MARCO ISLAND Gopher tortoise burrows filled with concrete on Marco Island The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating after several gopher tortoise burrows were filled in on Marco Island. Gopher tortoises are a threatened species that are protected under state law. The property on Marco Island where the Burrows were filled is home to about 30 gopher tortoises. On Thursday morning, it was discovered […]
WINK NEWS Mental Health Awareness Month: It’s OK to ask for help May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Each year millions of Americans face the reality of living with a mental illness. When someone asks, ‘how are you,’ how often do we give an honest response? Especially if you are not having the best day? Because May is Mental Health Awareness Month, WINK News spoke with two […]
COLLIER COUNTY COVID-19 infections impacting vaccinated areas in Florida COVID-19 infections are hitting vaccinated and unvaccinated parts of Florida hard. Some of the hardest-hit areas right now are some of the most vaccinated. Out of nearly 21 million people in Florida, 67.1% are fully vaccinated, and the current 7-day average for COVID-19 infection is slightly over 4,000. Dr. Antonio Gonzalez, the medical director of […]
LEE COUNTY FGCU men’s golf team swings into NCAA tournament FGCU is back in NCAA action. The men’s golf team is the first program to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. “We all have confidence and we believe in ourselves,” team captain Franki Capan says. “We were granted a special opportunity and earned our spot in regional and now it’s kind of when […]
FORT MYERS Fort Myers takes second in FGCU study of most overvalued rental markets Rent prices are through the roof, but how high are they in Southwest Florida? A new FGCU study looks at the country’s top 25 most overvalued rental markets. The top five most overvalued cities were all in Florida. Fort Myers ranked Second. According to the study, the average price for rent in Fort Myers is […]
FORT MYERS Fort Myers city leaders propose rent increase rules for landlords Leaders across Southwest Florida are offering solutions to help neighbors find affordable housing. According to the rental website Zumper, an average two-bedroom apartment in Fort Myers costs about $2,000 a month. That is up 45% from last year. Leaders in Lee County are proposing a new rule for landlords. They know they can’t control rent […]
LEE COUNTY Veterans getting opportunity to start dream business thanks to FGCU program Veterans are getting the chance to bring their business dreams to life thanks to an entrepreneurship program at FGCU. Two veterans who have been best friends since they were 14-years-old are working to have their own hydro graphics business. “When I first started this out like three years ago, everything ended up in my garage, […]
NORTH PORT New I-75 exit proposed in Charlotte County between Kings Hwy and Toledo Blade I-75 could get a new exit at Yorkshire Street in Southwest Florida. Charlotte County and North Port commissioners are discussing the addition. Charlotte County and the city of North Port need to agree on everything first. Then, it could be 10 years or more for the new interchange on I-75. Amitean, a Charlotte County resident, […]
CHARLOTTE COUNTY Charlotte County approves more homes for tiny home community, hundreds already approved Hundreds of tiny homes could be coming to a neighborhood near you. A developer is planning to build more than 200 in Charlotte County, south of Punta Gorda on Burnt Store Road. At one point in time, most of Burnt Store Road was empty, but in recent years developers have added more and more homes. […]
IMMOKALEE Parents seeking answers after Collier County teacher arrested for hiding camera in bathroom A Southwest Florida elementary school teacher was arrested and accused of putting a video camera in a school bathroom. Parents are now looking for answers to how this could happen and what is being done to keep it from happening again. Elementary school is supposed to be a safe place, but the Collier County Sheriff’s […]