COLLIER COUNTY Gore Nature Education Center in Collier County teaching the importance of preservation There is a new place in Southwest Florida to learn about nature and endangered species. It is called the Gore Nature Education Center and it is opening its door for the first time on Sunday. One of the main focuses of the education center is to share knowledge about preserving the native habitats in Southwest […]
FORT MYERS WINK Taste of the Town returns this weekend The 2-day event WINK Taste of the Town kicks off Saturday morning. It features local restaurants and businesses across Lee County. It runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at downtown Fort Myers’ Centennial Park. There will be more than 25 food trucks, which means a lot of food choices to pick from. The event […]
LEHIGH ACRES First responder shortage taking a toll on current workers There is a national shortage of paramedics, and Southwest Florida is included in that. Lehigh Acres Fire Rescue says it is getting thousands of more calls this year than last year. And, now, Lee County EMS is hiring 21 new medics. But, this prolonged shortage has already begun to take its toll mentally and physically […]
FORT MYERS Virtual learning tools becoming a staple for educators and students Online learning tools implemented in local schools during the pandemic have continued to remain in place. Zoom and other technologies are now an everyday tool for teachers and students. The pandemic has even taught educators to be more innovative. WINK News spoke with the superintendent of Glades County schools Doctor Beth Barfield and she says […]
CAPE CORAL Logan Hetherington released early from prison A man who took a plea deal in the death of an 8-year-old girl has been released early from prison five months early Friday. Logan Hetherington spent most of his two-year sentence behind bars for the hit-and-run death of Layla Aiken in his Dodge pickup truck while she waited at her Cape Coral bus stop […]
BONITA SPRINGS Time is running out for $77,000 Bonita Springs lottery winner to claim their prize More than $77,000 may be sitting around in someone’s pocket, but only for a few more hours. The Florida Lottery “Fantasy Five” top winning prize ticket from May 1st was sold in Southwest Florida, but the deadline to claim it is 11:59 p.m Thursday. The Florida Lottery put a flyer out all over social media […]
WINK NEWS Southwest Florida election supervisors reassuring voters that there is no fraud The 2020 presidential election led to misinformation and mistrust in our electoral system. Supervisors of elections in Southwest Florida are reassuring voters their ballots will be safe. Almost a year later and some people still have questions about the 2020 election. Chief among them was there voter fraud? Tommy Doyle, supervisor of elections in Lee […]
FORT MYERS Fort Myers Christian School students pack boxes to fight food insecurity Food insecurity is a problem in Southwest Florida. And that problem was exacerbated by the pandemic. But, students at Fort Myers Christian School are packing more than 10,000 meals to help feed the hungry in Lee County and in Haiti. The cowbell was ringing to celebrate the fact that students have packed and sealed those […]
CHARLOTTE COUNTY Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has partnership with local groups to help with domestic violence calls October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Domestic violence often goes unreported but law enforcement agencies respond to thousands of calls each year. In Charlotte County, the sheriff’s office has a partnership to help with these kind of calls. In the last year, more than 2,700 people called to report domestic violence to the Charlotte County […]
FORT MYERS One year later: A mother still searching for answers in her son’s murder It’s been one year since 32-year-old Carl Branch, who lived in Fort Myers, was shot and killed, and still, there have been no arrests in his tragic death. His mother, Cindy Dukes, is holding out hope that his murder will be solved. Branch was gunned down in broad daylight in Pasco County one year ago […]