RSW braces for post-holiday travel Now that the holidays have passed for many, the return to normalcy has begun as the Southwest Florida International Airport prepares for the large influx of travelers.
wink news Mega Millions jackpot surges over $1B; next drawing set for Friday The elusive Mega Millions jackpot has evaded players this holiday season as the prize money has ballooned to $1.15 billion.
THE WEATHER AUTHORITY Warmer temperatures and isolated showers for your Thursday plans The Weather Authority is tracking warmer temperatures along with isolated showers expected throughout this Thursday afternoon.
PORT CHARLOTTE Families visit Santa’s Village in Port Charlotte for Christmas The holiday magic is in full swing at Santa’s Village. There are holiday lights, food, and plenty of families making some holiday memories
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Animal Shelter volunteers distribute gifts to cats and dogs Christmas is meant to be merry, but for dogs and cats waiting for their forever homes it can be anything but.
NAPLES Dozens volunteer to feed over 500 people at St. Matthew’s House The St. Matthews House fed nearly 500 people hot and traditional holiday meals at their Naples shelter on Wednesday.
CAPE CORAL Project Siren; Cape Coral chaplain praying for first responders The sound of sirens, life and death hang in the balance. A cape coral chaplain bows his head and says a prayer.
FORT MYERS Residents celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas on the same day Hanukkah begins Wednesday with the lighting of the first candle. Each night, another candle will be lit until all eight shine bright.
ENGLEWOOD Englewood residents still recovering from hurricanes on Christmas Neighbors on Lemon Bay Drive in Englewood said their homes had never seen a drop of a water from a hurricane until 2024.
FORT MYERS Dr. Piper Center hosts annual Christmas Celebration Dozens of children are enjoying new bicycles on Christmas day thanks to the generosity of the Dr. Piper Center.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for December 25, 2024 This weekly Most Wanted Wednesday WINK News segment features fugitives from justice in Southwest Florida.
Spending the holidays with first responders For most of us, Christmas is about spending time with family, but one group is making sure our families are staying safe.
More clouds and a few showers for your Christmas Day plans The Weather Authority is tracking more clouds on Christmas day than we saw on Christmas Eve and the chance for a few showers.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Adoptive family spends first Christmas together Family come in all shapes and sizes but all share one common thing, their love for each other. One southwest Florida woman couldn’t have kids, so she built her family through adoption and fostering.
PUNTA GORDA Man accused of shooting man at Punta Gorda motel A man has been arrested after allegedly shooting another man during a physical dispute at a Punta Gorda motel.
RSW braces for post-holiday travel Now that the holidays have passed for many, the return to normalcy has begun as the Southwest Florida International Airport prepares for the large influx of travelers.
wink news Mega Millions jackpot surges over $1B; next drawing set for Friday The elusive Mega Millions jackpot has evaded players this holiday season as the prize money has ballooned to $1.15 billion.
THE WEATHER AUTHORITY Warmer temperatures and isolated showers for your Thursday plans The Weather Authority is tracking warmer temperatures along with isolated showers expected throughout this Thursday afternoon.
PORT CHARLOTTE Families visit Santa’s Village in Port Charlotte for Christmas The holiday magic is in full swing at Santa’s Village. There are holiday lights, food, and plenty of families making some holiday memories
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Animal Shelter volunteers distribute gifts to cats and dogs Christmas is meant to be merry, but for dogs and cats waiting for their forever homes it can be anything but.
NAPLES Dozens volunteer to feed over 500 people at St. Matthew’s House The St. Matthews House fed nearly 500 people hot and traditional holiday meals at their Naples shelter on Wednesday.
CAPE CORAL Project Siren; Cape Coral chaplain praying for first responders The sound of sirens, life and death hang in the balance. A cape coral chaplain bows his head and says a prayer.
FORT MYERS Residents celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas on the same day Hanukkah begins Wednesday with the lighting of the first candle. Each night, another candle will be lit until all eight shine bright.
ENGLEWOOD Englewood residents still recovering from hurricanes on Christmas Neighbors on Lemon Bay Drive in Englewood said their homes had never seen a drop of a water from a hurricane until 2024.
FORT MYERS Dr. Piper Center hosts annual Christmas Celebration Dozens of children are enjoying new bicycles on Christmas day thanks to the generosity of the Dr. Piper Center.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for December 25, 2024 This weekly Most Wanted Wednesday WINK News segment features fugitives from justice in Southwest Florida.
Spending the holidays with first responders For most of us, Christmas is about spending time with family, but one group is making sure our families are staying safe.
More clouds and a few showers for your Christmas Day plans The Weather Authority is tracking more clouds on Christmas day than we saw on Christmas Eve and the chance for a few showers.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Adoptive family spends first Christmas together Family come in all shapes and sizes but all share one common thing, their love for each other. One southwest Florida woman couldn’t have kids, so she built her family through adoption and fostering.
PUNTA GORDA Man accused of shooting man at Punta Gorda motel A man has been arrested after allegedly shooting another man during a physical dispute at a Punta Gorda motel.
Credit: WINK News This week, a win came for those who want sports betting to come to Florida sooner rather than later. A judge dismissed a lawsuit from the owners of a Florida poker room. Now, two more lawsuits are waiting to be heard. WINK News asks experts if they think the move to throw out the first lawsuit could become a trend. The owners of the Bonita Springs Poker Room were the first to lose their first bet. They hope their odds are better the second time around. They’ll have a different judge, in a different court and a new argument. They believe online sport setting controlled by the Seminole Tribe will “cannibalize” their customer base. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the Seminole tribe won the first hand. A federal judge dismissed one of three lawsuits challenging their compact to bring sports betting to Florida. John Holden is a sports betting expert and an attorney. “You never want to start out losing. So, this…when they’re there now, the odds go up that we’re going to see, certainly online betting coming soon,” Holden said. WINK News asked Holden to explain why that federal judge may have thrown out the lawsuit. The owners of Bonita Springs Poker Room sued Governor DeSantis and the Secretary of the Department of Businesses and Professional Regulation, Julie Brown. “Effectively, what the judge said is that…neither one of these people, are the people causing you this injury. So, they’re the wrong people,” said Holden. Sports betting expert and attorney Daniel Wallach says the correct people to sue would be the federal government. The owners of Bonita Springs Poker Room are going to try again but this time with a new lawsuit and a new judge. “The DC lawsuit is being brought against a different defendant, which is the United States Department of the Interior, the federal agency which actually approved the compact,” Wallach said. “No Casinos” is an anti-gambling group that is also suing the Department of the Interior. A judge will hear both remaining lawsuits, the other two of the three, on November 5. However, based on the first lawsuit, the State of Florida thinks it holds all of the cards. “It’s a pretty big win,” Holden said. The “No Casinos” lawsuit argues gambling off of tribal lands will negatively impact neighborhoods, increase crime and reduce property values.