LABELLE Fatal crash on State Road 29 in LaBelle According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a fatal crash occurred on State Road 29 on Tuesday evening.
NAPLES Naples on alert but staying calm ahead of potential storm It’s understandable to get anxious whenever we hear about the possibility of severe weather with Tropical Storm Rafael gaining strength in the Caribbean.
BONITA SPRINGS Florida’s Rick Scott reelected to US Senate Florida incumbent Rick Scott has been reelected to the U.S. Senate.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda RV residents concerned about hurricane damage The people at the Harbor Belle RV Resort had concerns about their homes before hurricanes Helene and Milton.
WINK NEWS How Hispanic voters in SWFL are casting their ballots The Hispanic community in Southwest Florida is seemingly divided as they cast their votes for the next president of the United States.
WEST PALM BEACH Trump and supporters gear up for election night in West Palm Beach All eyes are on the presidential election between Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump.
SANIBEL City of Sanibel to open time capsule for 50th anniversary It’s a chance to see what the past was like. 41 years ago, the city of Sanibel put items in a time capsule to be opened on the 50th anniversary of the city’s incorporation. On Tuesday, WINK News was there to see what people had to say about the island decades ago.
FORT MYERS BEACH Lee Commission approves contract to restore 2 waterfront parks on Fort Myers Beach The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted to award a contract for the design of the restoration of two waterfront parks on Fort Myers Beach.
Direct approach to hip replacement Surgeons in the United States perform more than 500,000 hip replacements every year, and that number is only expected to increase as our population ages.
ARCADIA DeSoto County Jail employee accused of trafficking contraband into facility An employee at the DeSoto County Jail has been arrested after allegedly trafficking illegal contraband into the jail.
Soluna Restaurant & Bar launches at Bayfront in Naples Emulating its namesake fusion of the sun and moon, Soluna Restaurant & Bar has arisen to illuminate the Naples dining scene.
NAPLES CFO Jimmy Patronis reminds Floridians to check their constructor contracts for post-storm fraud The Florida Department of Financial Services’ Chief Financial Officer, Jimmy Patronis, will hold a news conference in Naples on post-storm fraud prevention.
Know where your voting precinct is in Southwest Florida Election Day is only one day away, so it is important to know where to go and if you qualify to vote in Southwest Florida.
The Weather Authority Rafael strengthens into Cat 1 hurricane The Weather Authority meteorologists are now watching Hurricane Rafael in the Caribbean.
The Weather Authority Scattered rain and storms on this Election Day The Weather Authority is tracking scattered rain and storms along with warm temperatures throughout this Election Day Tuesday.
LABELLE Fatal crash on State Road 29 in LaBelle According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a fatal crash occurred on State Road 29 on Tuesday evening.
NAPLES Naples on alert but staying calm ahead of potential storm It’s understandable to get anxious whenever we hear about the possibility of severe weather with Tropical Storm Rafael gaining strength in the Caribbean.
BONITA SPRINGS Florida’s Rick Scott reelected to US Senate Florida incumbent Rick Scott has been reelected to the U.S. Senate.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda RV residents concerned about hurricane damage The people at the Harbor Belle RV Resort had concerns about their homes before hurricanes Helene and Milton.
WINK NEWS How Hispanic voters in SWFL are casting their ballots The Hispanic community in Southwest Florida is seemingly divided as they cast their votes for the next president of the United States.
WEST PALM BEACH Trump and supporters gear up for election night in West Palm Beach All eyes are on the presidential election between Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump.
SANIBEL City of Sanibel to open time capsule for 50th anniversary It’s a chance to see what the past was like. 41 years ago, the city of Sanibel put items in a time capsule to be opened on the 50th anniversary of the city’s incorporation. On Tuesday, WINK News was there to see what people had to say about the island decades ago.
FORT MYERS BEACH Lee Commission approves contract to restore 2 waterfront parks on Fort Myers Beach The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted to award a contract for the design of the restoration of two waterfront parks on Fort Myers Beach.
Direct approach to hip replacement Surgeons in the United States perform more than 500,000 hip replacements every year, and that number is only expected to increase as our population ages.
