Stand-off shuts down part of downtown Punta Gorda; suspect in custody
The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office says there is an ongoing standoff with a suspect in the area of Marion Avenue in Punta Gorda.
Family mourning 12-year-old killed after being hit by car in Lee County
A family is mourning their 12-year-old who was hit by a car and killed while crossing an intersection in Lee County on Friday.
Pedro Pablo Ramirez’s body found in Caloosahatchee River on Tuesday, per FWC
FWC said they found Pedro Pablo Ramirez’s body in the Caloosahatchee River on Tuesday. “Our deepest condolences are with the friends and family of Mr. Ramirez,” said Major Rob Rowe, Southwest Regional Commander. “I know the community will keep them all in their thoughts during this difficult time.” Family and crews went searching for their […]
Man held without bond for murder of wife in Golden Gate Estates
The man accused of murdering a woman in Golden Gate Estates was set to appear before a judge on Tuesday but didn’t due to a medical refusal.
Can Trump run for president if indicted?
All eyes are on former president Donald Trump, who recently warned he “will be arrested.” His statement comes as an investigation by the Manhattan district attorney’s office reaches its end.
Southwest Florida students send experiment to International Space Station
Reaching for the stars in education, two Southwest Florida students won a competition to send a project to the International Space Station.
Security concerns over downed gate at North Cape Water Plant
A downed gate outside the North Cape Water Plant in Cape Coral is causing concern over the plant’s security.
Alzheimer’s and other dementias take toll on caregiver’s health
Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia affect not only the person diagnosed but loved ones, too.
Researchers hope to see Gulf waters improving 6 months after Ian
Weeks after Hurricane Ian, a team from Florida Gulf Coast University and the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation set sail into the Gulf to explore water quality, marine life and the seafloor. Nearly 6 months since Ian’s landfall, the team is heading back to study our water quality again.
Trio leads deputies on chase after shooting at East Naples apartment complex
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has arrested three men they say fled from deputies investigating a shooting at an East Naples apartment complex.
Live: WINK News
Can Trump run for president if indicted?
All eyes are on former president Donald Trump, who recently warned he “will be arrested.” His statement comes as an investigation by the Manhattan district attorney’s office reaches its end.
Banking giant UBS acquiring Credit Suisse for $3.2 billion
Banking giant UBS is buying its smaller rival Credit Suisse for $3.2 billion in an effort to avoid further market-shaking turmoil in global banking, Swiss President Alain Berset announced on Sunday night. Berset called the announcement “one of great breadth for the stability of international finance. An uncontrolled collapse of Credit Suisse would lead to […]
Gulfshore Business
Planned condo tower One opens sales center in downtown Fort Myers
A planned 21-story, 34-unit condominium tower called One will launch its sales center in April. Those interested in spending at least $1 million on their future residence can visit the soft launch, view a model of the tower and see renderings in downtown Fort Myers. The One sales center is open most afternoons or by […]
Estero community organizer Don Eslick dies at 88
Don Eslick, a community organizer who was instrumental in incorporating Estero as its own government entity, died March 16 at the age of 88. Eslick retired in 1999 to Estero from the Chicago area after a career in education as Illinois’ assistant superintendent of schools and in government as director of legislative research for the […]
Crumbl Cookies opens at new Cape Coral Commons shopping center
Crumbl Cookies celebrated the grand opening of its Cape Coral store, which followed one in North Naples as the second in Southwest Florida, with at least two more being planned. What began near the Utah State University campus in Logan, Utah, with one location in 2017, has since surged to more than 700 locations across […]
The Pearl Founders Square apartments sell for $125 million
The Pearl Founders Square luxury apartment complex is under new ownership after recently selling for more than $125 million. The new 400-unit apartment community in the Naples area was acquired this quarter by the Beitel Group, a real estate investment firm based in Brooklyn, New York. Construction on the five freestanding, four-story buildings at The […]
Save the Florida Panther Day in Collier County recognizes local conservation efforts
More than a million of Collier County’s land mass of 1.3 million acres are in the Florida Wildlife Corridor, an area providing essential habitat and connectivity for many of the state’s species such as the Florida panther. As the human population in the county grows rapidly and development expands, conservation of the Florida panther and […]
Estero Council approves recreational proposals for 20-acre Williams Road property
Four recreational proposals for a 20-acre village-owned property on Williams Road were approved by the Estero Village Council on Wednesday. The approval authorized Village Manager Steve Sarkozy to proceed with negotiations and draft definitive agreements. “This is simply the requested action to approve the shortlist of projects, or potential partners and move this item along […]
Tim Aten Knows: New golf club breaks ground in North Naples
Q: Do you have info on the clearing in progress across from Kalea Bay, corner of Vanderbilt Drive and Wiggins? Thanks. — Ann Quinn, Naples A: The development of Kinsale Golf Club, an 18-hole golf course, began March 1 on more than 170 acres of undeveloped land on the northeast corner of Vanderbilt Drive and […]
Lee County Chairman foresees building back better after Hurricane Ian
Nearly six months since Hurricane Ian made landfall in Southwest Florida, Lee County Chairman Brian Hamman presented the county’s progress and a plan for long-term restoration at a Real Estate Investment Society luncheon earlier this week in Fort Myers. “What that process looks like is, for the first six months, it was about responding to […]
Lee County files for eminent domain of property slated for Three Oaks Parkway Extension Project
Lee County expects the Three Oaks Parkway Extension project to improve traffic flow by extending Three Oaks Parkway to Daniels Parkway, providing a parallel route to I-75. The county filed an eminent domain lawsuit for property included in the project last week.
