Six dogs rescued after being left in a box by SR-29Players of the Week: Dunbar’s Ken’Dahrius Green and Jeremy Ware
Six dogs rescued after being left in a box by SR-29 Six dogs, including four puppies and two adult dogs, were found stranded in an empty box on the corner of Experimental Road and State Road 29 in Immokalee.
FORT MYERS Players of the Week: Dunbar’s Ken’Dahrius Green and Jeremy Ware Dunbar High School’s Special Teams unit has shown out these past two weeks, scoring a special teams touchdown in wins over South Fort Myers and Fort Myers.
NAPLES Collier County golfer lands shot on the back of an alligator “Play it safe.” That’s what Greg Irving thought he may be doing when he swung his puck Wednesday morning while golfing with his friend Joe Pack.
PUNTA GORDA Southwest Florida veterans honored during round trip honor flight Veterans from Southwest Florida made a round trip to Washington, DC, and back in honor of their service.
NAPLES Path to freedom: From Cuban prison to NCH operating room It’s rare that a serious heart condition is a blessing, but that was the case for a Naples man. The surgery he received at NCH saved his life in more ways than one.
SANIBEL Changing landscape after hurricanes Many of you know what saltwater surge does to your homes after surviving hurricanes Ian, Helene and Milton. It’s highly corrosive and destructive. It also has a similar impact on plants and wildlife, but that’s not all bad news.
Former FGCU basketball player talks Karl Smesko joining WNBA Las Vegas Aces guard Kierstan Bell made a lot of memories playing at FGCU. From winning ASUN championships to playing for one of the winningest coaches in the sport Karl Smesko.
LEHIGH ACRES Suspicious fire sparks at Lehigh Acres church Daycare services at one church are canceled after a small fire at Victory church in Lehigh Acres.
State of Florida sues FEMA for ‘conspiracy to interfere with civil rights’ The State of Florida is suing the Federal Emergency Management Agency for “conspiring to interfere with civil rights,” according to an official complaint filed by Florida Attorney General Ashely Moody.
WINK NEWS Game of the Week: Cape Coral Seahawks vs. Immokalee Indians The Seahawks are undefeated on the road and the Indians have never lost on home turf. Friday night only one will advance to round two.
Disaster assistance available for Charlotte County residents Charlotte County residents affected by hurricanes Ian, Helene or Milton can now apply for disaster assistance from local resources through Community Organizations Active in a Disaster (COAD).
Great Wolf Lodge celebrates grand opening with Rob Gronkowski Pack your trunks. We’re taking you to the grand opening of the Great Wolf Lodge resort in Collier County.
BOCA GRANDE Lee County issues red tide alert near Boca Grande Pass The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a health alert for the presence of red tide near Boca Grande Pass.
LEHIGH ACRES Lehigh Acres parent arrested after allegedly assaulting school bus driver A Lehigh Acres parent is facing charges accused of assaulting a school bus driver. Neighbors told WINK News it began with a screaming match Friday afternoon.
CAPE CORAL Cape police believe retail burglaries are linked Detectives believe a man is linked to multiple burglaries in Southwest Florida.
Six dogs rescued after being left in a box by SR-29 Six dogs, including four puppies and two adult dogs, were found stranded in an empty box on the corner of Experimental Road and State Road 29 in Immokalee.
FORT MYERS Players of the Week: Dunbar’s Ken’Dahrius Green and Jeremy Ware Dunbar High School’s Special Teams unit has shown out these past two weeks, scoring a special teams touchdown in wins over South Fort Myers and Fort Myers.
NAPLES Collier County golfer lands shot on the back of an alligator “Play it safe.” That’s what Greg Irving thought he may be doing when he swung his puck Wednesday morning while golfing with his friend Joe Pack.
PUNTA GORDA Southwest Florida veterans honored during round trip honor flight Veterans from Southwest Florida made a round trip to Washington, DC, and back in honor of their service.
NAPLES Path to freedom: From Cuban prison to NCH operating room It’s rare that a serious heart condition is a blessing, but that was the case for a Naples man. The surgery he received at NCH saved his life in more ways than one.
SANIBEL Changing landscape after hurricanes Many of you know what saltwater surge does to your homes after surviving hurricanes Ian, Helene and Milton. It’s highly corrosive and destructive. It also has a similar impact on plants and wildlife, but that’s not all bad news.
