FGCU’s Casey Santoro battles back from Achilles injuryHeaviest Florida panther ever recorded located in Babcock Ranch
FGCU FGCU’s Casey Santoro battles back from Achilles injury FGCU women’s basketball player Casey Santoro is back on the floor after suffering an Achilles injury a season ago.
BABCOCK RANCH Heaviest Florida panther ever recorded located in Babcock Ranch Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission biologists recently captured and collared the heaviest Florida panther ever recorded.
Lee County deputies using VR for safe high-risk training scenarios The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has taken a significant step forward in training by incorporating virtual reality technology.
NAPLES FC Naples signs local soccer star Joffre followed his dream across continents after graduating from Gulf Coast. Now he’s back on the professional soccer pitch in his hometown.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach businesses face floodplain compliance deadline Fort Myers Beach’s businesses face pressure to comply with floodplain regulations or leave the island by March 1.
NAPLES Persistent red tide bloom off Naples to Boca Grande raises concerns As the weather warms up, more people are heading to the beach. However, those with beach plans in Southwest Florida should be aware of the persistent red tide affecting the coastline.
FORT MYERS Community aids in search for missing pitbull after Lee County crash A crash on I-75 near Daniels Parkway in Lee County turned a routine drive into a heartbreaking search for a missing pet.
LEHIGH ACRES Community supporting Lehigh Acres church after destructive fire A massive fire recently burned the Christ at Crossroads Church in Lehigh Acres, and the community is rallying to support the church’s recovery.
FORT MYERS Kids battling cancer in Fort Myers receive cuddly companions from donor Children battling cancer in Fort Myers are finding comfort in a special friend thanks to a generous donor.
2 SWFL veterans find relief at Harry Chapin Food Bank Two veterans in Southwest Florida routinely receive vital support through local food distributions, highlighting a significant issue affecting many who have served our country.
Researchers found lasting effects from COVID-19 COVID-19 cases today are less severe than five years ago, but new research indicates severe infections may have lasting impacts on the heart.
PORT CHARLOTTE Connecting service dogs with veterans A 76-year-old veteran is transforming lives by connecting fellow veterans with support dogs, and the results have been life-changing.
Peace River Wildlife Center celebrates reopening Peace River Wildlife Center in Punta Gorda reopened at Ponce de Leon Park after being closed since hurricanes Helene and Milton flooded the center and its hospital that treats injured wildlife.
2 dolphins found dead in Collier County amid red tide warnings Red tide is affecting multiple beaches in Collier County, and most recently, a dolphin was found dead in an area that turned up positive samples for red tide from Collier County Pollution Control.
Fort Myers riverfront condo One breaks ground Almost 20 years have passed since the last riverfront condominium project rose along the Caloosahatchee River in Fort Myers.
FGCU FGCU’s Casey Santoro battles back from Achilles injury FGCU women’s basketball player Casey Santoro is back on the floor after suffering an Achilles injury a season ago.
BABCOCK RANCH Heaviest Florida panther ever recorded located in Babcock Ranch Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission biologists recently captured and collared the heaviest Florida panther ever recorded.
Lee County deputies using VR for safe high-risk training scenarios The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has taken a significant step forward in training by incorporating virtual reality technology.
NAPLES FC Naples signs local soccer star Joffre followed his dream across continents after graduating from Gulf Coast. Now he’s back on the professional soccer pitch in his hometown.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach businesses face floodplain compliance deadline Fort Myers Beach’s businesses face pressure to comply with floodplain regulations or leave the island by March 1.
NAPLES Persistent red tide bloom off Naples to Boca Grande raises concerns As the weather warms up, more people are heading to the beach. However, those with beach plans in Southwest Florida should be aware of the persistent red tide affecting the coastline.
FORT MYERS Community aids in search for missing pitbull after Lee County crash A crash on I-75 near Daniels Parkway in Lee County turned a routine drive into a heartbreaking search for a missing pet.
LEHIGH ACRES Community supporting Lehigh Acres church after destructive fire A massive fire recently burned the Christ at Crossroads Church in Lehigh Acres, and the community is rallying to support the church’s recovery.
