From rookie to captain, Oliver Chau leads the Florida EverbladesReward increase of $5K for more information on Edison Mall shooter from 2011
ESTERO From rookie to captain, Oliver Chau leads the Florida Everblades From shy newcomer to team leader, one man’s journey with the Florida Everblades has been remarkable.
FORT MYERS Reward increase of $5K for more information on Edison Mall shooter from 2011 Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers is seeking more information on a suspect wanted for shooting someone at the Edison Mall.
CAPE CORAL Precautionary boil water notice issued for neighborhood in Cape Coral A precautionary boil water notice is in effect for residents in the area of Southwest 5th Avenue following a water main break that briefly halted potable water service.
Blue Sky Restaurant dawns at Magnolia Square in North Naples The family-owned Blue Sky Restaurant opened Dec. 7 in the former space of Franklin Social, a local bar with a limited food menu that closed earlier this year at Magnolia Square on the northeast corner of Goodlette-Frank and Pine Ridge roads.
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 on Monday evening after flames engulfed a trailer near York Road and Dewberry Lane.
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.
ESTERO From rookie to captain, Oliver Chau leads the Florida Everblades From shy newcomer to team leader, one man’s journey with the Florida Everblades has been remarkable.
FORT MYERS Reward increase of $5K for more information on Edison Mall shooter from 2011 Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers is seeking more information on a suspect wanted for shooting someone at the Edison Mall.
CAPE CORAL Precautionary boil water notice issued for neighborhood in Cape Coral A precautionary boil water notice is in effect for residents in the area of Southwest 5th Avenue following a water main break that briefly halted potable water service.
Blue Sky Restaurant dawns at Magnolia Square in North Naples The family-owned Blue Sky Restaurant opened Dec. 7 in the former space of Franklin Social, a local bar with a limited food menu that closed earlier this year at Magnolia Square on the northeast corner of Goodlette-Frank and Pine Ridge roads.
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 on Monday evening after flames engulfed a trailer near York Road and Dewberry Lane.
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.
Maxwell Frost, Democratic congressional candidate for Florida’s District 10, speaks during a rally, Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022, in Coral Gables, Fla. LYNNE SLADKY / AP Amid Republican gains in the U.S. House races in Florida, Democrat Maxwell Alejandro Frost became the first member of Generation Z to win a seat in Congress. As of Tuesday night, most of the Florida races for the U.S. House of Representatives had gone according to expectation, including Republican Anna Paulina Luna’s win against Democrat Eric Lynn in the 13th District, a St. Petersburg-based district formerly represented by Democrat Charlie Crist. Republicans were on pace to add to their domination of the U.S. House delegation from Florida, where the GOP-led government drew new district lines favoring their party. But Frost, a 25-year-old gun reform and social justice activist, was able to win handily in a heavily blue Orlando-area district being relinquished by Democratic Rep. Val Demings, who lost her challenge against Sen. Marco Rubio. Frost is a former March For Our Lives organizer seeking stricter gun control laws and has stressed opposition to restrictions on abortion rights. Gen Z generally refers to those born between the late 1990s to early 2010s. To become a member of Congress, candidates must be at least 25 years old. Frost is among at least six newcomers to the U.S. House of Representatives in Tuesday’s vote from Florida as Republicans took advantage of an aggressively redrawn congressional map spearheaded by Gov. Ron DeSantis. In the wake of the 2020 census, DeSantis had ordered the GOP-controlled legislature to adopt a map devised to maximize Republican gains — vetoing the initial GOP-backed map which largely kept intact two seats held by Black Democratic members of Congress. Heading into this election year, Republicans held 16 seats and Democrats represented 11 from Florida in the House. Florida is gaining a 28th seat due to population growth. In one of the marquee races, Republican Neal Dunn defeated Democrat Al Lawson in a north Florida battle of incumbents. Lawson’s majority-Black district was scrapped by the Republican-led Legislature, which adopted a congressional map pushed by DeSantis, prompting a lawsuit alleging unconstitutional racial gerrymandering. The new House members from Florida will come from six open seats, including the 13th District won by Luna after losing in 2020 to Crist. In addition, Democratic Rep. Stephanie Murphy chose not to run for reelection after her redrawn district in central Florida, leading to a victory by Republican Cory Mills, which marks a switch to the GOP. And in South Florida, Democrat Ted Deutch’s retirement opened the way for fellow Democrat Jared Moskowitz to win the seat that includes the high school where Nikolas Cruz killed 17 people in 2018. One truly open seat, where no incumbent was involved, was the 15th District in the Tampa area, where Republican Laurel Lee — a former Florida secretary of state — defeated Democrat Alan Cohn, a former investigative journalist. Among races with an incumbent, Miami-area 27th District was the most closely contested and had a history of flipping back and forth between Democrats and Republicans. In that race, Democratic state Sen. Annette Taddeo lost to first-term Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, keeping the seat in the GOP fold. Otherwise, Florida’s incumbent U.S. House members are headed back to Washington. These include Republican Matt Gaetz, a top supporter of former President Donald Trump who is under federal investigation in a sex trafficking case; Democrat Kathy Castor in a Tampa-area seat; Republican Vern Buchanan, who could chair the powerful Ways and Means Committee in a GOP-led House; Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a former Democratic National Committee chair; and state delegation dean and Republican Mario Diaz-Balart, first elected in 2002. One incumbent had no opposition Tuesday: GOP Rep. John Rutherford, a former Duval County sheriff, had already won another term in north Florida’s 5th District. The economy is weighing heavily on the minds of Florida voters. Three-quarters of them believe things in the country are heading in the wrong direction, according to AP VoteCast, an expansive survey of more than 3,200 voters in Florida. About half rank the economy and jobs as the most important issues facing the country. Almost 8 in 10 voters say the nation’s economy is not so good or poor. When looking at their own family’s financial situation, about half describe it as holding steady while almost 4 in 10 say they are falling behind. However, 6 in 10 voters say they are confident they can keep up with their expenses and find a good job if needed. For a majority, inflation is the single most important factor in the election. Meanwhile, nearly 7 in 10 voters say the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision on abortion is an important factor in the election.