20th annual Hibiscus Festival begins in Punta GordaLehigh Acres senior caretaker accused of stealing over $70K of patients’ jewelry
PUNTA GORDA 20th annual Hibiscus Festival begins in Punta Gorda The 20th annual Hibiscus Festival at Gilchrist Park in Punta Gorda begins Friday morning and runs all weekend.
WINK NEWS Lehigh Acres senior caretaker accused of stealing over $70K of patients’ jewelry A senior caretaker has been arrested for allegedly stealing over $70,000 of her patients’ jewelry and pawning it.
Tim Aten Knows: Next phase of Restaurant Row Naples under way Construction of the final phase of Restaurant Row Naples was stalled for months because of financial issues but the three-building project was recently revived.
NAPLES Alamo Drafthouse Cinema’s first Florida theater opens in Naples The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema has now opened at the company’s first-ever Florida location at Mercato in Naples.
FORT MYERS Friday’s Furry Friends: Rhett, Tag For this week’s Friday’s Furry Friends, WINK visits the Gulf Coast Humane Society to showcase two adorable animals ready to be adopted.
WINK NEWS Recall issued for ground beef sold with possible E. coli at Walmart The Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued a recall for several ground beef products distributed from Pennsylvania to Walmart’s nationwide.
The Weather Authority Hotter and more humid this Friday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a mild Friday morning with dry afternoon conditions and isolated storms appearing in the evening.
PUNTA GORDA ‘Party’s Over’: Dirt biking ends at Barefoot Lake The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has made it clear, the party at Barefoot Lake is over.
ESTERO Crews battle brushfire near Alico Road and Eagle Village Drive San Carlos Park Fire District is on the scene fighting a 2.5-acre brushfire near Alico and Eagle Village Drive.
FORT MYERS Jake’s story: A mother’s mission to share her son’s story and help other young people One Fort Myers mom is turning her pain into purpose after her son, who she refers to as her “heavenly Angel,” took his own life.
CAPE CORAL New renderings for the Cape Coral Yacht Club promise a bright future The Cape Coral Yacht Club, which has been part of this community since the 1960s, will now have a new look after Hurricane Ian’s devastating effects.
LEHIGH ACRES Owner bars public from Barefoot Lake, LCSO installs Watch Tower Every weekend, roughly 200 people go to Barefoot Lake in Lehigh Acres to relax, fish, swim and have a good time.
CAPE CORAL Concern over water shortage in Cape Coral Concern is flowing through Cape Coral as neighbors are seeing their canal levels low and their wells run dry.
FORT MYERS FSW softball swinging for success in the postseason Now their focus shifts to states which means the newbies are looking to the experienced sophomores for advice.
BONITA SPRINGS Young SWFL tennis player competing with professionals You may not know her name now, but you might want remember it because 16-year-old Cookie Jarvis-Tredgett is already competing with professionals.
PUNTA GORDA 20th annual Hibiscus Festival begins in Punta Gorda The 20th annual Hibiscus Festival at Gilchrist Park in Punta Gorda begins Friday morning and runs all weekend.
WINK NEWS Lehigh Acres senior caretaker accused of stealing over $70K of patients’ jewelry A senior caretaker has been arrested for allegedly stealing over $70,000 of her patients’ jewelry and pawning it.
Tim Aten Knows: Next phase of Restaurant Row Naples under way Construction of the final phase of Restaurant Row Naples was stalled for months because of financial issues but the three-building project was recently revived.
NAPLES Alamo Drafthouse Cinema’s first Florida theater opens in Naples The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema has now opened at the company’s first-ever Florida location at Mercato in Naples.
FORT MYERS Friday’s Furry Friends: Rhett, Tag For this week’s Friday’s Furry Friends, WINK visits the Gulf Coast Humane Society to showcase two adorable animals ready to be adopted.
WINK NEWS Recall issued for ground beef sold with possible E. coli at Walmart The Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued a recall for several ground beef products distributed from Pennsylvania to Walmart’s nationwide.
The Weather Authority Hotter and more humid this Friday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a mild Friday morning with dry afternoon conditions and isolated storms appearing in the evening.
