Historic home and lives upended in Charlotte Harbor floodingGov. DeSantis reviews the damage done by Hurricane Helene
CHARLOTTE HARBOR Historic home and lives upended in Charlotte Harbor flooding While Hurricane Helene was not expected to cause a life-threatening storm surge in the county, the residents were walloped by rising flood water.
Dekle Beach Gov. DeSantis reviews the damage done by Hurricane Helene Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news conference in Dekle Beach.
Tracking power outages after Helene There are still several thousand neighbors in southwest Florida without power as of Saturday.
The Weather Authority The Weather Authority: Scattered rain and storms throughout your Saturday The Weather Authority is tracking scattered rain and storms throughout your Saturday afternoon.
Southwest Florida remembers Hurricane Ian 2 years later; what happened before and after the storm The storm that had devastated Southwest Florida, Hurricane Ian, has now reached its 2nd anniversary of landfall.
High School Football Scoreboard Week 6 Hurricane Helene couldn’t keep all the Friday night lights off in Southwest Florida. Week 6 was a loaded slate included a classic in the WINK News Game of the Week.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs begins clean up operations On Friday, the Department of Transportation pushed sand off the road on Hickory Island after Hurricane Helene ripped through
MANASOTA KEY Manasota woman recovers after home destroyed by Helene Whipping winds – the sound of Hurricane Helene ripping through Manasota Key, as swells smashed into the island. Even so, Marsha Viglianco stayed to watch from her back porch.
El Jobean residents fighting to recover from Helene In Charlotte County, people living in El Jobean are in recovery mode Friday night. Many were flooded out of their homes, and now they’re figuring out their next steps.
NAPLES Restoration efforts begin in the aftermath of Helene in Collier County Helene gave Naples Beach flash flooding a debris Thursday night.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda couple deals with flooding after Helene A Punta Gorda couple is recovering as the storm surge from Helene went through their dream home.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Flooding affects business in downtown Fort Myers In downtown Fort Myers, the streets may be drying up, but for one business owner on Bay Street, the true struggle is just getting started.
BONITA SPRINGS Damage in Bonita Springs from Helene It seems like nearly every place on the water was left with significant damage. In Bonita Springs, storm surge pushed into the city.
FORT MYERS BEACH Closer look at rescue operations during Helene All across Southwest Florida, we saw stories of bravery and selflessness during Helene.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Neighbors hit with flooding in Dean Park community On Friday, roads in downtown Fort Myers were fairly dry. It’s a stark contrast to Thursday night’s storm surge caused by the outer bands of Hurricane Helene.
CHARLOTTE HARBOR Historic home and lives upended in Charlotte Harbor flooding While Hurricane Helene was not expected to cause a life-threatening storm surge in the county, the residents were walloped by rising flood water.
Dekle Beach Gov. DeSantis reviews the damage done by Hurricane Helene Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news conference in Dekle Beach.
Tracking power outages after Helene There are still several thousand neighbors in southwest Florida without power as of Saturday.
The Weather Authority The Weather Authority: Scattered rain and storms throughout your Saturday The Weather Authority is tracking scattered rain and storms throughout your Saturday afternoon.
Southwest Florida remembers Hurricane Ian 2 years later; what happened before and after the storm The storm that had devastated Southwest Florida, Hurricane Ian, has now reached its 2nd anniversary of landfall.
High School Football Scoreboard Week 6 Hurricane Helene couldn’t keep all the Friday night lights off in Southwest Florida. Week 6 was a loaded slate included a classic in the WINK News Game of the Week.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs begins clean up operations On Friday, the Department of Transportation pushed sand off the road on Hickory Island after Hurricane Helene ripped through
MANASOTA KEY Manasota woman recovers after home destroyed by Helene Whipping winds – the sound of Hurricane Helene ripping through Manasota Key, as swells smashed into the island. Even so, Marsha Viglianco stayed to watch from her back porch.
El Jobean residents fighting to recover from Helene In Charlotte County, people living in El Jobean are in recovery mode Friday night. Many were flooded out of their homes, and now they’re figuring out their next steps.
