‘The eyes always draw me in’; Immokalee portrait artist turns dark times into colorCollier commissioners approve agreement for golf complex in Golden Gate
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.
Collier commissioners approve agreement for golf complex in Golden Gate The Golden Gate golf course has been closed for more than four years, but the future looks bright. “We’re just very honored to be a part of this, and the team, and we’re having fun and I can’t wait for the doors to open,” said Cindy Darland, executive producer at First Tee Naples/Collier. Collier commissioners […]
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.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema prepares for opening at Mercato The newest movie theater in Southwest Florida opens April 29, and it does so with an array of entertainment offerings that go beyond the usual options across the region.
Let’s Waffle opens in Cape Coral Let’s Waffle is one of two businesses the Feix family launched locally, with the FMS Florida Boat Tours and Limousine Service owned and operated by Feix’s husband, Alexander.
Planned Punta Gorda hotel, pub, brewery faces construction delay Kevin Doyle, owner of Celtic Ray Public House Irish pub in downtown Punta Gorda, and his partner, S4 Global Investments, were found in violation of the city’s exposed soils code.
Three Sisters Spring Toast the manatee released by FWC, SeaWorld and Casey DeSantis near Crystal River A manatee named Toast was released back into the Florida waters after a final medical evaluation from wildlife officials.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Man arrested and charged with over 90 counts of fraud The Cape Coral Police Department arrested a man for allegedly stealing items from a business and then pawning them.
Man accused of pulling gun on someone ordering at Collier County Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru A man has been arrested after allegedly pulling a gun on someone ordering at a Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru in Collier County.
League Club of Naples awards record $683K in grants to Collier, Lee nonprofits At a mid-April breakfast event, the 35 area nonprofit agencies—chosen from a record number of applicants—were awarded grants from the women’s volunteer organization in areas ranging from arts education, to fighting hunger and homelessness, to providing bikes and wheelchairs to children in need
Tim Aten Knows: Chick-fil-A drive-thru proposal faces criticism in Naples Chick-fil-A is proposing a drive-thru restaurant at the site of the former Red Lobster restaurant on U.S. 41 in Naples, but the project is facing early criticism.
Man convicted for murder of 17-year-old girl will be in court for resentencing A convicted man will be in court for resentencing for a murder that he committed as a teenager almost 20 years ago.
NAPLES Friday’s Furry Friends: Holly, Slim For this week’s Friday’s Furry Friends, WINK visits the Collier County Domestic Animal Services to showcase two adorable animals ready to be adopted.
FORT MYERS Caught on Camera: Dust Devil spotted spiraling in Fort Myers A dust devil was spotted and recorded by a WINK News viewer on Hanson Street in Fort Myers.
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.
Collier commissioners approve agreement for golf complex in Golden Gate The Golden Gate golf course has been closed for more than four years, but the future looks bright. “We’re just very honored to be a part of this, and the team, and we’re having fun and I can’t wait for the doors to open,” said Cindy Darland, executive producer at First Tee Naples/Collier. Collier commissioners […]
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.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema prepares for opening at Mercato The newest movie theater in Southwest Florida opens April 29, and it does so with an array of entertainment offerings that go beyond the usual options across the region.
Let’s Waffle opens in Cape Coral Let’s Waffle is one of two businesses the Feix family launched locally, with the FMS Florida Boat Tours and Limousine Service owned and operated by Feix’s husband, Alexander.
Planned Punta Gorda hotel, pub, brewery faces construction delay Kevin Doyle, owner of Celtic Ray Public House Irish pub in downtown Punta Gorda, and his partner, S4 Global Investments, were found in violation of the city’s exposed soils code.
Three Sisters Spring Toast the manatee released by FWC, SeaWorld and Casey DeSantis near Crystal River A manatee named Toast was released back into the Florida waters after a final medical evaluation from wildlife officials.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Man arrested and charged with over 90 counts of fraud The Cape Coral Police Department arrested a man for allegedly stealing items from a business and then pawning them.
Man accused of pulling gun on someone ordering at Collier County Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru A man has been arrested after allegedly pulling a gun on someone ordering at a Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru in Collier County.
League Club of Naples awards record $683K in grants to Collier, Lee nonprofits At a mid-April breakfast event, the 35 area nonprofit agencies—chosen from a record number of applicants—were awarded grants from the women’s volunteer organization in areas ranging from arts education, to fighting hunger and homelessness, to providing bikes and wheelchairs to children in need
Tim Aten Knows: Chick-fil-A drive-thru proposal faces criticism in Naples Chick-fil-A is proposing a drive-thru restaurant at the site of the former Red Lobster restaurant on U.S. 41 in Naples, but the project is facing early criticism.
Man convicted for murder of 17-year-old girl will be in court for resentencing A convicted man will be in court for resentencing for a murder that he committed as a teenager almost 20 years ago.
NAPLES Friday’s Furry Friends: Holly, Slim For this week’s Friday’s Furry Friends, WINK visits the Collier County Domestic Animal Services to showcase two adorable animals ready to be adopted.
FORT MYERS Caught on Camera: Dust Devil spotted spiraling in Fort Myers A dust devil was spotted and recorded by a WINK News viewer on Hanson Street in Fort Myers.
(Credit: WINK News) There is an effort to raise awareness for those who identify themselves in the LGBTQIA+ community and are struggling with substance abuse and mental health. 12.9% percent of people in the LGBTQIA+ community suffer from substance use disorder and have a mental illness, according to a 2019 study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Frank was 13 years old the first time he tried drugs. “I didn’t really want to exist. So it gave me a relief to just kind of cope with what I was going through. That battle around, oh, I’m gay, but I’m going to hell, or I’m not good enough for people, life,” said Frank, who has been in recovery for 13 years. Growing up in a religious family, Frank said drugs were his way to escape the pressure to conceal his true self. “I knew, I’ve always known I was gay. So when I first started to do drugs, it was just kind of this relief.” His story isn’t unique. A 2019 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration survey found that 18.3% of adults in the LGBTQIA+ community had some substance use disorder. “I had this idea in the back of my head that I was wrong for the way I was, and I couldn’t change it. But when I did drugs, when I got drunk, or when I got high, none of that mattered anymore,” said Frank. Lydia Burr sees this all the time as director of clinical services for the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation in Naples. “People from the LGBTQIA+ community are disproportionately impacted by substance use disorder and a lot of it has to do with safety and finding community and family for people who may not no longer be connected to their biological family, and the need to connect and the difficulty doing so without the use of substances,” said Burr. For Frank, connecting and finding community with friends he could trust got him the help he needed. “I had a moment, a moment of clarity, where I became willing to listen to like, oh, there are other ways to live, other than getting high, using drugs, you know, and it was a process, it was a process of doing everything different,” said Frank. Frank has now been clean for 13 years. He says his life has had plenty of ups and downs since then, but finding people going through the same things as him has given him the sense of community needed to get through it. If you would like to learn more about the results of the 2019 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration study, you can read a report on the findings in the document below. https://winknews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019-National-Survey-on-Drug-Use-and-Health.pdf