ARCADIA DeSoto County Jail employee accused of trafficking contraband into facility An employee at the DeSoto County Jail has been arrested after allegedly trafficking illegal contraband into the jail.
Soluna Restaurant & Bar launches at Bayfront in Naples Emulating its namesake fusion of the sun and moon, Soluna Restaurant & Bar has arisen to illuminate the Naples dining scene.
NAPLES CFO Jimmy Patronis reminds Floridians to check their constructor contracts for post-storm fraud The Florida Department of Financial Services’ Chief Financial Officer, Jimmy Patronis, will hold a news conference in Naples on post-storm fraud prevention.
Know where your voting precinct is in Southwest Florida Election Day is only one day away, so it is important to know where to go and if you qualify to vote in Southwest Florida.
The Weather Authority Rafael strengthens into Cat 1 hurricane The Weather Authority meteorologists are now watching Hurricane Rafael in the Caribbean.
The Weather Authority Scattered rain and storms on this Election Day The Weather Authority is tracking scattered rain and storms along with warm temperatures throughout this Election Day Tuesday.
The 2022 hurricane season started with a historic lull. A tropical storm formed five days into the season, but nothing until September 1. There were 14 named storms, of which eight became hurricanes. Two intensified into major hurricanes, including Ian, with winds reaching 155 miles per hour sustained and a massive storm surge. Storm surge from Hurricane Ian. (Credit: WINK News) Ian’s track was teetering on the edge as Southwest Florida watched, prepared, and hoped for Ian to stay away. As the hours ticked by, it became clearer that the hurricane growing in the gulf would swirl east, strengthening as it slowed. When Ian rolled in, making landfall on Cayo Costa on September 28, it delivered a deadly, drenching, devastating punch to Southwest Florida. The community watched as the water rose. “We swam to Walmart because the water came up in like five minutes. It filled my house, and I didn’t want to drown,” said Beth Ross. Boats pushed onshore by Ian. (Credit: WINK News) The streets disappeared. The sheer power of the surging water tossed yachts like toys. The images of the aftermath were unimaginable. Survivors shared incredible stories of resilience and bravery, including Johnny Lauder, who swam half a mile to rescue his mom from her Naples home. Johnny Lauders and his mother. (Credit: Johnny Lauders) “Halfway in the journey, I was looking up because the telephone lines were all arcing, and it was sparking. And if they started feeling a buzz, then, of course, go around but wasn’t gonna stop me. And as I took one picture, and literally a minute later, I’m not even joking. I looked up at the poles, I thought, okay, I’m fine. And when I looked down, there’s this kneeboard in front of me as if somebody put it there. As I approached my mom’s unit, I hear screaming, which was an overwhelming feeling of fear and joy at the same time one, not knowing that she was trapped or hurt under something. And two, I was happy because I knew there was air still in her lungs. So it turns out that she was on the phone with my son and yelling at me through the window that she can’t get to the door. She doesn’t have teeth but believe me, she was smiling. The water was up to her chin. I mean, aside from if I would have been 20 minutes later, she wouldn’t be here,” said Lauder. Kevin Ott braved the storm on what began as a mission to rescue his kids’ grandmother. In all, he saved 12 people. Kevin Ott’s boats filled with the people he saved. (Credit: Kevin Ott) The Category 4 hurricane is the deadliest storm in the state’s modern history, leaving our shoreline in shambles. Southwest Florida coastline after Ian. (Credit: WINK News) On the east coast, Nicole, a Category 1 storm, came ashore near Vero Beach. It was the first hurricane to make a November landfall in Florida since 1985. It sucked the coastline into the Atlantic and took homes and buildings right along with it. Damage caused by Hurricane Nicole on Florida’s east coast. “The water was coming right up to the windows, and it was – it sounded just like a freight train just going by, and it never stopped. It never ended,” said Pat Keefer. The resiliency to build back better than ever is unmatched from coast to coast. From July 3 to August 31, the Atlantic did not produce a single named storm. The last time that happened was when Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941.