FGCU softball pitcher making a name for herselfSurrendering-pets trend at Gulf Coast Humane Society concerns
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.
PUNTA GORDA Motorcyclists ride in SWFL to help veterans battle suicide A group of veterans from the American Legion are grabbing their helmets and boots for a motorcycle ride to bring awareness to the staggering rates of suicide among veterans.
SARASOTA Alleged sexual abuse victims of Port Charlotte priest comes forward Father Riley worked at three churches in Charlotte County and another in Naples. On Friday, new allegations emerged from a news conference in Sarasota.
PORT CHARLOTTE Port Charlotte priest accused of sexual abuse appears in court A priest accused of sexually abusing four altar boys in Iowa nearly 40 years ago returned to Charlotte County court.
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.
PUNTA GORDA Motorcyclists ride in SWFL to help veterans battle suicide A group of veterans from the American Legion are grabbing their helmets and boots for a motorcycle ride to bring awareness to the staggering rates of suicide among veterans.
SARASOTA Alleged sexual abuse victims of Port Charlotte priest comes forward Father Riley worked at three churches in Charlotte County and another in Naples. On Friday, new allegations emerged from a news conference in Sarasota.
PORT CHARLOTTE Port Charlotte priest accused of sexual abuse appears in court A priest accused of sexually abusing four altar boys in Iowa nearly 40 years ago returned to Charlotte County court.
FORT MYERS Where’s the money? Government investigating Fort Myers entrepreneur According to records obtained by WINK News, a young Southwest Florida entrepreneur who made headlines in 2017 with his plans to develop a rundown office complex is now the subject of a government investigation. Florida’s Office of Financial regulation received at least two complaints against Matt Hurley, a 24-year-old who graduated from Cypress Lake High […]
SOUTH FORT MYERS Last-minute COVID-19 testing at CenturyLink causes long lines Hundreds of people waited in line at the CenturyLink Sports Complex COVID-19 testing site on Wednesday. All of them hoping to see a negative test result just in time for Christmas. WINK News Reporter Lauren Sweeney stood in the line herself and said it only took her about 45 minutes. It only took her 15 […]
FORT MYERS Lee County will begin vaccinating those 65 and older on Monday, DOH confirms The Department of Health in Lee County will begin offering the COVID-19 vaccine to those 65 and older as soon as Monday. DOH spokeswoman Tammy Yzaguirre confirmed to WINK News the vaccine would be available. Details on how people can sign up were not provided. Collier and Charlotte counties have not said when they will […]
Man accused of killing Lehigh teen in hit-and-run to be released on reduced bond A man accused of killing a Lehigh Acres teenager with his car and then fleeing the scene will be released on reduced bail. Judge Margaret Steinbeck granted a motion to reduce the bail for Adrian Zurita to $50,000. Zurita, 19, was arrested Sunday for a hit-and-run crash that happened a few days prior near his […]
NAPLES Addiction relapse compounded by COVID-19 ‘Chris’ was doing well on his road to recovery. He’d gotten a job and an apartment and was living a much more healthy lifestyle. But everything changed in March 2020. The isolation and social distancing prescribed to help curb the COVID-19 pandemic gave Chris a reason to turn back to drugs. His is just one […]
WINK NEWS Government puts an end to emotional support animals on planes You won’t have to worry about sharing a flight with a pet peacock anytime soon. After years of debate, the government is putting an end to emotional support animals on planes. In a story we reported in 2017, we exposed how easy it was to bring an untrained animal on a plane. It was as […]
CAPE CORAL The sickening reality of Florida’s medical malpractice laws It was his fifth marriage and her second, but they were together for more than 20 years. Karen Ballard gets emotional just saying her husband Tom’s name. “He was the most amazing man and he was the love of my life,” she said. Tom Ballard died in January, eight months after a surgery that was […]
FORT MYERS When David meets Goliath: Why a local clinic wants to take on Florida’s largest health insurance company Jennifer Voltz describes herself as someone who always fights for the underdog. In 2011, she opened FOCUS to provide speech, occupational, physical, and behavioral therapy to children with developmental disabilities. “These kids need it. It is medically necessary. It is a service. It’s going to help them be able to communicate better be able to […]
FORT MYERS Prosecutor says video of former FMPD captain in massage parlor could not be used in court The case against Jay Rodriguez, a former police captain with Fort Myers Police Department, will not face prosecution because a massage parlor employee could not be located, and there were problems with the origin of video evidence in the case. An assistant state attorney with the Twelfth Judicial Circuit Court filed a lengthy memo in […]
FORT MYERS Council member wants to save City of Palms Park from demolition Councilman Fred Burson of Ward 5 in Fort Myers led the discussion about saving the City of Palms Park from demolition at the Fort Myers Council meeting Mmeeting. Council voted in September to regain possession of the park but only if Lee County paid to tear it down. The park once hosted the Boston Red […]