GAINESVILLE FGCU softball parents cherish NCAA Tournament experience The parents of the FGCU softball team are relishing seeing their daughters play in the NCAA Tournament.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA The Weather Authority: Hot, hot, hot Heat advisory in place for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers teen finds dead body in bed of his truck A 16-year-old in Fort Myers drove to school, drove home, drove to the barbershop and back home again. Then, he noticed a swarm of flies in the back of his truck.
Scottie Scheffler facing felony charges; local attorney reacts The attorney we spoke with told us that, at a minimum, we’d spend the night in jail before having our first appearance and getting bail.
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball falls to No. 4 Florida in NCAA Tournament The FGCU softball team couldn’t keep up with the No. 4 Florida Gators as the Eagles drop their first Regional game 6-0 to the Gators.
Summer Safety: Swim safety tips to know before the summer The pool is warming up to be the hot spot for kids and families this summer. It’s now also the number one leading cause of drowning deaths for children ages 1-4 in the state.
FORT MYERS BEACH ‘The Whale’ restaurant to break ground on new building The Whale is a place that has shown great strength and determination.
COLLIER COUNTY Endangered Florida panther deaths surpass 2023 total in 5 months It’s taken wildlife officials just over four and a half months to report finding more dead endangered Florida panthers than in all of 2023.
FORT MYERS FMPD honors 7 officers and 2 K-9s who died in the line of duty dating back to 1930 Nine lives were given, and all nine will remain remembered. A lifetime of gratitude for the fallen officers.
Firefighter recovering from heat exhaustion after battling flames in Collier County It happened at Progress Rail, a transit corporation on Mercantile Avenue just before 5am on Friday.
FORT MYERS How do SWFL graduation rates compare to the state average? How do graduation rates for Charlotte, Lee and Collier Counties stack up against the state? WINK News crunched the numbers.
FORT MYERS Community divisive over ‘justified’ officer-involved shooting of Christopher Jordan A detective who killed an unarmed black man in a controversial shooting will be back at work on Monday.
CAPE CORAL Family submits civil complaint against Cape Coral Police Department The family of a 13-year-old boy who was struck and killed while riding his scooter has officially filed a civil complaint.
FORT MYERS Community reacts to ‘justified’ officer-involved shooting of Christopher Jordan Leaders with the NAACP are saying there is a divide between the black community and Fort Myers police.
NAPLES Inside look at $21 million Naples Players Theater, set to open at the end of May On Friday, as the theater’s 70th season approached, leaders and organizers invited WINK News for a ‘hard-hat-tour’ to showcase the new additions and construction updates.
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball parents cherish NCAA Tournament experience The parents of the FGCU softball team are relishing seeing their daughters play in the NCAA Tournament.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA The Weather Authority: Hot, hot, hot Heat advisory in place for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers teen finds dead body in bed of his truck A 16-year-old in Fort Myers drove to school, drove home, drove to the barbershop and back home again. Then, he noticed a swarm of flies in the back of his truck.
Scottie Scheffler facing felony charges; local attorney reacts The attorney we spoke with told us that, at a minimum, we’d spend the night in jail before having our first appearance and getting bail.
GAINESVILLE FGCU softball falls to No. 4 Florida in NCAA Tournament The FGCU softball team couldn’t keep up with the No. 4 Florida Gators as the Eagles drop their first Regional game 6-0 to the Gators.
Summer Safety: Swim safety tips to know before the summer The pool is warming up to be the hot spot for kids and families this summer. It’s now also the number one leading cause of drowning deaths for children ages 1-4 in the state.
FORT MYERS BEACH ‘The Whale’ restaurant to break ground on new building The Whale is a place that has shown great strength and determination.
COLLIER COUNTY Endangered Florida panther deaths surpass 2023 total in 5 months It’s taken wildlife officials just over four and a half months to report finding more dead endangered Florida panthers than in all of 2023.
