FGCU softball pitcher making a name for herselfSurrendering-pets trend at Gulf Coast Humane Society concerns
FORT MYERS FGCU softball pitcher making a name for herself One season in FGCU, freshman pitcher Allison Sparkman is already ruffling feathers in the circle.
Surrendering-pets trend at Gulf Coast Humane Society concerns An large amount of pets are being surrendered by their owners. About half of the dogs at the Gulf Coast Humane Society are surrender dogs.
Students benefitting from millions in sales tax dollars So far, the voter-approved half-cent sales tax has brought in $507 million for the Lee County School District.
PORT CHARLOTTE ‘Shady’: One woman feels misled after federal student loan consolidation It takes some people decades to pay off their student loans. One woman’s last payment was in sight until she took a gamble she said she was told to take.
FORT MYERS Homeless encampments inch closer to neighborhoods Law enforcement has swept multiple encampments, cleaning the trails of mess and muck left behind, and some of these encampments are right in our backyards.
BIG CYPRESS PRESERVE What changes if Big Cypress National Preserve becomes a Wilderness Area? America’s first nationally designated preserve is in Southwest Florida’s backyard, and it is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Method to treat IBD being used for other health issues Trying to get treatments for the brain when fighting neurological diseases like epilepsy and ALS is a challenge.
FORT MYERS NTSB report reveals new details in helicopter crash after Hurricane Ian The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final report on a helicopter crash that occurred in Iona, Florida, shortly after Hurricane Ian.
NAPLES Memorial celebrates the life of John Passidomo Hundreds of friends and family gathered for a memorial at Baker Park in Naples.
‘Latinos in Action’ empowers all students to succeed WINK News talked with teachers who are a part of the program, helping kids reach their full potential.
Immokalee ‘The eyes always draw me in’; Immokalee portrait artist turns dark times into color One of Southwest Florida best portrait artist, Martha Maria Cantu, almost gave up art. Now she’s on the forefront of the city of Immokalee, to make her community filled with color.
GOLDEN GATE Collier commissioners approve agreement for golf complex in Golden Gate Collier commissioners unanimously approved a long term lease and operating agreement to reopen the Golden Gate golf course Tuesday.
PUNTA GORDA Motorcyclists ride in SWFL to help veterans battle suicide A group of veterans from the American Legion are grabbing their helmets and boots for a motorcycle ride to bring awareness to the staggering rates of suicide among veterans.
SARASOTA Alleged sexual abuse victims of Port Charlotte priest comes forward Father Riley worked at three churches in Charlotte County and another in Naples. On Friday, new allegations emerged from a news conference in Sarasota.
PORT CHARLOTTE Port Charlotte priest accused of sexual abuse appears in court A priest accused of sexually abusing four altar boys in Iowa nearly 40 years ago returned to Charlotte County court.
FORT MYERS FGCU softball pitcher making a name for herself One season in FGCU, freshman pitcher Allison Sparkman is already ruffling feathers in the circle.
Surrendering-pets trend at Gulf Coast Humane Society concerns An large amount of pets are being surrendered by their owners. About half of the dogs at the Gulf Coast Humane Society are surrender dogs.
Students benefitting from millions in sales tax dollars So far, the voter-approved half-cent sales tax has brought in $507 million for the Lee County School District.
PORT CHARLOTTE ‘Shady’: One woman feels misled after federal student loan consolidation It takes some people decades to pay off their student loans. One woman’s last payment was in sight until she took a gamble she said she was told to take.
FORT MYERS Homeless encampments inch closer to neighborhoods Law enforcement has swept multiple encampments, cleaning the trails of mess and muck left behind, and some of these encampments are right in our backyards.
BIG CYPRESS PRESERVE What changes if Big Cypress National Preserve becomes a Wilderness Area? America’s first nationally designated preserve is in Southwest Florida’s backyard, and it is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Method to treat IBD being used for other health issues Trying to get treatments for the brain when fighting neurological diseases like epilepsy and ALS is a challenge.
FORT MYERS NTSB report reveals new details in helicopter crash after Hurricane Ian The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final report on a helicopter crash that occurred in Iona, Florida, shortly after Hurricane Ian.
