Locals react to fire at The Boathouse in Cape Coral While the cause of the fire is unknown, a Boathouse employee said she saw a fire spark from the backside of the building, below the deck.
CAPE CORAL Mobile unit aids children with autism post-storms The recent storms we’ve experienced have been especially hard to process for children with autism.
Nordstrom Rack opens at Bell Tower in south Fort Myers Nordstrom Rack celebrated its grand opening Oct. 17 at Bell Tower in south Fort Myers. It did so with dozens of store fans gathered in line for an hour before the opening, with music, dancing and a $1,000 gift card giveaway.
2 men accused of burglarizing evacuated properties post-Hurricane Milton Two men have been arrested in Charlotte County for taking the belongings of residents who evacuated due to Hurricane Milton.
NORTH FORT MYERS House fire kills 2 dogs on Hart Drive in Lee County The North Fort Myers Fire Department responded to a house fire that killed two dogs on Hart Drive.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral woman accused of using child to steal over $1K worth of items at Target A Cape Coral woman has been arrested after allegedly using a child to steal over $1,000 worth of merchandise at a Target.
ESTERO Lee DOT to close Estero Parkway overpass for maintenance Lee Department of Transportation announces that all traffic at the Estero Parkway overpass over Interstate 75 will be closed from noon Friday, Nov. 1, until 5 a.m. until Tuesday, Nov. 5. The closure will depend on the weather.
CAPE CORAL SunSplash announces new expansion for 2025 SunSplash Family Water Park offers a new attraction for guests to beat the heat! The latest wave pool is aiming to go live.
M Development gets green light to move forward with luxury development After suing the city of Naples, an Aspen, Colorado-based developer’s plans were approved, paving the way for a luxury project of condominiums, boutique retailers and restaurants that will serve as a gateway to downtown.
the weather authority Chance for a stray shower and breezy for your Friday The Weather Authority is tracking breezier conditions this Friday, along with a chance of stray showers in the forecast.
Tim Aten Knows: Update on Costco, East Naples projects No news may not be good news when it comes to the proposal to build a Costco Wholesale store in East Naples.
FORT MYERS BEACH Is the face of Fort Myers Beach changing? As SWFL learned from Hurricane Ian, It only takes one storm to change the face of the coastline.
WINK NEWS SWFL Scoreboard: High School Football Week 9 Southwest Florida high school football is back in action after Hurricane Milton disrupted things for a week.
PUNTA GORDA Family welcomes baby 1 week after Hurricane Milton floods home Watch out, world. Baby Arya Marie Rhea is here. A week after Hurricane Milton filled a family’s Punta Gorda home with water, they are feeling blessed and welcoming a new baby into their lives.
CAPE CORAL The Boathouse Tiki Bar and Grill erupts into flames in Cape Coral Crews are actively battling a fire near the yacht club in Cape Coral.
Locals react to fire at The Boathouse in Cape Coral While the cause of the fire is unknown, a Boathouse employee said she saw a fire spark from the backside of the building, below the deck.
CAPE CORAL Mobile unit aids children with autism post-storms The recent storms we’ve experienced have been especially hard to process for children with autism.
Nordstrom Rack opens at Bell Tower in south Fort Myers Nordstrom Rack celebrated its grand opening Oct. 17 at Bell Tower in south Fort Myers. It did so with dozens of store fans gathered in line for an hour before the opening, with music, dancing and a $1,000 gift card giveaway.
2 men accused of burglarizing evacuated properties post-Hurricane Milton Two men have been arrested in Charlotte County for taking the belongings of residents who evacuated due to Hurricane Milton.
NORTH FORT MYERS House fire kills 2 dogs on Hart Drive in Lee County The North Fort Myers Fire Department responded to a house fire that killed two dogs on Hart Drive.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral woman accused of using child to steal over $1K worth of items at Target A Cape Coral woman has been arrested after allegedly using a child to steal over $1,000 worth of merchandise at a Target.
ESTERO Lee DOT to close Estero Parkway overpass for maintenance Lee Department of Transportation announces that all traffic at the Estero Parkway overpass over Interstate 75 will be closed from noon Friday, Nov. 1, until 5 a.m. until Tuesday, Nov. 5. The closure will depend on the weather.
CAPE CORAL SunSplash announces new expansion for 2025 SunSplash Family Water Park offers a new attraction for guests to beat the heat! The latest wave pool is aiming to go live.
M Development gets green light to move forward with luxury development After suing the city of Naples, an Aspen, Colorado-based developer’s plans were approved, paving the way for a luxury project of condominiums, boutique retailers and restaurants that will serve as a gateway to downtown.
the weather authority Chance for a stray shower and breezy for your Friday The Weather Authority is tracking breezier conditions this Friday, along with a chance of stray showers in the forecast.
Tim Aten Knows: Update on Costco, East Naples projects No news may not be good news when it comes to the proposal to build a Costco Wholesale store in East Naples.
FORT MYERS BEACH Is the face of Fort Myers Beach changing? As SWFL learned from Hurricane Ian, It only takes one storm to change the face of the coastline.
WINK NEWS SWFL Scoreboard: High School Football Week 9 Southwest Florida high school football is back in action after Hurricane Milton disrupted things for a week.
PUNTA GORDA Family welcomes baby 1 week after Hurricane Milton floods home Watch out, world. Baby Arya Marie Rhea is here. A week after Hurricane Milton filled a family’s Punta Gorda home with water, they are feeling blessed and welcoming a new baby into their lives.
CAPE CORAL The Boathouse Tiki Bar and Grill erupts into flames in Cape Coral Crews are actively battling a fire near the yacht club in Cape Coral.
The recent storms we’ve experienced have been especially hard to process for children with autism. Like others in their community, many of them are displaced and struggling. It’s why the governor’s office asked a local autism organization for help. The governor’s office is on the Family Initiative’s sensory trailer. On Thursday, they invited the organization to Tallahassee and gave them a check for $50,000 to expand the group’s one-of-a-kind emergency response. In a sea of need, this mobile unit is a lifeline. It first pulled into sites hard hit by Hurricane Helene and then redeployed after Milton. “Leadership just reached out, sent us a text message and just said, ‘Hey, this is where we’re rolling to. Do you guys have capacity and ability to be there?’ And we said, ‘yes,'” said David Brown, co-founder of Family Initiative. Florida’s emergency response team heard about the trailer home in Cape Coral. It’s a one-stop shop that supports kids with autism and their families. It was created by a pair of social workers who recognized a need for people with functional needs. “We pack up all the supplies, put them inside the trailer and then we get to wherever we need to be. When responding to hurricanes, we have water, we have diapers, we have whatever they might need,” said Anjali Vandrie, co-founder of Family Initiative. The mobile unit is a treasure chest of stimulating toys. Sensory devices calm kids and keep them engaged. Clinicians also use the tools at Family Initiative’s school. They stimulate through light, touch, movement and sound. They designed the trailer to bring to community events but found it helped kids with autism process trauma. “We worked very closely together with our clinical staff to figure out what are the things that help meet our kids’ needs the most,” Vandrie said. The proof is in the smiles, creating a slice of normalcy after all the stress. The mobile unit is locked and ready to roll, carrying emotional support. “To bring some joy and bring some support to those families has made a huge difference,” Brown said.