ALVA Woodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
NAPLES Naples youth flag football team to compete in Ohio tournament This weekend, the Naples Lunatics Green will compete in the Superhero Sports tournament in Canton, Ohio.
ALVA Woodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
NAPLES Naples youth flag football team to compete in Ohio tournament This weekend, the Naples Lunatics Green will compete in the Superhero Sports tournament in Canton, Ohio.
Bigger cars and trucks mean bigger blind spots up front, putting young lives at risk, as one family tragically learned earlier this year. Seven-year-old Alissa was a fun-loving, cheery little girl who tragically died on Easter weekend, devastating her entire family. Her grandmother accidentally ran her over in the driveway. Alissa’s aunt, Lisa Ottendorf, spoke with WINK News for the first time about the family’s loss. “Alissa was just the life of the room. She was, like, you know she was there, she was loud and funny. And I loved spending time with her,” Ottendorf said. “A family member thought everybody had exited and gone inside and later found out that [Alissa] had left something in the car. So, we’re assuming maybe she had gone back and wasn’t seen over the top of the vehicle. And the vehicle had backup camera, but not a front camera.” Ottendorf says the family member, driving a minivan at the time, never saw Alissa. “Our family takes it day by day; we have faith, and that’s the only way we’ve gotten through,” Ottendorf said. “And you can never bring her back. I mean, we miss her every day. It’s painful.” Vehicles have a blind spot directly in front of the hood. The bigger the car, truck or SUV, the bigger the blind spot. The shift to bigger rides comes as deaths from frontover crashes grow. The U.S. Department of Transportation says such crashes have more than doubled in less than 5 years, going from killing 240 in 2016 to killing 526 people in 2020. The victims are often small children. Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal is calling for a fix. He wants new rules to make front-facing cameras and collision avoidance sensors standard in new vehicles. “Safety should not be a premium feature,” Blumenthal said. “It should be standard, just like airbags and seatbelts.” Parents are urging vehicle makers to install front-facing cameras. (CREDIT: WINK News) The high-tech tool already exists on many models, but the camera is often a paid add-on. Rearview cameras, by contrast, have been required on all new vehicles since 2018. It’s a kind of technology that Amber Rollins of Kids and Cars helped push for. “The goal is preventing children from being run over and other pedestrians and even pets,” Rollins said. “The majority of cases involve a driver that was a parent or a loved one of the child that was killed or injured… the worst part, the part that breaks your heart more than anything, is that it doesn’t have to happen.” Alissa’s family knows that all too well. “It’s trauma,” Lisa Ottendorf said. “I mean, it’s trauma like you never can imagine. The whole family is – I mean, it’s gut wrenching, heart breaking. Just think again, you just don’t think it can happen to you. You think that they’re gonna grow up and have a long healthy life? And you’re not supposed to, you know, survive past your kids? Right?” If you don’t have a forward-facing camera in your vehicle already, you can buy one online for as little as $15, but installation may cost extra. You can get a BlueTooth version, which will cost you more. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation sent this statement: “Safety is a top priority of the auto industry. Vehicles continue to get even more safe as automakers across the board test, develop and integrate new safety technologies that can help save lives and prevent injuries.”