Collier County Disaster Recovery Center to closeK-9 officer, who served Cape Coral Police Department for 15 years, passes away
NAPLES Collier County Disaster Recovery Center to close The disaster recovery center opened for those affected by Hurricane Milton, Hurricane Helene, and Hurricane Debby.
CAPE CORAL K-9 officer, who served Cape Coral Police Department for 15 years, passes away The Cape Coral Police Department has announced the passing of retired K-9 Officer Todd Salmon.
Bishop Verot cheerleaders march in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Cheerleaders from Bishop Verot High School graced television screens across the nation as they marched through the streets of New York City in the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
WINK NEWS Driving safely during Thanksgiving holiday in Southwest Florida Most people drive to their Thanksgiving destination on Thanksgiving Day, and nearly 72 million people are expected to get behind the wheel.
WINK NEWS What’s open and closed on Thanksgiving Day in Southwest Florida On Thanksgiving Day, millions across the country come together to celebrate the holiday with friends, family and food.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda residents show resilience this Thanksgiving amid recent hurricane damage Many people are expressing gratitude for what they have this Thanksgiving, but some residents of Punta Gorda will spend this holiday gathering what they have left.
the weather authority Beautiful weather for your Thanksgiving Day The Weather Authority is tracking beautiful conditions with sunny skies expected throughout this Thanksgiving Day.
NORTH FORT MYERS LCSO confirms fatal deputy-involved shooting in North Fort Myers A 21-year-old man has been killed after a deputy-involved shooting at a Sunoco gas station near Suncoast Drive in North Fort Myers.
Meteorologist’s dream of joining Thanksgiving parade comes true WINK News Weather Authority meteorologist Lauren Kreidler is usually doing her thing in front of the green screen, but behind the scenes, she’s got her eyes on more than just the 10-day forecast.
FORT MYERS Residents choosing to order pizza on the night before Thanksgiving The night before Thanksgiving is one of the busiest business days for pizza places like McGregor Pizza Company.
‘Everybody needs oversight’ State lawmaker backed calls for audit of Lee County Sheriff’s Office A state lawmaker is backing the high-ranking Lee County leader who went public on WINK News Tuesday with his warning about possible money trouble inside the sheriff’s office.
Celebrate the holidays on SWFL beaches The beaches are a big draw for anyone in southwest Florida and with the extended weekend due to the holiday, it could be a good time to hit the sand.
Excitement begins for Black Friday The deals for holiday shopping have been going on for days already, but there is still a large group of you who still love the thrill of getting to the store on Black Friday.
CAPE CORAL Social media influencer donates land for burrowing owls A social media influencer who used to live in southwest Florida has donated a plot of land she owned where burrowing owls live.
FORT MYERS Building a clear future for the Sanibel Outlets The question of what will happen to the Sanibel outlets has been top of mind for many years now.
NAPLES Collier County Disaster Recovery Center to close The disaster recovery center opened for those affected by Hurricane Milton, Hurricane Helene, and Hurricane Debby.
CAPE CORAL K-9 officer, who served Cape Coral Police Department for 15 years, passes away The Cape Coral Police Department has announced the passing of retired K-9 Officer Todd Salmon.
Bishop Verot cheerleaders march in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Cheerleaders from Bishop Verot High School graced television screens across the nation as they marched through the streets of New York City in the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
WINK NEWS Driving safely during Thanksgiving holiday in Southwest Florida Most people drive to their Thanksgiving destination on Thanksgiving Day, and nearly 72 million people are expected to get behind the wheel.
WINK NEWS What’s open and closed on Thanksgiving Day in Southwest Florida On Thanksgiving Day, millions across the country come together to celebrate the holiday with friends, family and food.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda residents show resilience this Thanksgiving amid recent hurricane damage Many people are expressing gratitude for what they have this Thanksgiving, but some residents of Punta Gorda will spend this holiday gathering what they have left.
the weather authority Beautiful weather for your Thanksgiving Day The Weather Authority is tracking beautiful conditions with sunny skies expected throughout this Thanksgiving Day.
NORTH FORT MYERS LCSO confirms fatal deputy-involved shooting in North Fort Myers A 21-year-old man has been killed after a deputy-involved shooting at a Sunoco gas station near Suncoast Drive in North Fort Myers.
Meteorologist’s dream of joining Thanksgiving parade comes true WINK News Weather Authority meteorologist Lauren Kreidler is usually doing her thing in front of the green screen, but behind the scenes, she’s got her eyes on more than just the 10-day forecast.
FORT MYERS Residents choosing to order pizza on the night before Thanksgiving The night before Thanksgiving is one of the busiest business days for pizza places like McGregor Pizza Company.
‘Everybody needs oversight’ State lawmaker backed calls for audit of Lee County Sheriff’s Office A state lawmaker is backing the high-ranking Lee County leader who went public on WINK News Tuesday with his warning about possible money trouble inside the sheriff’s office.
Celebrate the holidays on SWFL beaches The beaches are a big draw for anyone in southwest Florida and with the extended weekend due to the holiday, it could be a good time to hit the sand.
Excitement begins for Black Friday The deals for holiday shopping have been going on for days already, but there is still a large group of you who still love the thrill of getting to the store on Black Friday.
CAPE CORAL Social media influencer donates land for burrowing owls A social media influencer who used to live in southwest Florida has donated a plot of land she owned where burrowing owls live.
FORT MYERS Building a clear future for the Sanibel Outlets The question of what will happen to the Sanibel outlets has been top of mind for many years now.
Owner Autumn Halstead wears a mask at Beach Box Cafe in Collier County, following the county’s mask mandate. Credit: WINK News A judge denied a request for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction on Collier County’s mask mandate. The lawsuit was filed by Alfie Oakes, the owner of Oakes Farms and Seed to Table Market. The Collier County Board of County Commissioners mandated masks July 21. Since then, cases have dropped dramatically. It now has an 8% positivity rate. While that might have helped the decline, not all businesses have complied. One of those is Oakes’ Seed to Table Market. We looked into complaints against businesses that ignored the mandate in Collier County. From department stores to pharmacies, more than 60 businesses have been reported to the Collier County code enforcement for mask mandate violations. Autumn Halstead’s The Beach Box Cafe is one of them. “Code enforcement called immediately just to let us know that somebody had called and complained, stating that we weren’t mandating masks,” Halstead told WINK News. But code enforcement visited the cafe and saw signs at the business that showed a request for mask compliance. “My sign says mask up and sit down,” Halstead said. Her employees were also wearing masks, so officers closed the case. “Very easy,” Halstead said. “As long as you’re doing your job and doing what you can to make sure people are wearing the masks, we don’t have a problem.” Most businesses haven’t received citations in Collier County, but Seed to Table and Oakes Farms Market have a combined five citations. “I’m not even sure how many we have, but, like I said, it doesn’t matter to me because I never have any intention of ever paying them,” Alfie Oakes told WINK News. Oakes plans to fight the citations because he believes masks don’t help prevent COVID-19. Kristine Hollingsworth with the Florida Department of Health in Collier County does not agree with Oakes’ claims. “Maintaining the mitigation efforts like wearing a mask helps stop droplet transmission of COVID-19,” Hollingsworth said. The positivity rate of the virus is trending downward in Collier County. “Prior to that, we have had positivity rates upwards of over 10%,” Hollingsworth said. For this reason, Halstead said, “Unsafe or uncomfortable? I’ll take the uncomfortable.” She also said she’ll continue to support the mandate. MORE: Collier County Mask Order 2020