FORT MYERS FMPD honors 7 officers and 2 K-9s who died in the line of duty dating back to 1930 Nine lives were given, and all nine will remain remembered. A lifetime of gratitude for the fallen officers.
Firefighter recovering from heat exhaustion after battling flames in Collier County It happened at Progress Rail, a transit corporation on Mercantile Avenue just before 5am on Friday.
FORT MYERS How do SWFL graduation rates compare to the state average? How do graduation rates for Charlotte, Lee and Collier Counties stack up against the state? WINK News crunched the numbers.
FORT MYERS Community divisive over ‘justified’ officer-involved shooting of Christopher Jordan A detective who killed an unarmed black man in a controversial shooting will be back at work on Monday.
CAPE CORAL Family submits civil complaint against Cape Coral Police Department The family of a 13-year-old boy who was struck and killed while riding his scooter has officially filed a civil complaint.
FORT MYERS Community reacts to ‘justified’ officer-involved shooting of Christopher Jordan Leaders with the NAACP are saying there is a divide between the black community and Fort Myers police.
NAPLES Inside look at $21 million Naples Players Theater, set to open at the end of May On Friday, as the theater’s 70th season approached, leaders and organizers invited WINK News for a ‘hard-hat-tour’ to showcase the new additions and construction updates.
FILE – New York Giants running back Peyton Hillis puts his helmet on as he walks through a tunnel to the field before an NFL football game against the Washington football team, Dec. 1, 2013, in Landover, Md. When the former running back’s mother pointed to his son and niece off a Florida beach and said they were drowning, he said he didn’t think and just ran for the water. Hillis saved the children from a rip current off the coast of Pensacola in January 2023, but he said in an interview broadcast Tuesday, June 13, that the scariest moment was swimming past his 9-year-old son, Orry, to his 8-year-old niece, who was in more danger. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File) When former NFL running back Peyton Hillis’ mother pointed to his son and niece off a Florida beach and said they were drowning, he said he didn’t think and just ran for the water. Hillis saved the children from a rip current off the coast of Pensacola in January, and he said in an interview broadcast Tuesday on “Good Morning America” that the scariest moment was swimming past his 9-year-old son, Orry, to his 8-year-old niece, who was in more danger. “I knew that I had to pass him up to get to Camille first,” Hillis said. “Because, you know, if I didn’t then there’s no way she would’ve made it.” A man gave them a boogie board, and after Hillis put his niece and sister on it, he turned back for his son. “By the time I got to him, he was pretty much limp,” Hillis said. “He didn’t have any more strength in him to swim.” He described being unable to swim as he held his 130-pound son amid towering waves. “You’re seeing his eyes roll back in the back of his head and you’re just thinking, ’Lord, please. I really don’t care about my life. I don’t. But if we can get him out here then that’s the only thing I’m going to care about.’” Hillis said that eventually he was able to walk toward shore and his son regained his energy and began to walk, but Hillis passed out in the shallows, about 20 or 30 yards from the beach. Hillis was taken to a hospital, where he remembered seeing his mother, daughter and sister when he regained consciousness after 10 days. Hillis was released from the hospital in mid-January, and in late February he issued a statement on Twitter, thanking those who helped him. “I just wanted to come on here and thank everyone for all the prayers and love y’all have given me,” Hillis wrote. “It’s really made all the difference.” Doctors have told Hillis that it will probably take him a year to fully recover and he said he doesn’t think his lungs will ever get back to full strength. “Physically, it’s coming along OK, you know mentally … it’s coming along a lot slower,” he said. “I’m just trying to take it one day at a time.” Hillis was drafted by the Denver Broncos in 2008 and also played with the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Giants. He retired in 2015. Hillis called it a “100% miracle” that no one died in the Jan 4. incident, adding that it made him realize what is really important in life. “If you’re not here for your loved one, your family, your friends, why are you here?” Hillis said.