NAPLES Restoration efforts begin in the aftermath of Helene in Collier County Helene gave Naples Beach flash flooding a debris Thursday night.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda couple deals with flooding after Helene A Punta Gorda couple is recovering as the storm surge from Helene went through their dream home.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Flooding affects business in downtown Fort Myers In downtown Fort Myers, the streets may be drying up, but for one business owner on Bay Street, the true struggle is just getting started.
BONITA SPRINGS Damage in Bonita Springs from Helene It seems like nearly every place on the water was left with significant damage. In Bonita Springs, storm surge pushed into the city.
FORT MYERS BEACH Closer look at rescue operations during Helene All across Southwest Florida, we saw stories of bravery and selflessness during Helene.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Neighbors hit with flooding in Dean Park community On Friday, roads in downtown Fort Myers were fairly dry. It’s a stark contrast to Thursday night’s storm surge caused by the outer bands of Hurricane Helene.
A photographer’s passion is apparent in her nature photos, and there’s a special motivator for her beloved craft. Photographer Liz Bossoli, an Audubon Magazine contributor, works through blindness each day to get the job done. “It brings me joy and fulfillment, even though there are definitely some additional hurdles in the process,” Bossoli said. Blue jay. Credit: Liz Bossoli. Bossoli explained the steps she takes that have become part of her process to get the shots she wants and needs out in the field. “I will have a lot of clicks of the shutter button and a lot, a high percentage of them of the photos are not going to be usable, but I have an idea of what I want to capture, and I tend to stick with it until I can get it,” Bossoli said. She does not waver in her commitment to capturing the beauty in animals and nature in the face of a rare condition. “I was born almost completely blind in my left eye. I’m legally blind in my right eye, so I have functional vision in my right eye, but it’s definitely not what the average person needs to be able to navigate the world completely independently,”” Bossoli said. Bossoli lives in Connecticut but enjoys visiting family in Florida while honing her craft in both places. Some of her go-to nature spots include Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium and Myakka River State park. “I knew it was going to be difficult, but I didn’t really see it as a challenge to overcome as much as just something that I was going to do, and it may be more difficult for me than others who pursue it, but I just followed where my heart was going,” Bossoli said. By making her own rules, photography is Bossoli’s window to the world around her. “The photography is actually the most valuable tool I have to be able to engage with the things I love in the environment because I can’t necessarily see it well while it’s happening, so the photography gives me the opportunity to slow things down and be able to hold onto what I experienced in the moment,” she said.
Buy now, pay later services are popping up at more online checkouts, even in ads. The goal? To create a personalized payment plan. Ted Rossman with CreditCards.com said this option is relatively easy to use. “You don’t necessarily need a good credit score. Sometimes, you don’t need a credit score at all. So it’s more widely available and easier to qualify for than a credit card.” While the purpose of the services is the same, each company operates differently. Some offer multiple, interest-free payments over six weeks. Others charge interest but give customers more time to pay or offer lower rates than a credit card. Think of them as micro-loans, Rossman said. “Instead of giving you a $10,000 credit limit, it’s more like each individual purchase gets approved,” Rossman said. To get approved, companies may run a soft credit check. Soft credit checks do not affect credit scores. If customers pay on time, these payment plans can save money compared to a traditional credit card. For example, Affirm’s partnership with Peloton. Instead of paying nearly $2,000 for an exercise bike all at once, or putting it on a credit card with 16% interest, customers can pay $49 dollars a month for 39 months with no money down and 0% APR financing. But like all spending, Rossman said to know your limits. “There’s always a temptation to buy stuff that we don’t necessarily have the money for now, but then we’ll have it in six weeks or six months, but what if you don’t?” If customers do not pay their installments on time, there are consequences. For example, AfterPay, Sezzle and Klarna charge late fees. Affirm, however, does not. Companies may also report customers to the credit bureaus and ban further use of the service. Before using any payment plan, make sure you read and understand the company’s terms and conditions.
