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.
Many homes, lives, and businesses were destroyed by Hurricane Ian. Some people saw the devastation firsthand, while others watched from afar. One of the South Beach Bar and Grille owners found out his business was destroyed when he saw it on his TV. WINK News spoke to the owners of the South Beach Bar and Grille, who said they hope to be back open by Christmas. Amazing if you look at what South Beach Bar and Grille looks like right now, which is nothing. The owners have faith that they’re going to rebuild quickly for themselves and for their little island of Boca Grande. Hurrian Ian meant utter destruction as it ravaged, blackened, and eventually burned the South Beach Bar and Grille like a scene out of a war movie. South Beach Bar and Grille on October 6, 2022. (Credit: WINK News) WINK News reporter Claire Galt was outside what remained of the restaurant just eight days after the storm. “I am standing at the back of the South Beach Bar and Grille. You can kind of get a better look at some of this damage. The restaurant appears to have burned down. We’re not sure why yet. It looks like an electrical issue, but this place looks like a warzone.” “That aerial view that you showed on your first live report. That’s when I first found out, like, I just fell to my knees, and my wife thought I was having a heart attack,” said Marco Meola, South Beach Bar and Grille co-owner. WINK News’ live report a week after the hurricane was the first time Meola saw the state of his restaurant. “I just… I couldn’t catch my breath. I haven’t felt like that, you know, other than the family person dying or so it was very overwhelming. I couldn’t function, I couldn’t talk, and I am somewhat of an emotional person, but I’m not usually brought to tears, and that was just, you know, my life’s work done in a day, you know,” said Meola. “I sat down on the steps. I said I gotta sit down for a few minutes,” said Bart Destefano, South Beach Bar and Grille co-owner. WINK News met with Meola and Destefano Friday afternoon and saw the restaurant again five months later. “It just kind of wipes away, just takes your breath away,” Meola said. “But, you know, we wallowed in self-pity for a few days. And then we got together, and we started planning to do something else,” Destefano said. South Beach Bar and Grille location. (Credit: WINK News) Right now, the Grille is still in shambles. In fact, the structure is gone altogether, but that’s not what Destefano and Meola see. “When you pull up, you’re gonna go like, ‘oh, wow, it’s back. It’s the same thing as it was before,'” said Meola. “It’s just an overwhelming feeling that we have to get this place rebuilt,” said They feel the need to rebuild because “If three people were sitting together at the bar, it would be a fifth generation fisherman sitting next to a fortune 500 businessman, you know, sitting next to a bartender, all three of them sharing conversations about the same things. You know, so that’s pretty iconic. And I know we said that before, but you don’t see that in a lot of places,” Meola said. “Boca Grande needs this place,” said Destefano. In the meantime, the owners are working out of a temporary location, Mimis 3rd Street Grill. It’s right down the road from where South Beach Bar and Grille stood. The owners said it doesn’t compare to what South Beach was, but they wanted to make sure their employees have a place to work.