A cool, comfortable first weekend of 2025 with lots of sunshineLocals respond to Surgeon General advisory on alcohol
the weather authority A cool, comfortable first weekend of 2025 with lots of sunshine The Weather Authority is kicking off the first weekend of 2025 on a chilly note with morning temperatures in the 40s and 50s across Southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS Locals respond to Surgeon General advisory on alcohol Many think a cancer warning label won’t stop anyone who is planning on having a drink from having one. But at the same time, hearing alcohol could increase their cancer risk did get them thinking about drinking.
New provision to Florida law gives public the authority to sue over homeless camping People now have the power to sue local leaders for not stopping the homeless from camping in public if a report is made.
CAPE CORAL Understanding water restriction in Cape Coral The city of Canals has water problems again!
SANIBEL Future of the Sanibel Pier Sanibel Island is looking much better since Hurricane Ian, but while the lighthouse is standing tall, the pier isn’t doing too well.
downtown fort myers Large crowds expected for Fort Myers Seafood & Music Festival Downtown Fort Myers is on higher alert as this weekend’s 4th Annual Fort Myers Seafood & Music Festival is expected to draw large crowds.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral neighborhood growing frustrated over debris piles Pounds of trash and debris are blowing through a Cape Coral neighborhood, through the streets, into canals and every which way.
Inside a Lee County special corrections program More than 3,000 bags of trash, 19 interstate projects, nearly 100 citizen requests and over one hundred truckloads of trash—that’s the work done by nonviolent offenders in Lee County, who are doing their part to make our county more beautiful.
FGCU NCAA implements rules for checking pitchers for foreign substances The NCAA will soon send out an instructional video on in-game foreign substance checks for pitchers.
Surgeon General calls for cancer warnings on alcohol In the new year, there’s a new call to warn Americans about the negative effects of alcohol.
Family of Charlotte deputy killed during traffic stop releases statement The family of Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Sgt. Elio Diaz is breaking their silence.
Southwest Florida battles the Flu Flu cases are skyrocketing in Southwest Florida, making this busy season even more challenging.
FORT MYERS SWFL 19-year-old hurt in New Orleans terrorist attack releases statement One of the young women from Fort Myers hurt during the New Orleans New Year’s Eve attack is speaking out for the first time.
Bonita Bill’s to close Jan. 5 prior to pending $5.5M sale HM Restaurant Group, owners the adjacent Doc Ford’s Rum Bar and Grille and Dixie Fish Co. restaurants, has been named as the buyer.
naples Beloved Naples Zoo giant anteater, Dee Gee, passes away The Naples Zoo is mourning the loss of a beloved male giant anteater who had given nearly 10 years of joy to visitors.
the weather authority A cool, comfortable first weekend of 2025 with lots of sunshine The Weather Authority is kicking off the first weekend of 2025 on a chilly note with morning temperatures in the 40s and 50s across Southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS Locals respond to Surgeon General advisory on alcohol Many think a cancer warning label won’t stop anyone who is planning on having a drink from having one. But at the same time, hearing alcohol could increase their cancer risk did get them thinking about drinking.
New provision to Florida law gives public the authority to sue over homeless camping People now have the power to sue local leaders for not stopping the homeless from camping in public if a report is made.
CAPE CORAL Understanding water restriction in Cape Coral The city of Canals has water problems again!
SANIBEL Future of the Sanibel Pier Sanibel Island is looking much better since Hurricane Ian, but while the lighthouse is standing tall, the pier isn’t doing too well.
downtown fort myers Large crowds expected for Fort Myers Seafood & Music Festival Downtown Fort Myers is on higher alert as this weekend’s 4th Annual Fort Myers Seafood & Music Festival is expected to draw large crowds.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral neighborhood growing frustrated over debris piles Pounds of trash and debris are blowing through a Cape Coral neighborhood, through the streets, into canals and every which way.
