PUNTA GORDA Homes For Our Troops grants veteran new home Through all the cheers and a community-wide escort, it’s a ‘welcome to your forever home for army sergeant veteran Brandon Rethmel and his family.
ALVA LCSO responds to triple drowning in Alva The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is responding to a scene of a water rescue where three people were recovered.
PUNTA GORDA Preparing for hurricane season at the 2024 Charlotte County Hurricane Expo With hurricane season less than two weeks away, it’s important to start preparing.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Beat the Heat: Stay safe during extreme weather The Weather Authority has issued a heat advisory for portions of South, Southeast, and Southwest Florida from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday.
FORT MYERS Leaders discuss possibility of shutting down Caloosahatchee Bridge Should residents endure two years of partial lane closures, or fully shut the Caloosahatchee bridge down for 10 weeks?
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball parents cherish NCAA Tournament experience The parents of the FGCU softball team are relishing seeing their daughters play in the NCAA Tournament.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA The Weather Authority: Hot, hot, hot Heat advisory in place for Saturday until 8 p.m.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers teen finds dead body in bed of his truck A 16-year-old in Fort Myers drove to school, drove home, drove to the barbershop and back home again. Then, he noticed a swarm of flies in the back of his truck.
Scottie Scheffler facing felony charges; local attorney reacts The attorney we spoke with told us that, at a minimum, we’d spend the night in jail before having our first appearance and getting bail.
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball falls to No. 4 Florida in NCAA Tournament The FGCU softball team couldn’t keep up with the No. 4 Florida Gators as the Eagles drop their first Regional game 6-0 to the Gators.
Summer Safety: Swim safety tips to know before the summer The pool is warming up to be the hot spot for kids and families this summer. It’s now also the number one leading cause of drowning deaths for children ages 1-4 in the state.
FORT MYERS BEACH ‘The Whale’ restaurant to break ground on new building The Whale is a place that has shown great strength and determination.
COLLIER COUNTY Endangered Florida panther deaths surpass 2023 total in 5 months It’s taken wildlife officials just over five and a half months to report finding more dead endangered Florida panthers than in all of 2023.
FORT MYERS FMPD honors 7 officers and 2 K-9s who died in the line of duty dating back to 1930 Nine lives were given, and all nine will remain remembered. A lifetime of gratitude for the fallen officers.
Firefighter recovering from heat exhaustion after battling flames in Collier County It happened at Progress Rail, a transit corporation on Mercantile Avenue just before 5am on Friday.
PUNTA GORDA Homes For Our Troops grants veteran new home Through all the cheers and a community-wide escort, it’s a ‘welcome to your forever home for army sergeant veteran Brandon Rethmel and his family.
ALVA LCSO responds to triple drowning in Alva The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is responding to a scene of a water rescue where three people were recovered.
PUNTA GORDA Preparing for hurricane season at the 2024 Charlotte County Hurricane Expo With hurricane season less than two weeks away, it’s important to start preparing.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Beat the Heat: Stay safe during extreme weather The Weather Authority has issued a heat advisory for portions of South, Southeast, and Southwest Florida from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday.
FORT MYERS Leaders discuss possibility of shutting down Caloosahatchee Bridge Should residents endure two years of partial lane closures, or fully shut the Caloosahatchee bridge down for 10 weeks?
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball parents cherish NCAA Tournament experience The parents of the FGCU softball team are relishing seeing their daughters play in the NCAA Tournament.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA The Weather Authority: Hot, hot, hot Heat advisory in place for Saturday until 8 p.m.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers teen finds dead body in bed of his truck A 16-year-old in Fort Myers drove to school, drove home, drove to the barbershop and back home again. Then, he noticed a swarm of flies in the back of his truck.
Scottie Scheffler facing felony charges; local attorney reacts The attorney we spoke with told us that, at a minimum, we’d spend the night in jail before having our first appearance and getting bail.
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball falls to No. 4 Florida in NCAA Tournament The FGCU softball team couldn’t keep up with the No. 4 Florida Gators as the Eagles drop their first Regional game 6-0 to the Gators.
Summer Safety: Swim safety tips to know before the summer The pool is warming up to be the hot spot for kids and families this summer. It’s now also the number one leading cause of drowning deaths for children ages 1-4 in the state.
