The Weather Authority: Sunny Saturday with a nice breeze; fire danger increasesSenior Airman surprises cousin on Aubrey Rogers softball senior night
The Weather Authority: Sunny Saturday with a nice breeze; fire danger increases Warm temperatures for your Saturday with a nice breeze into the afternoon.
NORTH NAPLES Senior Airman surprises cousin on Aubrey Rogers softball senior night Aubrey Rogers senior pitcher and infielder McKenzie Vargas was 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 raises 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.
The Weather Authority: Sunny Saturday with a nice breeze; fire danger increases Warm temperatures for your Saturday with a nice breeze into the afternoon.
NORTH NAPLES Senior Airman surprises cousin on Aubrey Rogers softball senior night Aubrey Rogers senior pitcher and infielder McKenzie Vargas was 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 raises 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.
Meals of Hope volunteers pack meals to make sure no one goes hungry this holiday (WINK News) Thousands of volunteers gathered to pack hundreds of thousands of meals for those in Southwest Florida and abroad experiencing food insecurity this holiday season. Nonprofit Meals of Hope hosted its annual “Holidays Without Hunger” event at Lee Civic Center in North Fort Myers Saturday, where volunteers helped to scoop and seal meal packs that will soon be delivered to thousands in Southwest Florida who are faced with food insecurity. “We have tremendous hunger in Southwest Florida as all across the country and really all around the world,” volunteers Pete Doragh said. “So it’s one of those things where there’s always a need to help.” The meal packing worked as an assembly line. One volunteer would hold the bags while the other volunteers scooped each ingredient into them. “It just puts us in the Christmas spirit really, just to give back,” Shanai Hill said. Steve Popper, the president and CEO of Meals of Hope, was proud of the outpouring of support volunteers gave at the event. “This gives people an opportunity to give back to our community, spending a couple hours working together,” Popper said. It’s a feeling that has become addicting for veteran volunteers such as 14-year-old Lily Carosiello. She’s been meal packing for the past four years and now trains other volunteers… “I just love doing it and helping the community,” Carosiello said. The meals packed at the day’s event will be delivered to more than 200 local schools, food pantries and food banks to support those in Southwest Florida experiencing food insecurity. Some of the meals will also go to the Bahamas to support continued Hurricane Dorian relief efforts. The event in Lee County was at a capacity with 2,500 volunteers who helped pack more than 553,000 meals for beneficiaries this holiday season. The event at Lee Civic Center was Meals of Hope’s second “Holidays Without Hunger”packing event of the season. Last weekend, 400 volunteers packed 150,000 meals at North Naples Middle School. Meals of Hope provides a total of 14 food pantries — including seven mobile pantries — throughout Collier County and Lee County to distribute fresh and nutritious food to approximately 1,000 families each week. For more information about helping the nonprofit’s holiday efforts and more, contact Meals of Hope at info@mealsofhope.org, or visit the Meals of Hope website. Other volunteers agree the camaraderie shared at the Meals of Hope holiday event is worth the effort support community members. “This is so exciting,” volunteer Dr. Deborah Nauss said. “It’s a wonderful fun chance for everybody to do something for others.”