Senior Airman surprises cousin on Aubrey Rogers softball senior nightPolice: 15-year-old injured after accidentally shot in the leg
NORTH NAPLES Senior Airman surprises cousin on Aubrey Rogers softball senior night Aubrey Rogers senior pitcher and infielder McKenzie Vargas surprised by her Air Force cousin for Senior Night.
BONITA SPRINGS Police: 15-year-old injured after accidentally shot in the leg Lee County deputies say the teen was accidentally shot in the leg.
PUNTA GORDA Exclusive: Brother and best friend of accused pedophile priest speak out Riley’s brother reached out to WINK on Friday, saying people aren’t getting the full story.
IMMOKALEE Caught on video: Huge gator crosses Immokalee neighborhood Fridays in Florida are for gators
FORT MYERS FGCU softball pitcher making a name for herself One season in FGCU, freshman pitcher Allison Sparkman is already ruffling feathers in the circle.
Surrendering-pets trend at Gulf Coast Humane Society concerns An large amount of pets are being surrendered by their owners. About half of the dogs at the Gulf Coast Humane Society are surrender dogs.
Students benefitting from millions in sales tax dollars So far, the voter-approved half-cent sales tax has brought in $507 million for the Lee County School District.
PORT CHARLOTTE ‘Shady’: One woman feels misled after federal student loan consolidation It takes some people decades to pay off their student loans. One woman’s last payment was in sight until she took a gamble she said she was told to take.
FORT MYERS Homeless encampments inch closer to neighborhoods Law enforcement has swept multiple encampments, cleaning the trails of mess and muck left behind, and some of these encampments are right in our backyards.
BIG CYPRESS PRESERVE What changes if Big Cypress National Preserve becomes a Wilderness Area? America’s first nationally designated preserve is in Southwest Florida’s backyard, and it is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Method to treat IBD being used for other health issues Trying to get treatments for the brain when fighting neurological diseases like epilepsy and ALS is a challenge.
FORT MYERS NTSB report reveals new details in helicopter crash after Hurricane Ian The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final report on a helicopter crash that occurred in Iona, Florida, shortly after Hurricane Ian.
NAPLES Memorial celebrates the life of John Passidomo Hundreds of friends and family gathered for a memorial at Baker Park in Naples.
‘Latinos in Action’ empowers all students to succeed WINK News talked with teachers who are a part of the program, helping kids reach their full potential.
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.
NORTH NAPLES Senior Airman surprises cousin on Aubrey Rogers softball senior night Aubrey Rogers senior pitcher and infielder McKenzie Vargas surprised by her Air Force cousin for Senior Night.
BONITA SPRINGS Police: 15-year-old injured after accidentally shot in the leg Lee County deputies say the teen was accidentally shot in the leg.
PUNTA GORDA Exclusive: Brother and best friend of accused pedophile priest speak out Riley’s brother reached out to WINK on Friday, saying people aren’t getting the full story.
IMMOKALEE Caught on video: Huge gator crosses Immokalee neighborhood Fridays in Florida are for gators
FORT MYERS FGCU softball pitcher making a name for herself One season in FGCU, freshman pitcher Allison Sparkman is already ruffling feathers in the circle.
Surrendering-pets trend at Gulf Coast Humane Society concerns An large amount of pets are being surrendered by their owners. About half of the dogs at the Gulf Coast Humane Society are surrender dogs.
Students benefitting from millions in sales tax dollars So far, the voter-approved half-cent sales tax has brought in $507 million for the Lee County School District.
PORT CHARLOTTE ‘Shady’: One woman feels misled after federal student loan consolidation It takes some people decades to pay off their student loans. One woman’s last payment was in sight until she took a gamble she said she was told to take.
FORT MYERS Homeless encampments inch closer to neighborhoods Law enforcement has swept multiple encampments, cleaning the trails of mess and muck left behind, and some of these encampments are right in our backyards.
BIG CYPRESS PRESERVE What changes if Big Cypress National Preserve becomes a Wilderness Area? America’s first nationally designated preserve is in Southwest Florida’s backyard, and it is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Method to treat IBD being used for other health issues Trying to get treatments for the brain when fighting neurological diseases like epilepsy and ALS is a challenge.
FORT MYERS NTSB report reveals new details in helicopter crash after Hurricane Ian The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final report on a helicopter crash that occurred in Iona, Florida, shortly after Hurricane Ian.
NAPLES Memorial celebrates the life of John Passidomo Hundreds of friends and family gathered for a memorial at Baker Park in Naples.
‘Latinos in Action’ empowers all students to succeed WINK News talked with teachers who are a part of the program, helping kids reach their full potential.
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.
Everglades City (CREDIT: WINK News) A Southwest Florida small town is getting recognized for its charm. Everglades City was selected by Smithsonian Magazine as one of the Top 15 Best Small Towns to visit in the U.S. The little tourist town hosts between half a million to a million visitors each year. Besides the occasional playground and post office traffic, people are few and far between in Everglades City. “The last census they said it was like 350-some, I thought it was a few more than that but it’s not very many,” said Everglades City Mayor Howie Grimm. “It’s real quiet. hear that? It’s nice.” “People when they see it, they say, I didn’t realize it was this beautiful,” Grimm said. With the price of gas, goods and groceries way up, cross-country travel is pricey. But, it’s perhaps the perfect time for folks in Southwest Florida to take a staycation in Everglades City. “Come down, spend the day down here, that’d be fantastic,” Grimm said. “Then you get to see Everglades city.” So what is there to do and see? The magazine raves about the Museum of the Everglades, with exhibits on the Tamiami Trail’s construction and the impact of recent hurricanes. It also boasts two landmark restaurants, Camellia Street Grill and Triad Seafood Market. “But, we have several more in town, as well,” Grimm said. There is Hole in the Wall Pizza, a tiny joint full of character. And you can’t talk Everglades City without talking boats. Everglades City (CREDIT: WINK News) Capt. Brandon Acosta owns Everglades City Fishing Charters and his wife owns Everglades City Marina and Tackle Shop, a one-stop-shop for rentals, charters, sightseeing and bait. “I grew up in Naples, found Everglades City, and never left,” Acosta said. “I’ll tell you, I’ve never had someone come here and say oh, we don’t like it. We won’t come back. Everybody loves it. It’s just old Florida. It’s quiet. it’s peaceful.” “People just rent boats and go out the channel to the Gulf and back and stop at the beach,” Acosta added. And as much as there is to Everglades City there’s a ton to do nearby. It’s sandwiched between Ten Thousand Islands and Everglades National Park. Capt. Steven helps run the original Everglades Airboat Tours which draw crowds all the way from Europe to the west coast and even staycationers from Punta Gorda to Naples. “A good time to feel the wind through your hair and learn a few things about the Everglades while you’re down here,” Capt. Steven said. “I’d love to see everybody down here if they want to see a small town this is it. That works.”