Police: 15-year-old injured after accidentally shot in the legExclusive: Brother and best friend of accused pedophile priest speak out
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.
NAPLES 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 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.
Immokalee ‘The eyes always draw me in’; Immokalee portrait artist turns dark times into color One of Southwest Florida best portrait artist, Martha Maria Cantu, almost gave up art. Now she’s on the forefront of the city of Immokalee, to make her community filled with color.
GOLDEN GATE Collier commissioners approve agreement for golf complex in Golden Gate Collier commissioners unanimously approved a long term lease and operating agreement to reopen the Golden Gate golf course Tuesday.
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.
NAPLES 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 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.
Immokalee ‘The eyes always draw me in’; Immokalee portrait artist turns dark times into color One of Southwest Florida best portrait artist, Martha Maria Cantu, almost gave up art. Now she’s on the forefront of the city of Immokalee, to make her community filled with color.
GOLDEN GATE Collier commissioners approve agreement for golf complex in Golden Gate Collier commissioners unanimously approved a long term lease and operating agreement to reopen the Golden Gate golf course Tuesday.
MGN MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) – Exploring Miami Beach one recent afternoon, Swiss tourists Adrian Cannistra and Shkunte Mustafa said they considered vacationing on a beach closer to home before booking the lengthy overseas flight. Greece may have been ideal – with the financial crisis, bargains can be had and many Swiss are taking advantage. Cannistra has vacationed in Tunisia but said recent terrorist attacks there scared him away from North Africa. “The Swiss don’t go there anymore,” he said. “They’re afraid.” But in the end, the couple opted for Florida because Cannistra wanted to see the United States. The Swiss couple is among thousands of European tourists who help fuel a $25 billion annual tourism-related economic influx to the Miami area. Experts say terror attacks in Tunisia and the Greek economic crisis are changing beach vacation plans for many Europeans and could have a big impact on Miami and the rest of Florida. “It comes up in our conversations about our international business,” sad Rolando Aedo, vice president of The Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Miami, unlike any other tourist destination in the U.S., even New York and Los Angeles, has the highest percentage of international visitors. Half of our visitors are international so what happens around the world is crucial for us.” From his office in downtown Miami, Aedo keeps a close watch on complex international political developments and on daily fluctuations in international currency markets. This summer, Aedo and other Florida tourism officials are monitoring the fallout of the Tunisian terrorist attack that killed 38 people, including 30 British. They are also monitoring the economic turmoil in Greece – something that makes that country’s beaches more affordable but also causes some potential tourists to worry about political instability in the Mediterranean paradise. European visitation to Florida was up 6 percent from 2013 to 2014, the most recent totals available. About 4 million Europeans visited the state, according to Visit Florida, the state’s tourism agency. Paul Phipps, Visit Florida’s marketing director, expects the trend to continue. “Safety is always a concern to international travelers. We always rank very high in surveys when we ask visitors if they feel safe here,” he said. But Phipps said Florida tourism officials do not want to benefit by exploiting troubles in other parts of the world. The state often pulls its advertising in places when tragedy or natural disasters happen, he said. Recent developments in Europe are just a small part of an overall trend in tourism growth from Europe, he said. “I think rather than looking at us as an alternative to Greece or Tunisia, they look at us their top option,” he said. Olga Plimer co-owns Florida’s largest German-language newspaper, the Venice-based Sun State Post. The paper caters to Germans living in southwest Florida and to the thousands of Germans who visit the state each month. Germans are the top European visitors to the Miami area and statewide they rank seventh among foreign tourists. Plimer said turmoil in Europe and the surrounding region make Florida an even-more attractive destination for Germans. “If you are on vacation you don’t want to be concerned about any problems,” the German native said. “You want to be able to go out at night and have a variety of restaurants and activities to enjoy while you feel safe and welcome.”