1 dead after head-on crash on I-75 According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a crash left one dead on I-75.
FORT MYERS BEACH Final day of Island Hopper Fest held despite effects from Helene The last day of the 10th annual Island Hopper Songwriter Festival was held on Fort Myers Beach Sunday afternoon.
FORT MYERS BEACH Sen. Rick Scott visits Fort Myers Beach in the wake of Helene Sen. Rick Scott traveled to Fort Myers Beach to survey the damage following Helene.
Distribution center provides aid for those affected by Helene Charlotte County received a bit of relief Sunday after being hit by Helene.
Death toll rises from Helene while supplies are rushed to North Carolina and Florida digs out The U.S. Southeast grappled Sunday with rising death tolls, a lack of vital supplies in isolated, flood-stricken areas and the widespread loss of homes and property while the devastating toll of Hurricane Helene became more clear and officials warned of a lengthy and difficult rebuild.
FEMA assistance available for some affected by Hurricane Helene Florida homeowners and renters in counties with uninsured damage or losses caused by Hurricane Helene may be eligible for FEMA disaster assistance.
SANIBEL Sanibel Fire & Rescue District traveling to assist with Helene relief The Sanibel Fire & Rescue District sent a crew to Perry, FL, early Sunday morning to assist with disaster relief following Hurricane Helene.
FORT MYERS Man accused of filming woman in Target dressing room A man is being accused of videotaping a woman while she was trying on clothes at a Fort Myers Target on Friday.
BONITA SPRINGS Man arrested in Bonita Springs for stabbing A man has been arrested in Bonita Springs after allegedly stabbing someone.
southwest florida WINK Neighborhood Watch: Animal abuse, grand theft auto and spousal murder This week’s segment of WINK Neighborhood Watch features animal abuse, grand theft auto and a man murdering his wife.
President Biden approves Florida disaster declaration President Biden approved a Florida disaster declaration after Hurricane Helene left a wake of destruction.
NAPLES Crash in Collier County leaves car in canal and driver dead A traffic crash occurred in Naples on 12th Avenue Northeast near Wilson Boulevard.
SANIBEL Sanibel couple remaining hopeful following damage from Helene A Sanibel couple is remaining hopeful after flooding impacted their home during Helene Thursday night.
SANIBEL Sanibel residents recovering from Helene two years after Ian Due to Helene, The City of Sanibel has postponed a two-year Ian celebration and turned the event into a cleanup.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach seeking to avoid unnecessary traffic after Helene The town of Fort Myers Beach is asking some people not to visit the island.
1 dead after head-on crash on I-75 According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a crash left one dead on I-75.
FORT MYERS BEACH Final day of Island Hopper Fest held despite effects from Helene The last day of the 10th annual Island Hopper Songwriter Festival was held on Fort Myers Beach Sunday afternoon.
FORT MYERS BEACH Sen. Rick Scott visits Fort Myers Beach in the wake of Helene Sen. Rick Scott traveled to Fort Myers Beach to survey the damage following Helene.
Distribution center provides aid for those affected by Helene Charlotte County received a bit of relief Sunday after being hit by Helene.
Death toll rises from Helene while supplies are rushed to North Carolina and Florida digs out The U.S. Southeast grappled Sunday with rising death tolls, a lack of vital supplies in isolated, flood-stricken areas and the widespread loss of homes and property while the devastating toll of Hurricane Helene became more clear and officials warned of a lengthy and difficult rebuild.
FEMA assistance available for some affected by Hurricane Helene Florida homeowners and renters in counties with uninsured damage or losses caused by Hurricane Helene may be eligible for FEMA disaster assistance.
SANIBEL Sanibel Fire & Rescue District traveling to assist with Helene relief The Sanibel Fire & Rescue District sent a crew to Perry, FL, early Sunday morning to assist with disaster relief following Hurricane Helene.
FORT MYERS Man accused of filming woman in Target dressing room A man is being accused of videotaping a woman while she was trying on clothes at a Fort Myers Target on Friday.
