Man accused of fatal shooting of truck driver appears in courtSUV crashes into Naples restaurant’s window; no injuries
FORT MYERS Man accused of fatal shooting of truck driver appears in court A man facing second-degree murder charges following an altercation with a pickup truck driver made an appearance in court.
NAPLES SUV crashes into Naples restaurant’s window; no injuries A popular Naples restaurant is cleaning up after an SUV partially crashed into it, but luckily, nobody was hurt.
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 Man accused of fatal shooting of truck driver appears in court A man facing second-degree murder charges following an altercation with a pickup truck driver made an appearance in court.
NAPLES SUV crashes into Naples restaurant’s window; no injuries A popular Naples restaurant is cleaning up after an SUV partially crashed into it, but luckily, nobody was hurt.
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.
MGN Online Retailers are rolling out their Black Friday specials, but shoppers may be in for some surprises. Consumers are expected to spend an average of $803 each on Black Friday, an increase of almost 8 percent compared with a year earlier, according to RetailMeNot. But even though they’re planning to spend more, they’re still seeking a bargain. Almost nine of 10 say they’re looking for deals on holiday gifts, the retail coupon site said in a study. Buyer beware: Black Friday “deals” to avoid at Best Buy, Target and Walmart Which retailers are open on Thanksgiving Day As consumers plan their shopping strategies for Friday, they may want to educate themselves on retail trends to make sure they aren’t missing out on a deal — or overpaying for their gifts. Contrary to popular opinion, the best values aren’t always available on Black Friday. But at the same time, waiting too long raises the risks of encountering out-of-stock products. “The timing of the calendar plays a role in when and where consumers do the bulk of their holiday spending,” said Marshal Cohen, chief industry adviser of NPD Group, in a statement. “It’s up to retailers to make the most of the days on the calendar by delivering the promotional value, product offerings, and shopping experience that the consumer desires.” But consumers also need to do their research. Here are five surprises experts say shoppers should be aware of when making their plans for Black Friday. Best place to buy Amazon devices may not be Amazon If you’re looking for an Amazon Echo or another Amazon device, the best option may not be Amazon itself. That’s because Kohl’s is offering many of the devices for the same Black Friday price as Amazon, with the addition of $15 back in Kohl’s Cash when consumers spend at least $50. Kohl’s Cash is a coupon that lets you spend its face value on store merchandise. For instance, the Echo will be sold for $69 at both Amazon and Kohl’s Black Friday sales, but Kohl’s will also provide a $15 Kohl’s Cash coupon. There are some caveats, said Sarah Hollenbeck, shopping and retail expert at Blackfriday.com. “One thing to keep in mind with the Kohl’s Cash is that the deal is valid only through Dec. 5, so shoppers should make sure they have plans to spend it quickly,” she said. The other issue to keep in mind is that Amazon is offering an Amazon Smart Plug — a device that works with Amazon’s voice assistant Alexa to add voice control to outlets — for $5 when shoppers buy an Echo device. The smart plug normally retails for about $25. “If you’re in the market for a smart plug, that could be a better “extra” with your Echo purchase than soon-to-expire Kohl’s cash,” Hollenbeck noted. For some products, it pays to wait until after Black Friday Some products get cheaper closer to Christmas day, which means you may not find a great bargain on Black Friday. Toys are a prime category where it pays to wait until the week before Christmas, when prices may be slashed by as much as 50 percent, according to NerdWallet. Other categories where patience pays are Christmas decorations, bedding (bargains can be found in January) and winter clothing, NerdWallet said. In-store pickup and shipping: Do your research Everyone wants a deal on shipping — whether that’s free shipping or arranging for in-store pickup, which can avoid the hassle of competing with crowds for doorbuster or other sales. But it’s important to understand that in-store pickups have some limits. At Macy’s, for instance, in-store pickup may apply only to what’s in stock in a particular location, rather than the retailer’s entire inventory. In-store pickup is also cheaper for retailers than offering free shipping. And speaking of free shipping, not every retailer is offering it this year, which means shoppers should do their research before clicking on “ship to me.” Macy’s offers free shipping for orders over $99 — but otherwise charges $10.95 for delivery in the continental U.S. Beware of out-of-stock products With a jump in demand, some stores may sell out of inventory. For instance, stores may report being out-of-stock on some electronics like computers, tablets and TVs starting on Thanksgiving Day, according to an analysis from Adobe. Appliances like kitchen mixers could potentially go out of stock on Nov. 25, while apparel is at risk of selling out on Cyber Monday, which is a popular day for clothing sales, it added. Don’t forget “experiential” gift deals Consumers increasingly want “experiential” gifts, like bottles of wine, food or event tickets, according to NPD, which found that four of 10 consumer said they would give these types of gifts this year. That means consumers shouldn’t overlook deals from subscription services like Amazon’s Audible or travel deals. For instance, what’s termed “Travel Deal Tuesday” — Nov. 27th — is one of the best days of the year to buy airline tickets, according to analysis site Hopper. It’s forecasting that tickets to London will be available at a 41 percent discount from their typical price. Airlines such as Icelander and Cathay Pacific are also planning to offer deals on the 27th, Hopper said.