Teachers union reaches contract agreement with Lee County School DistrictCape Coral has met the FEMA guidelines
Teachers union reaches contract agreement with Lee County School District The Lee County Teachers Union said it has reached an agreement with the district regarding teacher contracts for the next school year.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral has met the FEMA guidelines Cape Coral is now meeting all of the female guidelines related to the flood insurance discount.
BABCOCK RANCH Family and friends remember teen killed in SR-31 crash Many of Hughes’ coworkers decided to skip their shifts Wednesday night and attend his funeral.
FORT MYERS Officers searching for alleged Racetrac arsonist The Fort Myers Police Department has confirmed an early morning fire at a gas station was arson.
CAPE CORAL What we know about man accused of flushing ex-girlfriend’s fish down the toilet Bret Dahl is accused of breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s house, assaulting her, breaking things and flushing her fish named Bean down the toilet.
FORT MYERS Pushing for changes at Lee County Domestic Animal Services The Lee County Domestic Animal Services is responding to a letter listing concerns and allegations at the shelter.
Miracle Moment: Kinsley Vitiello Three-year-old Kinsley Vitiello loves to play dolls and dance her heart out with her big sister Aubrey.
CAPE CORAL Low canals and dried-up wells: Why does Cape Coral keep building? In a city with more canals than Venice, Waterfront living isn’t hard to find.
BONITA SPRINGS Students turn old treasure into gems for Mother’s Day An array of fine gems and jewels all for a mother’s heart. With Mother’s Day quickly approaching, one Bonita Springs marketing company is helping students think outside the box.
FORT MYERS BEACH Woman sees potentially suspicious charge on her account after parking at Fort Myers Beach Jennifer parked in the parking lot across from Lynn Hall Memorial Park, paid with a QR code and went to visit friends for lunch.
NORTH FORT MYERS North Fort Myers DL balancing spring practice and shot put regionals North Fort Myers defensive lineman James Johnson is balancing spring football practice and going for a regional title in the shot put.
IMMOKALEE Training day for Folds of Honor donors and special guests On Wednesday, high-ranking veterans of the navy seals and other special operations conducted six different training scenarios.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Non-profit makes teddy bears for families of fallen officers Having a loved one in law enforcement means there is always a fear that they may not come home.
CAPE CORAL People fighting to lower the cost of playing pickleball in Cape Coral The price of playing on these courts is putting people in a pickle. The Lake Kennedy Racquet Center has yet to open, but there are a lot of concerns.
NORTH FORT MYERS Parents say their children are still waiting for winnings after Lee County takes over SWFL AG Expo Children in the 4-H program who raise animals say they’re still waiting to receive the money they won in early March.
Teachers union reaches contract agreement with Lee County School District The Lee County Teachers Union said it has reached an agreement with the district regarding teacher contracts for the next school year.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral has met the FEMA guidelines Cape Coral is now meeting all of the female guidelines related to the flood insurance discount.
BABCOCK RANCH Family and friends remember teen killed in SR-31 crash Many of Hughes’ coworkers decided to skip their shifts Wednesday night and attend his funeral.
FORT MYERS Officers searching for alleged Racetrac arsonist The Fort Myers Police Department has confirmed an early morning fire at a gas station was arson.
CAPE CORAL What we know about man accused of flushing ex-girlfriend’s fish down the toilet Bret Dahl is accused of breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s house, assaulting her, breaking things and flushing her fish named Bean down the toilet.
FORT MYERS Pushing for changes at Lee County Domestic Animal Services The Lee County Domestic Animal Services is responding to a letter listing concerns and allegations at the shelter.
Miracle Moment: Kinsley Vitiello Three-year-old Kinsley Vitiello loves to play dolls and dance her heart out with her big sister Aubrey.
CAPE CORAL Low canals and dried-up wells: Why does Cape Coral keep building? In a city with more canals than Venice, Waterfront living isn’t hard to find.