BONITA SPRINGS Man arrested in Bonita Springs for stabbing A man has been arrested in Bonita Springs after allegedly stabbing someone.
southwest florida WINK Neighborhood Watch: Animal abuse, grand theft auto and spousal murder This week’s segment of WINK Neighborhood Watch features animal abuse, grand theft auto and a man murdering his wife.
President Biden approves Florida disaster declaration President Biden approved a Florida disaster declaration after Hurricane Helene left a wake of destruction.
NAPLES Crash in Collier County leaves car in canal and driver dead A traffic crash occurred in Naples on 12th Avenue Northeast near Wilson Boulevard.
SANIBEL Sanibel couple remaining hopeful following damage from Helene A Sanibel couple is remaining hopeful after flooding impacted their home during Helene Thursday night.
SANIBEL Sanibel residents recovering from Helene two years after Ian Due to Helene, The City of Sanibel has postponed a two-year Ian celebration and turned the event into a cleanup.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach seeking to avoid unnecessary traffic after Helene The town of Fort Myers Beach is asking some people not to visit the island.
We’re still tracking a few spotty showers late this morning across Southwest Florida! Temperatures won’t move much this afternoon as most have already hit their high. We’ll remain in the 60s and 70s for most of the day. Clouds will stick around for most of the morning before clearing by sunset. Break out those winter coats! Lows will plummet Friday morning to the 40s and 50s with feels like temperatures (for some) dropping into the 30s.
French President Emmanuel Macron has tested positive for COVID-19, the presidential Elysee Palace announced on Thursday. It said the president took a test “as soon as the first symptoms appeared.” The brief statement did not say what symptoms Macron experienced. It said he would isolate himself for seven days. “He will continue to work and take care of his activities at a distance,” it added. It was not immediately clear what contact tracing efforts were in progress. Macron attended a European Union summit at the end of last week, where he notably had a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. He met Wednesday with the prime minister of Portugal. There was no immediate comment from Portuguese officials. Macron on Wednesday also held the government’s weekly Cabinet meeting in the presence of Prime Minister Jean Castex and other ministers. Castex’s office said that the prime minister is also self-isolating for seven days. The French presidency confirmed that Macron’s trip to Lebanon scheduled for next week is being canceled. Macron and other government officials repeatedly say that they are sticking to strict sanitary protocols during the pandemic, including not shaking hands, wearing a mask and keeping distance from other people. Macron is following French health authorities’ recommendations that since September have reduced the self-isolation time from 14 days to seven. Authorities said at the time that this is the period when there is the greatest risk of contagion and that reducing it allows better enforcement of the measure. French health authorities argued this week that the 14-day quarantine was not well-respected by many in the country who considered it too long.
AmazonSmile is one of the ways Amazon gives back, and it doesn’t cost the customer any extra money. First, Amazon users should register at the AmazonSmile website, where they select a charity of their choice. Then, AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% of eligible purchases to the charitable organization chosen. Eligible products are marked “Eligible for AmazonSmile donation” on their product detail pages. MORE: What is AmazonSmile? To make purchases count using a browser, users must first go to the website before shopping. If you do not take this step, a donation will not be made. AmazonSmile is also now available in the Amazon Shopping app. Open the app and find “Settings” in the main menu. Tap on “AmazonSmile,” and follow the on-screen instructions to turn on AmazonSmile on your phone. According to the Amazon web site, U.S. charities have received $217,644,976.48 as of November 2020.
NCH Healthcare System announced Wednesday it bought the Naples Daily News building in North Naples, and the health leader says it will give it a chance to grow with the community. It’s not yet known how much the sale of the building was. “It’s time for us to start growing,” Nancy Kelly said. “We need health care. We need it so bad.” The move comes at an important time for the health system. “It’s a fabulous time for that,” Susan Giovanni said. “Our hospitals are so taxed and strained.” “The hospitals are a big business in this area; that’s for sure,” Tom Giles said. NCH says the current plans will include relocation of accounting, billing, IT and system warehousing from the central NCH campus on Pine Ridge Road. We are still waiting to hear back from Naples Daily News about what this means for the newspaper. “So many people are working remotely now,” Giovanni said. “They don’t need all of that brick-and-mortar space anymore.” People in Collier County are happy to hear about the new growth for NCH. “It’s only going to get worse, so we need it,” Giovanni said. “It’s a really great dynamic move that they made, and I’m glad to hear it.” The Naples Daily News building is at 1100 Immokalee Road. The NCH move is expected to be complete by early spring 2021. “I really do think that the hospital is in good measure for this,” Kelly said.
