The Weather Authority: Sunny Saturday with a nice breeze; fire danger increasesSenior Airman surprises cousin on Aubrey Rogers softball senior night
The Weather Authority: Sunny Saturday with a nice breeze; fire danger increases Warm temperatures for your Saturday with a nice breeze into the afternoon.
NORTH NAPLES Senior Airman surprises cousin on Aubrey Rogers softball senior night Aubrey Rogers senior pitcher and infielder McKenzie Vargas was surprised by her Air Force cousin for Senior Night.
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 raises 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.
The Weather Authority: Sunny Saturday with a nice breeze; fire danger increases Warm temperatures for your Saturday with a nice breeze into the afternoon.
NORTH NAPLES Senior Airman surprises cousin on Aubrey Rogers softball senior night Aubrey Rogers senior pitcher and infielder McKenzie Vargas was surprised by her Air Force cousin for Senior Night.
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 raises 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.
An artist in East Naples who lost all her supplies during Hurricane Ian and no longer had a way to make a living received much-needed help from anonymous strangers who saw her plight on WINK News. Kaata Mrachek’s life work was destroyed by the floodwaters that swept through her mobile home in Moorhead Manor. Her studio, where countless artistic visions came to life, lay in ruins. “Here is my studio… oh my God… oh my God, oh my God, it is so musty and mildewy in here… all my art was just covered in water,” Mrachek said. “All the tools.” Her artwork was scattered, and her supply bins were full of water. Kaata Mrachek’s studio after Ian. (Credit: Shared with WINK News) “The first several days was just like, people would ask questions, and I would, I couldn’t get my words out,” Mrachek said. “And sometimes I’m just, I just break down. And then sometimes it’s like, ‘OK, let’s shore it up. Let’s move ahead and do what we need to do.’ And I’ve been having a lot of nightmares, so I haven’t been sleeping very well.” Mrachek was worried her career was over, as showing her artwork each season in Bonita Springs and Coconut Point is how she made a living. Three months after Ian, however, the streets of her Moorhead Manor community are once again clean and welcoming, and Mrachel’s studio is back in working condition. Kaata Mrachek. (Credit: WINK News) “I can’t wait to start painting,” Mrachek said. “I have so much pressure built up to really want to create something beautiful and not just have to build rebuild cabinets and doors and all sorts of things.” She was helped by WINK News viewers who wish to remain anonymous. “After the newscast, somebody called me up and said, ‘We were moved by you, we really wanted to do a donation,’ and they’re like, ‘What would you need?'” Mrachek said. “I’m like, ‘What I really, really need is really expensive, and so don’t worry about that.’ They’re like, ‘It’s okay, go for it.'” Saw donated to Kaata Mrachek. (Credit: WINK News) The anonymous benefactors helped Mrachek get a new power saw, a tool crucial to her art. “I use it to cut all my paintings. I use it to make all my custom frames,” Mrachek said. “I mean, this is my baby.” The donation helped Mrachek return to doing what she loved, but she can never forget Hurricane Ian’s impact. “I have been looking forward to this day for so long; I just have some order and some beauty back in my life,” Mrachek said. “I can’t tell you how important this is. It’s almost like you gotta go really bad, and it really builds up, and you just can’t wait to get and have that wonderful release.” Ian’s aftermath and the rebirth of Southwest Florida’s communities have inspired new ideas. “I noticed there are a lot of images of things bursting… flowers or buds are bursting forward is the best image I can describe,” Mrachek said. “You know, it’s in such a contrast to what I’ve gone through.”