FGCU softball senior balances EMT training and Regional playHomes For Our Troops grants veteran new home
PUNTA GORDA The Weather Authority helps you prepare for the hurricane season at the 2024 Charlotte County Hurricane Expo With hurricane season less than two weeks away, it’s important to start preparing.
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball senior balances EMT training and Regional play Ahead of NCAA Regional play, FGCU senior outfielder Riley Oakes started EMT training as she works toward being a trauma surgeon.
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 Three dead in triple drowning near the Franklin Lock in Olga The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is responding to a scene of a water rescue where three people were recovered.
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.
PUNTA GORDA The Weather Authority helps you prepare for the hurricane season at the 2024 Charlotte County Hurricane Expo With hurricane season less than two weeks away, it’s important to start preparing.
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball senior balances EMT training and Regional play Ahead of NCAA Regional play, FGCU senior outfielder Riley Oakes started EMT training as she works toward being a trauma surgeon.
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 Three dead in triple drowning near the Franklin Lock in Olga The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is responding to a scene of a water rescue where three people were recovered.
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.
On Thursday, FEMA was in Fort Myers to announce special consideration for temporary housing units in flood hazard areas. Since the recovery started, one of the biggest delays has been getting trailers to those who need them. FEMA leadership was giving tours of two of FEMA’s “Direct temporary housing program units” in North Fort Myers. Hurricane Ian rocked the lives of so many. For some, recovery was swift, but for so many others, recovery has been slow. Some of those people left Southwest Florida with no hope. Thousands are left with no home. FEMA promised to help by locating or providing the homeless with temporary housing but said they could not put trailers in a flood zone where people needed them most. On Thursday, FEMA changed that. “Our plan in those most vulnerable areas will differ from those farther inland. For the barrier islands and nearby coastal areas, we will install only travel trailers,” said FEMA’s Deputy Federal Coordinating Officer Keith Denning. The policy, according to FEMA’s news release, says, “FEMA never places manufactured housing units or travel trailers in a special flood hazard area as a first option. Instead — this is only done after all practicable options have been exhausted within a community approved for direct housing and with the approval of state and local officials.” With one announcement coming on the last day people can apply for FEMA assistance, WINK News asked Denning why they waited until now to expand the program. “[It] has no relation to the deadline at all. Please make sure that you let people know that they need to register by the end of the night [Thursday],” Denning said. Temporary housing for those who lost everything was a promise FEMA made in the hours and days following the hurricane. It was a promise that many say FEMA did not keep. So, FEMA changed its policy to help people faster. “It demands we create temporary housing solutions that weren’t here before. That’s why FEMA is doing things that it normally doesn’t do. With so many homes destroyed and 1,000s of lives uprooted,” Denning said. The old policy said FEMA could not place manufactured housing units in flood zones. Now, FEMA will temporarily park trailers or deliver trailer trailers to people who need housing most. “We are providing housing solutions that may not have been here before this housing unit behind you,” Denning said. People on Estero Island, San Carlos Island, Sanibel Island, Pine Island, and some close coastal areas are now eligible for temporary travel trailers under the policy. Fort Myers Beach FEMA travel trailer. (Credit: WINK News) “Why are we conducting this revised approach to our direct housing strategy? We have done so in order to provide housing for those in need while also complying with all federal regulations, local codes, and ordinances. We all need to consider the impact of temporary units in these areas. If another storm strikes, protecting life and remaining property are paramount for other areas of Southwest Florida,” said Denning. WINK News asked Denning if FEMA would reconsider those who have been denied temporary housing based on the changes. Denning said it was possible. If you have not registered for FEMA aid, you have until the end of the day Thursday, January 12. There are several ways to register: Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. The Helpline is available daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET. Help is available in most languages. Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov (also in Spanish). Download the FEMA mobile app for smartphones. Visit a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC). Several DRCs are operating throughout Florida’s disaster-damaged counties. To find one close to you, go online to: DRC Locator or floridadisaster.org, or text DRC along with your zip code to 43362. Applicants who wish to apply for disaster assistance should have the following information ready for their registration: Social Security number; pre-disaster address of the primary residence; the name of all occupants of the pre-disaster household, types of insurance coverage; current telephone number and mailing address; and bank account and routing numbers for direct deposit of financial assistance, if eligible. Applicants should also keep their contact information updated with FEMA as the agency may need to call to schedule a home inspection or get additional information.