The year 2020 has been out of the ordinary, and stores are noticing it too during the holiday shopping season. Experts say more Americans are expected to spend less this year because of the pandemic. We spoke to businesses in Southwest Florida Wednesday about whether they’re making ends meet. Some people we spoke to are buying less, but many said what they are spending is being spent locally. “I’m definitely going to be shopping local and reevaluating who I spend, who I invest my money into,” Tina Garry said. Most of what Garry is buying are from small local shops, and she plans to continue this trend in the future. “Better habits are being established because I’m changing my perspective and my mind set and how I normally would have shopped,” Garry said. Businesses appreciate people like Garry who are considering the challenges of making ends meet during the pandemic. “It’s been a tough year. I mean, it’s been tough getting through,” said Steven Bradford Turner, the co-owner of Snouts and Strokes in Fort Myers. This is a time when businesses would normally be packed, but because of the pandemic, things have changed. “My business did decrease a little bit, but just because of my following, I’ve been doing ok,” said Ollie Gentry, who owns Ollie Mack Gentry Photography Studio. Gentry says he’s worked with other local businesses to promote each other, and that’s helped him survive during the pandemic. “You know, small mom and pop stores, I think it’s important to support them,” Judy Goldstein said. “I don’t want to see them shut down at all.” That’s a mindset many business owners are thankful for. “I just say thank you, you know, for helping us down here,” Turner said. “We’ll try to help you up there, or wherever you’re at.”
Naples City Council renewed discussion about a mask mandate Wednesday in what was a late addition to the meeting’s agenda. Ultimately, council decided to hold off on a decision of the matter and plan to discuss it during a special meeting next week. City council members were visibly frustrated during the topic’s discussion, with Mayor Teresa Heitman saying she felt “blindsided” by masks being added to the agenda the morning of the meeting. Councilman Gary Price brought forward the discussion. He says it would not sit right with him to do nothing. Much of it focused on whether council should be talking about a mandate and whether they could legally discuss it, some feeling the public didn’t get adequate notice. Fire Chief Pete DiMaria advocated for the city to pass a mask mandate and was happy with the outcome of the meeting, while others were not. “Certainly encouraged by the discussion and happy to see we are moving in the right direction,” DiMaria said. “I feel like it’s an important mitigation strategy for our community.” Public commenters were passionate about the issue. One of the public speakers at the meeting said she wished there had been more notice. Council’s decision sided with that sentiment, and council members voted unanimously to continue discussion about a mask mandate in the city at 8:30 a.m. Monday during a special meeting. In July, leaders decided against a mask mandate, and a mask mandate was already discussed earlier in December and also did not pass among city council.
A 21-year-old Navy airman from Port Charlotte was killed Wednesday evening while trying to help the victims of a crash on I-75 in Charlotte County. The Florida Highway Patrol says the man, identified by family as Trevor Smith, saw a crash between two vehicles happen in front of him, so he pulled onto the shoulder and ran across the interstate to the median, where the vehicles ended up, to see if he could help. Trevor Smith (Photo courtesy of family) While Smith was assisting, an oncoming pickup traveled off the road and struck him, as well as the two vehicles involved in the initial crash. The crash happened in the southbound lanes, just past Kings Highway, at about 6 p.m., when a sedan lost control, forcing a semi to collide with it. The driver of the semi was taken to Lee Memorial with “traumatic” injuries, according to troopers. The driver of the pickup that struck the pedestrian and his two passengers were not injured. The driver and passenger in the sedan were both taken to the hospital with injuries. Troopers say the crash remains under investigation. The Florida Highway Patrol no longer releases the names of those involved in crashes, citing Marsy’s Law.
