12-foot gator removed from Cape Coral backyardSanibel, Fort Myers Beach students attend different schools due to Hurricane Milton damage
CAPE CORAL 12-foot gator removed from Cape Coral backyard A 12-foot alligator has been removed from the backyard of a home in a Cape Coral neighborhood.
WINK NEWS Sanibel, Fort Myers Beach students attend different schools due to Hurricane Milton damage For the second time in two years, students in Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach headed to a different school Wednesday morning because of the damage left by a hurricane.
Gale’s Gifts year-round Christmas store gears up for season Gale Griswold hoped she was onto something, opening a year-round Christmas specialty store. A year later, her instincts are paying off.
MARCO ISLAND Marco Island public meeting cancelled The City of Marco Island Waterways Advisory Committee public meeting scheduled for Thursday at 8:30 a.m. in the Community Meeting Room, 51 Bald Eagle Dr, has been canceled.
Swim advisory lifted in some SWFL beaches The Department of Health in Collier County has been taking tests after Hurricane Milton to see if there were any signs of illnesses in the water.
PORT CHARLOTTE Mobile medical clinics available in Charlotte County If you need necessities after the recent impact of hurricanes Helene and Milton, Mobile Medical Clinics in Charlotte County can help.
Bicyclist killed after crashing with 2 motorcyclists on Three Oaks Parkway The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash involving a bicyclist and two motorcycles on Three Oaks Parkway.
SANIBEL Sanibel church keeps the faith after three storms The St. Michael and All Angels Church in Sanibel has miraculously evaded serious damage from hurricanes despite its lack of structural protection.
The Weather Authority Cold front brings cooler and breezy conditions this Wednesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking an approaching cold front, which will bring cooler and breezier afternoon conditions.
FEMA’s Operation Blue Roof active for Charlotte and DeSoto counties If you suffered roof damage to your home from Hurricane Milton, you can now get help for free if you live in Charlotte or DeSoto counties.
ENGLEWOOD Indian Mound Park left in ruins, residents look to rebuild People living in Englewood’s Indian Mound Park community are cleaning up what’s left of their homes.
CLEWISTON Two arrested in Clewiston teen’s murder Two people are in jail Tuesday night for the murder of 16-year-old Ja’yhanna Johnson.
FORT MYERS NWS surveys tornado damage as Lee County residents share their loss The National Weather Service got a firsthand look at what people in one Lee County neighborhood have been dealing with for a week.
NAPLES Naples stormwater project to reduce street flooding The project aims to improve water quality and reduce flooding in city streets that often experience heavy rainfall.
CAPTIVA How the South Seas Resort in Captiva is recovering after Milton At the South Seas Resort in Captiva, dozens of crews are working hard to restore power, remove trees and clear roads.
CAPE CORAL 12-foot gator removed from Cape Coral backyard A 12-foot alligator has been removed from the backyard of a home in a Cape Coral neighborhood.
WINK NEWS Sanibel, Fort Myers Beach students attend different schools due to Hurricane Milton damage For the second time in two years, students in Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach headed to a different school Wednesday morning because of the damage left by a hurricane.
Gale’s Gifts year-round Christmas store gears up for season Gale Griswold hoped she was onto something, opening a year-round Christmas specialty store. A year later, her instincts are paying off.
MARCO ISLAND Marco Island public meeting cancelled The City of Marco Island Waterways Advisory Committee public meeting scheduled for Thursday at 8:30 a.m. in the Community Meeting Room, 51 Bald Eagle Dr, has been canceled.
Swim advisory lifted in some SWFL beaches The Department of Health in Collier County has been taking tests after Hurricane Milton to see if there were any signs of illnesses in the water.
PORT CHARLOTTE Mobile medical clinics available in Charlotte County If you need necessities after the recent impact of hurricanes Helene and Milton, Mobile Medical Clinics in Charlotte County can help.
Bicyclist killed after crashing with 2 motorcyclists on Three Oaks Parkway The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash involving a bicyclist and two motorcycles on Three Oaks Parkway.
SANIBEL Sanibel church keeps the faith after three storms The St. Michael and All Angels Church in Sanibel has miraculously evaded serious damage from hurricanes despite its lack of structural protection.
The Weather Authority Cold front brings cooler and breezy conditions this Wednesday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking an approaching cold front, which will bring cooler and breezier afternoon conditions.
FEMA’s Operation Blue Roof active for Charlotte and DeSoto counties If you suffered roof damage to your home from Hurricane Milton, you can now get help for free if you live in Charlotte or DeSoto counties.
ENGLEWOOD Indian Mound Park left in ruins, residents look to rebuild People living in Englewood’s Indian Mound Park community are cleaning up what’s left of their homes.
CLEWISTON Two arrested in Clewiston teen’s murder Two people are in jail Tuesday night for the murder of 16-year-old Ja’yhanna Johnson.
FORT MYERS NWS surveys tornado damage as Lee County residents share their loss The National Weather Service got a firsthand look at what people in one Lee County neighborhood have been dealing with for a week.
NAPLES Naples stormwater project to reduce street flooding The project aims to improve water quality and reduce flooding in city streets that often experience heavy rainfall.
CAPTIVA How the South Seas Resort in Captiva is recovering after Milton At the South Seas Resort in Captiva, dozens of crews are working hard to restore power, remove trees and clear roads.
For the second time in two years, students in Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach headed to a different school Wednesday morning because of a hurricane. Damage left by Hurricane Milton the night of Oct. 9 left students without habitable classrooms at Fort Myers Beach Elementary and the Sanibel School. Fort Myers Beach Elementary students are now attending class at San Carlos Park Elementary while the students from the Sanibel School will attend Heights Elementary. WINK News reporter Camila Pereira spoke to one mom who was dropping off her child from Fort Myers Beach Elementary at San Carlos Park Elementary. She said having to drive there to drop off her child and then go and take her husband to work can be stressful because it’s a relocation that might be out of the way for those on the island. Two years earlier, Fort Myers Beach Elementary relocated to San Carlos Park Elementary after Hurricane Ian damaged it. Getting them back to their classrooms took over a year, and parents were frustrated. “Seven months in … it’s frustrating, you know? On a day-to-day basis, our kid, the effort it takes to get home from school is a lot. Kids are resilient, but they need to have some normalcy. They need to have a routine in their life,” said John Koss, a Fort Myers Beach Elementary Parent. Parents are now asking the same question as they did two years ago: when will their kids be able to go back to their original schools? WINK News contacted the Lee County School District regarding the timeline before students and staff can return to their original schools. According to the Lee County School District Public Information Officer, there is no timetable for students and staff returning. When asked about the extent of damages, the PIO responded, “Both Fort Myers Beach Elementary and The Sanibel School were damaged by water intrusion caused by Hurricane Milton’s storm surge. We are diligently working to remediate the damage so it does not get any worse. Once that phase is complete, we will consider the repair options available to us.” WINK News also received multiple tips regarding the power and air conditioning being out at North Fort Myers High School. The PIO responded to the claims: “All schools have power. A reliable source of power was one of the required elements to reopen a school. A few campuses have dealt with the same short, intermittent outages that homeowners and businesses have as electricity is restored around them, but none have significantly interrupted normal operations.”