3 family members of teen accused in murder of Kayla Rincon-Miller arrestedDeath investigation in Fort Myers after body is found in truck bed
CAPE CORAL 3 family members of teen accused in murder of Kayla Rincon-Miller arrested New details have emerged surrounding the arrest of a woman whose 16-year-old son is accused of being involved in the murder of Kayla Rincon-Miller, and now her husband and sister are also in jail.
FORT MYERS Death investigation in Fort Myers after body is found in truck bed Fort Myers Police confirm that there is a death investigation at the corner of Market Street and brown street.
NAPLES Naples ‘celebrity bartender’ stirring up new cocktails at LoLa 41 Michael Slabach often researches ideas, finding a new balance of layers, color, texture and selective glassware to turn his drinks into art.
FORT MYERS New affordable housing program in Fort Myers begins Affordable housing is a rare sighting these days, but one city is making it a priority.
NAPLES ‘Live simply and never give up’ – Motto for Naples couple needing a helping hand A husband wants nothing more than to share the world with his wife while she is suffering from an illness determined to keep them separated.
NAPLES Music teacher dilemma at Gulf Coast High School leaves students anxious Parents are outraged, and students are unsure what the future holds after one of their two beloved music teachers was told they will have to transfer.
FORT MYERS Mom celebrates first Mother’s Day with cancer-free daughter We have one of the best weekends ahead, a time to celebrate mothers everywhere, and as any mother knows, celebrating with your family matters most.
Glades County Should commissioners have to live in the District they represent? WINK Investigates why one commissioner doesn’t The Glades District 1 Commissioner was elected while living in that district. He has since moved. What does that mean for his position?
FORT MYERS Boats stuck since Hurricane Ian being removed from Centennial Park area Boats that have been stuck since Hurricane Ian are in the process of being removed from a messy yard next to Centennial Park and Joe’s Crab Shack.
CAPE CORAL Man accused of waving knife at Metro PCS workers in Cape Coral Two women try to help a customer and end up fearing for their lives. One man started waving a seven-inch knife in the faces of two Metro PCS workers.
Overloaded circuit sparks house fire in Jamaica Bay community A Jamaica Bay community home was damaged in a fire sparked by an overloaded circuit, according to the South Trail Fire & Rescue Service District.
LEE COUNTY Could Guardian Caps make their way to high school football games? With the NFL allowing Guardian Caps during regular season games, could we see Guardian Caps during high school football games?
Florida insurer fined $1M over Hurricane Ian claims The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation issued the seven figure fine to Heritage Property and Casualty Insurance Company for violating a number of Florida laws when handling some of its Hurricane Ian- related claims.
New treatment stops essential tremors and shaking More than ten million people experience shakes known as essential tremors, which can make everyday tasks like eating and talking challenging.
NAPLES Ex-wife faces new charges for involvement in near-fatal Naples shooting The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has arrested the ex-wife of a shooting victim who nearly lost his life.
CAPE CORAL 3 family members of teen accused in murder of Kayla Rincon-Miller arrested New details have emerged surrounding the arrest of a woman whose 16-year-old son is accused of being involved in the murder of Kayla Rincon-Miller, and now her husband and sister are also in jail.
FORT MYERS Death investigation in Fort Myers after body is found in truck bed Fort Myers Police confirm that there is a death investigation at the corner of Market Street and brown street.
NAPLES Naples ‘celebrity bartender’ stirring up new cocktails at LoLa 41 Michael Slabach often researches ideas, finding a new balance of layers, color, texture and selective glassware to turn his drinks into art.
FORT MYERS New affordable housing program in Fort Myers begins Affordable housing is a rare sighting these days, but one city is making it a priority.
NAPLES ‘Live simply and never give up’ – Motto for Naples couple needing a helping hand A husband wants nothing more than to share the world with his wife while she is suffering from an illness determined to keep them separated.
NAPLES Music teacher dilemma at Gulf Coast High School leaves students anxious Parents are outraged, and students are unsure what the future holds after one of their two beloved music teachers was told they will have to transfer.
FORT MYERS Mom celebrates first Mother’s Day with cancer-free daughter We have one of the best weekends ahead, a time to celebrate mothers everywhere, and as any mother knows, celebrating with your family matters most.
Glades County Should commissioners have to live in the District they represent? WINK Investigates why one commissioner doesn’t The Glades District 1 Commissioner was elected while living in that district. He has since moved. What does that mean for his position?
FORT MYERS Boats stuck since Hurricane Ian being removed from Centennial Park area Boats that have been stuck since Hurricane Ian are in the process of being removed from a messy yard next to Centennial Park and Joe’s Crab Shack.
CAPE CORAL Man accused of waving knife at Metro PCS workers in Cape Coral Two women try to help a customer and end up fearing for their lives. One man started waving a seven-inch knife in the faces of two Metro PCS workers.
Overloaded circuit sparks house fire in Jamaica Bay community A Jamaica Bay community home was damaged in a fire sparked by an overloaded circuit, according to the South Trail Fire & Rescue Service District.
LEE COUNTY Could Guardian Caps make their way to high school football games? With the NFL allowing Guardian Caps during regular season games, could we see Guardian Caps during high school football games?
Florida insurer fined $1M over Hurricane Ian claims The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation issued the seven figure fine to Heritage Property and Casualty Insurance Company for violating a number of Florida laws when handling some of its Hurricane Ian- related claims.
