NORTH FORT MYERS LCSO searching for missing endangered adult Lee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a missing person.
The Weather Authority: Scattered storms for your Saturday The Weather Authority is tracking afternoon scattered storms for Saturday this Labor Day weekend.
WINK NEWS SWFL Scoreboard: High School Football Week 2 The Golden Eagles took down the Cougars 64-7 to win the Crosstown Showdown for the 26th year in a row.
NAPLES Naples mayor speaks out after DUI arrest Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann has sent a statement to WINK News after being charged with a DUI.
FORT MYERS Woman stabbed at Fort Myers gas station Authorities responded to an active scene at a 7-eleven in Fort Myers after a woman was stabbed early Friday evening.
FORT MYERS FMPD investigating a van that followed a student from bus stop Police said a suspicious van followed a middle school student home from the bus stop on Thursday and yelled, “Get in the van.”
CAPE CORAL Report: Teen was on crosswalk when she was hit The driver of the box truck told officers he didn’t see Kendra as she rode in front of him, and he started to go.
FORT MYERS BEACH Celebration of Jimmy Buffet Day at Margaritaville Friday was Jimmy Buffett Day at Margaritaville and Fort Myers Beach is gearing up for a fun party all weekend long.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County deputies hold training for mental health encounters Charlotte County deputies are entering the community equipped with a new tool for handling mental health: the crisis initiative training.
Neighbors worried about flooding in Rotonda Heights Neighbors in Rotonda Heights are fed up with the flooding and they want to see it fixed.
ORLANDO Smart living moms reclaim their careers Betsy Gardner president and CEO of the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce started Relaunch, a program to help stay-at-home moms.
FORT MYERS BEACH A closer look at the gas leak that killed 2 men at Fort Myers Beach home A closer look at the gas leak that killed two men in Fort Myers Beach has revealed some new details leading up to the deaths.
SANIBEL Sanibel CVS Pharmacy reopening after Hurricane Ian The CVS Pharmacy in Sanibel is reopening nearly two years after Hurricane Ian caused severe damage to it.
FORT MYERS Woman transported after boat hits large wake under Midpoint Bridge A woman had to be transported to the hospital after suffering an injury when the boat she was in struck the wake of a yacht.
NEW YORK (AP) Trump has history sparking outrage for incidents around veterans even as military voters backed him The reported altercation at Arlington National Cemetery involving Donald Trump’s staff was far from the first time that veterans or the families of service members have criticized the former president for words or behavior they saw as disparaging.
NORTH FORT MYERS LCSO searching for missing endangered adult Lee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a missing person.
The Weather Authority: Scattered storms for your Saturday The Weather Authority is tracking afternoon scattered storms for Saturday this Labor Day weekend.
WINK NEWS SWFL Scoreboard: High School Football Week 2 The Golden Eagles took down the Cougars 64-7 to win the Crosstown Showdown for the 26th year in a row.
NAPLES Naples mayor speaks out after DUI arrest Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann has sent a statement to WINK News after being charged with a DUI.
FORT MYERS Woman stabbed at Fort Myers gas station Authorities responded to an active scene at a 7-eleven in Fort Myers after a woman was stabbed early Friday evening.
FORT MYERS FMPD investigating a van that followed a student from bus stop Police said a suspicious van followed a middle school student home from the bus stop on Thursday and yelled, “Get in the van.”
CAPE CORAL Report: Teen was on crosswalk when she was hit The driver of the box truck told officers he didn’t see Kendra as she rode in front of him, and he started to go.
FORT MYERS BEACH Celebration of Jimmy Buffet Day at Margaritaville Friday was Jimmy Buffett Day at Margaritaville and Fort Myers Beach is gearing up for a fun party all weekend long.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte County deputies hold training for mental health encounters Charlotte County deputies are entering the community equipped with a new tool for handling mental health: the crisis initiative training.
Neighbors worried about flooding in Rotonda Heights Neighbors in Rotonda Heights are fed up with the flooding and they want to see it fixed.
ORLANDO Smart living moms reclaim their careers Betsy Gardner president and CEO of the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce started Relaunch, a program to help stay-at-home moms.
FORT MYERS BEACH A closer look at the gas leak that killed 2 men at Fort Myers Beach home A closer look at the gas leak that killed two men in Fort Myers Beach has revealed some new details leading up to the deaths.
SANIBEL Sanibel CVS Pharmacy reopening after Hurricane Ian The CVS Pharmacy in Sanibel is reopening nearly two years after Hurricane Ian caused severe damage to it.
FORT MYERS Woman transported after boat hits large wake under Midpoint Bridge A woman had to be transported to the hospital after suffering an injury when the boat she was in struck the wake of a yacht.
NEW YORK (AP) Trump has history sparking outrage for incidents around veterans even as military voters backed him The reported altercation at Arlington National Cemetery involving Donald Trump’s staff was far from the first time that veterans or the families of service members have criticized the former president for words or behavior they saw as disparaging.
FORT MYERS, Fla. – Unpaid bills, low wages, hopelessness, hunger and homelessness. In Lee County 169,692 families struggle with poverty; The Lee County School District simulated a month in the lives of these families for 50 participants Monday. Among the participants was reporter Stephanie Susskind, who played the role of a 1-year-old named Josh Jacobi. Josh Jacobi lived with his 19-year-old mother and her boyfriend. In the poverty simulation, his mother was unemployed and trying to reestablish food stamps while the live-in boyfriend worked to pay for food, rent and other necessities. The family was just getting things under control when they were evicted from their apartment. Had Josh Jacobi been old enough to attend school in Lee County, he may have joined the more than 70 percent of students who qualify for school lunch subsidies, according to statistics from the school district. The poverty rate for children under 18 is 23.5 percent, which is higher than the average poverty rate — 16 percent — in Lee County, record show. In the simulation, Josh Jacobi became homeless. Poverty and the lack of affordable low-income housing are the primary causes of homelessness in Florida, according to the school district. The demonstration showed participant Debra Haley of New Horizons how close impoverished families are to homelessness. “I think it really brings home to me the reality of what homeless families, families living in poverty really face, and you get into that position and how do you get out?” Other participants, like Terri Ann Lindo of United Way, felt like poverty could create feelings of hopelessness and depression. “I really started to feel the depression set in and the frustration set in on what do I do? Where am I going to be tonight? How’s my child gonna eat?” Lindo said. Many people walked away from the simulation with a greater appreciation for compassion. “It really solidified what I already felt and known,” Rob Malpica, a nurse at Early Head Start, said. “I really learned that sometimes we need to have a little more empathy for people.” Community resources for families: Abuse Counseling and Treatment, (ACT) 239-939-2553 American Red Cross, 239-278-3401 Amigo’s Center, 239-437-6727 ext. 23943 Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast, 239-288-4244 Blessings in a Backpack, 239-690-4653 Bonita Springs Assistance Office, 239-992-3034 Boys & Girls Club of Lee County, 239-334-1886 Catholic Charities of Lee, Hendry and Glades County, 239-337-4193 Children’s Advocacy Center of Southwest Florida, 239-334-0222 Community Cooperative Emergency, 239-322-7687 Lee County Legal Aid Society, 239-334-6118 Lehigh Community Services, 239-369-5818 Lutheran Services Florida, 239-278-1140 Quality of Life Center of Southwest Florida, 239-275-3222 Salus Care, 239-275-3222 The Salvation Army, 239-278-1551 United Way 211