Few showers along a front moving through this Friday afternoonTracking Tropical Storm Sara; likely to dissipate over Central America
the weather authority Few showers along a front moving through this Friday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a cold front dropping temperatures along with a few afternoon showers this Friday.
the weather authority Tracking Tropical Storm Sara; likely to dissipate over Central America The Weather Authority is monitoring Tropical Storm Sara, which is expected to strengthen slightly before dissipation over Central America.
NAPLES “Don’t give up. You’re worth it. God sees you.” St. Matthew’s graduates speak out Susan and Dustin Cheatwood credit the Justin’s Place recovery program for saving their lives and stopping them from becoming a statistic.
ENGLEWOOD EAST FEMA relocation notice shocks mobile home park residents The Federal Emergency Management Agency issued relocation notices to residents living in one of their temporary housing parks in Englewood East.
Six dogs rescued after being left in a box by SR-29 Six dogs, including four puppies and two adult dogs, were found stranded in an empty box on the corner of Experimental Road and State Road 29 in Immokalee.
FORT MYERS Players of the Week: Dunbar’s Ken’Dahrius Green and Jeremy Ware Dunbar High School’s Special Teams unit has shown out these past two weeks, scoring a special teams touchdown in wins over South Fort Myers and Fort Myers.
NAPLES Collier County golfer lands shot on the back of an alligator “Play it safe.” That’s what Greg Irving thought he may be doing when he swung his puck Wednesday morning while golfing with his friend Joe Pack.
PUNTA GORDA Southwest Florida veterans honored during round trip honor flight Veterans from Southwest Florida made a round trip to Washington, DC, and back in honor of their service.
NAPLES Path to freedom: From Cuban prison to NCH operating room It’s rare that a serious heart condition is a blessing, but that was the case for a Naples man. The surgery he received at NCH saved his life in more ways than one.
SANIBEL Changing landscape after hurricanes Many of you know what saltwater surge does to your homes after surviving hurricanes Ian, Helene and Milton. It’s highly corrosive and destructive. It also has a similar impact on plants and wildlife, but that’s not all bad news.
Former FGCU basketball player talks Karl Smesko joining WNBA Las Vegas Aces guard Kierstan Bell made a lot of memories playing at FGCU. From winning ASUN championships to playing for one of the winningest coaches in the sport Karl Smesko.
LEHIGH ACRES Suspicious fire sparks at Lehigh Acres church Daycare services at one church are canceled after a small fire at Victory church in Lehigh Acres.
State of Florida sues FEMA for ‘conspiracy to interfere with civil rights’ The State of Florida is suing the Federal Emergency Management Agency for “conspiring to interfere with civil rights,” according to an official complaint filed by Florida Attorney General Ashely Moody.
WINK NEWS Game of the Week: Cape Coral Seahawks vs. Immokalee Indians The Seahawks are undefeated on the road and the Indians have never lost on home turf. Friday night only one will advance to round two.
Disaster assistance available for Charlotte County residents Charlotte County residents affected by hurricanes Ian, Helene or Milton can now apply for disaster assistance from local resources through Community Organizations Active in a Disaster (COAD).
the weather authority Few showers along a front moving through this Friday afternoon The Weather Authority is tracking a cold front dropping temperatures along with a few afternoon showers this Friday.
the weather authority Tracking Tropical Storm Sara; likely to dissipate over Central America The Weather Authority is monitoring Tropical Storm Sara, which is expected to strengthen slightly before dissipation over Central America.
NAPLES “Don’t give up. You’re worth it. God sees you.” St. Matthew’s graduates speak out Susan and Dustin Cheatwood credit the Justin’s Place recovery program for saving their lives and stopping them from becoming a statistic.
ENGLEWOOD EAST FEMA relocation notice shocks mobile home park residents The Federal Emergency Management Agency issued relocation notices to residents living in one of their temporary housing parks in Englewood East.
Six dogs rescued after being left in a box by SR-29 Six dogs, including four puppies and two adult dogs, were found stranded in an empty box on the corner of Experimental Road and State Road 29 in Immokalee.
FORT MYERS Players of the Week: Dunbar’s Ken’Dahrius Green and Jeremy Ware Dunbar High School’s Special Teams unit has shown out these past two weeks, scoring a special teams touchdown in wins over South Fort Myers and Fort Myers.