Former FGCU basketball player talks Karl Smesko joining WNBA Las Vegas Aces guard Kierstan Bell made a lot of memories playing at FGCU. From winning ASUN championships to playing for one of the winningest coaches in the sport Karl Smesko.
LEHIGH ACRES Suspicious fire sparks at Lehigh Acres church Daycare services at one church are canceled after a small fire at Victory church in Lehigh Acres.
State of Florida sues FEMA for ‘conspiracy to interfere with civil rights’ The State of Florida is suing the Federal Emergency Management Agency for “conspiring to interfere with civil rights,” according to an official complaint filed by Florida Attorney General Ashely Moody.
WINK NEWS Game of the Week: Cape Coral Seahawks vs. Immokalee Indians The Seahawks are undefeated on the road and the Indians have never lost on home turf. Friday night only one will advance to round two.
Disaster assistance available for Charlotte County residents Charlotte County residents affected by hurricanes Ian, Helene or Milton can now apply for disaster assistance from local resources through Community Organizations Active in a Disaster (COAD).
Great Wolf Lodge celebrates grand opening with Rob Gronkowski Pack your trunks. We’re taking you to the grand opening of the Great Wolf Lodge resort in Collier County.
BOCA GRANDE Lee County issues red tide alert near Boca Grande Pass The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a health alert for the presence of red tide near Boca Grande Pass.
LEHIGH ACRES Lehigh Acres parent arrested after allegedly assaulting school bus driver A Lehigh Acres parent is facing charges accused of assaulting a school bus driver. Neighbors told WINK News it began with a screaming match Friday afternoon.
CAPE CORAL Cape police believe retail burglaries are linked Detectives believe a man is linked to multiple burglaries in Southwest Florida.
A mandatory newborn screening test at birth revealed Cinch Wight had spinal muscular atrophy – or SMA. (Credit: Ivanhoe Newswire) Gene replacement therapy: It’s a game-changer when it comes to treating life-threatening illnesses. It can replace disease-causing genes with healthy genes, knock out a gene that’s not working right, or add a new gene to the body to help fight disease. To date, the FDA has approved four types of gene therapy including one that was given the OK just in time to save one little boy’s life. No doubt about it, Cinch Wight is going to be a cowboy just like his dad. “He loves the dog and the horses and the cows,” shared Cinch’s dad, Alex Wight. But it has been a wild ride for this young bronco. A mandatory newborn screening test at birth revealed Cinch had spinal muscular atrophy – or SMA. Cinch’s mom, Amber Wight recalled, “That was the first time I’d ever even heard the term and what it was. And so, it was very scary.” A neuromuscular disorder that can paralyze a baby in the first few weeks of life. “My first thought was, he’s never going to be able to ride broncs or anything like that,” expressed Alex. But just one day after Cinch was born, the FDA approved a new gene therapy. “We were pretty excited to get a phone call from the department of health, you know, and have this baby here who we can use this treatment on after its approval,” explained Russell Butterfield, MD, pediatric neurologist at University of Utah Health and Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital. A critical gene in little Cinch was missing. Pediatric neurologist Russell Butterfield used an infusion to deliver a virus carrying a new copy of the gene into Cinch’s nerve cells. “It’s like a delivery truck to deliver genes to where you want them to go. What that does do, is it stops the disease right where it is,” elaborated Dr. Butterfield. Just a few years ago, most children born with SMA didn’t make it to their second birthday. Now? “The hardest is holding a baby in one hand and holding that drug in the other and really feeling the weight of that. And understanding that how different this child’s life will be with his new medicine,” expressed Dr. Butterfield. It took a lot of courage for this family to get this far. That’s why Alex wrote a book for his son. A true story about how real cowboys never give up. “I wanted to let him know that no matter how hard it gets, as long as he keeps going, he’ll be all right,” shared Alex. Doctors don’t know if the one-time infusion will last a lifetime or will have to be repeated and there could be a possible risk of inflammation to the liver that doctors will closely monitor. The gene replacement therapy costs 2.1 million dollars. Insurance paid for most of it, but Alex hopes sales from his children’s book will help pay the rest. You can find the book, “A Cowboy and His Horse”, at https://www.amazon.com/COWBOY-HIS-HORSE-ALEX-WIGHT/dp/B08CWG46ZX. Contributors to this news report include Cyndy McGrath, Executive Producer; Marsha Lewis, Field Producer; Rusty Reed, Videographer; Roque Correa, Editor.