WINK Exclusive: First look inside a new Naples theaterMatlacha struggles to recover after hurricanes; wants answers and plan of action
NAPLES WINK Exclusive: First look inside a new Naples theater It’s curtain up in Naples for a newly renovated theater right downtown. People on the inside hope it will be a big part of the city’s future. In a WINK News exclusive, we get a first look inside.
matlacha Matlacha struggles to recover after hurricanes; wants answers and plan of action Is Matlacha forgotten? People in Matlacha still have questions following a civic association meeting Monday night that focused on rebuilding the island after recent storms.
CAPE CORAL Oasis Gator girls win first county crown For the first time in program history, the Oasis Middle School girls’ basketball team went undefeated and the history making didn’t stop there.
ARCADIA DeSoto County school resource officer becomes key in solving case A trusted school resource officer’s connection with students becomes the key to a difficult case.
FORT MYERS SWFL job seekers and employers feeling strain post hurricanes The recent hurricanes that hit Southwest Florida is having an impact on not only the number of people looking for jobs but also employers
NORTH FORT MYERS LCSO steps in to help Shell Factory animals relocate after closure For 86 years, the Shell Factory served the people in North Fort Myers. It gave the community a chance to experience nature up close, but it closed down last month.
FORT MYERS New flight delay refund policies you should know If you plan to fly soon, you should know your rights because some big changes in the airline industry just went into effect.
NAPLES Gov. DeSantis campaigns in Naples against Amendment 4 Gov. Ron DeSantis held a press conference in Collier County where he made his case on why Floridians should vote against Amendment 4.
MIAMI Heat guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. talks second season and Mexico City game Miami Heat second year standout guard Jaime Jaquez spoke with WINK News about his growth from his rookie season and the game in Mexico City.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda Airport expansion adds space and amenities for flyers The Punta Gorda Airport is expanding to create a higher quality place for travelers with more space and modern upgrades.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Early voters cast their ballots ahead of the 2024 election Early voting is currently underway in southwest Florida. Signs urging people to vote are everywhere, and long lines of voters show that people are taking notice and casting their ballots in the presidential election
Heart-kidney health connection Vital organs work together to keep the body healthy, and that connection runs deep. When one isn’t working properly, it can negatively impact the other, leading to more health complications.
Youngquist Brothers rock mine sells for SWFL record $620M A $620 million land deal believed to be the most lucrative in Southwest Florida history became official Oct. 28, as about 2,000 acres, including an active rock mine, changed ownership.
Experts closely watch SWFL real estate market after Helene, Milton Realtors and analysts are monitoring recent residential real estate transactions in Southwest Florida to gauge whether prices will remain steady, decrease or increase in the aftermath of hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Matlacha residents express anger with Lee County government over hurricane recovery Some of the questions had answers, and some of those answers didn’t sit well with many of the almost 100 people present for a Matlacha Civic Association meeting with Lee County government officials as guests.
NAPLES WINK Exclusive: First look inside a new Naples theater It’s curtain up in Naples for a newly renovated theater right downtown. People on the inside hope it will be a big part of the city’s future. In a WINK News exclusive, we get a first look inside.
matlacha Matlacha struggles to recover after hurricanes; wants answers and plan of action Is Matlacha forgotten? People in Matlacha still have questions following a civic association meeting Monday night that focused on rebuilding the island after recent storms.
CAPE CORAL Oasis Gator girls win first county crown For the first time in program history, the Oasis Middle School girls’ basketball team went undefeated and the history making didn’t stop there.
ARCADIA DeSoto County school resource officer becomes key in solving case A trusted school resource officer’s connection with students becomes the key to a difficult case.
FORT MYERS SWFL job seekers and employers feeling strain post hurricanes The recent hurricanes that hit Southwest Florida is having an impact on not only the number of people looking for jobs but also employers
NORTH FORT MYERS LCSO steps in to help Shell Factory animals relocate after closure For 86 years, the Shell Factory served the people in North Fort Myers. It gave the community a chance to experience nature up close, but it closed down last month.
