CAPTIVA Captiva Beach continues renourishment project Nearly two years later, the recovery efforts from Hurricane Ian continue on Captiva Beach. People WINK News spoke with say it’s a work in progress since Hurricane Ian, but they are hopeful as more time passes and more sand is brought in for beach renourishment.
Proposal to mine in the Everglades withdrawn for now The now-withdrawn proposal for the Southland Water Resource Project was submitted to the South Florida Water Management District in July by contractor Phillips and Jordan.
FORT MYERS Bishop Verot cross-country runner commits to UF The Bishop Verot Catholic High School senior won a state championship last year. Now, she’s committed to running at the University of Florida.
DeSantis fights back on Amendment 4 Florida may not be the swing state it used to be, but we’ll be on the map and certainly making headlines for at least one big reason this year: Abortion.
The do’s and don’ts of ATV’s An investigation is underway after a car crashed into an ATV with six people, including children, on it. Concerns are now being raised over the rules and regulations of ATVs.
SANIBEL Sanibel city council votes on E-bike limits The Sanibel City Council has voted to set new speed limits for e-bikes and whether they can ride on the island’s bike paths.
NORTH FORT MYERS Child shoots themselves in foot at youth football game, later arrested There was a frenzy on the field as parents and kids rushed to shelter in a concession building after hearing a gunshot fired during a youth football game.
Miracle Moment: Horsepower drives healing A horse gave a young girl the motivation she needed to fight an aggressive cancer.
Former LCSO deputy pleads not guilty to jewelry store shooting A former Lee County deputy has been caught on the wrong side of the law twice now, but he says he is innocent.
LEE COUNTY East Lee County football off to best start in school history There’s a new energy in the halls of East Lee County High School, because a 3-0 start is a first for Jaguar football.
RSV vaccine for mothers can help baby Now, a new FDA-approved vaccine can protect your baby, even before the little one is born.
Harris’ past debates: A prosecutor’s style with narrative flair but risks in a matchup with Trump Harris faces former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, who will participate in his seventh general election debate since 2016 for an event that will be seen by tens of millions of viewers just as early voting in November’s election starts around the country.
Collier commissioners approve tax rates, consider repaying Conservation Collier Collier County commissioners on Sept. 5 tentatively approved the $2.98 billion 2024-25 budget, but didn’t resolve whether to repay $29.6 million they took from Conservation Collier to help cover a more than $60 million shortfall last year.
LEE COUNTY Jury finds man guilty of molesting child in Lee County A jury has found a Lehigh Acres man guilty of sending inappropriate messages and molesting a child following a three-day trial.
CAPE CORAL 2 teens plead not guilty in murder of 15-year-old Cape Coral girl Two teens accused of murdering a 15-year-old girl in Cape Coral have both entered a plea of not guilty.
CAPTIVA Captiva Beach continues renourishment project Nearly two years later, the recovery efforts from Hurricane Ian continue on Captiva Beach. People WINK News spoke with say it’s a work in progress since Hurricane Ian, but they are hopeful as more time passes and more sand is brought in for beach renourishment.
Proposal to mine in the Everglades withdrawn for now The now-withdrawn proposal for the Southland Water Resource Project was submitted to the South Florida Water Management District in July by contractor Phillips and Jordan.
FORT MYERS Bishop Verot cross-country runner commits to UF The Bishop Verot Catholic High School senior won a state championship last year. Now, she’s committed to running at the University of Florida.
DeSantis fights back on Amendment 4 Florida may not be the swing state it used to be, but we’ll be on the map and certainly making headlines for at least one big reason this year: Abortion.
The do’s and don’ts of ATV’s An investigation is underway after a car crashed into an ATV with six people, including children, on it. Concerns are now being raised over the rules and regulations of ATVs.
SANIBEL Sanibel city council votes on E-bike limits The Sanibel City Council has voted to set new speed limits for e-bikes and whether they can ride on the island’s bike paths.
NORTH FORT MYERS Child shoots themselves in foot at youth football game, later arrested There was a frenzy on the field as parents and kids rushed to shelter in a concession building after hearing a gunshot fired during a youth football game.
Miracle Moment: Horsepower drives healing A horse gave a young girl the motivation she needed to fight an aggressive cancer.
Former LCSO deputy pleads not guilty to jewelry store shooting A former Lee County deputy has been caught on the wrong side of the law twice now, but he says he is innocent.
LEE COUNTY East Lee County football off to best start in school history There’s a new energy in the halls of East Lee County High School, because a 3-0 start is a first for Jaguar football.
