State investigates former Lee County Sheriff consultant Collier County woman arrested twice for operating illicit massage parlor
State investigates former Lee County Sheriff consultant A source sent WINK News anchor Claire Galt an executive order saying the state is investigating Ken Romano, a consultant who was on the sheriff’s office payroll.
Collier County woman arrested twice for operating illicit massage parlor The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman accused of operating an illicit massage parlor, her second time arrested on this charge.
Mother accused of killing 4-month-old baby pleads not guilty A woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby has pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated manslaughter of a child and aggravated child abuse.
NAPLES Family of bears caught on camera in the Winding Cypress community You never know what you’ll see when you open the door in Florida, and for one WINK News viewer, it was a family of bears.
SOUTH FORT MYERS Former Uber driver who raped passenger sentenced to life in prison Justice has been served after a former Uber driver was sentenced to life in prison for raping his passenger.
CAPE CORAL Single boat crashes into Cape Coral home dock injuring 3 The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating a boat crash in Cape Coral that injured three people.
NAPLES NCH becomes first in Florida to offer Van Gogh Biopsy Tool NCH has become the first healthcare provider in the state to offer the groundbreaking Van Gogh Biopsy tool from Aquyre Biosciences.
First full moon of 2025 peaks Monday evening If you take a look into the sky this evening, you will see the first full moon of 2025, otherwise known as the ‘Wolf Moon.’
1st reported Florida Panther death of 2025, killed by vehicle in Collier A vehicle in Collier County claimed the life of a critically endangered Florida Panther, marking the first death recorded in 2025.
Boston oncologist named medical director at Southwest Florida Proton Southwest Florida Proton’s new senior medical director once taught Dr. Arie Dosoretz in medical school. Now, he is her boss.
tallahassee Gov. DeSantis holds news conference at Florida Capitol Gov. Ron DeSantis is holding a news conference at the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee.
Man without license arrested for fatal Burnt Store Road crash The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of driving without a license causing death on Burnt Store Road.
Man sentenced to life for attempted first-degree murder of Sanibel police officer A man found guilty of attempted first-degree murder for shooting at a Sanibel police officer has been sentenced to life in prison.
THE WEATHER AUTHORITY Temperatures warm back up following cold streak this Monday The Weather Authority is tracking a noticeable temperature warm-up, with highs in the upper 70s to lower 80s this Monday.
Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads-Up As construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox-Rosen knows the best way to traverse the roadways in this web-exclusive feature.
State investigates former Lee County Sheriff consultant A source sent WINK News anchor Claire Galt an executive order saying the state is investigating Ken Romano, a consultant who was on the sheriff’s office payroll.
Collier County woman arrested twice for operating illicit massage parlor The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman accused of operating an illicit massage parlor, her second time arrested on this charge.
Mother accused of killing 4-month-old baby pleads not guilty A woman accused of killing her 4-month-old baby has pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated manslaughter of a child and aggravated child abuse.
NAPLES Family of bears caught on camera in the Winding Cypress community You never know what you’ll see when you open the door in Florida, and for one WINK News viewer, it was a family of bears.
SOUTH FORT MYERS Former Uber driver who raped passenger sentenced to life in prison Justice has been served after a former Uber driver was sentenced to life in prison for raping his passenger.
CAPE CORAL Single boat crashes into Cape Coral home dock injuring 3 The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating a boat crash in Cape Coral that injured three people.
NAPLES NCH becomes first in Florida to offer Van Gogh Biopsy Tool NCH has become the first healthcare provider in the state to offer the groundbreaking Van Gogh Biopsy tool from Aquyre Biosciences.
First full moon of 2025 peaks Monday evening If you take a look into the sky this evening, you will see the first full moon of 2025, otherwise known as the ‘Wolf Moon.’
1st reported Florida Panther death of 2025, killed by vehicle in Collier A vehicle in Collier County claimed the life of a critically endangered Florida Panther, marking the first death recorded in 2025.
Boston oncologist named medical director at Southwest Florida Proton Southwest Florida Proton’s new senior medical director once taught Dr. Arie Dosoretz in medical school. Now, he is her boss.
tallahassee Gov. DeSantis holds news conference at Florida Capitol Gov. Ron DeSantis is holding a news conference at the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee.
Man without license arrested for fatal Burnt Store Road crash The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man accused of driving without a license causing death on Burnt Store Road.
Man sentenced to life for attempted first-degree murder of Sanibel police officer A man found guilty of attempted first-degree murder for shooting at a Sanibel police officer has been sentenced to life in prison.
THE WEATHER AUTHORITY Temperatures warm back up following cold streak this Monday The Weather Authority is tracking a noticeable temperature warm-up, with highs in the upper 70s to lower 80s this Monday.
Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosen’s Construction Heads-Up As construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox-Rosen knows the best way to traverse the roadways in this web-exclusive feature.
Jennifer Cooks and two of her children hug her new friend and landlord Becky-Sue Mercer. (CREDIT: WINK News) A mother and her three children now have a safe place to call home after a failing inspection forced them out of their rental in Port Charlotte. Jennifer Cooks and her kids had nowhere to go and an even harder time finding a place to live that would accommodate her daughter Alexandra’s medical equipment. Alexandra is special needs and is bed-bound. Cooks’ old home failed inspection because of sewage backup, and the Punta Gorda Housing Authority stepped in. They worked day and night to find Cooks and her family a home large enough to house Alexandria’s medical supplies. “We expedited the entire process. As we knew the situation that she was in,” said Kurt Pentelecuc, executive director of the Punta Gorda Housing Authority. “She needed to move quickly, to move her family.” Becky-Sue Mercer with the Arcadia Housing Authority saw Cooks’ story on WINK News. “I rushed to the remote and replayed the news article of Jennifer and Kurt and the stress that she was going through with a house,” Mercer said. Mercer decided to help and register her home in North Port as a Section 8 Housing home that could accommodate Cooks. She is now Cooks’ friend and her landlord. “My house was vacant and I was unsure what to do with it,” Mercer said. When Cooks found out about the opportunity, she said she almost fainted. “I got weak in the knees because it was so, it was so beautiful,” Cooks said. “I thank God for all of my blessings because it has definitely been a blessing.” MORE: The Punta Gorda Housing Authority is looking to register more homes with the Housing Choice Voucher Program. If someone wants to sign up to be a landlord for Section 8 Housing, email pgha@puntagordaha.org. For more information for prospective tenants and landlords, visit the Punta Gorda Housing Authority here.