Postal workers in Naples protest job cuts as privatization loomsWarmer day ahead, increasing rain chances this week
NAPLES Postal workers in Naples protest job cuts as privatization looms U.S. Postal Service workers are preparing to rally against potential job cuts as President Donald Trump looks to privatize the agency.
the weather authority Warmer day ahead, increasing rain chances this week The Weather Authority says to expect a warmer Sunday with more clouds than sun into the afternoon.
WINK NEWS Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads Up Mar. 23 While construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox-Rosen, in this web-exclusive feature, knows the best way to traverse the roadways.
FORT MYERS Vintage base ball game in Fort Myers brings 1860s history to life Visitors at Terry Park had the chance to travel back in time with a vintage base ball game, showcasing America’s pastime.
NAPLES Starry Nights Gala raises $2M for Southwest Florida’s Youth Haven Youth Haven hosted its annual Starry Nights Gala, an evening dedicated to supporting abused and neglected children in Southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS 1 of the last WWII women veterans celebrates 100th birthday Ruth Blake, a World War II veteran, celebrated her 100th birthday with reflections on her extraordinary life and service.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral police probe SW 13th Ave home, neighbors seek answers A police investigation unfolded in Cape Coral on Saturday morning, capturing the local community’s attention.
WINK NEWS Fatal collision on I-75 in Collier County leaves 1 man dead A fatal crash on Interstate 75’s Alligator Alley in Collier County left one person dead early Saturday morning.
WINK NEWS FGCU women’s team seeks revenge against Oklahoma in NCAA tournament The FGCU women’s basketball team woke up in Oklahoma with excitement and determination.
the weather authority First weekend of spring kicks off with sun and clouds, low humidity The Weather Authority says it’s the first weekend of spring, and it is a beautiful one across Southwest Florida!
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral massage parlors under investigation for illegal services Cape Coral police have arrested individuals at three massage parlors, suspecting activities beyond advertised services.
NAPLES Collier County fair makes a prehistoric return The Collier Fair is back, and this year, it’s all about dinosaurs. To celebrate 49 years, the fair held its ceremonial ribbon cutting at the Collier Fairgrounds.
Southwest Florida Department of Education potentially coming to an end President Donald Trump has issued an executive order calling for dismantling the Department of Education
CAPE CORAL Cape City Council to vote on funding proposal for Jaycee Park Cape Coral’s efforts to upgrade Jaycee Park have hit financial hurdles, particularly with the company contracted to manage concessions and food trucks, The Reef Cape Coral LLC.
ESTERO 9th annual Eagle Radio Music Festival rocks the FGCU campus Florida Gulf Coast University held the 9th annual Eagle Radio Music Festival, which exposed students to live local acts on its front lawn.
NAPLES Postal workers in Naples protest job cuts as privatization looms U.S. Postal Service workers are preparing to rally against potential job cuts as President Donald Trump looks to privatize the agency.
the weather authority Warmer day ahead, increasing rain chances this week The Weather Authority says to expect a warmer Sunday with more clouds than sun into the afternoon.
WINK NEWS Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads Up Mar. 23 While construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox-Rosen, in this web-exclusive feature, knows the best way to traverse the roadways.
FORT MYERS Vintage base ball game in Fort Myers brings 1860s history to life Visitors at Terry Park had the chance to travel back in time with a vintage base ball game, showcasing America’s pastime.
NAPLES Starry Nights Gala raises $2M for Southwest Florida’s Youth Haven Youth Haven hosted its annual Starry Nights Gala, an evening dedicated to supporting abused and neglected children in Southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS 1 of the last WWII women veterans celebrates 100th birthday Ruth Blake, a World War II veteran, celebrated her 100th birthday with reflections on her extraordinary life and service.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral police probe SW 13th Ave home, neighbors seek answers A police investigation unfolded in Cape Coral on Saturday morning, capturing the local community’s attention.
WINK NEWS Fatal collision on I-75 in Collier County leaves 1 man dead A fatal crash on Interstate 75’s Alligator Alley in Collier County left one person dead early Saturday morning.
WINK NEWS FGCU women’s team seeks revenge against Oklahoma in NCAA tournament The FGCU women’s basketball team woke up in Oklahoma with excitement and determination.
the weather authority First weekend of spring kicks off with sun and clouds, low humidity The Weather Authority says it’s the first weekend of spring, and it is a beautiful one across Southwest Florida!
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral massage parlors under investigation for illegal services Cape Coral police have arrested individuals at three massage parlors, suspecting activities beyond advertised services.
