American Airlines flights operational following brief groundingBigger and better beaches; Sanibel gets fresh sand
American Airlines flights operational following brief grounding American Airlines said a “technical issue” disrupted flights nationwide early Tuesday but has since been cleared by the Federal Aviation Administration.
SANIBEL Bigger and better beaches; Sanibel gets fresh sand If you haven’t been to Sanibel lately you might not recognize it. Just in time for the holidays, the island is celebrating bigger, better and more beautiful beaches.
the weather authority Tracking morning fog and afternoon sunshine on Christmas Eve The Weather Authority says it’s Christmas Eve, and Southwest Florida is ushering in Santa with warmth and sunshine.
CAPE CORAL Homeowners bring Christmas cheer to Cape Coral with dazzling light displays We might not have snow but we do have some amazing Christmas lights. If you plan to hit the road with your family and check out the displays, WINK News has you covered.
ST. JAMES CITY Fire takes over trailer in St. James City Authorities responded to a fire in St. James City after a trailer became engulfed in flames.
Charlotte County man arrested for shooting person with flare gun A man has been arrested after shooting someone with a flare gun.
SAN CARLOS PARK Lee County School District approves bus service after mother’s fight The school district said Shannan Santiago’s kids can have a school bus because they live more than two miles away from their school.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral twins together for holidays after congenital heart defect scare Everyone together at home for Christmas. That’s the wish for one Cape Coral family since they were blessed with twins in the spring.
PORT CHARLOTTE Meeting held for future of Beach Park in Port Charlotte Beach Park in Port Charlotte has been closed since hurricanes Helene and Milton. Last week county leaders held a special meeting to come up with a solution to finally reopen the park to neighbors.
PUNTA GORDA Downtown Punta Gorda restaurant rebuilding after back-to-back storms In downtown Punta Gorda, the back-to-back hurricanes spared no one. For one restaurant, it meant starting over, cutting up the walls and redoing the floors not once but twice.
Valerie’s House offers support to those grieving this holiday season Christmas is considered a magical time for many families, but many also struggle with the loss of a loved one this time of year. Valerie’s House is opening its doors for the holidays to help struggling families deal with that grief.
Local beauty editor impacting community through Beauty Holiday event A local beauty editor turned beauty elf is using her event for the better. Wink news anchor Lindsey Sablan talked to Lindsay Peragallo, founder of Beauty Holiday. With brands such as Mac and CoverGirl, table after table was packed with self-care items at the Beauty Holiday event. It was like the elves quit the toy […]
ESTERO Study shows rent prices dropping in areas of SWFL According to national data, rent is slowly dropping in Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties. A new study with Florida Gulf Coast University shows the price drop might be more drastic than we think.
Ways to help with an aching head Imagine waking up with a headache so strong you can’t think, a neck pain so severe you can’t move and your eyesight suddenly turning blurry.
Novelist Randy Wayne White plans experimental citrus farming at historic Bokeelia property White just closed on a real estate deal that’s short on price but big on history with a positive outlook on the future of citrus framing.
American Airlines flights operational following brief grounding American Airlines said a “technical issue” disrupted flights nationwide early Tuesday but has since been cleared by the Federal Aviation Administration.
SANIBEL Bigger and better beaches; Sanibel gets fresh sand If you haven’t been to Sanibel lately you might not recognize it. Just in time for the holidays, the island is celebrating bigger, better and more beautiful beaches.
the weather authority Tracking morning fog and afternoon sunshine on Christmas Eve The Weather Authority says it’s Christmas Eve, and Southwest Florida is ushering in Santa with warmth and sunshine.
CAPE CORAL Homeowners bring Christmas cheer to Cape Coral with dazzling light displays We might not have snow but we do have some amazing Christmas lights. If you plan to hit the road with your family and check out the displays, WINK News has you covered.
ST. JAMES CITY Fire takes over trailer in St. James City Authorities responded to a fire in St. James City after a trailer became engulfed in flames.
Charlotte County man arrested for shooting person with flare gun A man has been arrested after shooting someone with a flare gun.