NAPLES Collier County golfer lands shot on the back of an alligator “Play it safe.” That’s what Greg Irving thought he may be doing when he swung his puck Wednesday morning while golfing with his friend Joe Pack.
PUNTA GORDA Southwest Florida veterans honored during round trip honor flight Veterans from Southwest Florida made a round trip to Washington, DC, and back in honor of their service.
NAPLES Path to freedom: From Cuban prison to NCH operating room It’s rare that a serious heart condition is a blessing, but that was the case for a Naples man. The surgery he received at NCH saved his life in more ways than one.
SANIBEL Changing landscape after hurricanes Many of you know what saltwater surge does to your homes after surviving hurricanes Ian, Helene and Milton. It’s highly corrosive and destructive. It also has a similar impact on plants and wildlife, but that’s not all bad news.
Former FGCU basketball player talks Karl Smesko joining WNBA Las Vegas Aces guard Kierstan Bell made a lot of memories playing at FGCU. From winning ASUN championships to playing for one of the winningest coaches in the sport Karl Smesko.
LEHIGH ACRES Suspicious fire sparks at Lehigh Acres church Daycare services at one church are canceled after a small fire at Victory church in Lehigh Acres.
State of Florida sues FEMA for ‘conspiracy to interfere with civil rights’ The State of Florida is suing the Federal Emergency Management Agency for “conspiring to interfere with civil rights,” according to an official complaint filed by Florida Attorney General Ashely Moody.
WINK NEWS Game of the Week: Cape Coral Seahawks vs. Immokalee Indians The Seahawks are undefeated on the road and the Indians have never lost on home turf. Friday night only one will advance to round two.
Disaster assistance available for Charlotte County residents Charlotte County residents affected by hurricanes Ian, Helene or Milton can now apply for disaster assistance from local resources through Community Organizations Active in a Disaster (COAD).
Lighthouse Beach on Sanibel island. Credit: WINK News Sanibel’s popular Lighthouse Beach is reopening for the first time in almost nine months since Hurricane Ian. Lighthouse Beach will be the last of Sanibel’s public beaches to reopen. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Friday morning at Lighthouse Beach Park, where Sanibel Mayor Richard Johnson joined city leaders and hundreds of locals. Sanibel Councilwoman Holly Smith was mayor when Ian hit. “Two hundred sixty-two days—instead of saying ‘into our recovery’ I’m saying ‘into our progress’—I remember when we lit that light up at the lighthouse. Now, we get to open our last public beach. Couldn’t be happier; look at the crowds that are here. This is what Sanibel is,” she said. The lighthouse is a huge symbol for people on Sanibel Island. It lost a leg during Ian (and crews are still restoring that leg) but stood strong. February saw the lighthouse relit after several months in the dark. The fishing pier and the bayside lot will remain closed as essential repairs continue, but people on Sanibel are grateful for the beach’s recovery. “Whether it’s a rainy day or a sunny day, sunrise, sunset, midday, I’ve got to see the lighthouse,” said John Lai, president of the Sanibel-Captiva Chamber of Commerce. “It’s the first thing I look for when I come over the bridge, and I don’t think that’ll ever change. I hope that my kids do the same thing.” The island has been through a lot since Hurricane Ian, from repairing the lighthouse after its leg was torn off to repairing the Sanibel Causeway, so for this to happen today means so much to locals and visitors. “The fact that the leg was missing, and yet it was still standing was very symbolic to the community, right?” Lai said. “It was broken, but it didn’t fall, and we believe that we’ve drawn a lot of strength from that.” “I’ve been sitting here crying in my car for the past 30 minutes … trying not to look stupid, but I just … my heart is happy. Things are good now,” said Kelly Raley, who drove five hours to see the reopened beach. “This is my happy place.” People lined up outside Lighthouse Beach before the sun came up, hoping to be some of the first on the sand once the barricade came down and the “beach closed” signs were taken away. Anyone who visits Lighthouse Beach on the first weekend of its reopening will have to pay for parking hourly using a new mobile payment system; due to Ian, the pay stations are no longer available. Sanibel also wants people to be aware of where they park to access the beach, as not all areas are open due to ongoing repairs, and to be careful not to access any private property.