School District denies bus service to student despite mother’s measurements2 stranded dolphins rescued from mangroves near Matlacha
School District denies bus service to student despite mother’s measurements When we think of the bus stop, we typically think of it as a safe place for our children, but one mother says the Lee County School District told her they live too close to the school to get a bus route.
MATLACHA 2 stranded dolphins rescued from mangroves near Matlacha Two stranded dolphins were pulled from mangroves near Matlacha.
CAPE CORAL NAACP honors Cape Coral Police Chief after acknowledging hate crime NAACP President, James Muwakkil, was so impressed with Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore that he wanted the entire city to know.
NAPLES Jingled Elves trolley tour underway Breaking out your best dance moves and spreading Christmas cheer. These ‘jingled elves’ are breaking it down with a purpose.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs Elementary School’s demolition plans There’s a new lesson plan at Bonita Springs Elementary School: Demolition 101. The school is set to be knocked down, and there’s good reason.
MARCO ISLAND Marco Island Councilmember’s dogs allegedly attack 13-year-old girl Councilor Tamara Goehler is coming under fire after her dogs allegedly attacked a 13-year-old girl and the girl’s five-month-old puppy.
PUNTA GORDA Gilchrist Park’s future brightens as boat cleanup commences The boats blocking Gilchrist Park are ready to be moved two years after Hurricane Ian.
Lee County Department of Health issues red tide alert for Bowman’s Beach The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a health alert for the presence of red tide near Bowman’s Beach.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral working on project to address canal safety An older Cape Coral couple drove into a canal last year. Neighbors are now saying something needs to be done about canal safety.
NAPLES Collier County mental health center receives $4 million donation A giant donation is dedicated to providing people with better mental health care in southwest Florida.
LABELLE City of LaBelle under precautionary boil water notice A water main break has the City of Labelle under a precautionary boil water notice.
ESTERO FGCU student wins ice dancing national championship FGCU sophomore Lucas Appel wins his second US Senior Solo Dance National Championship in three years.
Lee County Sheriff’s Office: Parent brings weapon to Lehigh Acres school According to a Lee County Sheriff’s Office report, there is probable cause to believe a woman unintentionally brought a firearm to school.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for December 11, 2024 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for Wednesday, December 11, 2024.
Second leading cause of chest pain The leading cause of cardiac chest pain is coronary artery disease, which affects over 18 million adults in the United States.
School District denies bus service to student despite mother’s measurements When we think of the bus stop, we typically think of it as a safe place for our children, but one mother says the Lee County School District told her they live too close to the school to get a bus route.
MATLACHA 2 stranded dolphins rescued from mangroves near Matlacha Two stranded dolphins were pulled from mangroves near Matlacha.
CAPE CORAL NAACP honors Cape Coral Police Chief after acknowledging hate crime NAACP President, James Muwakkil, was so impressed with Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore that he wanted the entire city to know.
NAPLES Jingled Elves trolley tour underway Breaking out your best dance moves and spreading Christmas cheer. These ‘jingled elves’ are breaking it down with a purpose.
BONITA SPRINGS Bonita Springs Elementary School’s demolition plans There’s a new lesson plan at Bonita Springs Elementary School: Demolition 101. The school is set to be knocked down, and there’s good reason.
MARCO ISLAND Marco Island Councilmember’s dogs allegedly attack 13-year-old girl Councilor Tamara Goehler is coming under fire after her dogs allegedly attacked a 13-year-old girl and the girl’s five-month-old puppy.
PUNTA GORDA Gilchrist Park’s future brightens as boat cleanup commences The boats blocking Gilchrist Park are ready to be moved two years after Hurricane Ian.
Lee County Department of Health issues red tide alert for Bowman’s Beach The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a health alert for the presence of red tide near Bowman’s Beach.
CAPE CORAL City of Cape Coral working on project to address canal safety An older Cape Coral couple drove into a canal last year. Neighbors are now saying something needs to be done about canal safety.
NAPLES Collier County mental health center receives $4 million donation A giant donation is dedicated to providing people with better mental health care in southwest Florida.