Investigations
Inside an FGCU education classroom: Teachers in training ready to step in
Thousands of teachers in Southwest Florida have said goodbye to the education world over the past few years.
A new school, a new leader, a new vision: Lee County principal builds school from scratch amid teacher shortages
A lack of respect, not making a livable wage, and the need for better support are just a few things driving teachers to leave the education field.
Harns Marsh Middle School leads by example to fill teacher shortage gaps
Burnout: you hear this word all the time on the news, and maybe even in your daily conversations. It’s a problem for a lot of workers, especially teachers.
Where are the air marshals? TSA stays tight-lipped on security threats
Numerous fights have broken out on flights recently, but where are the air marshals?
City council discusses future location of Fort Myers police and recruitment for new leader
Fort Myers city council discussed the future location and the selection process for a new chief of the Fort Myers Police Department during a workshop on Thursday.
‘Outpouring of love’: Owners of Fort Myers Beach restaurant destroyed by Ian donate $100K
As Tammy Drake climbs into the cab of this excavator, and prepares to level her Fort Myers Beach home, she’s feeling… a mix of emotions.
The future of Fort Myers Beach: The man with a plan
Many of you closely follow what’s happening on Fort Myers Beach, especially if you live or work there. Decisions made now and in the near future about how to rebuild will impact everyone with a stake on this island. “I’m sorry for being so emotional,” says Fort Myers Beach resident William Dean Simmons. It isn’t […]
The future of Fort Myers Beach: The personal side of progress
It’s been just over three months since Hurricane Ian devastated Southwest Florida. For some in Fort Myers Beach, the aftermath has been the most challenging time of their lives. WINK News is profiling the rebuild of the barrier island town through the eyes and experiences of a local builder. In part one of the series, […]
Fort Myers Beach clock lost during Hurricane Ian will be replaced by beach builder and partners
An iconic piece of Fort Myers Beach lost in Hurricane Ian will be replaced. We’re talking about the big blue clock. In our special series “A Man With a Plan,” WINK news investigative reporter Céline McArthur sits down with the beach builder behind the project to get the story. The last thing this man has […]
Fort Myers Beach man to build $350k home for Hurricane Ian victims
Can the character of pre-Hurricane Ian Fort Myers Beach be saved? In our special series, “A Man With a Plan,” we’re profiling the rebuild of the barrier island town through the eyes and experiences of a local builder. He says the answer is yes—one family at a time.
Health and Medical
New device first to support right side of heart during failure
More than 6 million Americans suffer from heart failure, meaning the heart can’t pump enough blood to support the rest of the organs in the body.
Florida may ban girls’ period talk in elementary grades
Legislation moving in the Florida House would ban discussing menstrual cycles and other human sexuality topics in elementary grades.
Fort Myers audiologist explains new AI-powered hearing aids
For years, many people dealing with hearing loss avoided or delayed getting hearing aids because they often weren’t much help. But a new generation of AI-powered devices is moving the needle on sound.
Proton therapy shows promising results in tumor treatments
Researchers at the University of Cincinnati are conducting a first-in-human trial of a radiation treatment that they say holds promise in treating tough-to-kill tumors. The researchers deliver the radiation with proton therapy, a procedure that uses a large, specialized machine called a gantry.
NCH doctors work on creative treatments to address heart issues
Doctors at NCH’s Rooney Heart Institute are now using a cutting-edge method to operate on patients.
SWFL Water Crisis
Cape Coral fine-tunes bubble curtains meant to fight blue-green algae
The curtains are designed to prevent toxic blue-green algae from surfacing in canals, like the Everest and they do it by using a wall of bubbles.
Red tide’s impact goes beyond SWFL beaches
Red Tide is an ongoing problem Southwest Florida is experiencing and struggling with in the wake of Hurricane Ian. While Red Tide does bring a lousy stench and dead fish along, the problem is bigger than merely that. Captain Ozzie Fischer is a second-generation boat captain and has been showing people the way of the […]
Large seaweed blob floating toward Florida coast
A large seaweed blob known as “sargassum” is floating toward Florida. Southwest Florida has seen it happen nearly every year for the past decade, but this year it’s enormous. Scientists said the blob seen from satellite images is enough to fill 3,000 Olympic-sized pools. As of Monday evening, the sargassum is in the Caribbean Sea […]
Red tide keeping some spring breakers out of the water, but not off the beach
Red tide is taking a toll on Southwest Florida, but many people in town are trying to enjoy the beach anyway.