Fort Myers roads close early for Edison Festival of Light paradeNear-record heat with sun and clouds for your Saturday
FORT MYERS Fort Myers roads close early for Edison Festival of Light parade Downtown Fort Myers is preparing for a big evening with the Edison Festival of Light Parade and 5K set to draw thousands of spectators.
the weather authority Near-record heat with sun and clouds for your Saturday The Weather Authority says the above-normal temperatures that Southwest Florida has been experiencing will stick around yet again for Saturday.
LEE COUNTY Savannah Bananas bring fun on the diamond at JetBlue Park The Savannah Bananas amazed and entertained a sold out JetBlue Park Friday night for the first time in Southwest Florida.
CAPE CORAL Caught on Camera: Cape Coral mailbox hit by drifting car A Cape Coral homeowner was left in shock after a car sent her mailbox flying through the air and left tire tracks next to her home.
ARCADIA DeSoto County man sentenced for deadly DUI crash Justice for a mother and son killed by a man driving under the influence.
NAPLES Oldest Black-owned business in SWFL continues to serve community Cleveland Bass Movers, founded in 1969, stands as the oldest Black-owned business in Southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS BEACH Broken gate on Lovers Key Beach Resort frustrating residents Residents of Lover’s Key Beach Club in Fort Myers Beach are frustrated with a gate that remains wide open, despite “No Trespassing” signs, since Hurricane Ian struck two years ago.
St. James City Church plans $700k flood-proofing project for future safety Hurricanes have caused flood after flood, and one island church, The First Baptist Church of Saint James City, wants to build higher.
Romance scams rise in the US, AARP warns residents to beware Romance scams are on the rise, with the Federal Trade Commission reporting over 64,000 cases in the U.S. in 2023.
Fort Myers Savannah Bananas make their way to Fort Myers for first time The Savannah Bananas have made their way to JetBlue Park for Friday’s sold-out game in Fort Myers to watch “the greatest show in sports.”
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Yacht Club receives key permit Cape Coral received a key permit for a Yacht Club Community Park. This permit opens up the necessary steps for the park to be built.
PORT CHARLOTTE Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church holds 31st annual Greek Fest The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of Port Charlotte kicked off its 31st annual Greek Fest on Friday.
Donations helping young kids get fed Food insecurity is a pressing issue in the community, and organizations like the Harry Chapin Food Bank, Meals of Hope and the Guadalupe Center are stepping up to help.
New risk factors contribute to heart disease February is American Heart Month, a perfect time to assess your heart health.
PORT CHARLOTTE Port Charlotte High School student arrested for possession of BB gun According to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, a student has been arrested after a BB gun was found in his backpack on Friday.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers roads close early for Edison Festival of Light parade Downtown Fort Myers is preparing for a big evening with the Edison Festival of Light Parade and 5K set to draw thousands of spectators.
the weather authority Near-record heat with sun and clouds for your Saturday The Weather Authority says the above-normal temperatures that Southwest Florida has been experiencing will stick around yet again for Saturday.
LEE COUNTY Savannah Bananas bring fun on the diamond at JetBlue Park The Savannah Bananas amazed and entertained a sold out JetBlue Park Friday night for the first time in Southwest Florida.
CAPE CORAL Caught on Camera: Cape Coral mailbox hit by drifting car A Cape Coral homeowner was left in shock after a car sent her mailbox flying through the air and left tire tracks next to her home.
ARCADIA DeSoto County man sentenced for deadly DUI crash Justice for a mother and son killed by a man driving under the influence.
NAPLES Oldest Black-owned business in SWFL continues to serve community Cleveland Bass Movers, founded in 1969, stands as the oldest Black-owned business in Southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS BEACH Broken gate on Lovers Key Beach Resort frustrating residents Residents of Lover’s Key Beach Club in Fort Myers Beach are frustrated with a gate that remains wide open, despite “No Trespassing” signs, since Hurricane Ian struck two years ago.
St. James City Church plans $700k flood-proofing project for future safety Hurricanes have caused flood after flood, and one island church, The First Baptist Church of Saint James City, wants to build higher.
Romance scams rise in the US, AARP warns residents to beware Romance scams are on the rise, with the Federal Trade Commission reporting over 64,000 cases in the U.S. in 2023.
Fort Myers Savannah Bananas make their way to Fort Myers for first time The Savannah Bananas have made their way to JetBlue Park for Friday’s sold-out game in Fort Myers to watch “the greatest show in sports.”
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Yacht Club receives key permit Cape Coral received a key permit for a Yacht Club Community Park. This permit opens up the necessary steps for the park to be built.
PORT CHARLOTTE Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church holds 31st annual Greek Fest The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of Port Charlotte kicked off its 31st annual Greek Fest on Friday.
Donations helping young kids get fed Food insecurity is a pressing issue in the community, and organizations like the Harry Chapin Food Bank, Meals of Hope and the Guadalupe Center are stepping up to help.
New risk factors contribute to heart disease February is American Heart Month, a perfect time to assess your heart health.
PORT CHARLOTTE Port Charlotte High School student arrested for possession of BB gun According to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, a student has been arrested after a BB gun was found in his backpack on Friday.
Harry Chapin Food Bank provides food for students and staff at Harns Marsh Middle. (Credit: WINK News) Children make up a third of all the people served by the Harry Chapin Food Bank, and one way the food bank reaches them is through school pantries. 150 people visit the pantry at Harns Marsh Middle School each week, and the number keeps growing. Adela is a student at Harns Marsh Middle School. Along with packing her homework on Friday afternoons, she packs a bag of groceries for her family from the school pantry. “It really helps my family because at the end of the week, you know, it’s kind of stressful, like, ’cause when I go home on a weekday, I know that when I wake up, there’s going to be breakfast at school and there’s gonna be lunch at school,” Adela said. “And it’s not a crazy huge deal if I miss dinner, but on Fridays, it’s kind of hard to think because everything is so expensive now. So it’s, like, when I go home, is there even going to be something to eat?” The cost of food is also a big concern for Alison, a single mother who goes to the school pantry to find healthy food to feed her son, who has diabetes. “It’s amazing that I can just come to school, and just it’s easy access,” Alison said. “You know, as a parent, it’s hard [to be] working, but this makes it a lot easier.” But it’s not just students and their parents shopping the pantry shelves; teachers, cafeteria workers and other support staff qualify, too. Maxworth “Max” Walker goes there after cleaning the school. “Every week, weekend, on Fridays, I would come here, and I’d get some different kinds of vegetables,” Walker said. “They have fresh vegetables from the garden… you have meat like chicken, poultry, beef.” “Right now, some of our community cannot meet their basic needs,” said Principal Alex Dworzanski. “Right now, in the Lehigh area, rent is around $2,000 a month. Eggs are $8 a carton. Our teacher’s salary, paraprofessional and custodial and cafeteria worker salaries have gone up, [but] not to compare with the cost of living.” And the school pantry program, like local hunger, is growing. In the last year, Harry Chapin went from supplying eight schools to 30. Social worker Judes has added taking care of this pantry to his duties at the school. “I mean, to be able to say, ‘Oh, you need food? I got you. Can you come get it? I can bring it to you.’ So, it’s been a blessing,” Judes said. “A true blessing from Harry Chapin, and I can tell every donor out there: Their money is getting put to good use,” Dworzanski said. “It is going to the people that need it, the students that need it, my staff that need it. Without that, I would not be successful as a leader and our school wouldn’t be successful. This is something that I’ve always wanted to do as a principal, but Harry Chapin made it become a reality.”