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.
PUNTA GORDA 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.
PUNTA GORDA 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.
Credit: via WINK News. Actor Chadwick Boseman recently died of colon cancer at the age of 43. He was known for portraying a number of legendary heroes in film who were both non-fictional and fictional. And Boseman died a hero himself. We look at how Boseman’s death is now raising awareness for colon cancer. We also spoke to a colon cancer survivor Monday about what she experienced. Diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, doctors recommended Sheila LaDow in Indian River County get a colonoscopy every three years. But at 42 years old, she didn’t take it too seriously. “I was scheduled to have it over the summer of 2019, so I skipped it for a couple of months,” LaDow said. When LaDow finally went, they found cancer. Now, after surgery and six rounds of chemotherapy, she’s cancer-free. But not everyone diagnosed with colon cancer is as fortunate. Boseman died after four years of treatment for colon cancer. LaDow says she hopes something good can come from an otherwise tragic event. “With him being 43 years old, which is the exact age I am now, it should raise awareness,” LaDow said. “And I hope that it does.” Screenings for colon cancer are supposed to start at age 50. But some groups suggest it should start earlier at 45. That’s because the number of people diagnosed under 50 have gone up 2% a year while cases among older adults are dropping. “We’re now seeing this unfortunate rise in young onset,” said Michael Sapienza, the CEO of the Colorectal Cancer Alliance. “I’ve been to more funerals than I can count for people in their twenties, thirties and their forties.” “This will hopefully not only raise awareness in the older population, but may also increase interest in studies for younger patients,” said Dr. Brenda Jimenez, a gastroenterologist with Cleveland Clinic Florida in Weston. “So that we can find causes and identify patients that are at higher risk.” Traditionally, the biggest risk factor for colon cancer is family history. But other things that put people at risk includes obesity, inactivity, smoking and eating a lot of red meat and processed foods. That’s where screenings come in. “It takes years for a polyp that is potentially precancerous to develop into cancer,” Jimenez said. “So if you catch it early enough, then, you can prevent cancer.” Colon cancer is called the silent killer because you might not always show symptoms. “I am living proof, living proof that it can save your life,” LaDow said. “So I would tell a young person at any age don’t put it off.” MORE: Florida Populations Most at Risk of Not Being Up to Date With Colorectal Cancer Screening American Cancer Society – Insurance Coverage for Colorectal Cancer Screening Colorectal Cancer Alliance