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has more resources for helping those in a crisis and keeping them out of jail. Lt. Leslie Weidenhammer says deputies are often put in impossible situations. “We can’t provide treatment, we can’t provide counseling,” Weidenhammer said. So far this year, they’ve responded to a thousand calls involving mental health. “We are not always the ones that can make the situation better right then and there…and having the resources within our community is more important.” The sheriff’s office hopes to grow those resources as they respond to people with mental health and substance abuse issues. “We try to go out, connect them to resources that are within the community, and divert them from the criminal justice system,” Weidenhammer said. Her department has added a certified deputy and a mental health clinician. “Now we have more individuals within the unit that our volume can increase and we can go out and check potentially on more and more people.” The need is there. The goal? To be first on the scene when someone is in crisis and free up other deputies for other calls. “We would like to relieve them of some of that duty for those, as you mentioned earlier, those calls that are happening immediatelym the calls for service.” The mental health bureau also has team members from the David Lawrence Center, a Collier County-based mental health treatment provider.
Arrests have been made in the mass shooting that killed two teenagers and injured at least 14 other people, young and old, in July 2016 at Club Blu teen night in Fort Myers. We spoke to the cousin of 18-year-old victim Stef’an Strawder Thursday. Strawder was shot and killed during the shooting along with 14-year-old victim Sean Archilles. Strawder’s cousin says, because of the circumstances, she wanted to keep her identity private. “It’s not an easy process,” Strawder’s cousin said. “They say, as the time go by, it get easier, but it doesn’t.” Heartache still stings for the families who lost loved ones the night patrol cars and crime scene tape covered Club Blu. “My cousin lost his life at a young age for no reason,” Strawder’s cousin said. With five arrests made for the shooting and the murders, Strawder’s cousin told us there is hope for answers for the shooting four years ago. “It takes time to do work,” Strawder’s cousin said. “It takes time to do real work, so for them to actually have suspects now, I think is a good thing” She says she hugged Strawder one last time the month before he was killed and remembers the smile always on his face. “Everybody got a long with him,” Strawder’s cousin said. “He was one of those people that you can say was one of those angel people that come along and put nothing but positive energy in your life.” She says the high school basketball star didn’t deserve to die. “I think it was just him having fun with his friends and happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Strawder’s cousin said. The families of the victims now look forward justice. “We will just see how it plays out in court,” Strawder’s cousin said.
A mural for Officer Julian Keen, 30, was revealed in Southwest Florida Thursday. Keen was shot and killed making a traffic stop while off duty. He proudly served his community with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Artists Caesar Aguilar and Brian Weaver created the mural in Keen’s honor in LaBelle, the community’s tribute to their hometown hero. “I said, ‘How amazing would it be to be able to walk in and out of my place of employment every day and see that beautiful face and just look at him and honor him in that way,’” Amy Tanner said. FWC Officer Keen was shot and killed when he tried to stop a hit-and-run suspect. Eliceo Hernandez, 20, is accused of killing Keen. “It was very devastating not just for my family, but the whole town,” Tanner said. “He just brought love to this town and was very uplifting to all of us.” Since his murder, LaBelle has created a scholarship in Keen’s name, offered donations to his family and now unveiled artwork along Thompson Street. “I get chills just looking at it every time I come by the mural,” Aguilar said. “Everyone in the community talks about him, how much love he has, how much he did for the community.” Aguilar and Weaver met with the Keen family to ensure this mural captured the essence of the man. “We need more people like this,” Weaver said. “Hopefully, this mural inspires people to really be kind and follow in his footsteps.” Keen is gone but not forgotten. His family and friends plan to gather in LaBelle Friday for the official unveiling of the mural. “He’s not here with us, but he’s here with us, so it means a lot,” Tanner said.
A Cape Coral woman recognized a need in Southwest Florida’s largest city and set forth to make it happen. The Cape Coral Animal Shelter has saved 800 dogs and cats – and it has only been open 10 months. Not many people can say their “pet project” saves lives, but Joann Elardo’s beautiful new shelter does just that. Lost or surrendered dogs and cats receive full veterinary care, walks, and a lot of love while they wait to find their forever home. “When you have a dream that actually comes true, it’s just amazing,” she said. The shelter, located near Sun Splash Family Waterpark, is her proudest accomplishment. How she got here is a great story. “I came here to retire. Years of the gloom in eastern Europe, I was dying to get to Florida,” she said, but Elardo confessed she really isn’t the type to retire. “I wish I was.” Elardo went into the distillery business. It helps fund her shelter, which runs on donations. Why a distillery? “I had time to sit down and think about what I really wanted to do and I wanted to do something that could actually make a quality product.” Years later, her rum at Wicked Dolphin Distillery is award-winning – a huge accomplishment considering that before this, she was in the shoe business. “We used to make Converse all overseas and sell them in eastern, western and central Europe.” Elardo’s just one of those magical people that finds 28 hours in a day, but she credits her husband and many others for helping her give back to our community. “It’s because of him I’m able to do this. Volunteers, friends, everybody helps you do this.” The shelter isn’t done. Next month, they’ll start raising money for an expansion to their in-house veterinary clinic, which anyone can bring their pet to. Elardo was just recognized as one of Gulfshore Life’s “Women of the Year.”
