The Weather Authority: Hot temperatures, rain, and we’re watching the tropicsWoodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Hot temperatures, rain, and we’re watching the tropics Get ready for a typical Southwest Florida weekend. It’s going to feel like the triple digits before rain rolls in and we’re watching the tropics.
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.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Hot temperatures, rain, and we’re watching the tropics Get ready for a typical Southwest Florida weekend. It’s going to feel like the triple digits before rain rolls in and we’re watching the tropics.
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.
Border Patrol says more migrants are coming to Florida this year than last. On Wednesday night, Border Patrol agents found 25 migrants from Cuba in the Marquesas Keys, 20 miles from Key West. Marathon is where Customs and Border Protection sends new arrivals to Key West for processing. They say the surge of Cuban arrivals during New Year’s weekend did not last. There is a decrease this week. Adam Hoffner, assistant chief patrol agent in Miami, said more internal resources had been deployed, such as agents with specialized skill sets in search and rescue, to prevent deaths at sea. “We encountered a group yesterday that was fortunate to have made it here. Their homemade vessel broke. The propeller broke while attempting to transit here from Cuba, and they were able to fix it at sea. If not, they would have likely been stranded out there for weeks,” said Hoffner. Hoffner said many of the migrants have limited food and water supplies, which is another reason their lives are at risk as they try to make it here from Cuba. WINK News met with a family whose father came to Florida from Cuba after the Bay of Pigs invasion instead of during the Mariel Boat Lift. Page after page, the family’s scrapbook tells the story of Arturo Cobo. A Bay of Pigs veteran, he enlisted at just 18 years old after seeing the communist regime in Cuba take ownership of his father’s bank. It’s a story Cobo’s daughters, Becky and Elsa, never forget. Arturo Cobo and his daughters Elsa and Becky. (Credit: WINK News) “As soon as they recruited, my grandfather begged him not to. And he kind of did it behind his back. He left him a note,” said Elsa Degraffenreid. While fighting for freedom, Cobo was arrested and spent almost two years in a Cuban prison. He was released on Christmas Day in 1960 and lived in Key West until he died in 2019. His daughters say he never stopped fighting for Cuban migrants. “In the early ’90s, when we had the exodus of rafters coming over, he opened Elewana Transito. It was run 24 hours by volunteers and donations, and they would give them food, clothing, and help them to get in contact with family members,” said Degraffenreid. Arturo Cobo in a newspaper clipping. If Cobo were here today to see the influx of migrants who shut down Dry Tortugas Park over New Year’s weekend, the sisters believe he’d still be fighting. “He would be doing what he was doing when he had the transit home. He would have worked with the coast guard, and whoever you know, any agency to you know, process them,” said Becky Cobo. Not all Cubans who leave for the US make it here alive. That’s why the federal government has put more agents skilled in search and rescue in the waters between the two nations. Cobo’s daughters say as long as communism controls Cuba, people will risk their lives. “All he ever wanted was, had hoped was that he would see Cuba free,” said Degraffenreid. It is something Cobo’s daughters hope to see as well. “Oh, yeah. It was his hope. And now it’s ours.” The sisters hope to continue their father’s legacy by eventually opening up a transit home in his name.