RSV vaccine for mothers can help baby Now, a new FDA-approved vaccine can protect your baby, even before the little one is born.
Harris’ past debates: A prosecutor’s style with narrative flair but risks in a matchup with Trump Harris faces former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, who will participate in his seventh general election debate since 2016 for an event that will be seen by tens of millions of viewers just as early voting in November’s election starts around the country.
Collier commissioners approve tax rates, consider repaying Conservation Collier Collier County commissioners on Sept. 5 tentatively approved the $2.98 billion 2024-25 budget, but didn’t resolve whether to repay $29.6 million they took from Conservation Collier to help cover a more than $60 million shortfall last year.
LEE COUNTY Jury finds man guilty of molesting child in Lee County A jury has found a Lehigh Acres man guilty of sending inappropriate messages and molesting a child following a three-day trial.
CAPE CORAL 2 teens plead not guilty in murder of 15-year-old Cape Coral girl Two teens accused of murdering a 15-year-old girl in Cape Coral have both entered a plea of not guilty.
Spencer Sleyon, 22, meets his new friend Rosalind “Roz” Guttman in West Palm Beach, Florida, after meeting her on Words with Friends over a year ago. Amy Butler provided the photo for CBS News. Photo courtesy of CBS News When Spencer Sleyon agreed to play a Words with Friends game with a random opponent over a year ago, the 22-year-old never expected that stranger — an 81-year-old woman named Rosalind “Roz” Guttman — to become his lifelong friend. That random match-up led to another game … and then another, and another. Over the course of a year, the pair have played 324 rounds of the online Scrabble game, occasionally sending messages back and forth to one another critiquing each other’s moves. They quickly bonded over their competitiveness. Sleyon, an aspiring rapper from Harlem, New York, learned Guttman lived in a retirement community in West Palm Beach, Florida. He joked with his friends about the unusual friendship every time her username popped up on his phone, indicating it was his turn to play. A few months ago, Sleyon’s friend’s mom, Amy Butler, a pastor at Manhattan’s Riverside Church, overheard him talking about Guttman. She was so touched by the story, she asked if she could share it in one of her upcoming sermons. Of course, Sleyon agreed. But Butler didn’t want the story of their friendship to end there. So, she decided to help facilitate a meeting between the online pals. On Friday, Sleyon hopped on a plane, with Butler by his side, ready to meet his friend Guttman. “She’s 86 & lives in a retirement community in Florida. He’s 22 and lives in Harlem. They met online playing #wordswithfriends. Tomorrow they’ll meet in person. I get to be there. #relationshipschangeus,” Butler tweeted Thursday night. She shared a selfie with a grinning Sleyon from the airplane. She’s 86 & lives in a retirement community in Florida. He’s 22 and lives in Harlem. They met online playing #wordswithfriends. Tomorrow they’ll meet in person. I get to be there. #relationshipschangeus pic.twitter.com/xNJjK3ga6H — Amy Butler (@PastorAmyButler) December 1, 2017 The next day, Sleyon met Guttman at a hotel near her retirement home. For once, Sleyon was at a loss for words. He opened his arms and the pair embraced — a moment captured on camera. “Last summer i randomly met this 80 y/o woman on words with friends. we played 300+ games together and she actually ended up becoming a good friend of mine,” Sleyon wrote. “Today I got to go to Florida and meet her in person.” Sweet day today with Spencer and his #wordswithfriends friend, Roz, watching them bond in person for the first time. #relationshipschangeus pic.twitter.com/9sW0ojE318 — Amy Butler (@PastorAmyButler) December 1, 2017 Photos of their meeting instantly went viral with more than 240,000 retweets. “Life is…crazy I’ve never been to Florida y’all,” Sleyon tweeted after posting about their encounter. “And to clear the air, she was not crushing me. Boy don’t play with me.” Thousands of people responded to Sleyon’s post and the story of the 22-year-old’s 1,000-mile journey to visit Guttman in person. “How absolutely wonderful. Making new friends is always great. Making friends with people of different age groups teaches us a lot,” one Twitter user commented. “How many points is ‘crying’? This is so sweet,” another wrote. Even Words With Friends responded. “We can’t get enough of this! Amazing. Thank you for sharing your story with us,” the video game’s official Twitter account posted. We can’t get enough of this! Amazing. Thank you for sharing your story with us. #WWF2 #UseYourWords https://t.co/oXSv2sHYkB — Words With Friends (@WordsWFriends) December 2, 2017 Butler said she enjoyed sitting back and watching Sleyon “bond in person” with Guttman for the first time. “Relationships change us,” she noted.