‘The Whale’ restaurant to break ground on new buildingEndangered Florida panther deaths surpass 2023 total in 5 months
FORT MYERS BEACH ‘The Whale’ restaurant to break ground on new building The Whale is a place that has shown great strength and determination.
COLLIER COUNTY Endangered Florida panther deaths surpass 2023 total in 5 months It’s taken wildlife officials just over four and a half months to report finding more dead endangered Florida panthers than in all of 2023.
FORT MYERS FMPD honors 7 officers and 2 K-9s who died in the line of duty dating back to 1930 Nine lives were given, and all nine will remain remembered. A lifetime of gratitude for the fallen officers.
Firefighter recovering from heat exhaustion after battling flames in Collier County It happened at Progress Rail, a transit corporation on Mercantile Avenue just before 5am on Friday.
FORT MYERS How do SWFL graduation rates compare to the state average? How do graduation rates for Charlotte, Lee and Collier Counties stack up against the state? WINK News crunched the numbers.
FORT MYERS Community divisive over ‘justified’ officer-involved shooting of Christopher Jordan A detective who killed an unarmed black man in a controversial shooting will be back at work on Monday.
CAPE CORAL Family submits civil complaint against Cape Coral Police Department The family of a 13-year-old boy who was struck and killed while riding his scooter has officially filed a civil complaint.
FORT MYERS Community reacts to ‘justified’ officer-involved shooting of Christopher Jordan Leaders with the NAACP are saying there is a divide between the black community and Fort Myers police.
NAPLES Inside look at $21 million Naples Players Theater, set to open at the end of May On Friday, as the theater’s 70th season approached, leaders and organizers invited WINK News for a ‘hard-hat-tour’ to showcase the new additions and construction updates.
FORT MYERS Detective who fired fatal shot at Christopher Jordan returns to work Monday Fort Myers police have confirmed to WINK News the detective who shot and killed a man inside his home will return to work Monday morning.
FORT MYERS Bishop Verot onto first state semifinals in nearly a decade A trip to the FHSAA State Semifinals has been a long time coming for the Bishop Verot Vikings who have not been since 2016.
Paul Fleming expanding Lake Park Diner, PJK restaurant concepts Lake Park Diner co-owners Smith Organics and Paul Fleming Restaurant Group anticipate 50 locations of what will be a Naples-based chain.
New construction, business growth continues near Punta Gorda Airport Development surrounding the Punta Gorda Airport continues to grow with 2.5 million square feet already developed and 1.5 million square feet planned, according to Charlotte County Economic Development Director Dave Gammon.
AREA SHELTERS AND REFUGES OF LAST RESORT CHARLOTTE COUNTY Emergency Operations Center (941) 833-4000 charlottecountyfl.gov/departments/public-safety/emergency-management/ PLEASE NOTE: Do not depend on a particular shelter or refuge. Sites may, or may not, be opened depending on the size of the storm and the predicted landfall area. *All Charlotte County shelters are pet-friendly. PORT CHARLOTTE Harold Avenue Regional Park Recreation Center, 23400 Harold Ave. […]
FORT MYERS BEACH ‘The Whale’ restaurant to break ground on new building The Whale is a place that has shown great strength and determination.
COLLIER COUNTY Endangered Florida panther deaths surpass 2023 total in 5 months It’s taken wildlife officials just over four and a half months to report finding more dead endangered Florida panthers than in all of 2023.
FORT MYERS FMPD honors 7 officers and 2 K-9s who died in the line of duty dating back to 1930 Nine lives were given, and all nine will remain remembered. A lifetime of gratitude for the fallen officers.
Firefighter recovering from heat exhaustion after battling flames in Collier County It happened at Progress Rail, a transit corporation on Mercantile Avenue just before 5am on Friday.
FORT MYERS How do SWFL graduation rates compare to the state average? How do graduation rates for Charlotte, Lee and Collier Counties stack up against the state? WINK News crunched the numbers.
FORT MYERS Community divisive over ‘justified’ officer-involved shooting of Christopher Jordan A detective who killed an unarmed black man in a controversial shooting will be back at work on Monday.
CAPE CORAL Family submits civil complaint against Cape Coral Police Department The family of a 13-year-old boy who was struck and killed while riding his scooter has officially filed a civil complaint.
FORT MYERS Community reacts to ‘justified’ officer-involved shooting of Christopher Jordan Leaders with the NAACP are saying there is a divide between the black community and Fort Myers police.
NAPLES Inside look at $21 million Naples Players Theater, set to open at the end of May On Friday, as the theater’s 70th season approached, leaders and organizers invited WINK News for a ‘hard-hat-tour’ to showcase the new additions and construction updates.
