Cape Coral man faces 16 charges after fleeing multiple traffic stopsSanibel residents brace for traffic surge with new advisory and app aid
NORTH FORT MYERS Cape Coral man faces 16 charges after fleeing multiple traffic stops Marcus Selby, 24, is facing multiple charges after a dramatic series of events involving Cape Coral police and Florida Highway Patrol troopers.
SANIBEL Sanibel residents brace for traffic surge with new advisory and app aid Sanibel residents are bracing for increased traffic as the city issued a “heavy traffic advisory” for the entire week.
FGCU FGCU’s Casey Santoro battles back from Achilles injury FGCU women’s basketball player Casey Santoro is back on the floor after suffering an Achilles injury a season ago.
BABCOCK RANCH Heaviest Florida panther ever recorded located in Babcock Ranch Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission biologists recently captured and collared the heaviest Florida panther ever recorded.
Lee County deputies using VR for safe high-risk training scenarios The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has taken a significant step forward in training by incorporating virtual reality technology.
NAPLES FC Naples signs local soccer star Joffre followed his dream across continents after graduating from Gulf Coast. Now he’s back on the professional soccer pitch in his hometown.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach businesses face floodplain compliance deadline Fort Myers Beach’s businesses face pressure to comply with floodplain regulations or leave the island by March 1.
NAPLES Persistent red tide bloom off Naples to Boca Grande raises concerns As the weather warms up, more people are heading to the beach. However, those with beach plans in Southwest Florida should be aware of the persistent red tide affecting the coastline.
FORT MYERS Community aids in search for missing pitbull after Lee County crash A crash on I-75 near Daniels Parkway in Lee County turned a routine drive into a heartbreaking search for a missing pet.
LEHIGH ACRES Community supporting Lehigh Acres church after destructive fire A massive fire recently burned the Christ at Crossroads Church in Lehigh Acres, and the community is rallying to support the church’s recovery.
FORT MYERS Kids battling cancer in Fort Myers receive cuddly companions from donor Children battling cancer in Fort Myers are finding comfort in a special friend thanks to a generous donor.
2 SWFL veterans find relief at Harry Chapin Food Bank Two veterans in Southwest Florida routinely receive vital support through local food distributions, highlighting a significant issue affecting many who have served our country.
Researchers found lasting effects from COVID-19 COVID-19 cases today are less severe than five years ago, but new research indicates severe infections may have lasting impacts on the heart.
PORT CHARLOTTE Connecting service dogs with veterans A 76-year-old veteran is transforming lives by connecting fellow veterans with support dogs, and the results have been life-changing.
Peace River Wildlife Center celebrates reopening Peace River Wildlife Center in Punta Gorda reopened at Ponce de Leon Park after being closed since hurricanes Helene and Milton flooded the center and its hospital that treats injured wildlife.
NORTH FORT MYERS Cape Coral man faces 16 charges after fleeing multiple traffic stops Marcus Selby, 24, is facing multiple charges after a dramatic series of events involving Cape Coral police and Florida Highway Patrol troopers.
SANIBEL Sanibel residents brace for traffic surge with new advisory and app aid Sanibel residents are bracing for increased traffic as the city issued a “heavy traffic advisory” for the entire week.
FGCU FGCU’s Casey Santoro battles back from Achilles injury FGCU women’s basketball player Casey Santoro is back on the floor after suffering an Achilles injury a season ago.
BABCOCK RANCH Heaviest Florida panther ever recorded located in Babcock Ranch Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission biologists recently captured and collared the heaviest Florida panther ever recorded.
Lee County deputies using VR for safe high-risk training scenarios The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has taken a significant step forward in training by incorporating virtual reality technology.
NAPLES FC Naples signs local soccer star Joffre followed his dream across continents after graduating from Gulf Coast. Now he’s back on the professional soccer pitch in his hometown.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach businesses face floodplain compliance deadline Fort Myers Beach’s businesses face pressure to comply with floodplain regulations or leave the island by March 1.