FORT MYERS New flight delay refund policies you should know If you plan to fly soon, you should know your rights because some big changes in the airline industry just went into effect.
NAPLES Gov. DeSantis campaigns in Naples against Amendment 4 Gov. Ron DeSantis held a press conference in Collier County where he made his case on why Floridians should vote against Amendment 4.
MIAMI Heat guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. talks second season and Mexico City game Miami Heat second year standout guard Jaime Jaquez spoke with WINK News about his growth from his rookie season and the game in Mexico City.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda Airport expansion adds space and amenities for flyers The Punta Gorda Airport is expanding to create a higher quality place for travelers with more space and modern upgrades.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Early voters cast their ballots ahead of the 2024 election Early voting is currently underway in southwest Florida. Signs urging people to vote are everywhere, and long lines of voters show that people are taking notice and casting their ballots in the presidential election
Heart-kidney health connection Vital organs work together to keep the body healthy, and that connection runs deep. When one isn’t working properly, it can negatively impact the other, leading to more health complications.
Youngquist Brothers rock mine sells for SWFL record $620M A $620 million land deal believed to be the most lucrative in Southwest Florida history became official Oct. 28, as about 2,000 acres, including an active rock mine, changed ownership.
Experts closely watch SWFL real estate market after Helene, Milton Realtors and analysts are monitoring recent residential real estate transactions in Southwest Florida to gauge whether prices will remain steady, decrease or increase in the aftermath of hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Matlacha residents express anger with Lee County government over hurricane recovery Some of the questions had answers, and some of those answers didn’t sit well with many of the almost 100 people present for a Matlacha Civic Association meeting with Lee County government officials as guests.
For Rent sign. Photo Credit: Ed Uthman / CC BY-SA 3.0 via MGN. Rent is up and vacancies are down in Collier County, resulting in an affordable housing crisis. The Collier Housing Committee says people are leaving the county because they can’t afford to live there. Excluding Immokalee, the median price for a one-bedroom, one-bath apartment is $1,660. For a two-bedroom, two-bath apartment, it jumps to $1,995. That is a lot of money for a lot of families. The rent numbers come from developers, and county leaders worry some of those numbers are out of date. What’s not up for debate is that it costs a lot to live in Collier County. A lot of compromising. That’s how Elizabeth Radi lives. “I do share a bedroom with my 17-year-old son because I have to, in order for us to be able to afford the rent. But each year my rent climbed with between $150 to $175. So I started out at 15 (hundred). And now I am at 19 (hundred).” Lauren Czarnecka is preparing for her rent to jump even more too.”You have to have internet. We don’t have cable, we don’t pay for extra frivolous things because we want to be conservative with our dollars. But when over 60% of our budget is going strictly to housing, it makes buying groceries and other things just not achievable. You can’t be successful with that.” This is not a unique story in Collier County. It is almost the norm. Collier County Affordable Housing Advisory Committee Chair, Joe Trachtenberg, said, “there really is an affordable housing crisis in Collier County, that, that the number of people that are working here and have to live in Cape Coral, or Fort Myers, or out towards Miami-Dade is shocking.” Collier County affordable housing advisory committee met on Monday and had a ‘come to Jesus’ moment. A new resolve to fix a crisis they all saw coming. “And as property values continue to grow, the problem is going to keep getting worse. So so we’re really risking losing our essential workers,” said Trachtenberg. What can be done? Collier County Commissioner Rick Locastro says; a lot. The first is gathering intel. How many so-called affordable housing units does Collier have and what are people paying for them? Locastro said, “a few months ago, if you ask that question and said how many units are there, you got a lot of blank stares. So now we’re actually tracking it.” Commissioner Locastro said Collier County couldn’t wave a magic wand and fix this issue, but the commissioners must do something fast.