LABELLE City of LaBelle under precautionary boil water notice A water main break has the City of Labelle under a precautionary boil water notice.
ESTERO FGCU student wins ice dancing national championship FGCU sophomore Lucas Appel wins his second US Senior Solo Dance National Championship in three years.
Lee County Sheriff’s Office: Parent brings weapon to Lehigh Acres school According to a Lee County Sheriff’s Office report, there is probable cause to believe a woman unintentionally brought a firearm to school.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Most Wanted Wednesday: Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for December 11, 2024 Here are some of Southwest Florida’s most wanted suspects for Wednesday, December 11, 2024.
Second leading cause of chest pain The leading cause of cardiac chest pain is coronary artery disease, which affects over 18 million adults in the United States.
FGCU adjusting to the new college athletics landscape. (CREDIT: WINK News) Florida Gulf Coast University knows the field is shifting in college sports now that athletes are getting paid, and the Eagles want to stand out. Despite the success of the FGCU basketball teams, there are fears about the future of sports at FGCU. While the Eagles are familiar with the big stage, like Kendall Spray winning the woman’s college three-point contest this year. The Eagle’s women’s basketball, volleyball, and golf teams all went to NCAA tournaments this year. Who could forget the memorable Dunk City men’s basketball team in 2013, becoming the first 15 seed ever to make it to the Sweet Sixteen? Defeating big-name teams Georgetown in the first round and San Diego State in the second round. Sherwood Brown, the team captain, participated in the college slam dunk and three-point contests in 2013. Chase Fieler, also known as the mayor of Dunk City, participated in the college slam dunk contest the following year. And there’s renewed hope for the FGCU men’s basketball team under new coach, Pat Chambers. At FGCU, perhaps the most successful professional athlete in their history is seven-time All-Star and World Series Champion, Chris Sale. In 2010 Sale had 11 wins and zero losses posting an Earned Runs Average (ERA) of 2.01. Sale spread his wings as an Eagle, leading the NCAA in strikeouts at the end of the season. Moreover, Sale became the A-SUN pitcher of the year and the collegiate baseball player of the year. But, as for the entire field of college athletics, WINK News spoke with FGCU President Mike Martin about what will happen given the new landscape. Some of the athletic achievements FGCU has won. (CREDIT: WINK News) “We’re moving away from what the original intention of all this was,” said Martin. “Into this enormous entertainment money generator with all kinds of interest that transcends the interest of the institutions involved.” That money generator comes from football, at least that’s what Martin thinks. And that makes sense especially given that he was the Chancellor at LSU in 2011. Now that he’s at FGCU he knows the university is on the outside looking in, and he fears the men’s basketball tournament will be next. “March Madness will become much more controlled by a handful of schools,” said Martin. “And automatic qualifiers that we now get from being in the A-SUN will disappear.” Martin explained he believes that’s because the big names will have more teams in the tournament or every division one school will have to play their way in. Either way, the chances we’ll ever see another Dunk City run are not great. As for another upset like 16-seeded UMBC defeating 1-seeded Virginia, even less likely. “What’s our budget? Maybe 15 to 16 million a year,” said Martin. “What’s the budget at LSU? 200 million? Pretty close. Right?” Can the fact that student-athletes making money by marketing their names, images, and likeness help FGCU stay competitive? Well, according to Martin, locally those opportunities are limited. “We got to make sure that we continue to emphasize what we do well. I think we have good athletes and good student, student-athletes across the board. And good coaches and a good philosophy about this being student-athlete oriented…” said Martin. “Find a level that we can compete. Create excitement on campus. Opportunities for student-athletes to gain something in the process.” FGCU plays the A-SUN conference, and while they’ve seen some expansion in the last couple of years, they may need to do a bit more. Recently Eastern Kentucky was added to the A-SUN and even more recently Central Arkansas joined the conference a year ago. The conference will also add Austin Peay in Clarksville, Tennessee later this season. Martin explained that has added more travel expenses and more time away from campus for student-athletes.