19 heavy metal bands to perform at 119-year-old Arcadia opera houseFlorida officials seek tougher penalties for illegal arcades
ARCADIA 19 heavy metal bands to perform at 119-year-old Arcadia opera house A 119-year-old opera house will host 19 local heavy metal bands as part of a two-day festival.
Florida officials seek tougher penalties for illegal arcades Experts say that illegal gaming places are like cockroaches: if you squash one of them, a bunch more pop up in their place.
ENGLEWOOD Englewood residents urged to stay vigilant as armed man eludes capture Authorities are still searching for a 20-year-old man considered armed and dangerous, who escaped from deputies during an attempted arrest.
CAPE CORAL Behind the scenes look at upcoming Sunplash upgrades Sunsplash Waterpark in Cape Coral is set to unveil its newest attraction, Paradise Cove, later this year.
little gasparilla island Relief for Little Gasparilla as barge begins debris removal after hurricanes Little Gasparilla Island is receiving much-needed assistance from Charlotte County to clear debris from hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Space research may unlock heart repair breakthroughs Researchers are exploring new frontiers in medical science by conducting experiments in space to address cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of death.
PORT CHARLOTTE 911 call released of man who shot and killed wife in Port Charlotte home The 911 call of a man who called to report he had shot his wife while his two children were inside the home has been released.
NORTH PORT Gabby Petito documentary coming to Netflix The story of Gabby Petito’s murder captured the hearts and minds of Southwest Florida and the entire country. Now, Netflix is picking it up.
NAPLES Silver anniversary of the Naples Winter Wine Festival brings in lots of green – $34M The Naples Winter Wine Festival auction on Saturday struck a chord with patrons and inspired them to open their wallets.
BONITA SPRINGS Fort Myers woman accused of throwing brick through ex-husband’s window A woman has been arrested after allegedly throwing a brick through her ex-husband’s Bonita Springs house window.
NORTH PORT North Port man accused of staging scene after murdering wife A North Port man has been arrested after allegedly murdering his wife and staging the scene to make the incident look self-inflicted.
NAPLES Child abuse incident at Naples Pier leads to police officer’s arrest A police officer found himself on the other side of law after severely striking his child with a belt on Naples Pier.
the weather authority Chilly January wraps up; what to expect for February’s weather? With January wrapping up, Southwest Florida experienced quite a chilly month. Only two days throughout the entire month reached temperatures of 80 degrees or higher, the fewest since 2016.
downtown fort myers UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz to Grand Marshall Edison Festival of Light Former UFC Light Heavyweight World Champion and Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz has been announced as the grand marshall of the 87th annual Edison Festival of Light parade.
18 year old buys Travelin Tom’s Coffee Truck serving Charlotte County It had been only a week since former Florida Gulf Coast University student Maddox Burns took possession of his first coffee franchise truck, but he was busy Jan. 25 when adults and children lined up at Babcock Ranch to purchase one of his more than two dozen beverages.
ARCADIA 19 heavy metal bands to perform at 119-year-old Arcadia opera house A 119-year-old opera house will host 19 local heavy metal bands as part of a two-day festival.
Florida officials seek tougher penalties for illegal arcades Experts say that illegal gaming places are like cockroaches: if you squash one of them, a bunch more pop up in their place.
ENGLEWOOD Englewood residents urged to stay vigilant as armed man eludes capture Authorities are still searching for a 20-year-old man considered armed and dangerous, who escaped from deputies during an attempted arrest.
CAPE CORAL Behind the scenes look at upcoming Sunplash upgrades Sunsplash Waterpark in Cape Coral is set to unveil its newest attraction, Paradise Cove, later this year.
little gasparilla island Relief for Little Gasparilla as barge begins debris removal after hurricanes Little Gasparilla Island is receiving much-needed assistance from Charlotte County to clear debris from hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Space research may unlock heart repair breakthroughs Researchers are exploring new frontiers in medical science by conducting experiments in space to address cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of death.
PORT CHARLOTTE 911 call released of man who shot and killed wife in Port Charlotte home The 911 call of a man who called to report he had shot his wife while his two children were inside the home has been released.
NORTH PORT Gabby Petito documentary coming to Netflix The story of Gabby Petito’s murder captured the hearts and minds of Southwest Florida and the entire country. Now, Netflix is picking it up.
NAPLES Silver anniversary of the Naples Winter Wine Festival brings in lots of green – $34M The Naples Winter Wine Festival auction on Saturday struck a chord with patrons and inspired them to open their wallets.
BONITA SPRINGS Fort Myers woman accused of throwing brick through ex-husband’s window A woman has been arrested after allegedly throwing a brick through her ex-husband’s Bonita Springs house window.
NORTH PORT North Port man accused of staging scene after murdering wife A North Port man has been arrested after allegedly murdering his wife and staging the scene to make the incident look self-inflicted.
NAPLES Child abuse incident at Naples Pier leads to police officer’s arrest A police officer found himself on the other side of law after severely striking his child with a belt on Naples Pier.
the weather authority Chilly January wraps up; what to expect for February’s weather? With January wrapping up, Southwest Florida experienced quite a chilly month. Only two days throughout the entire month reached temperatures of 80 degrees or higher, the fewest since 2016.
downtown fort myers UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz to Grand Marshall Edison Festival of Light Former UFC Light Heavyweight World Champion and Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz has been announced as the grand marshall of the 87th annual Edison Festival of Light parade.
18 year old buys Travelin Tom’s Coffee Truck serving Charlotte County It had been only a week since former Florida Gulf Coast University student Maddox Burns took possession of his first coffee franchise truck, but he was busy Jan. 25 when adults and children lined up at Babcock Ranch to purchase one of his more than two dozen beverages.
Blue Line Bears Credit: WINK News The stuffed bears that one student makes began a small way for families to carry a piece of their loved ones. Now they’re helping hundreds of children nationwide cope with that loss. When Megan O’Grady founded Blue Line Bears four years ago, she hoped to bring comfort to the families of fallen officers. But she had no idea how much her act of kindness resonated with people. “I thought it was going to be like, ‘OK, let’s make like 30 bears a year,’ and then that turned into the 200 and turned into just… like, everything, and now the shop,” O’Grady said. In a shop dedicated to everything “Blue Line Bears,” blue buckets are filled with bears just waiting to be made. O’Grady says her labor of love has grown to the point that she can’t do it alone anymore. “We have two sewing stations for people to come and volunteer and help sew the bears; we have an embroidery and stuffing machine for the same type of deal,” she said. “It’s just a really good environment for us to have meetings and continue to make bears.” O’Grady recently delivered bears to the family of Marco Island Police Officer Lieutenant Clayton Smith, who died in a car crash last year. He left behind a wife and seven children. “Lots of tears. Lots and lots of tears. I’m really hoping that they like the bears because they’re going to his grandkids,” said O’Grady. Patrick O’Grady is Megan’s father and Master Sergeant at the Cape Coral Police Department. “When you look at the patches on the wall and the challenge coins on the flag and you see all the families that you helped, it makes you feel good. That at the same time that they’re having this really horrible time in their life, that you can provide them with a little bit of joy and something to hold on to and remember,” he said. A simple tribute to public servants gone too soon. Megan does all of this while being a full-time student at the University of Central Florida. Her family plans to help her run the shop while she’s away. The “Blue Line Bears” store officially opens on Tuesday, and operating hours will be Tuesday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.