NAPLES A first look inside the Gulfshore Playhouse What does it take to become a candidate for Gulfshore Life’s Men and Women of the Year?
WINK NEWS Best time to shop for Black Friday Long gone are the days of people camping out overnight, waiting for their favorite store to open after Thanksgiving.
WINK NEWS Thanksgiving events across Southwest Florida Thanksgiving in Southwest Florida is a blend of tradition, offering both classic holiday gatherings and unique local events.
CAPE CORAL Caught on Camera: Social media influencer arrested for theft at Cape Coral Target The Cape Coral Police Department arrested a woman accused of stealing items worth nearly $500 from a Target.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers woman pleads guilty to possessing loaded firearm as person with felony convictions Fort Myers woman pleaded guilty to possessing a loaded firearm and ammunition as a person with felony convictions.
CAPE CORAL What’s next for Cape Coral City Council after repealing stipend? The City of Cape Coral elected five new council members Wednesday night, and their first motion was to repeal the controversial self-imposed stipend.
FORT MYERS California man pleads guilty to distributing drugs to Lee County A California man has pleaded guilty to conspiracy with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl to Lee County.
Holiday events scheduled in Lee County throughout December It is the most wonderful time of the year, as Lee County is preparing for several Christmas and holiday-themed events in December.
FORT MYERS BEACH 34th annual American Sand Sculpting Companionship begins on Fort Myers Beach The resilience of the Southwest Florida community is on display Thursday morning in the form of sand on Fort Myers Beach.
the weather authority Decreasing humidity and mostly sunny skies for your Thursday The Weather Authority is tracking a cold front dropping humidity and temperatures on this Thursday afternoon.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral’s new council eliminates stipend on day one People in Cape Coral are getting what they voted for: the new city council members were just sworn in, and they eliminated the stipend.
LEHIGH ACRES Man arrested for fatal hit-and-run crash with motorcyclist in Lehigh Acres A man has been arrested in connection with a hit-and-run crash that killed a motorcyclist on Tuesday night.
Latest details on fatal Alligator Alley crash ; 1 killed According to the arrest report, a man told troopers he got a minivan from a pastor but did not get permission to take it out because he left in the middle of the night
Enforcing state law on street camping in Punta Gorda More than a month since the new state law banning sleeping in public places went into effect the city of Punta Gorda voted on if an ordinance change was needed.
Cape Coral home vandalized; homeowner calls it a “hate crime” A man returned to his unfinished Cape Coral home to find it’s been violated and vandalized. Cape Coral police are searching for the suspect.
NAPLES A first look inside the Gulfshore Playhouse What does it take to become a candidate for Gulfshore Life’s Men and Women of the Year?
WINK NEWS Best time to shop for Black Friday Long gone are the days of people camping out overnight, waiting for their favorite store to open after Thanksgiving.
WINK NEWS Thanksgiving events across Southwest Florida Thanksgiving in Southwest Florida is a blend of tradition, offering both classic holiday gatherings and unique local events.
CAPE CORAL Caught on Camera: Social media influencer arrested for theft at Cape Coral Target The Cape Coral Police Department arrested a woman accused of stealing items worth nearly $500 from a Target.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers woman pleads guilty to possessing loaded firearm as person with felony convictions Fort Myers woman pleaded guilty to possessing a loaded firearm and ammunition as a person with felony convictions.
CAPE CORAL What’s next for Cape Coral City Council after repealing stipend? The City of Cape Coral elected five new council members Wednesday night, and their first motion was to repeal the controversial self-imposed stipend.
FORT MYERS California man pleads guilty to distributing drugs to Lee County A California man has pleaded guilty to conspiracy with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl to Lee County.
Holiday events scheduled in Lee County throughout December It is the most wonderful time of the year, as Lee County is preparing for several Christmas and holiday-themed events in December.
FORT MYERS BEACH 34th annual American Sand Sculpting Companionship begins on Fort Myers Beach The resilience of the Southwest Florida community is on display Thursday morning in the form of sand on Fort Myers Beach.
the weather authority Decreasing humidity and mostly sunny skies for your Thursday The Weather Authority is tracking a cold front dropping humidity and temperatures on this Thursday afternoon.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral’s new council eliminates stipend on day one People in Cape Coral are getting what they voted for: the new city council members were just sworn in, and they eliminated the stipend.
LEHIGH ACRES Man arrested for fatal hit-and-run crash with motorcyclist in Lehigh Acres A man has been arrested in connection with a hit-and-run crash that killed a motorcyclist on Tuesday night.
Latest details on fatal Alligator Alley crash ; 1 killed According to the arrest report, a man told troopers he got a minivan from a pastor but did not get permission to take it out because he left in the middle of the night
Enforcing state law on street camping in Punta Gorda More than a month since the new state law banning sleeping in public places went into effect the city of Punta Gorda voted on if an ordinance change was needed.
Cape Coral home vandalized; homeowner calls it a “hate crime” A man returned to his unfinished Cape Coral home to find it’s been violated and vandalized. Cape Coral police are searching for the suspect.
Bravo Supermarket on Palm Beach Boulevard is the only full service grocery store in the Dunbar area. (CREDIT: WINK News) You’re cooking dinner and realize you’re missing an ingredient. Can you run to the store and get what you need? Is there even one nearby? If not, you might live in what the U.S. Department of Agriculture calls a food desert. “You don’t have easy access to a store where you can buy good quality food; it’s too far away from you to be easy for you to access,” said Richard LeBer, president and CEO of the Harry Chapin Food Bank. That is the case for about 70% of the people living in Southwest Florida. The 2019 map from the USDA shows the food deserts in the area. (CREDIT: USDA) The area in green is considered low-income and at least a mile from a grocery store. “Some places are obvious like you know, when you’re out east in the middle of the Everglades somewhere, it’s, you know, might be 20 miles or more to a food store Glades County, there is no full-service retail food store in Glades County at all,” LeBer said. According to a 2014 study from Johns Hopkins University, Black communities are more likely to be food deserts, a possible result of racial residential segregation. The food that is there is often more expensive. Dunbar is no exception. The only store in the 33916 area code is the Bravo Supermarket on Palm Beach Boulevard. “If you want to get produce, and you don’t want to pay a fortune for it. It’s hard for people in those parts of town to do that on a regular basis, particularly if they’re working and they’re caring for kids, and they have limited time and all of that,” LeBer said. Pastor Gregory Ford, of First Assembly Cornerstone in Dunbar, sees the need for a grocery store with fresh food firsthand. “It will be a little more convenience for the families, especially when you got the families that don’t have proper transportation to get around,” Ford said. They end up having to rely on Uber, taxis, or friends. Hopefully, the community won’t have to wait and walk far for much longer. Under the umbrella of the Greater Dunbar Initiative, help is on the way. It’s a multi-million dollar plan to improve the neighborhood and the lives of the people in it by fixing and creating more housing, creating jobs, and giving the area access to healthy food with a brand-new grocery store. “It also establishes our community as being a community that people live in. That these people deserve to be able to have these things,” Ford said. But that could be years down the road. And everyone, no matter where they live, deserves fresh, healthy, affordable food. You can help the issue of food deserts by donating to the Harry Chapin Food Bank. WINK News is hoping to raise enough funds for 1 million meals. HOW TO HELP: Help us raise $450,000 to put a million meals on the tables of hungry families in Southwest Florida. You can donate by visiting our March to a Million Meals donation page.