NAPLES Collier County fair makes a prehistoric return The Collier Fair is back, and this year, it’s all about dinosaurs. To celebrate 49 years, the fair held its ceremonial ribbon cutting at the Collier Fairgrounds.
Southwest Florida Department of Education potentially coming to an end President Donald Trump has issued an executive order calling for dismantling the Department of Education
CAPE CORAL Cape City Council to vote on funding proposal for Jaycee Park Cape Coral’s efforts to upgrade Jaycee Park have hit financial hurdles, particularly with the company contracted to manage concessions and food trucks, The Reef Cape Coral LLC.
ESTERO 9th annual Eagle Radio Music Festival rocks the FGCU campus Florida Gulf Coast University held the 9th annual Eagle Radio Music Festival, which exposed students to live local acts on its front lawn.
Bradley Despaigne, 36, and Joseph Benson, 30, show off Despaigne’s 1981 DeLorean which they have made into a time machine replica DeLorean modeled off of the original Back To The Future movie, while pictured at Edgewater Drive Park, on Monday, Nov. 16, 2020 in Clearwater. Despaigne purchased the DeLorean in September 2019 and the two have been working on it for a little over a year. (Dirk Shadd/Tampa Bay Times via AP) After watching “Back to the Future” “hundreds of times” since he “was in Pampers,” Clearwater’s Bradley Despaigne claims he can recite the movie verbatim from start to finish. His favorite quote? When Marty McFly incredulously asks Doc Brown, “Are you telling me that you built a time machine out of a DeLorean?” It is a question now posed to him. “I hear it a lot,” Despaigne, 36, said. Despaigne purchased a DeLorean a little more than a year ago. He and friend Joe Benson have since converted it into a near-exact replica of the famed cinematic time machine, right down to the Flux Capacitor. “This is what makes time travel possible: the Flux Capacitor,” Despaigne said with a laugh, quoting Doc Brown’s explanation to Marty McFly in the popular 1985 film. There are only two differences between his time machine and the cinematic one. His is still missing the ceiling console, but that will be added in the coming months. And, of course, his does not go back in time when it hits 88 miles per hour “yet,” Despaigne said with a wink. Some of the time machine’s parts are sold online — the flux capacitor and the digital “time circuit” that displays the destination time, present time and last time departed. Despaigne recently had the destination set for 6:30 a.m. on August 29, 1984, the day and time of his birth. “I want to run into the hospital room and tell my mom, ’What are you doing? Push harder,” he chuckled. Other parts had to be fabricated. The “plutonium chamber” lid on the back of the car is a 1976 Dodge Polara hubcap and the time circuit lever is a double-sided wire brush handle. Benson said those were the materials used to create the cinematic prop, too. “We wanted everything to be as authentic as possible,” Benson, 30, said. “We made this just like the movie made theirs.” If real, how would such a time machine work? “According to the movie, it requires 1.21 gigawatts of power for the flux capacitor, which is where the plutonium comes into play,” Despaigne said. “Once the car hits 88 mph, it pulls the required power that then activates the wormhole emitter, which transports the DeLorean through time.” Bradley Despaigne, left, and Joseph Benson, 30, show off Despaigne’s 1981 DeLorean which they have made into a time machine replica DeLorean modeled off of the original Back To The Future movie, at Edgewater Drive Park, on Monday, Nov. 16, 2020 in Clearwater. Despaigne purchased the DeLorean in September 2019 and the two have been working on it for a little over a year. (Dirk Shadd/Tampa Bay Times via AP) He agrees that the DeLorean is the perfect car for a time machine. “The way I see it, if you’re gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style,” said Despaigne, again quoting Doc Brown. The DeLorean was only produced from 1981 to 1983. Despaigne paid $20,000 for a 1981 DeLorean that had 23,000 miles on it. He has since driven it 1,000 miles. The rare car needed thousands of dollars in repairs before it was road ready, Benson said. “You can’t exactly go to an auto parts store and ask for parts for a 1981 DeLorean. A lot of what we needed had to be custom made, some in Australia, some in Europe.” Thousands more were spent creating the replica time machine. “This is just something I wanted for myself,” Despaigne said. “I love the movie, obviously.” He is not alone in his obsession. Fans around the world own similar replica time machines, the most famous being Jay Leno. Despaigne’s is for rent, but for event display only, not for drives. Inquiries should go through his Instagram page — @81DMC_CLW. The first time he took his time machine on the highway and watched the odometer hit 88, Despaigne laughed that he wondered if he’d “soon see sparks, enter a wormhole and run into dinosaurs. When I didn’t, I wondered if the car would hold together at that speed. I don’t go that fast anymore.”