New treatment stops essential tremors and shaking More than ten million people experience shakes known as essential tremors, which can make everyday tasks like eating and talking challenging.
NAPLES Ex-wife faces new charges for involvement in near-fatal Naples shooting The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has arrested the ex-wife of a shooting victim who nearly lost his life.
The Joseph P. D’Alessandro Office Complex in Fort Myers, a current home for Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster assistance and U.S. Small Business Administration loans, has had lines of up to 30 people waiting to get inside since it opened following Hurricane Ian. The line is ongoing as FEMA will be granting thousands of dollars to individual qualifiers who apply. And the Small Business Administration will be loaning thousands as well to both homeowners and business owners who apply. The key word is “apply.“ Below is information for applying for FEMA grants and SBA loans. FEMA INFORMATION FEMA’s temporary office serving Lee County is at 2295 Victoria Ave. in Fort Myers. There are two other ways to register with FEMA, said Ken Higginbotham, the agency’s external affairs officer. People can apply by phone by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or online at disasterassistance.gov. “We encourage everybody,” Higginbotham said. “I mean everyone who is in the impacted area in a designated county to go and get registered. Get into the system. We don’t want people to pre-disqualify themselves. Anybody who sustained any amount of damage, any amount. “The programs – local, state, and federal programs – will be available to people with a registration number. That registration number is like the key to open up the door to many, many programs that people may qualify for.” FEMA grants can come in a variety of forms such as housing assistance, home repair and home replacement. FEMA also can provide funding for medical expenses caused by the hurricane as well as funerals, childcare, transportation, moving and expenses. Applicants must be in a presidentially declared disaster area, for Hurricane Ian that includes Lee, Collier, and Charlotte counties. “People may get a denial letter,” Higginbotham said. “That could be for any reason. Maybe somebody is one digit off on something. It could be a plethora of things. If people get a denial letter, that’s not the end of the road. They can appeal.” The average FEMA grant after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was a little more than $7,000, according to FEMA data. “It can vary, depending on the inspection of the property,” Higginbotham said of the amounts awarded. “It’s not one size fits all. It depends on the particular situation. Inspectors come out and inspect the property. They enter in the data. “We encourage people to keep receipts. It is probably in the best interest of the applicant to wait for the inspection. Again, people want to get going. Keep all the receipts. Document. Document. Document. Pictures. Memos. Notes. Keep all receipts. From everything. It’s best to have more documentation than not enough.” Also, beware and be aware of FEMA fraud, he said. Already, there have been reports of Hurricane Ian victims filling out the disaster assistance forms, and they are told they already applied, but they haven’t. Imposters have been filing false FEMA damage reports using actual names, addresses and social security numbers but using the bank account information of a fraudster. “Unfortunately, fraud jumps out very quickly in these turn of events,” Higginbotham said. “But there is a process people can take.” FEMA fraud victims are encouraged to call the FEMA Fraud Hotline at 1-866-223-0814. Or email stopfemafraud@fema.dhs.gov. “We provide the hotline where people can report these situations,” Higginbotham said. “There are unfortunately no preventative measures. And you have to remember, we insure that people’s information is secure. But there are a lot of unscrupulous people out there, and they’re going to take advantage of these things. “Unfortunately, where disasters happen, and particularly ones of this magnitude, the less than honorable people come out of the woodwork. They take advantage of those impacted by these events. Protective measures need to be taken.” SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION Contrary to the words “small business” in the administration’s name, the SBA loans more money to individuals than to businesses, said Terrell Perry, public affairs specialist for the SBA. “We loan more money to homeowners and renters than to businesses during disasters,” Perry said. “Part of our mission is to help homeowners and renters and nonprofits recover as well.” People can apply for loans at sba.gov/disaster. “The way the loan program works, is homeowners, nonprofits and businesses can all apply,” Perry said. “Or they can go to the business recovery center or the disaster recovery center and sit down with someone and apply. “We urge people to apply as soon as possible.” The interest rate for individuals is 2.18%, and the interest rate for businesses is 3%, Perry said. “SBA sends out people who view the property to view the damage and make a determination from there as to the amount of damage sustained,” she said. “Say, for instance, if it’s determined the survivor sustained $50,000 worth of damage, they can apply for $50,000. If they are approved, they can use the whole $50,000 for fixing their home. “In large disasters like this, it may take the insurance company longer to get around to applicants. We can grant them a loan. When insurance gives them a settlement, they can reimburse the SBA loan.” Temporary SBA offices for loan applicants have been set up across Southwest Florida at The HUB at SWFL Inc., 27071 Chamber of Commerce Drive in Bonita Springs; Kiwanis Club of Cape Coral, 360 Santa Barbara Blvd. S. in Cape Coral; The Lake Library, 15290 Bass Road in Fort Myers; The Fort Myers DMS Building, 2295 Victoria Ave., The Naples Players Club, 701 Fifth Avenue S. in Naples; Veterans Community Park, 1895 Veterans Park Drive in North Naples; and the Home Depot parking lot, 12621 S. McCall Road in Port Charlotte. As with FEMA grants, fraudulent activity takes place with SBA loans. The SBA recommends contacting the Office of the Inspector General Fraud Line at 1-800-767-0385 for help with fraud. OIG’s Automated Online Complaint System is at sba.gov.