BONITA SPRINGS Students turn old treasure into gems for Mother’s Day An array of fine gems and jewels all for a mother’s heart. With Mother’s Day quickly approaching, one Bonita Springs marketing company is helping students think outside the box.
FORT MYERS BEACH Woman sees potentially suspicious charge on her account after parking at Fort Myers Beach Jennifer parked in the parking lot across from Lynn Hall Memorial Park, paid with a QR code and went to visit friends for lunch.
NORTH FORT MYERS North Fort Myers DL balancing spring practice and shot put regionals North Fort Myers defensive lineman James Johnson is balancing spring football practice and going for a regional title in the shot put.
IMMOKALEE Training day for Folds of Honor donors and special guests On Wednesday, high-ranking veterans of the navy seals and other special operations conducted six different training scenarios.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Non-profit makes teddy bears for families of fallen officers Having a loved one in law enforcement means there is always a fear that they may not come home.
CAPE CORAL People fighting to lower the cost of playing pickleball in Cape Coral The price of playing on these courts is putting people in a pickle. The Lake Kennedy Racquet Center has yet to open, but there are a lot of concerns.
NORTH FORT MYERS Parents say their children are still waiting for winnings after Lee County takes over SWFL AG Expo Children in the 4-H program who raise animals say they’re still waiting to receive the money they won in early March.
A year and a half after Hurricane Ian, FEMA may have just dealt a final blow. FEMA has announced its plans to lower the discount some homeowners get in the national flood insurance program. “It’ll be a land of the haves and the have-nots, I guess,” said Janine Fine, a Cape Coral resident. “My bills just keep going up and up and up,” said Sue Farel, another Cape Coral resident. The discount in question is up to 25 percent in parts of Lee County. This includes Cape Coral, Bonita Springs, Estero, Fort Myers Beach, and unincorporated Lee. And come October 1, it could disappear. “Now you’re saying our floods is gonna go up? 25%?” said Farel, “it’s gonna be $5,000 a year over, and we don’t have a super nice house.” The decision also doesn’t sit well with local leaders. Both Lee County and the city of Cape Coral say they were given no explanation. According to FEMA, The retrograde is due to the large amounts of unpermitted work, lack of documentation, and failure to properly monitor activity in special flood zone areas. FEMA shared a statement with WINK News saying they are committed to helping Lee County participate in the community rating system again and work towards future discounts. Read the full statement below: “We are committed to helping these communities take appropriate remediation actions to participate in the Community Rating System again and work towards future policy discounts.” One of FEMA’s responsibilities following a disaster is to ensure communities that participate in the National Flood Insurance Program adopt and enforce floodplain management regulations to reduce impacts from flooding. Adhering to local regulations allows for premium discounts for policy holders in communities that participate in the Community Rating System and ensures structures are rebuilt to withstand future storms. Following Hurricane Ian and over the last 18 months, we conducted site visits to several communities to ensure locally adopted floodplain management ordinances were being enforced. On Thursday March 28, FEMA held calls with five communities about their status in the National Flood Insurance Program’s Community Rating System. Those calls informed community leaders that they would be losing their discounts for flood insurance policies starting Oct. 1, 2024. This retrograde is due to the large amount of unpermitted work, lack of documentation, and failure to properly monitor activity in special flood hazard areas, including substantial damage compliance. “I understand where they’re coming from. That’s not my fault,” said Farel. “I replaced my roof two years ago so that when I had a hurricane, I didn’t have any damage. I took care of that. People don’t. They wait for the hurricanes, so our insurance rates go up?” Unincorporated Lee County and the City of Cape Coral both had a CRS class 5 rating, which is why they had a 25 percent discount. The people who live here want it to stay that way. “I hope they’re able to achieve something,” said Fine Cape Coral mayor John Gunter wasn’t so kind, saying, ” Make no mistake, FEMA is the villain in this nightmare.” Local leaders are calling on FEMA to suspend their decision until they’ve had a meaningful decision until they’ve had a meaningful discussion with FEMA. They say they’ve worked hard to maintain their CRS rating and want an opportunity to address FEMA’s concerns.