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 BEACH SWFL tourism industry slowly reopens; expert says comeback not far off People are back out on the beach. But that doesn’t mean tourists are heading to Southwest Florida to soak up the sun just yet. Tourism officials say getting back to pre-pandemic numbers in our state could take years. Tourism businesses in Southwest Florida continue to follow safety practices, as it continues to slowly reopen Friday. […]
LEE COUNTY Lee Health projects $85M in losses past couple months The region’s largest employer is projecting millions of dollars in losses for the past couple months and says it could take years to recover. We looked at what Lee Health’s projected $85 million in losses through March and April could mean for employees and the future of patient care. Making up $85 million is not […]
FORT MYERS Chico’s CEO discusses the company’s attempt to reopen and what that looks like for laid off employees Low stock prices and accusations of wrongdoing by employees recently laid off have been an issue at Chico’s FAS. Lee County-based Chico’s said it’s experiencing one of the fastest turnarounds in fashion retail with three consecutive quarters of unprecedented growth and a 9.4% increase in sales from Q1 to Q4 of fiscal year 2019 prior […]
ESTERO Hertz on the brink hires bankruptcy attorneys as bills come due, lenders agree to extension Hertz is reportedly on the brink of bankruptcy after missing hundreds of millions of dollars worth of payments that have come due. A Southwest Florida economist told WINK News, Hertz is likely making this move in advance of asking a judge for protection from its creditors. Those creditors expected a big payment Monday that never […]
FORT MYERS Former Chico’s employees laid off due to COVID-19 protest in front of retail stores On Monday, about a dozen former Chico’s employees participated in a protest outside one of the Southwest Florida stores because of the way they say the company treated them. They say hundreds of employees with years of experience were laid off. Just a few months ago—Chicos celebrated the opening of brand name stores. Former employees […]
LEE COUNTY Two new coronavirus testing sites to open in Lee County Lee County says testing is crucial in moving forward and monitoring the county as they continue to open up. They announced Friday they will be opening two new testing sites. One of the new testing sites will be a drive-through site at CenturyLink Sports Complex and you don’t need to be exhibiting any symptoms or […]
FORT MYERS Chico’s cuts jobs in ‘significant restructuring’ Chico’s confirmed deep job cuts on Thursday, both locally and nationwide. The Fort Myers-based fashion company filed paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission outlining what it calls a “significant restructuring.” In late January, Chico’s management celebrated the opening of brand new Chico’s, Soma, and White House Black Market stores in south Fort Myers. Weeks […]
Economist sees Florida bouncing back quicker than rest of country With businesses set to reopen next week, does that mean we’ll see Florida’s economy climb back up? The one-time chief economist for Wells Fargo believes so – and he thinks we’ll bounce back faster than much of the country. John Silvia, the founder of Dynamic Economic Strategy, sees what we see: an economy that looks […]
Dealing with infertility and pregnancy during the pandemic Pregnancy can be beautiful, but it’s a heartbreaking topic for others. IVF treatments are on hold because of the pandemic, and women who have become pregnant may be left to deal with some complications at their homes. One reproductive doctor said these women can’t get the surgery that would ease their pain or feel comfort […]
WINK NEWS WINK News moderates virtual debate for SWFL congressional candidates As Campaign Central in Southwest Florida, we hosted a virtual debate with eight candidates running for the U.S. House seat representing Florida’s 19th Congressional District Monday. The candidate who wins would assume the seat U.S. Rep. Francis Rooney plans to step down from upon the end of his term. During the debated we moderated over […]