SAN CARLOS PARK Lee County School District approves bus service after mother’s fight The school district said Shannan Santiago’s kids can have a school bus because they live more than two miles away from their school.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral twins together for holidays after congenital heart defect scare Everyone together at home for Christmas. That’s the wish for one Cape Coral family since they were blessed with twins in the spring.
PORT CHARLOTTE Meeting held for future of Beach Park in Port Charlotte Beach Park in Port Charlotte has been closed since hurricanes Helene and Milton. Last week county leaders held a special meeting to come up with a solution to finally reopen the park to neighbors.
PUNTA GORDA Downtown Punta Gorda restaurant rebuilding after back-to-back storms In downtown Punta Gorda, the back-to-back hurricanes spared no one. For one restaurant, it meant starting over, cutting up the walls and redoing the floors not once but twice.
Valerie’s House offers support to those grieving this holiday season Christmas is considered a magical time for many families, but many also struggle with the loss of a loved one this time of year. Valerie’s House is opening its doors for the holidays to help struggling families deal with that grief.
Local beauty editor impacting community through Beauty Holiday event A local beauty editor turned beauty elf is using her event for the better. Wink news anchor Lindsey Sablan talked to Lindsay Peragallo, founder of Beauty Holiday. With brands such as Mac and CoverGirl, table after table was packed with self-care items at the Beauty Holiday event. It was like the elves quit the toy […]
ESTERO Study shows rent prices dropping in areas of SWFL According to national data, rent is slowly dropping in Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties. A new study with Florida Gulf Coast University shows the price drop might be more drastic than we think.
Ways to help with an aching head Imagine waking up with a headache so strong you can’t think, a neck pain so severe you can’t move and your eyesight suddenly turning blurry.
Novelist Randy Wayne White plans experimental citrus farming at historic Bokeelia property White just closed on a real estate deal that’s short on price but big on history with a positive outlook on the future of citrus framing.
House Rep. Val Demings and Sen. Marco Rubio are likely to face off for the senate seat. Control of Congress is up for grabs during the midterm elections. WINK News is breaking down the issues and tracking down the candidates to get your questions answered. It’s part of our new series called “TalkingPoints: The Truth Behind the Talk.” The first race TalkingPoints is tackling is the U.S. Senate race in Florida where incumbent Republican Sen. Marco Rubio is likely to face Democratic House Rep. Val Demings, of Central Florida. Demings has been in Congress for five years, and was the first woman to hold the title of police chief in Orlando. Florida polls show Rubio leading Demings by an average of 9 points. While it’s still early, political analysts Florida Gulf Coast University Professor Peter Bergerson and Middlebury College Professor Matthew Dickinson both explain why they think Rubio will be hard to beat. “Incumbents win 95% of the time,” Bergerson said. “It’s hard for a nobody to beat somebody.” Dickinson said a candidate trying to unseat an incumbent must do two things. “One is, you must make the case that the incumbent has somehow failed in their job, but two, you have to present an alternative,” Dickinson said. “Rubio generally is viewed somewhat favorably by Florida voters, a roughly 50 to 55% approval rating. That is generally a good sign heading into an election.” There’s also a sign this could become an expensive and intense race right up to the finish line. Both have raised more than $30 million, putting them well beyond the rest of the pack. Demings is currently in the lead by about $600k. “Marco Rubio is in a very close race, but in November, it’s ultimately going to come down to how well the Republicans turn out to vote for Ron DeSantis,” said Jonathan Martin, chair of the Lee County GOP. But Kari Lerner, the chair of the Democratic Party of Lee County has a different point of view. “I would turn it around and say, why is Senator Rubio doing so poorly when he’s an incumbent,” Lerner said. “Why isn’t he the slam dunk?” On Thursday, WINK News will sit down with Sen. Rubio and Congresswoman Demings for one-on-one interviews. Download the WINK News App to get alerts when there are new TalkingPoints for you to watch. If you have a story you want us to cover on TalkingPoints, email us at talkingpoints@winknews.com. Connect with CĂ©line McArthur on Twitter or on Facebook. You can also reach CĂ©line via email at celine.mcarthur@winknews.com.