12-year-old collecting donations for the needy during the holidaysFort Myers man facing homelessness before the holidays
NAPLES 12-year-old collecting donations for the needy during the holidays A 12-year-old Naples boy isn’t worried about what he’s getting for Christmas. Instead, he’s working on his 6th annual “Holiday Sock Drive.”
Fort Myers man facing homelessness before the holidays A 75-year-old man is on the brink of homelessness despite working over 80 hours a week.
NAPLES Adoptee uses non-profit to provide suitcases for foster children This holiday season, a Naples woman is on a mission to bring foster children something many take for granted: a suitcase filled with dignity.
MARCO ISLAND City of Marco Island discusses lead awareness during city council meeting The city of Marco Island sent out 4900 letters to residents warning them that their pipes could contain plastic or lead.
NAPLES The future of electric planes in Southwest Florida Features of living near an airport include persistent headache-inducing engine rumbles and foul-smelling jet fuel, but electric planes could play a part in the solution.
PORT CHARLOTTE Neighbors awaiting answers on Port Charlotte Beach Park repairs Neighbors said a contractor hired by the Florida Division of Emergency Management mishandled the boats at Port Charlotte Beach Park.
FGCU introduces new technology for cognitive health screenings Ten minutes. That’s all it takes for doctors to assess how well you remember, how quickly you learn things, and how your brain is working overall.
WINK Investigates: Disgraced contractor faces new lawsuits and allegations Paul Beattie, a disgraced home builder is back doing business but legal challenges continue as another one of his businesses gets sued. Former employees of Beattie speak out, only to WINK.
SWFL reacts to UNC hiring Bill Belichick Southwest Florida reacts to North Carolina hiring Bill Belichick as its new head football coach and how that could impact the decisions of local recruits.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Some Floridians want more alone time during the holidays The holidays are all about spending time with family and friends, but nearly half of Americans say they really want more alone time during the holiday.
LABELLE Hendry County rolls out cameras for school speed zones The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office has rolled out a new way of enforcing school zone speed limits by using cameras that will target drivers traveling over a certain speed in a school zone.
Aggressive driving concerns on the rise in Southwest Florida The arrest of a man who, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said, killed a motorcyclist after crashing into him on purpose is raising concerns over aggressive driving in Southwest Florida.
SANIBEL Sanibel School students prepare for community Christmas performance The school that has had to claw and fight its way back more than once to reopen is getting the chance to celebrate.
FORT MYERS Rock For Equality: SWFL music scene to hold benefit concert for Palestine A two-venue, eight-band benefit concert is coming to Southwest Florida.
NAPLES Naples man sentenced in deadly bar shooting A man has been sentenced for a deadly shooting that took place at a Naples bar in March 2021.
NAPLES 12-year-old collecting donations for the needy during the holidays A 12-year-old Naples boy isn’t worried about what he’s getting for Christmas. Instead, he’s working on his 6th annual “Holiday Sock Drive.”
Fort Myers man facing homelessness before the holidays A 75-year-old man is on the brink of homelessness despite working over 80 hours a week.
NAPLES Adoptee uses non-profit to provide suitcases for foster children This holiday season, a Naples woman is on a mission to bring foster children something many take for granted: a suitcase filled with dignity.
MARCO ISLAND City of Marco Island discusses lead awareness during city council meeting The city of Marco Island sent out 4900 letters to residents warning them that their pipes could contain plastic or lead.
NAPLES The future of electric planes in Southwest Florida Features of living near an airport include persistent headache-inducing engine rumbles and foul-smelling jet fuel, but electric planes could play a part in the solution.
PORT CHARLOTTE Neighbors awaiting answers on Port Charlotte Beach Park repairs Neighbors said a contractor hired by the Florida Division of Emergency Management mishandled the boats at Port Charlotte Beach Park.
