Senior Airman surprises cousin on Aubrey Rogers softball senior nightPolice: 15-year-old injured after accidentally shot in the leg
NORTH NAPLES Senior Airman surprises cousin on Aubrey Rogers softball senior night Aubrey Rogers senior pitcher and infielder McKenzie Vargas surprised by her Air Force cousin for Senior Night.
BONITA SPRINGS Police: 15-year-old injured after accidentally shot in the leg Lee County deputies say the teen was accidentally shot in the leg.
PUNTA GORDA Exclusive: Brother and best friend of accused pedophile priest speak out Riley’s brother reached out to WINK on Friday, saying people aren’t getting the full story.
IMMOKALEE Caught on video: Huge gator crosses Immokalee neighborhood Fridays in Florida are for gators
FORT MYERS FGCU softball pitcher making a name for herself One season in FGCU, freshman pitcher Allison Sparkman is already ruffling feathers in the circle.
Surrendering-pets trend at Gulf Coast Humane Society concerns An large amount of pets are being surrendered by their owners. About half of the dogs at the Gulf Coast Humane Society are surrender dogs.
Students benefitting from millions in sales tax dollars So far, the voter-approved half-cent sales tax has brought in $507 million for the Lee County School District.
PORT CHARLOTTE ‘Shady’: One woman feels misled after federal student loan consolidation It takes some people decades to pay off their student loans. One woman’s last payment was in sight until she took a gamble she said she was told to take.
FORT MYERS Homeless encampments inch closer to neighborhoods Law enforcement has swept multiple encampments, cleaning the trails of mess and muck left behind, and some of these encampments are right in our backyards.
BIG CYPRESS PRESERVE What changes if Big Cypress National Preserve becomes a Wilderness Area? America’s first nationally designated preserve is in Southwest Florida’s backyard, and it is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Method to treat IBD being used for other health issues Trying to get treatments for the brain when fighting neurological diseases like epilepsy and ALS is a challenge.
FORT MYERS NTSB report reveals new details in helicopter crash after Hurricane Ian The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final report on a helicopter crash that occurred in Iona, Florida, shortly after Hurricane Ian.
NAPLES Memorial celebrates the life of John Passidomo Hundreds of friends and family gathered for a memorial at Baker Park in Naples.
‘Latinos in Action’ empowers all students to succeed WINK News talked with teachers who are a part of the program, helping kids reach their full potential.
Immokalee ‘The eyes always draw me in’; Immokalee portrait artist turns dark times into color One of Southwest Florida best portrait artist, Martha Maria Cantu, almost gave up art. Now she’s on the forefront of the city of Immokalee, to make her community filled with color.
NORTH NAPLES Senior Airman surprises cousin on Aubrey Rogers softball senior night Aubrey Rogers senior pitcher and infielder McKenzie Vargas surprised by her Air Force cousin for Senior Night.
BONITA SPRINGS Police: 15-year-old injured after accidentally shot in the leg Lee County deputies say the teen was accidentally shot in the leg.
PUNTA GORDA Exclusive: Brother and best friend of accused pedophile priest speak out Riley’s brother reached out to WINK on Friday, saying people aren’t getting the full story.
IMMOKALEE Caught on video: Huge gator crosses Immokalee neighborhood Fridays in Florida are for gators
FORT MYERS FGCU softball pitcher making a name for herself One season in FGCU, freshman pitcher Allison Sparkman is already ruffling feathers in the circle.
Surrendering-pets trend at Gulf Coast Humane Society concerns An large amount of pets are being surrendered by their owners. About half of the dogs at the Gulf Coast Humane Society are surrender dogs.
Students benefitting from millions in sales tax dollars So far, the voter-approved half-cent sales tax has brought in $507 million for the Lee County School District.
PORT CHARLOTTE ‘Shady’: One woman feels misled after federal student loan consolidation It takes some people decades to pay off their student loans. One woman’s last payment was in sight until she took a gamble she said she was told to take.
FORT MYERS Homeless encampments inch closer to neighborhoods Law enforcement has swept multiple encampments, cleaning the trails of mess and muck left behind, and some of these encampments are right in our backyards.
BIG CYPRESS PRESERVE What changes if Big Cypress National Preserve becomes a Wilderness Area? America’s first nationally designated preserve is in Southwest Florida’s backyard, and it is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Method to treat IBD being used for other health issues Trying to get treatments for the brain when fighting neurological diseases like epilepsy and ALS is a challenge.
FORT MYERS NTSB report reveals new details in helicopter crash after Hurricane Ian The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final report on a helicopter crash that occurred in Iona, Florida, shortly after Hurricane Ian.
NAPLES Memorial celebrates the life of John Passidomo Hundreds of friends and family gathered for a memorial at Baker Park in Naples.
‘Latinos in Action’ empowers all students to succeed WINK News talked with teachers who are a part of the program, helping kids reach their full potential.
Immokalee ‘The eyes always draw me in’; Immokalee portrait artist turns dark times into color One of Southwest Florida best portrait artist, Martha Maria Cantu, almost gave up art. Now she’s on the forefront of the city of Immokalee, to make her community filled with color.
Portion of Billy’s Creek where cleanup is underway. (Credit: WINK News) Action is being taken at a local waterway prone to flooding that has been polluted for years. On Wednesday, crews started to clean up the bottom of Billy’s Creek. Typically, the sound of construction is bothersome to those around their home. But not now. In a Brookhill community, the City of Fort Myers is dredging Billy’s Creek to help decrease flooding. It is something that makes Emilia Rosary happy. Portion of Billy’s Creek where cleanup is underway. (Credit: WINK News) “They started off with the drainage system,” Rosary said. “They tore a rotor up. They gave us new piping and stuff and now they’re doing that.” Rosary’s backyard touches the creek and she said flooding into her house had cost her way too much money. “My house has gotten flooded about an inch, inch and a half in my house,” Rosary said. Crews said the goal is to remove 12,000 cubic yards of sediment and get rid of invasive plant species. An added benefit is cleaning up the water polluted with fecal matter. IN 2018, $775,000 in state grant funding for the project was approved by the Florida Legislature, with the city funding the remainder of the $1 million restoration effort. City officials said this would help the creeks flow, which should cut down on flooding. Ed Rildes has seen the worst of it. “It rained,” Rildes said. “The water started rising. I watched it come in the road; then I watched it come in the yard and then in my house.” Both Rosary and Rildes agree that this project will give their community the peace of mind they so desperately seek. “If it’s not going to flood, of course, I don’t have to worry about flooding,” Rildes said. “Sherance and all that kind of stuff so I feel safe.” During 2008-09, the city invested nearly $2 million to establish the Billy Creek Preserve Filter Marsh, which reduces the amount of pollutants entering the creek. This initiative was part of the city’s Stormwater Master Plan, and it was launched in cooperation with the South Florida Water Management District and Lee County a decade ago. The city invested $1.3 million on the construction of Ford Street Preserve in 2014-15. This was used to intercept seasonal runoff and divert it to a constructed wetland treatment system, a press release said. The Ford Street Canal used to discharge to Billy Creek with no treatment. In a press release, the city monitors bacteria levels in Billy Creek outflows monthly, and performs all testing required by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The city states it works with all other agencies and counties within the Caloosahatchee Watershed to collectively address pollution threats and sources. According to a press release, the City of Fort Myers commits more than $100,000 annually to routine testing, maintenance and upkeep of the creek, preserve and filter marshes.