Inside a Lee County special corrections program More than 3,000 bags of trash, 19 interstate projects, nearly 100 citizen requests and over one hundred truckloads of trash—that’s the work done by nonviolent offenders in Lee County, who are doing their part to make our county more beautiful.
FGCU NCAA implements rules for checking pitchers for foreign substances The NCAA will soon send out an instructional video on in-game foreign substance checks for pitchers.
Surgeon General calls for cancer warnings on alcohol In the new year, there’s a new call to warn Americans about the negative effects of alcohol.
Family of Charlotte deputy killed during traffic stop releases statement The family of Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Sgt. Elio Diaz is breaking their silence.
Southwest Florida battles the Flu Flu cases are skyrocketing in Southwest Florida, making this busy season even more challenging.
FORT MYERS SWFL 19-year-old hurt in New Orleans terrorist attack releases statement One of the young women from Fort Myers hurt during the New Orleans New Year’s Eve attack is speaking out for the first time.
Bonita Bill’s to close Jan. 5 prior to pending $5.5M sale HM Restaurant Group, owners the adjacent Doc Ford’s Rum Bar and Grille and Dixie Fish Co. restaurants, has been named as the buyer.
naples Beloved Naples Zoo giant anteater, Dee Gee, passes away The Naples Zoo is mourning the loss of a beloved male giant anteater who had given nearly 10 years of joy to visitors.
The fog on Tuesday night put a damper on some of our New Year’s Eve celebrations, including the Fort Myers Beach fireworks. Beachgoers said on Wednesday that the fog stole the show. Now, the town is getting pushback from taxpayers wondering why the fireworks weren’t postponed. Documents from the Fort Myers Beach Council show the fireworks were funded with $80,000 of available savings carried over from fiscal year 2024. “We tried to play football. We couldn’t even see that. We couldn’t see in front of us. Couldn’t see the water. It was bad. We were hoping that they were going to get postponed to actually see them, and they still went through with it, you know, and were very disappointed. It actually absolutely sucked, to be honest with you,” Daniel Martin, who watched the fireworks, said. “The only thing I really saw was like, kind of like colored clouds. It wasn’t really, I couldn’t, like, clearly see the fireworks,” Jeremiah Wiltse of Michigan said. You could hear them going off. One beachgoer told WINK News it was a first for him. “I definitely will not forget this day. This is even if I didn’t get to see fireworks. I mean, I’ve seen fireworks. I could picture it in my head. For me, it was more of the AMSR fireworks experience. I think people still got a kick out of it, and I think a majority of the people still stayed for the very end,” Kevin Zapata from Miami said. The New Year’s Eve fun on the beach still happened despite no fireworks. RELATED: New Year’s Eve crowds fill Fort Myers Beach for fireworks “We didn’t stay until the fireworks, but because we had the little ones. But it was, it was gorgeous. There was a lot of fun. People throwing balls and enjoying their time here on the beach like always,” Kim Burchett of Fort Myers said. Now, people want answers. Should the town have rescheduled? Was the show a waste of money? “They should have rescheduled them. Like, today’s super clear. This would have been perfect. Yeah, it would have been really nice to see him today. So, like, we can appreciate them more,” Wiltse said. Zapata brought up an interesting point. “I know some people celebrate New Year’s Eve, some people celebrate New Year’s Day. So, why not both? They [fireworks] went on for probably 40 minutes, so they could have done 20 minutes last night, 20 minutes tonight,” Zapata said. Fort Myers Beach Mayor Dan Allers, in a social media post, said, “We did discuss canceling them and trying to postpone them till today or the 4th of July. Fog was predicted to lift by 10am yesterday and it tried, but didn’t. Once the fireworks were on the barge, the show either went on or the money was lost.” He continued, “We are not happy with the outcome either, but we can’t control Mother Nature.” WINK News has reached out to Mayor Allers and has not heard back. The town of Fort Myers Beach made a similar statement on Facebook, saying the fireworks display was not what they had hoped for.