FGCU introduces new technology for cognitive health screenings Ten minutes. That’s all it takes for doctors to assess how well you remember, how quickly you learn things, and how your brain is working overall.
WINK Investigates: Disgraced contractor faces new lawsuits and allegations Paul Beattie, a disgraced home builder is back doing business but legal challenges continue as another one of his businesses gets sued. Former employees of Beattie speak out, only to WINK.
SWFL reacts to UNC hiring Bill Belichick Southwest Florida reacts to North Carolina hiring Bill Belichick as its new head football coach and how that could impact the decisions of local recruits.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Some Floridians want more alone time during the holidays The holidays are all about spending time with family and friends, but nearly half of Americans say they really want more alone time during the holiday.
LABELLE Hendry County rolls out cameras for school speed zones The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office has rolled out a new way of enforcing school zone speed limits by using cameras that will target drivers traveling over a certain speed in a school zone.
Aggressive driving concerns on the rise in Southwest Florida The arrest of a man who, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said, killed a motorcyclist after crashing into him on purpose is raising concerns over aggressive driving in Southwest Florida.
SANIBEL Sanibel School students prepare for community Christmas performance The school that has had to claw and fight its way back more than once to reopen is getting the chance to celebrate.
FORT MYERS Rock For Equality: SWFL music scene to hold benefit concert for Palestine A two-venue, eight-band benefit concert is coming to Southwest Florida.
NAPLES Naples man sentenced in deadly bar shooting A man has been sentenced for a deadly shooting that took place at a Naples bar in March 2021.
Mia Villa has been baking since she was 18 months old, and has mastered her chocolate chip cookie recipe, her mom says. (Credit: Devin Villa via CBS News) A 3-year-old from Stillwater, New York, has used her passion for baking to help bring joy to others during the coronavirus pandemic. Mia Villa and her mom, Devin Villa, have baked over 1,000 cookies since the start of the pandemic and delivered them to frontline and essential workers, her mom told CBS news via email. “Mia has been helping me in the kitchen since she could stand up at the counter,” Villa said. “I have pictures back as far as 18 months old. That was roughly when I started helping my mom as a kid and the same time she began to show interest in what I was doing so I let her jump right in!” “We’ve made a lot of messes but that is the fun in learning,” Villa continued, adding that Mia has mastered her chocolate chip cookies. Villa said she recognized the pressure on essential workers and first responders during the pandemic and wanted to do something to help. “I was trying to think of something fun to do with Mia that would allow me to teach her valuable lessons in being kind, grateful, and generous,” Villa said. She decided to use baking – something they were already doing about twice a week – to help teach Mia that lesson. Mia and her mom call their little operation “cookie kindness,” because they deliver the cookies to people who could use kindness and a smile, Villa said. “Smiles and kindness are contagious, I truly believe that, and the world needs more of it,” she said. They still bake at least twice a week – sometimes three – and bring batches of cookies to places where frontline employees work. “So far we have been to fire stations, hospitals, primary care doctors, EMT’s, police stations, an animal hospital, and a supermarket,” Villa said. Villa created a Facebook page, Mia’s Cookie Jar, where she updates followers on their cookie deliveries. Mia has delivered cookies to a supermarket, animal hospital, doctors offices, fire stations and other places were frontline employees work. (Credit: Devin Villa via CBS News) “We started out locally, going to places around home and then started getting suggestions from Mia’s ‘cookie followers,” she continued. “I love when we go somewhere that has personally impacted a cookie follower, it makes the deliveries even more special.” “Something that seems so simple [like] delivering cookies truly can make someone’s day,” the mom said. Villa said everyone who has received their cookies has been welcoming, showing Mia how an ambulance works, letting her inside fire trucks, and letting her meet police K9s and horses. She said Mia has loved baking for essential workers and they have no plans of stopping. “The opportunities for lessons in kindness are endless, and expands so far beyond the places she is going right now and who doesn’t love a homemade chocolate chip cookie!” Villa said.