Spending the holidays with first respondersMore clouds and a few showers for your Christmas Day plans
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.
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.
FORT MYERS BEACH Beachgoers enjoy Fort Myers Beach on Christmas Eve Whether you’re a full-time Floridian, a snowbird or just vacationing here for Christmas, it was a great day to go to the beach.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA ‘Chrismukkah’; Two major holidays fall on the same day This year Christmas and Hanukkah fall on the same day. Many people of both faiths across our area will participate in the rare opportunity to celebrate both holidays.
FORT MYERS BEACH Smokin’ Oyster Brewery reopens after damage from hurricanes It’s an iconic bar and restaurant on Fort Myers Beach that has been missing since Hurricane Ian destroyed it.
Family of 10 caught in American Airlines tech issue at RSW A family of ten thought they had a good plan to beat the Christmas travel rush at Southwest Florida International Airport.
NAPLES Taking an inside look at the Naples Police Department’s Technical Analysis Center WINK News got an inside look at the new license plate reading technology being used by the Naples Police Department.
CAPE CORAL Facebook post sparks Christmas miracle for Cape Coral family The joy of Christmas for many, especially kids, is seeing gifts under the tree, but for one family, they couldn’t afford not only presents but the bare necessities.
MATLACHA Matlacha businesses bounce back in time for the holidays Matlacha has had its share of damage this year from hurricanes Helene and Milton. While people continue to heal and recover, they’re also looking toward the new year and beyond.
CAPE CORAL Families in Cape Coral forced out of their homes right after the new year As many of us have already made our Christmas lists and checked them twice, dozens of neighbors are just wishing for a warm and safe place to live.
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.
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.
FORT MYERS BEACH Beachgoers enjoy Fort Myers Beach on Christmas Eve Whether you’re a full-time Floridian, a snowbird or just vacationing here for Christmas, it was a great day to go to the beach.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA ‘Chrismukkah’; Two major holidays fall on the same day This year Christmas and Hanukkah fall on the same day. Many people of both faiths across our area will participate in the rare opportunity to celebrate both holidays.
FORT MYERS BEACH Smokin’ Oyster Brewery reopens after damage from hurricanes It’s an iconic bar and restaurant on Fort Myers Beach that has been missing since Hurricane Ian destroyed it.
Family of 10 caught in American Airlines tech issue at RSW A family of ten thought they had a good plan to beat the Christmas travel rush at Southwest Florida International Airport.
NAPLES Taking an inside look at the Naples Police Department’s Technical Analysis Center WINK News got an inside look at the new license plate reading technology being used by the Naples Police Department.
CAPE CORAL Facebook post sparks Christmas miracle for Cape Coral family The joy of Christmas for many, especially kids, is seeing gifts under the tree, but for one family, they couldn’t afford not only presents but the bare necessities.
MATLACHA Matlacha businesses bounce back in time for the holidays Matlacha has had its share of damage this year from hurricanes Helene and Milton. While people continue to heal and recover, they’re also looking toward the new year and beyond.
CAPE CORAL Families in Cape Coral forced out of their homes right after the new year As many of us have already made our Christmas lists and checked them twice, dozens of neighbors are just wishing for a warm and safe place to live.
A Southwest Florida woman credits her survival in the fight against breast cancer to an experimental drug. (CREDIT: WINK News) A Southwest Florida woman credits her survival in the fight against breast cancer to an experimental drug. Even while the odds often seemed against her, Tarshia Rivera is a fighter. In August of 2014, she was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer. Rivera was enrolled in a clinical trial for breast cancer. “I had a rash on my breast, my left breast and you know, I just thought, you know, it was a little red. So I got over-the-counter products and tried to, you know, treat it but as time went on, it got bigger and then I felt a lump,” said Rivera. Dr. Frank Rodriguez, an oncologist at Florida Cancer Specialists, treated Rivera. “She’s an amazing human being. And, and it was very discouraging too, to give her treatment and see the disease, relentless, relentless lip, press ahead,” said Rodriguez. After undergoing first a single, then a double mastectomy along with chemotherapy, the disease was determined to persist. But so was Rivera. She had children to live for. “Every time I went through one treatment. It worked. And then it was stopped working. I would keep trying, no matter what it was,” said Rivera. The cancer barely slowed down, spreading to her lymph nodes. Fueled by faith, she was offered access to an experimental drug. “We were able to find a clinical trial that was in early stages of development, and she kind of just hit a home run with it. The particular mutation that she had, was incredibly sensitive to this medicine,” said Rodriguez. Being a research and treatment center, Florida Cancer Specialists has FDA oversight to a work with a broad range of drugs. Most are in the second or third phase of approval. It opens options for their patients while these therapies are evaluated for wider use. The drug Rivera took is an immunotherapy combination developed by Evelo Biosciences, which is still being studied. It is one of many drugs with great promise. “Every day, I have patients who are on new medicines, and their lives and how they interact with their disease is changed forever. I find it to be very uplifting. When I’m able to sit in front of someone and tell them you know, five years ago, this wouldn’t be possible,” said Rodriguez. Nearly eight years after her diagnosis, Rivera is cancer-free. “I’m a living testament of how these clinical trials, they do work, you know, you might have one or two that might not work, but just don’t give up,” said Rivera. The point of this particular drug study is to determine the proper patient who would benefit, and the dosage. Doctors say that is the key component in this new age of cancer treatment.