20-year-old man killed following head-on crash in Charlotte CountyTrial set to begin for Uber driver accused of rape
20-year-old man killed following head-on crash in Charlotte County The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash that occurred between a car and truck in Charlotte County.
FORT MYERS Trial set to begin for Uber driver accused of rape An Uber driver accused of raping a woman after allegedly chasing her down following her arrival at her home is set to appear in court for his trial.
the weather authority Isolated rain, storms mainly inland on this Wednesday The Weather Authority is tracking isolated rain and storms that are expected throughout Wednesday, starting in the afternoon and lasting into the evening.
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 article.
OCHOPEE Caught on Camera: TikTok video shows Ochopee airboat crash A new video has been released that shows the moments before, during, and after two airboats collide in the Everglades.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral to install school zone speed cameras to enhance safety The City of Cape Coral is stepping up efforts to protect students by installing speed cameras in 16 school zones during the 2025 school year.
$578M initiative for I-75 congestion relief in Lee and Collier counties $578 million from the Moving Florida Forward Initiative is being dedicated to congestion relief on Interstate 75 from Golden Gate Parkway in Collier County to Corkscrew Road in Lee County.
Troubled Past: Mother of shooter who killed Charlotte County deputy claims he had “extreme mental illness” Sergeant Elio Diaz was gunned down and killed by a 24-year-old from Georgia named Andrew (AJ) Mostyn. WINK News is learning that the shooter had a troubled past.
Family of Charlotte County sergeant killed in line of duty visits growing memorial Early Tuesday evening, the family of Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Elio Diaz visited the memorial for him that was built into a flower bed.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda’s Gilchrist Park reopens after Hurricane Milton cleanup On Tuesday, the boats were finally gone; the city and a handful of volunteers got their hands dirty and cleaned everything up.
New study shows trend of young Floridians leaving the state Has the Sunshine State become too expensive for young people to live here? A new study says yes.
Chaplains comfort first responders as they mourn the loss of their own As CCSO mourns the loss of one of their own, we spoke with one of the people tasked with helping our first responders at the hardest times.
Florida FWC proposing new hunting changes The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission is proposing some changes to the next hunting season that could take effect July first.
NORTH FORT MYERS Eagle enthusiasts celebrate birth of 2 eaglets in North Fort Myers As of Tuesday, there are two new eaglets on the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam in North Fort Myers, E24 and E25!
Motorcade for Sgt. Elio Diaz, Charlotte County sergeant killed in line of duty An everlasting memory in the minds of many. A motorcade made its way through the streets of Southwest Florida on Tuesday to honor a fallen hero, a deputy loved by many in our community.
20-year-old man killed following head-on crash in Charlotte County The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash that occurred between a car and truck in Charlotte County.
FORT MYERS Trial set to begin for Uber driver accused of rape An Uber driver accused of raping a woman after allegedly chasing her down following her arrival at her home is set to appear in court for his trial.
the weather authority Isolated rain, storms mainly inland on this Wednesday The Weather Authority is tracking isolated rain and storms that are expected throughout Wednesday, starting in the afternoon and lasting into the evening.
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 article.
OCHOPEE Caught on Camera: TikTok video shows Ochopee airboat crash A new video has been released that shows the moments before, during, and after two airboats collide in the Everglades.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral to install school zone speed cameras to enhance safety The City of Cape Coral is stepping up efforts to protect students by installing speed cameras in 16 school zones during the 2025 school year.
$578M initiative for I-75 congestion relief in Lee and Collier counties $578 million from the Moving Florida Forward Initiative is being dedicated to congestion relief on Interstate 75 from Golden Gate Parkway in Collier County to Corkscrew Road in Lee County.
Troubled Past: Mother of shooter who killed Charlotte County deputy claims he had “extreme mental illness” Sergeant Elio Diaz was gunned down and killed by a 24-year-old from Georgia named Andrew (AJ) Mostyn. WINK News is learning that the shooter had a troubled past.
Family of Charlotte County sergeant killed in line of duty visits growing memorial Early Tuesday evening, the family of Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Elio Diaz visited the memorial for him that was built into a flower bed.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda’s Gilchrist Park reopens after Hurricane Milton cleanup On Tuesday, the boats were finally gone; the city and a handful of volunteers got their hands dirty and cleaned everything up.
New study shows trend of young Floridians leaving the state Has the Sunshine State become too expensive for young people to live here? A new study says yes.
Chaplains comfort first responders as they mourn the loss of their own As CCSO mourns the loss of one of their own, we spoke with one of the people tasked with helping our first responders at the hardest times.
Florida FWC proposing new hunting changes The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission is proposing some changes to the next hunting season that could take effect July first.
NORTH FORT MYERS Eagle enthusiasts celebrate birth of 2 eaglets in North Fort Myers As of Tuesday, there are two new eaglets on the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam in North Fort Myers, E24 and E25!
Motorcade for Sgt. Elio Diaz, Charlotte County sergeant killed in line of duty An everlasting memory in the minds of many. A motorcade made its way through the streets of Southwest Florida on Tuesday to honor a fallen hero, a deputy loved by many in our community.
School board member Chris Patricca speaks during a video chat for an Estero community forum. She faced scrutiny after she made comments about Guatemalan students that were deemed insensitive. Credit: Shared with WINK News. A school board member was speaking during a video chat for a community forum when she was heard making a controversial remark. Lee County School Board member Chris Patricca faces calls for her resignation after she made comments about Lee County students from Guatemala. “The biggest challenge principals have with students from Guatemala is getting them out of the bathroom,” Patricca said during the conference call. Board member Gwyn Gittens told us she hopes the board will talk about Patricca’s comments at the next meeting. She thinks diversity trainings would help every board member become more culturally sensitive. Some member of the Guatemalan community say that is not enough. They want Patricca gone. Patricca made the comment when she was asked about the needs of Guatemalan ESL students during an Estero community meeting. “They’ve never seen running water before,” Patricca said. “They go in there, turn the faucet on and flush toilet and are fascinated by plumbing.” The comments rocked members of the Guatemalan community. “Her perception of the entire country and students that attend our schools was belittling,” school advocate Jacqueline Perez said. “My grandson is half Guatemalan. His mom is Guatemalan. I don’t even want him to hear that.” “To me, it was disrespectful to the Guatemalans and disrespectful to the Hispanic Americans that live in this country,” Yvette Benarroch said. “We should all be demanding for her to resign and like now.” In a statement, Patricca said, “I want to clarify comments I made at a recent community meeting and apologize for being insensitive. I genuinely feel badly that I hurt people’s feelings. I was speaking as an individual, not on behalf of the Lee County School Board or the Florida School Boards Association. Individuals hailing from Guatemala are most certainly valued members of our community. I vow to do better now and in the future.” Patricca leads the school board association concurrently with her role on Lee County School Board. Marta Matias immigrated to the U.S. from Guatemala 30 years ago. She told us migrant children deserve more sensitivity. “More compassion, more understanding because I think anybody that goes to another country will be confused many times,” Matias said. Members of the Guatemalan community are expected to appear at the next school board meeting Tuesday to protest and demand Patricca to resign.