A Lehigh Acres man accused of threatening to shoot up a FedEx facility in Lee County in November has accepted a plea deal. Joseph Ricardo Devolliere, 28, pleaded guilty to sending several FedEx employees a text message saying he was planning a mass shooting at a facility in Lee County. Devolliere will spend 24 months on probation, perform 50 hours of community service and must attend an anger management program. Devolliere used to work at FedEx but was fired earlier this year.
The School District of Lee County recognized two of its educators as the top assistant principal and top principal in the District for how they have both led and responded to their schools and the community during the pandemic. “Anybody at this time could be in dire situations,” said Forrest Walker Jr., an assistant principal at Dunbar High School. “There is a necessity to be encouraging and positive during this time.” Walker and Principal Rob Cooper of Bonita Springs Elementary School are both now Lee County’s assistant principal and principal of the year respectively. “We have to find the positive pieces in everything that happens, and some may say, ‘Oh, this is a setback,’’ Cooper said. “There is still something positive in that to learn upon and grow upon.” These two educators have rallied teachers and students to succeed in the face of crisis. They know a lot of their families have lost their jobs and struggle to put food on the table. “My job does not stop in this school,” Walker said. “My job continues when I leave those doors and doing things in the community. Sometimes I hear of students on the weekends. I’m calling. Making sure that they are OK.” Both men refused to accept the award for themselves. They said they couldn’t do it alone. “We work together to help our kids reach our highest potential,” Cooper said. “No one person can do this job. You have to do it collaboratively. Without that, we are failing our kids in my opinion.”
A license plate reader in south Fort Myers helped deputies catch the woman they say stole a minivan. The Mercury minivan was taken Wednesday from a home on Gladiolus Drive. Later that day, the van was spotted on a license plate reader on San Carlos Boulevard. Responding deputies tried to stop the van, but the driver, identified as Ora Tejeda, sped away. A sheriff’s office helicopter tracked the van to Quail Run Court off Iona Road. Tejeda ran when deputies approached her, but she was eventually caught. Tejeda, 33, faces charges of grand theft of a motor vehicle, fleeing and eluding, and resisting an officer without violence. She remains in the Lee County Jail.
Researchers at Florida Gulf Coast University are working to figure out what it would take for us to call the Red Planet home. The university’s department of construction management is looking into the type of energy that would be the most effective, and the best types of buildings. We’ve mapped the entire Earth. Now, space is the final frontier, with NASA working to send astronauts to Mars by the year 2030. Researchers at FGCU are working to figure out one big question. Once we get there, will we actually be able to live there? Dr. Hashem Izadi Moud, an assistant professor at FGCU said, “Solar energy is our best bet to actually start construction processes and building houses on the moon or Mars.” Izadi Moud and Dr. Craig Capano, Chairperson/Professor at FGCU’s U.A. Whitaker College of Engineering, will let other scientists figure out how we’ll breathe, eat, drink and stay warm. Their job – shelter. “We take it for granted when you have a bulldozer or a backhoe or an excavator digging a hole,” Dr. Capano explained. “We don’t think about the energy requirements to do that. But it’s pretty extensive.” On Earth, we depend mostly on fossil fuels, which, as far as we know, are non-existent on Mars, but the sun is universal. Dr. Capano added. “It’s abundant and free. So we looked at some comparisons. We did some analysis, ran the numbers, and that seemed to be the most economical if we used typical machinery to power that.” Dr. Izadi Moud said we could either build homes in sections on Earth and put them together on Mars – or send robots. All this planning for where no man has ever gone before. FGCU researchers will present their findings on what they call “Energy Life in Extra-Terrestrial Construction Projects” in April at the Air & Space Conference in Seattle.