FORT MYERS BEACH ‘The Whale’ restaurant to break ground on new building The Whale is a place that has shown great strength and determination.
COLLIER COUNTY Endangered Florida panther deaths surpass 2023 total in 5 months It’s taken wildlife officials just over five and a half months to report finding more dead endangered Florida panthers than in all of 2023.
FORT MYERS FMPD honors 7 officers and 2 K-9s who died in the line of duty dating back to 1930 Nine lives were given, and all nine will remain remembered. A lifetime of gratitude for the fallen officers.
Firefighter recovering from heat exhaustion after battling flames in Collier County It happened at Progress Rail, a transit corporation on Mercantile Avenue just before 5am on Friday.
NAPLES Program tries to eradicate invasive Burmese pythons from Everglades by targeting female snakes While it may not seem for the faint of heart, Burmese pythons do not faze Ian Bartoszek. Bartoszek is an environmental science project manager with the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. Burmese pythons are devastating to the Everglades but efforts to control the invasive species are growing. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida has teamed up with […]
FORT MYERS Courtney Gainey pleads guilty in hit-and-run death of 14-year-old Allana Marie Staiano Courtney Gainey changed her plea from not guilty to guilty in the death of 14-year-old Allana Marie Staiano in a hit-and-run crash in North Fort Myers in January 2020. She was scheduled to face a jury trial Tuesday, but as potential jurors waited the judge gave Gainey until 1 p.m. to decide whether she wanted […]
WINK NEWS Aerial images give researchers closer look at SWFL water quality Just as our water ebbs and flows, our water quality does too. Aerial photographers were able to capture how much our water can change in a matter of days and weeks. We looked at how that’s turning the tide on tracking the health and look of our water. “A picture’s worth a thousand words,” said […]
CHARLOTTE COUNTY Helping improve water quality for Florida and across the country A water warrior in Charlotte County is helping improve water quality for the state and across the country. Florida’s waterways haven’t simply been the backdrop of Betty Staugler’s work; they’re home for her. “When we have blooms that are these large blooms, they’re very newsworthy, they’re very devastating to the economy, that has forced us […]
FORT MYERS Fighting red tide with nature Red tide is a part of living on the Gulf coast. While it’s clearing up in Southwest Florida, research is underway to lessen its impact in the future. After looking at the history and the issue, Florida TaxWatch found the state should consider reintroducing southern hard clams to Southwest Florida estuaries. “This is just one […]
EAST NAPLES Scientists are trying to find a way to battle palm tree-killing diseases Deadly diseases are killing palm trees but scientists are finding a way to fix the issue. Cameron Cole, plant health manager at the Naples Botanical Garden, is one of the people who help keep the plants healthy. “My main concern is usually scouting for diseases and pests throughout the garden and keeping track of new […]
SARASOTA COUNTY Experiment wants to fight red tide without chemicals A lab is conducting studies to make fighting red tide without chemicals a reality in Southwest Florida. At Mote Marine Lab in Sarasota County, the goal is to have an entire arsenal of methods to combat harmful algal blooms, including red tide. This is just one tool to make that happen. The trailer parked at […]
CAPE CORAL Algae thickens in Cape Coral canals, neighbors frustrated Big mats of green gunky algae sit atop the water in some SE Cape Coral canals, and it’s really starting to bother neighbors who live nearby. In some areas, it’s so thick it looks like you could walk on it. Referring to one area near the Rubicon Canal, which runs north from Bimini Basin, Cathy […]
NAPLES Charter captains sue federal government over electronic monitoring of boats and fishing Some charter boat captains fear the federal government’s plans to use GPS to track their movements could be invasive and bad for business. The new rule from NOAA Fisheries includes GPS monitoring of boats and electronic reporting for fishing. Capt. Allen Walburn, of A & B Charters, has been taking guests deep sea fishing for […]
WINK NEWS There are ways to help protect manatees in SWFL International Manatee Day is a time to focus on important members of our ecosystem in Southwest Florida and how to protect them. Manatee deaths have already passed a record in 2021, and the year isn’t over yet. There are steps that can be taken in the water and on land to help protect manatees. By […]