Lee County to pick up debris on Estero and Hickory boulevardsAre our habitats on the brink of a slow collapse?
BONITA SPRINGS Lee County to pick up debris on Estero and Hickory boulevards After three weeks of hard work clearing mountains of sand from Estero and Hickory boulevards, Lee County crews are ready to switch gears to storm debris collection along these main county roads.
SANIBEL Are our habitats on the brink of a slow collapse? For two years, Sanibel Island’s delicate ecosystems have been battered by unrelenting storm surges, leaving behind dead trees and tainted freshwater pools.
LEHIGH ACRES Lehigh Acres driver wants more safety measures for State Road 82 A Lehigh Acres man wants other drivers to know to pay attention. He also wants the county, city or state to put some more patrols out here.
SANIBEL What beaches are experiencing red tide issues now? Parts of Southewst Florida are dealing with red tide. But it’s not impacting Sanibel or beachgoers there.
NAPLES Naples Police Department begins celebrations of 100 years of service The City of Naples Police Department will hit 100 years of service in November of 2025, and they are now beginning their year of celebrations.
ESTERO FGCU students and professor weigh in on upcoming election As the nation gears up for a pivotal election, a question lingers among young voters. Will students turn out to vote?
New procedure helping disc pain Neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain and arm pain can all be caused by a herniated disc. If left untreated, this can become debilitating and lead to nerve damage.
FORT MYERS Final weekend for early voting The clock’s winding down on early voting. This is the final weekend to cast your ballot. If you haven’t voted yet, you may have to wait in line on Election Day.
Wawa tumblers recalled after reported injuries Wawa is recalling 60,000 tumblers because of a safety hazard with metal straws.
SOUTH FORT MYERS Boil water notice lifted in South Fort Myers area After taking necessary precautions, Lee County Utilities has rescinded the boil water notice that affected 420 residences and 15 commercial sites for South Fort Myers.
The Weather Authority Tracking the Tropics: Possible development in the Gulf of Mexico has 70% chance of formation The Weather Authority is tracking a possible development in the Gulf of Mexico that is slowly gaining strength.
FORT MYERS RSW to offer remote parking for Thanksgiving travelers The Southwest Florida International Airport has announced its RSWRemote parking option for Thanksgiving travelers.
Tim Aten Knows: Mexican restaurant changes name in North Naples La Santa Tacos & Tequilas in North Naples was forced to change its name by another user of the La Santa name.
Deadly crash on I-75 in Lee County; dump truck flipped upside down The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a deadly crash on Interstate 75, three miles south of Corkscrew Road in Lee County.
The Weather Authority Warm with a few showers for Friday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a warm Friday with the possibility of afternoon and evening showers.
BONITA SPRINGS Lee County to pick up debris on Estero and Hickory boulevards After three weeks of hard work clearing mountains of sand from Estero and Hickory boulevards, Lee County crews are ready to switch gears to storm debris collection along these main county roads.
SANIBEL Are our habitats on the brink of a slow collapse? For two years, Sanibel Island’s delicate ecosystems have been battered by unrelenting storm surges, leaving behind dead trees and tainted freshwater pools.
LEHIGH ACRES Lehigh Acres driver wants more safety measures for State Road 82 A Lehigh Acres man wants other drivers to know to pay attention. He also wants the county, city or state to put some more patrols out here.
SANIBEL What beaches are experiencing red tide issues now? Parts of Southewst Florida are dealing with red tide. But it’s not impacting Sanibel or beachgoers there.
NAPLES Naples Police Department begins celebrations of 100 years of service The City of Naples Police Department will hit 100 years of service in November of 2025, and they are now beginning their year of celebrations.
ESTERO FGCU students and professor weigh in on upcoming election As the nation gears up for a pivotal election, a question lingers among young voters. Will students turn out to vote?
New procedure helping disc pain Neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain and arm pain can all be caused by a herniated disc. If left untreated, this can become debilitating and lead to nerve damage.
FORT MYERS Final weekend for early voting The clock’s winding down on early voting. This is the final weekend to cast your ballot. If you haven’t voted yet, you may have to wait in line on Election Day.
Wawa tumblers recalled after reported injuries Wawa is recalling 60,000 tumblers because of a safety hazard with metal straws.
SOUTH FORT MYERS Boil water notice lifted in South Fort Myers area After taking necessary precautions, Lee County Utilities has rescinded the boil water notice that affected 420 residences and 15 commercial sites for South Fort Myers.
The Weather Authority Tracking the Tropics: Possible development in the Gulf of Mexico has 70% chance of formation The Weather Authority is tracking a possible development in the Gulf of Mexico that is slowly gaining strength.
FORT MYERS RSW to offer remote parking for Thanksgiving travelers The Southwest Florida International Airport has announced its RSWRemote parking option for Thanksgiving travelers.
Tim Aten Knows: Mexican restaurant changes name in North Naples La Santa Tacos & Tequilas in North Naples was forced to change its name by another user of the La Santa name.
Deadly crash on I-75 in Lee County; dump truck flipped upside down The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a deadly crash on Interstate 75, three miles south of Corkscrew Road in Lee County.
The Weather Authority Warm with a few showers for Friday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a warm Friday with the possibility of afternoon and evening showers.
For two years, Sanibel Island’s delicate ecosystems have been battered by unrelenting storm surges, leaving behind dead trees and tainted freshwater pools. Neighbors worry the visible wounds are only the beginning. WINK News spoke to experts who worry our habitats may be on the brink of a slow collapse. This is leaving people concerned that this is just the start, so we came down to the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge to get some answers. Lately, the island of Sanibel has learned that recovery is a gradual process. Bob Gerwig is a manager at the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge Complex and has a long history in Sanibel. “I’ve got over 50 years of history here on Sanibel, and so I’m seeing these changes, too. I’m talking about things like impaired water quality; that’s been an issue here in Southwest Florida for a couple of decades now,” Gerwig said. He told us about how the ecosystems on the island are in unchartered territory because of the repetitive impact of severe storms. The big concern for him is the continual stressors. “That doesn’t allow ecosystems to recover as quickly and maybe as fully as they possibly could, so that is something that does concern me as a biologist and as a resource managerthe rampant development here in Southwest Florida that we’re not allowing these ecosystems maybe perhaps enough room to respond in the best way that they possibly could,” Gerwig said. Luckily, nature is resilient, but you don’t want to push your luck too far. That said, Gerwig believes the island will recover. You just have to be patient. “Barrier island systems, where these systems are, are extremely dynamic. They’re always in flux, so what you might have seen for 10 years might not be there in 10 years, and that’s just kind of how these systems work,” Gerwig said. It’s been a long road for the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge to recover from all of the hurricanes, but a few areas, including the visitor center and Bailey Track, will reopen at the refuge on Monday.