People who donate to qualifying nonprofits before the end of the year can take advantage of added tax benefits thanks to the CARES Act, even if they do not itemize. That is because the government knows, this year, nonprofits, such as Project Help of Naples, are hurting. This year, the crisis center opted to host its gala auction online instead of in person. Eileen Wesley, the executive director at the center, said the online format was less competitive. People weren’t watching others outbid them from across a room, and their bottom line showed it. “That [gala] usually brings in between 30% and 40% of our budget,” Wesley said. “This year it only brought in about 18%.” What are the benefits? If a person takes the standard deduction, they can write off up to $300 in cash donations to eligible non-profits. The number is the same for those joint filing. If a person is itemizing, they can deduct cash gifts up to 100% of their adjusted gross income. Last year, it was 60%. Charles Massie, a certified public accountant and financial planner, says physical donations, such as toys or food, do not count. “It has to be cash, credit card, debit card — that type of thing,” Massie said. What do I need to file? Massie said to keep a paper trail. If several donations were made, each receipt is needed. If the donation is a couple of hundred dollars, you might need more evidence. “They need to get a letter from the organization that proves they did donate the money,” Massie said. Individuals can search on the IRS website to see what organizations qualify. RESOURCE: IRS – Charitable Contribution Deductions
A south Fort Myers family who was visited by the Grinch is getting some help. WINK News viewers who saw our story about the family’s stolen Christmas inflatables stepped up to help, putting a smile on a little boy’s face. “It was amazing. He had such a smile on his face and we all did,” Lisa said after she learned of the outpouring of Christmas spirit. Lisa requested that WINK News not share the family’s last name for safety reasons. We first told you about the theft on Tuesday after someone swiped six of their seven inflatables. Lisa loves to go all out with decorating for Christmas, and the seven inflatables were the highlight of her setup and the favorite of her 8-year-old son Michael, who is on the Autism Spectrum. While his mom and dad, Vince, were upset, Michael was devastated. “He’s very excited now; he’s very happy. Definitely seems like a different kid now,” Lisa said. A different kid, a happy kid, because dozens of WINK News viewers reached out, offering to replace the stolen decorations so that Michael would know there is good in the world. You acted faster than Santa’s elves, delivering that Christmas cheer right away. One of those elves was Guimmy Begani, of Naples. “I’m so happy that I was able to do it, to help this family and change the boy’s expectations of people outside in this world,” Begani said. “It was just an amazing feeling that, you know, we have some of our holiday decorations and holiday cheer back,” Lisa said. What was once a blue Christmas is now merry and bright for the family. “I want to thank WINK News for getting my story out there and bringing the community together to help me.” Joining the elves in helping Michael’s Christmas wish come true was Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno and several of his deputies, who also dropped off new inflatables for the boy to enjoy.
Some apartments at Sunrise Towers in Fort Myers did not pass inspection Wednesday. We’ve reported on problems inside at the complex for years. The inspection acts as a sign of hope for some living there. After dealing with problems for a long time, the City of Fort Myers ordered the owners of Sunrise Towers to fix everything and fast. Chronic problems at the apartments are almost impossible to miss, including rats, mold and leaks under the roof. According to a City inspection, the owners of Sunrise Towers are responsible. “If you turn off the AC, mold will back up, and you will smell it,” resident Asia Alston said. “Like, it goes on furniture, It goes on my clothes, my shoes. We’re constantly throwing away stuff.” Those living at the complex, including Alston, want better living conditions at their homes. Now, the Housing Authority of Fort Myers demands it. “They’re not passing housing quality standards,” said Marcia Davis, the executive director of the housing authority. The owners of the complex have 30 days to bring everything up to code, or they will no longer let people who use government vouchers live here. “We will reach out to the residents and to try to see what we can do to assist and help and if they want to move or relocate,” Davis said. “We’re certainly here to help in that transition.” Attorney Sawyer Smith represents Sunrise Towers. He promised the issues will be fixed by the next time the inspectors visit, but he told me he believes the housing authority is targeting his client. “Once everything is to their satisfaction, which will never really be possible, but once it is, we’ll hire our own inspector to go through there, much like they did,” Sawyer said. “And if they continue these shenanigans, we’ll do what we do, which is sue them and make sure this type of stuff that they like to pull never happens again.”