money, is speaking out.
FORT MYERS Local Rabbi and Israeli soldier speak on Iran missile attack Israeli authorities said Iran launched dozens of missiles at the country.
PORT CHARLOTTE “It was just a monster in disguise,” Port Charlotte couple cleans up after Helene Wesley and Karen Wingate will never forget what they had for dinner September 27th.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA IRS announces tax relief for those affected by Helene The IRS has just announced tax relief for people affected by Hurricane Helene.
FORT MYERS BEACH How the Fort Myers Beach community is handling Helene’s aftermath One storm hit Fort Myers Beach, but the damage is as different from block to block as the stories their homeowners tell
SOUTH FORT MYERS Submerged car in Fort Myers neighborhood has people worried A submerged car has neighbors worried that their pond will become polluted. One neighbor told WINK News that the vehicle has been in the pond since Hurricane Helene.
Collier County expands mosquito control district The Collier Mosquito Control District is expanding to different areas, and new tools are being used to keep the mosquito population under control as more standing water remains following Hurricane Helene.
CAPE CORAL Memorial benches being removed from Jaycee Park in Cape Coral After years of discussions, the City of Cape Coral will start to remove items from Jaycee Park as part of ongoing improvements.
ST. JAMES CITY How residents of St. James City are coping after Helene Once known for sunsets and dolphins, the tiny island community of St. James City is once again cleaning up after a hurricane.
CHARLOTTE HARBOR Charlotte County woman and dog rescued from home during Helene Amidst the rising waters of Hurricane Helene, a woman and her dog sought safety atop the kitchen counter inside their Charlotte County home.
NAPLES After 60 years in River Park, neighbors moving out because of Hurricane Helene Southwest Florida is still feeling the impacts from Helene, and a Naples community got the brunt of the storm.
ESTERO SWFL 12-year-old swimmer earns statewide recognition Last season Kallen Garnier-Chan achieved a national ranked top three time in the 800 and 1000 meter freestyle.
NORTH PORT Family continues legal battle with Heritage Insurance A husband and wife will not quit the fight with their homeowner’s insurance.
CAPTIVA Captiva restaurant surrounded by sand after Helene A Captiva restaurant was left almost unrecognizable after Helene, with piles of sand reaching the doors and windows of the establishment.
PORT CHARLOTTE Charlotte County offers showers and laundry facilities post-Helene Charlotte County has opened a comfort station equipped with showers and laundry facilities to aid residents struggling with storm recovery.
CAPE CORAL WINK Investigates: For the first time, Beattie Development owner Paul Beattie speaks out during liquidation after allegations On Tuesday for the first time, Paul Beattie, owner of Beattie Development, who a lot of people say owe them a lot of money, is speaking out.
FORT MYERS Local Rabbi and Israeli soldier speak on Iran missile attack Israeli authorities said Iran launched dozens of missiles at the country.
PORT CHARLOTTE “It was just a monster in disguise,” Port Charlotte couple cleans up after Helene Wesley and Karen Wingate will never forget what they had for dinner September 27th.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA IRS announces tax relief for those affected by Helene The IRS has just announced tax relief for people affected by Hurricane Helene.
FORT MYERS BEACH How the Fort Myers Beach community is handling Helene’s aftermath One storm hit Fort Myers Beach, but the damage is as different from block to block as the stories their homeowners tell
SOUTH FORT MYERS Submerged car in Fort Myers neighborhood has people worried A submerged car has neighbors worried that their pond will become polluted. One neighbor told WINK News that the vehicle has been in the pond since Hurricane Helene.
Collier County expands mosquito control district The Collier Mosquito Control District is expanding to different areas, and new tools are being used to keep the mosquito population under control as more standing water remains following Hurricane Helene.
CAPE CORAL Memorial benches being removed from Jaycee Park in Cape Coral After years of discussions, the City of Cape Coral will start to remove items from Jaycee Park as part of ongoing improvements.
ST. JAMES CITY How residents of St. James City are coping after Helene Once known for sunsets and dolphins, the tiny island community of St. James City is once again cleaning up after a hurricane.
CHARLOTTE HARBOR Charlotte County woman and dog rescued from home during Helene Amidst the rising waters of Hurricane Helene, a woman and her dog sought safety atop the kitchen counter inside their Charlotte County home.
NAPLES After 60 years in River Park, neighbors moving out because of Hurricane Helene Southwest Florida is still feeling the impacts from Helene, and a Naples community got the brunt of the storm.
ESTERO SWFL 12-year-old swimmer earns statewide recognition Last season Kallen Garnier-Chan achieved a national ranked top three time in the 800 and 1000 meter freestyle.
NORTH PORT Family continues legal battle with Heritage Insurance A husband and wife will not quit the fight with their homeowner’s insurance.
CAPTIVA Captiva restaurant surrounded by sand after Helene A Captiva restaurant was left almost unrecognizable after Helene, with piles of sand reaching the doors and windows of the establishment.
PORT CHARLOTTE Charlotte County offers showers and laundry facilities post-Helene Charlotte County has opened a comfort station equipped with showers and laundry facilities to aid residents struggling with storm recovery.
One storm hit Fort Myers Beach, but the damage is as different from block to block as the stories their homeowners tell. WINK News reporter Annalise Iraola went to Fort Myers Beach to hear some of these stories in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. She heard everything from lessons for next time to considering moving out. While most said they would stay, learn from this, and move on, for some people like Frank Kaiser, this storm brought more than a storm surge; It gave him new doubts about his future on Fort Myers Beach. Helene’s storm surge brought this mess, and now neighbors like Carie Harris and Tamara Geer are washing and drying out their flooded homes. “I just gotta take it one day at a time and just trust that God’s got the ball, and he’s going to send me all the right people,” said Geer. Harris told WINK, “Our lower level, you know, is just full of the muck that everybody else is seeing, cleaning everything out, and you have to wash everything.” Sterling Avenue and Seminole Way tell the story of Helene’s aftermath. Muck and gut, tear it out, dry it out and try to move on. Frank Kaiser’s home was flooded with three feet of water. A carpenter by trade, he lost thousands in tools. “It’s devastating—I tried! The outcome, yeah…It’s terrible, but it’s life, and that’s what you do,” said Kaiser. He’s lived here since 1992 and seen storms come and go. But Kaiser said he’s considering leaving Fort Myers Beach after this storm. “This was our dream, and we worked our butt off for it, and now you want to take it. I go, ‘Come on,’ right?” he said. And while he said he’ll miss the island, it’s the people he’ll miss the most. “I’m going to miss the neighborhood. I mean, the people, you know. I just hope that somehow, some way, it gets better for everybody else,” said Kaiser. It’s too soon to say yet who will stay and who will go, but one sentiment rings true for everyone here: The people and the community make Fort Myers Beach the paradise they bought into.