FORT MYERS Kids battling cancer in Fort Myers receive cuddly companions from donor Children battling cancer in Fort Myers are finding comfort in a special friend thanks to a generous donor.
2 SWFL veterans find relief at Harry Chapin Food Bank Two veterans in Southwest Florida routinely receive vital support through local food distributions, highlighting a significant issue affecting many who have served our country.
Researchers found lasting effects from COVID-19 COVID-19 cases today are less severe than five years ago, but new research indicates severe infections may have lasting impacts on the heart.
PORT CHARLOTTE Connecting service dogs with veterans A 76-year-old veteran is transforming lives by connecting fellow veterans with support dogs, and the results have been life-changing.
Peace River Wildlife Center celebrates reopening Peace River Wildlife Center in Punta Gorda reopened at Ponce de Leon Park after being closed since hurricanes Helene and Milton flooded the center and its hospital that treats injured wildlife.
2 dolphins found dead in Collier County amid red tide warnings Red tide is affecting multiple beaches in Collier County, and most recently, a dolphin was found dead in an area that turned up positive samples for red tide from Collier County Pollution Control.
Fort Myers riverfront condo One breaks ground Almost 20 years have passed since the last riverfront condominium project rose along the Caloosahatchee River in Fort Myers.
Naples Police Department Master Officer Sean Phillps. (WINK News) Nearly two decades have passed, but for many of us, the images from the 9/11 terrorist attacks are etched in our memories forever. It’s one of the moments in history where you recall exactly what you were doing when you heard the news. WINK News Safety and Security Specialist Rich Kolko relived that moment with a former New York City officer beginning exactly 19 years ago. Sept. 10 was a late night for Sean Phillips, a New York City police officer assigned to the highway patrol unit. He drove the police chaplain home. “I passed the towers and he said to me, ‘Sean, there’s a fabulous restaurant in there. One day we’ll have to go there,'” Phillips said. They never got the chance.” Officer Sean Phillips when he was a member of the NYPD. (Provided to WINK News) “I was woken the next morning by our roll call personnel who said a plane had hit the first tower and I needed to come in,” he said. “While I was responding from home, that’s when the second plane hit the tower. We were all hoping when the first plane hit it was an accident, it was a mistake. Once that second plane hit we knew it wasn’t. As we were heading in, we could see the smoke, we could see the flames on the Belt Parkway in the Bronx Expressway and when we eventually got through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel it was just surreal.” Surreal. People scared, a city in chaos. He went right in to work. “Both buildings were down and when we got there, we could park nowhere near the site. We had to park in the south part of Manhattan. We walked the rest of the way,” Phillips said. When I speak about 9/11, certain things seem as clear as if was yesterday, others seem as if they were 100 years ago. “Supervisors were attempting to account for their personnel, we were finding there were people who were unaccounted for and at that point, we began our recovery efforts and our rescue efforts which was very difficult because of the fires, because of the smoke,” Phillips said. “It was a very difficult time.” LINK – 9/11 Memorial & Museum Phillips lost a lot of friends that day and paid a personal price. Then, in 2013, he started working for the Naples Police Department. “We just moved to Florida, everything was great and I went for my yearly screening and my doctor told me, have a seat,” he said. Cancer. Fortunately, it was treatable. Now, Phillips shares his 9/11 story with students. I want them to know what happened. I want them to be educated on that day. “It was very personal, that’s our city, our country, it was very personal. As members of the NYPD, we knew we needed to do whatever we had to do to protect our city and our country as well,” Phillips explained. “It’s a difficult day. It’s something that will live with us forever.” Officer Sean Phillips educates students on the events of 9/11. (Provided to WINK News) “It means a lot to me that 19 years later, people haven’t forgotten,” he said, looking at the monument in Naples. While 9/11 is now 19 years in the pst, many first responders are still dealing with the after-effects and Phillips is one of them. He is one of over 11,000 first responders whose cancer was attributed to working at one of the three crash sites.