NAPLES Persistent red tide bloom off Naples to Boca Grande raises concerns As the weather warms up, more people are heading to the beach. However, those with beach plans in Southwest Florida should be aware of the persistent red tide affecting the coastline.
FORT MYERS Community aids in search for missing pitbull after Lee County crash A crash on I-75 near Daniels Parkway in Lee County turned a routine drive into a heartbreaking search for a missing pet.
LEHIGH ACRES Community supporting Lehigh Acres church after destructive fire A massive fire recently burned the Christ at Crossroads Church in Lehigh Acres, and the community is rallying to support the church’s recovery.
FORT MYERS Kids battling cancer in Fort Myers receive cuddly companions from donor Children battling cancer in Fort Myers are finding comfort in a special friend thanks to a generous donor.
2 SWFL veterans find relief at Harry Chapin Food Bank Two veterans in Southwest Florida routinely receive vital support through local food distributions, highlighting a significant issue affecting many who have served our country.
Researchers found lasting effects from COVID-19 COVID-19 cases today are less severe than five years ago, but new research indicates severe infections may have lasting impacts on the heart.
PORT CHARLOTTE Connecting service dogs with veterans A 76-year-old veteran is transforming lives by connecting fellow veterans with support dogs, and the results have been life-changing.
Peace River Wildlife Center celebrates reopening Peace River Wildlife Center in Punta Gorda reopened at Ponce de Leon Park after being closed since hurricanes Helene and Milton flooded the center and its hospital that treats injured wildlife.
A tombstone discovered in Southwest Florida that dates back to the Civil War is back where it belongs. WINK News first brought you this story in 2020. A SWFL man discovered the tombstone in his backyard months after purchasing his house. Now, WINK News is speaking to the family of the child to whom the tombstone belonged to. And for this distant relative, the return of the tombstone means everything. This family traces its history back t least 300 years. The family even has its own board of directors. The family is grateful for the man who found it and thankful that it is now back where it goes on. It wasn’t a Halloween prop. It was a real headstone that Tom Dipaolo excavated in his backyard. That was in March of 2020. Who is baby Gideon P? Port Charlotte man finds Civil War era headstone in his yard “As I was clearing this spot out, the headstone was facing down, and I wasn’t exactly sure what it was, and then I kept brushing off more dirt,” said Dipaolo. The name on the tombstone is Gideon P. Brubaker, a 21-day-old baby boy who died on September 11, 1863. “Yeah, it was a little surprising at first, and then it started getting interesting. The first thing that came to my mind was that it was a Halloween thing.. but then when I was looking at it closer, I was saying that this is too heavy and it’s too well-made,” Dipaolo said. Dipaolo searched for the Brubaker family, which, while that was a long shot, it paid off. The Brubakers are a rare family because they have their own historian, Elaine Renkin. “As soon as he told me the names, told me the name, I had Gideons records,” Renkin said. The family also has a president, Doug Brubaker. “They came armed with shovels, a bucket of wet concrete, and we set the stone back in place, not that that concrete is going to ever preclude somebody else from stealing it. But it may make it a little tougher,” Brubaker said. That poor little baby is buried in Page County, Virginia. “The father is there. The mother is there. His sister, who died in 1854, is there. And I knew that Gideon should be there because his stone is identical to his sister. His sister died in 1854,” said Renkin. How did the tombstone end up in Dipaolo’s backyard? In Port Charlotte? Which is more than 1100 miles away. So when Dipaolo called Renkin, she looked at the family tree and called Gideon’s nearest relative. “First thing I did is I went to my database, looked up his name, and he was there,” said Renkin. “In my database right now is 24,000 Brubaker’s, okay. We’re all over the world. Concentrated coming out of Lancaster County, though.” That relative is Brenda Bosserman. “We found the tombstone of your ancestors and my mom’s family. And we need to get it back to you. So that’s kind of how it started,” Bosserman said. As it turns out, the Brubaker family has a member living in Sarasota. So, she picked up the tombstone from Dipaolo. But it did take several months to transport it back to Virginia due to COVID-19. Submit Copyright ©2025 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.