LEHIGH ACRES Flames shoot through roof of house in Lehigh Acres Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District said the people inside the house got out okay and no one was injured.
FORT MYERS Lee County making changes to fix bus issues In the past, the Lee County School District struggled to find enough bus drivers.
NAPLES Naples man gets original Bob Ross paintings appraised Bob Ross took this blank canvas in a small studio in Muncie, Indiana, and transformed it into a beautiful masterpiece.
Lee Schools board considers full-day phone bans The biggest talking point in a Lee County School District safety presentation wasn’t about violence or drugs, it was about phones
PINE ISLAND FDOT asking you if bike and pedestrian lanes should be added to busy road The Florida Department of Transportation is asking you if bike and pedestrian lanes should be added to the busy road.
Food drive for mental health awareness While someone may look healthy, they may be fighting a real inner battle.
FORT MYERS Overbilled for overflow of water; Residents stuck with hefty water bill The Moore’s make ends meet living at The Cove for almost a year.
ESTERO Scoreless Eagle up for award at NIL Summit FGCU’s Brandon Dwyer is one of the big time performers in NIL despite having never scored a single point in his entire Eagle career.
What happens after a nuisance alligator is captured? For alligators, the month of May means we are in the heart of mating season in the Sunshine State.
Exclusive: Interview with woman who shares hope of recovery on National Fentanyl Awareness Day Lee County Sheriff’s Office said that in 2020 they seized nearly two thousand grams of fentanyl. In 2023, that number jumped to over 8,000.
ESTERO FGCU star in the circle reflects on historical senior season The Eagles’ ace told WINK News she is focused on making every moment count before she hangs up her cleats for the last time.
NAPLES Pastrami Dan’s reopens in Naples after SUV crash Pastrami Dan’s in Naples welcomed customers once again, with people waiting at the door.
FGCU Two FGCU softball players playing for those who impacted their lives Two FGCU softball players, Riley Oakes and Olivia Black, are playing for friends who impacted their lives in a major way.
Police: Cape Coral man breaks into ex-girlfriend’s home, kills fish named ‘Bean’ A man has been arrested after police said he broke into his ex-girlfriend’s home, damaged her property and killed her pet fish.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers family blessed with new home In about sixty days, Myrtle Dillard’s home on Lincoln Boulevard went from being run-down and unlivable to brand new.
LEHIGH ACRES Flames shoot through roof of house in Lehigh Acres Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District said the people inside the house got out okay and no one was injured.
FORT MYERS Lee County making changes to fix bus issues In the past, the Lee County School District struggled to find enough bus drivers.
NAPLES Naples man gets original Bob Ross paintings appraised Bob Ross took this blank canvas in a small studio in Muncie, Indiana, and transformed it into a beautiful masterpiece.
Lee Schools board considers full-day phone bans The biggest talking point in a Lee County School District safety presentation wasn’t about violence or drugs, it was about phones
PINE ISLAND FDOT asking you if bike and pedestrian lanes should be added to busy road The Florida Department of Transportation is asking you if bike and pedestrian lanes should be added to the busy road.
Food drive for mental health awareness While someone may look healthy, they may be fighting a real inner battle.
FORT MYERS Overbilled for overflow of water; Residents stuck with hefty water bill The Moore’s make ends meet living at The Cove for almost a year.
ESTERO Scoreless Eagle up for award at NIL Summit FGCU’s Brandon Dwyer is one of the big time performers in NIL despite having never scored a single point in his entire Eagle career.
What happens after a nuisance alligator is captured? For alligators, the month of May means we are in the heart of mating season in the Sunshine State.
Exclusive: Interview with woman who shares hope of recovery on National Fentanyl Awareness Day Lee County Sheriff’s Office said that in 2020 they seized nearly two thousand grams of fentanyl. In 2023, that number jumped to over 8,000.
ESTERO FGCU star in the circle reflects on historical senior season The Eagles’ ace told WINK News she is focused on making every moment count before she hangs up her cleats for the last time.
NAPLES Pastrami Dan’s reopens in Naples after SUV crash Pastrami Dan’s in Naples welcomed customers once again, with people waiting at the door.
FGCU Two FGCU softball players playing for those who impacted their lives Two FGCU softball players, Riley Oakes and Olivia Black, are playing for friends who impacted their lives in a major way.
Police: Cape Coral man breaks into ex-girlfriend’s home, kills fish named ‘Bean’ A man has been arrested after police said he broke into his ex-girlfriend’s home, damaged her property and killed her pet fish.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers family blessed with new home In about sixty days, Myrtle Dillard’s home on Lincoln Boulevard went from being run-down and unlivable to brand new.
Kathleen Boyle. She and her two Westies survived a bear attack in Collier County Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020. Boyle says her two dogs and a nearby bicyclist saved her from a black bear near her home. Credit: WINK News. A woman says she and her two dogs were attacked by a black bear in Collier County on the morning of Christmas Eve Thursday. Kathleen Boyle spoke to us Friday, the day after she says her two dogs and a bicyclist helped her escape from a mother bear after they ran into her cubs during a morning walk in the Fiddler’s Creek community. Boyle says her dogs, one ironically named Bear, and her other pup, Robin, both stayed by her side when they encountered a family of bears in the neighborhood. “It wasn’t until probably 11:30, 12 o’clock that I stopped shaking,” Boyle said. “Because it was that trauma, ‘I can’t believe this just happened.’” Boyle’s two Westies are show dogs, but they didn’t worry about manners when a bear approached them and their owner. “So here you’ve got an 18-pound terrier who’s going to defend his master against a 400-pound bear,” Boyle said. She was walking her terriers on their leashes down her street when she saw two bear cubs. She knew that meant their mom wasn’t far away, so she ran. “I only made it 20, 30 paces,” Boyle said. “[Bear] turned around and starts going back toward the cubs. I turned around and realized that the mama bear was coming after us.” During the 15-minute attack, both dogs fought. First, it was Bear who put up a defense. “He went into her belly and bit her belly and started attacking her, so she came after him,” Boyle said. “She on all fours picked him up in her mouth and drove him to the ground, bit him.” Then, Robin stepped in. “The bear was up on her hind legs and so [Robin] ran into her legs and bit her belly,” Boyle said. And then Boyle fought back too. “I started punching her and she, distracted, looked at me,” Boyle said. “It was just a fight or flight, and it just kicked in, and it was just my own mom bear came out like, ‘Not on my shift. You’re not taking my dog away.’” Eventually, both dogs ran off. “So now the bear only has one person to go after, and it’s me,” Boyle explained. “I would back up five paces and move forward a little bit punching at her. She just didn’t stop.” That’s when Boyle was saved. “A biker was coming this direction. He saw it was happening,” Boyle said. “He yelled, so between the two of us yelling, she got scared and ran away.” Boyle credits the bicyclist and her two pups for saving her life. “If it weren’t for the biker, I don’t know what the outcome would’ve been,” Boyle said. “They’re just heroes; if it weren’t for him responding, the bear would’ve come up behind us and taken one or all of us out.” Bear, the terrier, did have some injuries. “He has puncture wounds on his neck; he was in extreme pain yesterday,” Boyle said. “He has a lot of soft tissue damage, even though he looks fine.” Kathleen and her husband, Donald, hope what everyone takes away from this story is that you have to be careful around wildlife, especially baby bears. Meanwhile, tiny heroes will be getting a lot of love for the remainder of Christmas. “So very spirited and getting lots of hugs,” Boyle said.