NAPLES Increasing amount of homeless seniors in SWFL Saint Matthew House told Wink News that 20% of the people they shelter are over 60 years old.
NAPLES Man suspected of threatening pickelballers with machete A man has been arrested after authorities say he chased a group of pickleball players off a Naples court. “I don’t know. It just seemed like he snapped,” said William Nehrkorn, father of one of the pickleball players. 53-year-old Pelican Marsh maintenance worker Joseph Devalle ran toward Nehrkorn’s son and friends, not with a paddle […]
NAPLES Turtle Club in Naples reopens Following a 19-month closure because of Hurricane Ian, the Turtle Club has reopened.
FORT MYERS BEACH Hurricane season preparations at Lee County construction sites Many already know the drill when hurricane season is around the corner.
SANIBEL Bones found on Sanibel concern beachgoers A husband and wife found what appeared to be bones. What type and where they came from is being investigated.
FGCU FGCU president reflects on first year with graduating class Alico Arena was packed this weekend as Florida Gulf Coast University graduated 1,900 students in four ceremonies.
Reverse shoulder replacement offers new approach to pain management Shoulder replacement is the third most common replacement in the US, following hip and knee replacement.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Lee County teachers bargain for new raises Kevin Daly is the voice of the Lee County Teachers Union, and he says he knows firsthand the struggle teachers experience across the state.
FORT MYERS New Starbucks off Colonial expected to add to traffic headaches It’s a venti-sized traffic nightmare. That’s how Gina O’Donnell envisions the future of this plaza.
NAPLES Feeding families through Meals of Hope They’re a Naples-based non-profit organization whose mission is to alleviate hunger both locally and throughout the country.
Family dealing with two losses in quick succession A teenager will not get to celebrate turning 21 years old with friends, can’t put a smile on his family member’s faces and will never get to see his mother again.
JERUSALEM (AP) Israeli leaders have approved a military operation into the Gaza Strip city of Rafah Israeli leaders approved a military operation into the Gaza Strip city of Rafah, and Israeli forces were striking targets in the area, officials announced Monday, hours after Hamas announced it had accepted an Egyptian-Qatari cease-fire proposal.
FORT MYERS Middle school tech worker uses CPR skills to save pickleball player’s life It was the right place, at the right time, and that right place was near the pickleball court.
EVERGLADES Big Sugar’s lawsuit for control over Lake Okeechobee water A local non-profit is calling one lawsuit a battle for who controls the water in the State of Florida. Three major sugar companies filed a lawsuit in 2021 against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over the design and intended use of the Everglades Agriculture Area (EAA) Reservoir.
NAPLES Annual Holocaust Remembrance Day program returns to Jewish Federation of Greater Naples Sunday was a day to remember the six million men, women and children lost in the Holocaust.
NAPLES Increasing amount of homeless seniors in SWFL Saint Matthew House told Wink News that 20% of the people they shelter are over 60 years old.
NAPLES Man suspected of threatening pickelballers with machete A man has been arrested after authorities say he chased a group of pickleball players off a Naples court. “I don’t know. It just seemed like he snapped,” said William Nehrkorn, father of one of the pickleball players. 53-year-old Pelican Marsh maintenance worker Joseph Devalle ran toward Nehrkorn’s son and friends, not with a paddle […]
NAPLES Turtle Club in Naples reopens Following a 19-month closure because of Hurricane Ian, the Turtle Club has reopened.
FORT MYERS BEACH Hurricane season preparations at Lee County construction sites Many already know the drill when hurricane season is around the corner.
SANIBEL Bones found on Sanibel concern beachgoers A husband and wife found what appeared to be bones. What type and where they came from is being investigated.
FGCU FGCU president reflects on first year with graduating class Alico Arena was packed this weekend as Florida Gulf Coast University graduated 1,900 students in four ceremonies.
Reverse shoulder replacement offers new approach to pain management Shoulder replacement is the third most common replacement in the US, following hip and knee replacement.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Lee County teachers bargain for new raises Kevin Daly is the voice of the Lee County Teachers Union, and he says he knows firsthand the struggle teachers experience across the state.
FORT MYERS New Starbucks off Colonial expected to add to traffic headaches It’s a venti-sized traffic nightmare. That’s how Gina O’Donnell envisions the future of this plaza.
NAPLES Feeding families through Meals of Hope They’re a Naples-based non-profit organization whose mission is to alleviate hunger both locally and throughout the country.
Family dealing with two losses in quick succession A teenager will not get to celebrate turning 21 years old with friends, can’t put a smile on his family member’s faces and will never get to see his mother again.
JERUSALEM (AP) Israeli leaders have approved a military operation into the Gaza Strip city of Rafah Israeli leaders approved a military operation into the Gaza Strip city of Rafah, and Israeli forces were striking targets in the area, officials announced Monday, hours after Hamas announced it had accepted an Egyptian-Qatari cease-fire proposal.
FORT MYERS Middle school tech worker uses CPR skills to save pickleball player’s life It was the right place, at the right time, and that right place was near the pickleball court.
EVERGLADES Big Sugar’s lawsuit for control over Lake Okeechobee water A local non-profit is calling one lawsuit a battle for who controls the water in the State of Florida. Three major sugar companies filed a lawsuit in 2021 against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over the design and intended use of the Everglades Agriculture Area (EAA) Reservoir.
NAPLES Annual Holocaust Remembrance Day program returns to Jewish Federation of Greater Naples Sunday was a day to remember the six million men, women and children lost in the Holocaust.
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.