The Weather Authority: Sunny Saturday with a nice breeze; fire danger increasesSenior Airman surprises cousin on Aubrey Rogers softball senior night
The Weather Authority: Sunny Saturday with a nice breeze; fire danger increases Warm temperatures for your Saturday with a nice breeze into the afternoon.
NORTH NAPLES Senior Airman surprises cousin on Aubrey Rogers softball senior night Aubrey Rogers senior pitcher and infielder McKenzie Vargas was surprised by her Air Force cousin for Senior Night.
BONITA SPRINGS Police: 15-year-old injured after accidentally shot in the leg Lee County deputies say the teen was accidentally shot in the leg.
PUNTA GORDA Exclusive: Brother and best friend of accused pedophile priest speak out Riley’s brother reached out to WINK on Friday, saying people aren’t getting the full story.
IMMOKALEE Caught on video: Huge gator crosses Immokalee neighborhood Fridays in Florida are for gators
FORT MYERS FGCU softball pitcher making a name for herself One season in FGCU, freshman pitcher Allison Sparkman is already ruffling feathers in the circle.
Surrendering-pets trend at Gulf Coast Humane Society raises concerns An large amount of pets are being surrendered by their owners. About half of the dogs at the Gulf Coast Humane Society are surrender dogs.
Students benefitting from millions in sales tax dollars So far, the voter-approved half-cent sales tax has brought in $507 million for the Lee County School District.
PORT CHARLOTTE ‘Shady’: One woman feels misled after federal student loan consolidation It takes some people decades to pay off their student loans. One woman’s last payment was in sight until she took a gamble she said she was told to take.
FORT MYERS Homeless encampments inch closer to neighborhoods Law enforcement has swept multiple encampments, cleaning the trails of mess and muck left behind, and some of these encampments are right in our backyards.
BIG CYPRESS PRESERVE What changes if Big Cypress National Preserve becomes a Wilderness Area? America’s first nationally designated preserve is in Southwest Florida’s backyard, and it is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Method to treat IBD being used for other health issues Trying to get treatments for the brain when fighting neurological diseases like epilepsy and ALS is a challenge.
FORT MYERS NTSB report reveals new details in helicopter crash after Hurricane Ian The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final report on a helicopter crash that occurred in Iona, Florida, shortly after Hurricane Ian.
NAPLES Memorial celebrates the life of John Passidomo Hundreds of friends and family gathered for a memorial at Baker Park in Naples.
‘Latinos in Action’ empowers all students to succeed WINK News talked with teachers who are a part of the program, helping kids reach their full potential.
The Weather Authority: Sunny Saturday with a nice breeze; fire danger increases Warm temperatures for your Saturday with a nice breeze into the afternoon.
NORTH NAPLES Senior Airman surprises cousin on Aubrey Rogers softball senior night Aubrey Rogers senior pitcher and infielder McKenzie Vargas was surprised by her Air Force cousin for Senior Night.
BONITA SPRINGS Police: 15-year-old injured after accidentally shot in the leg Lee County deputies say the teen was accidentally shot in the leg.
PUNTA GORDA Exclusive: Brother and best friend of accused pedophile priest speak out Riley’s brother reached out to WINK on Friday, saying people aren’t getting the full story.
IMMOKALEE Caught on video: Huge gator crosses Immokalee neighborhood Fridays in Florida are for gators
FORT MYERS FGCU softball pitcher making a name for herself One season in FGCU, freshman pitcher Allison Sparkman is already ruffling feathers in the circle.
Surrendering-pets trend at Gulf Coast Humane Society raises concerns An large amount of pets are being surrendered by their owners. About half of the dogs at the Gulf Coast Humane Society are surrender dogs.
Students benefitting from millions in sales tax dollars So far, the voter-approved half-cent sales tax has brought in $507 million for the Lee County School District.
PORT CHARLOTTE ‘Shady’: One woman feels misled after federal student loan consolidation It takes some people decades to pay off their student loans. One woman’s last payment was in sight until she took a gamble she said she was told to take.
FORT MYERS Homeless encampments inch closer to neighborhoods Law enforcement has swept multiple encampments, cleaning the trails of mess and muck left behind, and some of these encampments are right in our backyards.
BIG CYPRESS PRESERVE What changes if Big Cypress National Preserve becomes a Wilderness Area? America’s first nationally designated preserve is in Southwest Florida’s backyard, and it is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Method to treat IBD being used for other health issues Trying to get treatments for the brain when fighting neurological diseases like epilepsy and ALS is a challenge.
FORT MYERS NTSB report reveals new details in helicopter crash after Hurricane Ian The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final report on a helicopter crash that occurred in Iona, Florida, shortly after Hurricane Ian.
NAPLES Memorial celebrates the life of John Passidomo Hundreds of friends and family gathered for a memorial at Baker Park in Naples.
‘Latinos in Action’ empowers all students to succeed WINK News talked with teachers who are a part of the program, helping kids reach their full potential.
The awful stench at the beach and sightings of dead fish are becoming an unbearable experience Southwest Florida residents and tourists are dealing with. It raises questions about the air we breathe, and why after months of problems, no government agencies have tested air quality. “We had several of our patients that live close to the water or they work like in Fort Myers Beach that are clearly having problems,” said Pulmonary Physician Dr. Julio Conrado. Dr. Conrado says exposure to toxins in the air is bringing in patients and creating health concerns. “You cough,” said tourist David Schemenaur. “You know it kind of takes your breath away.” Still though, no one is testing the air: Millions of fish have already died in the water, and birds are starting to succumb to the irritants in the air. “I think it’s unfair to the citizens especially who live here. But, it’s also unfair to the visitors because they’re not being told ahead of time what’s going on with the air quality,” said tourist Cheryl Schemenaur. “It’s affecting everyone.” The Department of Environment and the Department of Health released a joint statement in part: “DEP and DOH will continue to work together to enhance the monitoring of air quality around harmful algal blooms.” When WINK News asked if their plan to test the air quality using their active equipment already located on Fort Myers Beach, no response was given. WINK News also reached out to the governor’s office, but have yet to receive comment. “I would say, Rick Scott, what have you been doing?” asked James Grant, of Fort Myers Beach. The Florida Department of Health says you can visit the site, visitbeaches.org, which is ran by MOTE, to see where red tide is occurring. If you click a beach, you can see respiratory irritation conditions. MOTE says they aren’t testing the air quality, but instead, are relying on trained professionals to count the number of coughs and sneezes heard on the beach to come up with their report. “So we are reporting back to them on what our feelings is,” Grant said. “That’s not right, that’s not a test.” MOTE is a non-profit research group. While they are only counting the number of times people are coughing and sneezing out here, it appears they are the only group tracking air conditions. The Department of Health and Department of Environmental Protection provided a joint full statement regarding the air quality. Read it in its entirety below: “Florida has a robust system of monitoring and reporting of health effects of harmful algal blooms. It’s inaccurate to say otherwise. DEP and DOH will continue to work together to enhance the monitoring of air quality around harmful algal blooms. This could include additional public information, enhanced tracking and monitoring. If anyone has any concerns regarding air quality or the effect to their health can call 800-222-1222.” Submit Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.