Warmer temperatures and isolated showers for your Thursday plansFamilies visit Santa’s Village in Port Charlotte for Christmas
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.
What’s open and closed on Christmas Day in SWFL On Christmas Day, many businesses and services are closed, including most retail stores, offices, and government buildings.
NAPLES Celebrating Christmas Eve with the Magic of Lights Across southwest Florida, people have been feeling the Christmas spirit. In Collier County, families at the Magic of Lights experience counted down the minutes to Santa’s arrival in awe of the spectacular display.
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.
What’s open and closed on Christmas Day in SWFL On Christmas Day, many businesses and services are closed, including most retail stores, offices, and government buildings.
NAPLES Celebrating Christmas Eve with the Magic of Lights Across southwest Florida, people have been feeling the Christmas spirit. In Collier County, families at the Magic of Lights experience counted down the minutes to Santa’s arrival in awe of the spectacular display.
Lee Boulevard (Credit: WINK News) A three-year-old girl slips away from her day care and onto a busy road in Lehigh Acres. The young girl crossed six lanes of traffic on Lee Boulevard before a good Samaritan stopped to make sure she was safe. The little girl walked right out of the Garden of Infants day care and onto Lee Boulevard, a six-lane road with cars going 45 miles per hour or faster. The person who called the police told a 911 operator, “I was just running behind a little girl crossing the street and she almost got killed.” That good Samartin is Miguel Burgos. He said, “I stopped the cars with my hands, but still running and when we crossed the street we fell in the grass. She started laughing like it was a little joke. like it was a game and that’s when I see the most beautiful blue eyes I’ve ever seen in my life. I pick them up and she hugged me and she was like nothing, she didn’t know, I can’t explain. It was very emotional.” Alexander Martin, a father who lives in Lehigh Acres said, “unbelievable. I can’t believe the type of negligence.” Another Lehigh Acres father, Pedro Ruiz, said, “it’s a miracle that child didn’t get hit especially here on Lee Boulevard. And looking at this road right now, can you even cross that? Oh no! I wouldn’t even try.” What happened Monday may not be the first time a child got away from the day care. A complaint led to a Department of Children and Families inspection in August. The inspector found the dayc are was not in compliance because “the facility’s fencing walls or gate area had gaps that could allow children to exit the outdoor play area.” Garden of Infants day care took care of that issue. Ruiz said he lost his daughter on Lee Boulevard several years ago. He said he can imagine what the child’s parents are going through and is glad their little girl didn’t meet the same fate as his own. “It’s beyond devastation. It’s giving me goosebumps. That’s a blessing and that child has an angel.” The good Samaritan who grabbed the little girl on Monday refused to give her up to a day care employee until sheriff’s deputies arrived. The official report said when the parents arrived they were grateful she was not hurt. WINK News was told that the day care has hired an attorney. The Department of Children and Families is investigating the incident.