NAPLES Memorial celebrates the life of John Passidomo Hundreds of friends and family gathered for a memorial at Baker Park in Naples.
‘Latinos in Action’ empowers all students to succeed WINK News talked with teachers who are a part of the program, helping kids reach their full potential.
Immokalee ‘The eyes always draw me in’; Immokalee portrait artist turns dark times into color One of Southwest Florida best portrait artist, Martha Maria Cantu, almost gave up art. Now she’s on the forefront of the city of Immokalee, to make her community filled with color.
GOLDEN GATE Collier commissioners approve agreement for golf complex in Golden Gate Collier commissioners unanimously approved a long term lease and operating agreement to reopen the Golden Gate golf course Tuesday.
PUNTA GORDA Motorcyclists ride in SWFL to help veterans battle suicide A group of veterans from the American Legion are grabbing their helmets and boots for a motorcycle ride to bring awareness to the staggering rates of suicide among veterans.
SARASOTA Alleged sexual abuse victims of Port Charlotte priest comes forward Father Riley worked at three churches in Charlotte County and another in Naples. On Friday, new allegations emerged from a news conference in Sarasota.
PORT CHARLOTTE Port Charlotte priest accused of sexual abuse appears in court A priest accused of sexually abusing four altar boys in Iowa nearly 40 years ago returned to Charlotte County court.
Credit: WINK News A luxury area of Naples is seeing hundreds of construction vehicles coming in and out. And they’re lugging thousands of tons of sand. However, those truck trips in and out are said to have a large payoff down the road. There are so many trucks coming in and out of one Naples neighborhood that there’s now a crossing guard on duty to keep people safe. David Shorr lives nearby. “There’s so much traffic on this street already in a way we’re kind of used to it. A lot of construction traffic,” said Shorr. The people who live, bike and walk near the 3rd Avenue North Beach Access Point at Naples Beach say this has been their reality for a little while. Detlef Mueller cycles in the neighborhood. “We’re riding our bikes here we encountered the trucks and of course it’s a nuisance,” Mueller said. “It’s going to be a lot of traffic, we’ll be happy when it’s over,” Shorr said. The bad part is that the construction may not be over for a while hopefully by Thanksgiving. Collier County’s $5 million renourishment project got underway on Monday. The trucks will be hauling 105,000 tons of sand to Naples Beach from Lowdermilk Park to the Naples Pier. Penny Taylor is a Collier County Commissioner. “This is not an easy thing to bear, to have big trucks rolling down the street, to have this activity at the beach,” Taylor said. Commissioner Taylor says the truck will be out there Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. until the project is completed. “The end result, I hope and I pray, will be worth it,” said Taylor. After Naples Beach is finished, Vanderbilt Beach is next on the list. Collier County hopes to start dumping fresh sand on Vanderbilt Beach by December. According to city leaders in Collier County, two other areas of Collier County Beach are being renourished as part of the same contract are: A section of Vanderbilt Beach and a relatively small portion of Pelican Bay Beach. In total, the project will add 268,500 tons of sand to the beaches; 105,000 tons will go on the Naples Beach section. The county is estimating that the Naples Beach portion will be concluded at the end of November. This is timed with the end of the annual turtle nesting season on November 1st. The remainder of the project on the county beaches is expected to last through January 2022. Commissioner Taylor said they hope to be finished with the Naples portion by Thanksgiving and move onto Vanderbilt Beach in December. This project will be funded using Tourist Development Tax funds. The Pelican Bay area is going to be funded through the Pelican Bay Services Division. The new route has been announced: Trucks heading to the beach location in City of Naples will travel from Stewart Mine in Immokalee to I-75, exit at Golden Gate Parkway, head west to US 41, go south to Banyan Boulevard and then head west to Gulf Shore Boulevard. They’ll then travel south to 3rd Avenue North and unload the beach-quality sand at that beach site. The outbound route is north on Gulf Shore Boulevard to east on Mooring Line Drive to south on US 41 and then east on Golden Gate Parkway and back to I-75.