FORT MYERS Detective who fired fatal shot at Christopher Jordan returns to work Monday Fort Myers police have confirmed to WINK News the detective who shot and killed a man inside his home will return to work Monday morning.
FORT MYERS Bishop Verot onto first state semifinals in nearly a decade A trip to the FHSAA State Semifinals has been a long time coming for the Bishop Verot Vikings who have not been since 2016.
Paul Fleming expanding Lake Park Diner, PJK restaurant concepts Lake Park Diner co-owners Smith Organics and Paul Fleming Restaurant Group anticipate 50 locations of what will be a Naples-based chain.
New construction, business growth continues near Punta Gorda Airport Development surrounding the Punta Gorda Airport continues to grow with 2.5 million square feet already developed and 1.5 million square feet planned, according to Charlotte County Economic Development Director Dave Gammon.
AREA SHELTERS AND REFUGES OF LAST RESORT CHARLOTTE COUNTY Emergency Operations Center (941) 833-4000 charlottecountyfl.gov/departments/public-safety/emergency-management/ PLEASE NOTE: Do not depend on a particular shelter or refuge. Sites may, or may not, be opened depending on the size of the storm and the predicted landfall area. *All Charlotte County shelters are pet-friendly. PORT CHARLOTTE Harold Avenue Regional Park Recreation Center, 23400 Harold Ave. […]
Pallbearers carry the casket of Marcus Guara’s daughters before a funeral service for the family at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Tuesday, July 6, 2021, in Miami Beach. Guara, his wife Anaely, and daughters Lucia and Emma, died in the collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium building in nearby Surfside. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) Correction from Associated Press Building Collapse-Family Funeral story: In a story July 7, 2021, about a funeral for a family of four that died in the Florida condo collapse, The Associated Press erroneously reported the age of daughter Lucia Guara based on initial incorrect information from police. Lucia Guara is 11 years old, not 10. The AP also used the incorrect last name for her mother. It is Rodriguez, not Guara. The bodies of two young sisters pulled from the rubble of a Florida condo building, a 4- and 10-year-old, were buried together in the same casket alongside their parents Tuesday, their white coffin draped with innocent pink and purple ribbons. Lucia Guara, “Lulu Bear,” loved watching “Jeopardy” with her dad, dancing and doing yoga with her mother. Her baby sister, Emma, was the princess of the family, a natural artist, who enjoyed her dad’s piggyback rides and cuddling with her mom, family member Digna Rodriguez said. The hourlong funeral was held at the family’s Catholic parish, St. Joseph, just three blocks from where the Champlain Towers South building partially collapsed, killing the Guara sisters, their parents, Marcus and Anaely Guara, and 32 others. More than 100 are still missing. Fighting heavy rains and winds from a tropical storm, rescuers continued digging through piles of pulverized concrete and twisted steel for a 13th day Tuesday in Surfside. The now-razed condominium building overlooks the parking lot of the church where Emma was baptized in 2017 and Lucia had her first communion in 2019. The Rev. Juan J. Sosa asked for continued prayers. “We still have about 15 of our other parishioners missing,” he said. The pastor reminded those in attendance that death does not define them, saying God’s strength is always present, especially in trials. Pallbearers wheel the casket of Lucia Guara and Emma Guara as they arrive to their funeral service at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Tuesday, July 6, 2021, in Miami Beach. Lucia, Emma, their father, Marcus Guara, and mother, Anaely Rodriguez, died during the Champlain Towers South condo collapse on June 24. (Matias J. Ocner /Miami Herald via AP) Family members wiped away tears and clung to each other in emotional embraces throughout the service, especially during the singing of “Amazing Grace” as the caskets were being carried out of the church at the end. “May we all connect with family as Lucia would. May we all move with grace as Emma would. May we all be as devoted and loyal as Marcus and Anaely were,” Rodriguez said. Marcus Guara’s cousin, Peter Milián, encouraged others to follow the family’s example by fully embracing the present moment and loving those around them. “This cooler than cool guy melted all over his daughters. He loved being a father,” Milián said, describing how he proudly participated in Lucia’s made-up news shows and Emma’s obstacle courses. A competitive athlete and successful salesman, Marcus, 52, enjoyed life’s small pleasures the most, like walking on the beach with his family. Anaely was a thinker and problem solver, a protective mother who embraced Emma’s creativity and was Lucia’s role model, Rodriguez said. Lucia had a fierce love for her extended family, and was a big-hearted child who easily connected with others. A few months ago, she stuffed all of her birthday and tooth fairy money into an envelope and asked her dad to send it to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, saying, “They need it more than I do,” her father posted on Facebook. Milián said it was a blessing the family perished together. “I truly believe God watched over them by not making them suffer without Lucia and Emma,” he said.