PUNTA GORDA ‘Party’s Over’: Dirt biking ends at Barefoot Lake The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has made it clear, the party at Barefoot Lake is over.
ESTERO Crews battle brushfire near Alico Road and Eagle Village Drive San Carlos Park Fire District is on the scene fighting a 2.5-acre brushfire near Alico and Eagle Village Drive.
FORT MYERS Jake’s story: A mother’s mission to share her son’s story and help other young people One Fort Myers mom is turning her pain into purpose after her son, who she refers to as her “heavenly Angel,” took his own life.
CAPE CORAL New renderings for the Cape Coral Yacht Club promise a bright future The Cape Coral Yacht Club, which has been part of this community since the 1960s, will now have a new look after Hurricane Ian’s devastating effects.
LEHIGH ACRES Owner bars public from Barefoot Lake, LCSO installs Watch Tower Every weekend, roughly 200 people go to Barefoot Lake in Lehigh Acres to relax, fish, swim and have a good time.
CAPE CORAL Concern over water shortage in Cape Coral Concern is flowing through Cape Coral as neighbors are seeing their canal levels low and their wells run dry.
FORT MYERS FSW softball swinging for success in the postseason Now their focus shifts to states which means the newbies are looking to the experienced sophomores for advice.
BONITA SPRINGS Young SWFL tennis player competing with professionals You may not know her name now, but you might want remember it because 16-year-old Cookie Jarvis-Tredgett is already competing with professionals.
FGCU men’s basketball team celebrates after winning the Atlantic Sun conference tournament on Sunday, March 5. (Stan Chambers Jr./WINK News) FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) Brandon Goodwin scored 19 points and Florida Gulf Coast earned its third NCAA Tournament trip in the last five seasons with a 77-61 win over North Florida in the Atlantic Sun Conference championship game on Sunday. Demetris Morant and Marc-Eddy Norelia each scored 14 for the Eagles (26-7), who trailed by six at the half before pulling away. Zach Johnson and Christian Terrell added 10 apiece for FGCU, which tied the program’s Division I-era record for victories in a season. The school best known for its “Dunk City” run to the Sweet Sixteen in 2013 also went to the NCAAs last season, winning a First Four game before falling to eventual national finalist North Carolina. Dallas Moore, the leading active scorer in Division I, had 19 points for North Florida (15-19). Wajid Aminu scored 11 and Garrett Sams added 10 for the Ospreys. FGCU outscored North Florida 44-22 in the second half. Goodwin started the second half with a three-point play and it didn’t take long for the Eagles to grab control. His free throws with 16:36 left put FGCU on top for good, and started what became a 17-7 run that set the tone for what became a championship celebration. FGCU went 9 for 21 at the rim in the first half and went into the break down 39-33, after North Florida went on a bit of a long-range barrage. The Ospreys made three straight shots from beyond the arc late in the half – two from reserve Osborn Blount, another from Sams, and had Moore tack on three free throws not long afterward after he got fouled on a 3-point try. But the second half was all Eagles, who knocked North Florida out of the A-Sun tournament for the second straight season. Big picture North Florida: The Ospreys were bidding to be the 26th team to get into the NCAA Tournament with a losing record. … UNF fell to 4-13 on the road. … The Ospreys made five of their last seven shots of the first half – then went 5 for 27 in the second half. Florida Gulf Coast: Morant’s first dunk of the game was FGCU’s 149th of the season – one more than the original team with the “Dunk City” moniker had in their 2012-13 season that ended in the Sweet 16. … FGCU is 12-1 in its last 13 games. … Goodwin (now with 601) broke the FGCU single-season scoring record, established last year when Norelia scored 597 points. One-sided The rivalry between the schools has very distinct ebbs and flows. FGCU won the first six meetings, UNF won the next seven, FGCU then won five straight, UNF took the next three – and now, each of the last five have been won by FGCU. Up next Florida Gulf Coast awaits its NCAA Tournament matchup, to be announced March 12. WINK News went live via Facebook as fans rushed the court: WINK News was also live from a postgame press conference where coach Joe Dooley and players spoke about the victory: