SWFL Scoreboard: High School Football Regional SemifinalsLarge response to rollover crash in Fort Myers
WINK NEWS SWFL Scoreboard: High School Football Regional Semifinals It’s the regional semifinal round of high school football in Southwest Florida. Check out the scores and highlights.
FORT MYERS Large response to rollover crash in Fort Myers There was a large response to a multi-car crash with a rollover in Fort Myers just after 8 p.m on Friday night.
FORT MYERS BEACH New information on why FEMA put Fort Myers Beach on probation FEMA was sure to lay it out in a letter. Out of the five points listed, three areas need work on Fort Myers Beach to re-apply for the flood insurance discount.
CAPE CORAL Exclusive: Cape Coral Police Chief speaks out on hate crime incident New exclusive surveillance video shows the moment a Cape Coral home is vandalized. The suspects painted racial slurs on the wall in red paint. WINK News broke this story on Wednesday.
CAPE CORAL New police precincts coming to Cape Coral The Cape Coral Police Department is adding new precincts around the city. The reason? Growth.
Vietnam veteran’s unique service animal companion When we think of service animals, dogs usually come to mind, but it’s not just dogs that help people navigate through their challenges.
NAPLES Gulfshore Life’s Men and Women of the Year award honoree: John Cooney It’s one thing to be philanthropic and help our community. It’s another to provide so much help and want absolutely nothing in return, not even your name mentioned.
FORT MYERS Dunbar High principal named Lee County Principal of the Year Carl Burnside was the last to find out Friday morning that he was selected as Lee County Schools Principal of the Year for 2025.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach businesses excited for increased season traffic Those on Fort Myers Beach are excited for the town to return to normal. Businesses are ready to accept snowbirds and residents again.
CAPE CORAL Mom faces DUI charge after crash during pick-up at Oasis High School A crash in the pick-up line at Oasis High School led Cape Coral police to a DUI investigation.
Rethinking daily Asprin intake Many of us have heard the saying, “An aspirin a day keeps the doctor away,” but new research shows that taking aspirin every day might not be as good for you as we once thought.
NAPLES Embezzlement investigation in Naples WINK News is looking into claims of embezzlement in the Naples government.
NORTH FORT MYERS Where did the Shell Factory animals go? With the closure of The Shell Factory in September, people have been wondering where the animals went.
Tim Aten Knows: Publix to demolish, rebuild Naples store Two days after Thanksgiving, the 38-year-old Publix supermarket in Neapolitan Way Plaza will close to begin a Naples redevelopment project that has been planned for years.
Planned retail, lifestyle center seeking tenants at Babcock Ranch A new 112,000-square-foot mixed-use complex designed for retail shops, restaurants, bars, office space and residential units is planned for Babcock Ranch. Called B Street at Babcock Ranch, there are approximately 20 parties negotiating leases, said Jon Cashion, a principal with commercial real estate agency Katz & Associates. A groundbreaking ceremony is slated for early 2025, […]
WINK NEWS SWFL Scoreboard: High School Football Regional Semifinals It’s the regional semifinal round of high school football in Southwest Florida. Check out the scores and highlights.
FORT MYERS Large response to rollover crash in Fort Myers There was a large response to a multi-car crash with a rollover in Fort Myers just after 8 p.m on Friday night.
FORT MYERS BEACH New information on why FEMA put Fort Myers Beach on probation FEMA was sure to lay it out in a letter. Out of the five points listed, three areas need work on Fort Myers Beach to re-apply for the flood insurance discount.
CAPE CORAL Exclusive: Cape Coral Police Chief speaks out on hate crime incident New exclusive surveillance video shows the moment a Cape Coral home is vandalized. The suspects painted racial slurs on the wall in red paint. WINK News broke this story on Wednesday.
CAPE CORAL New police precincts coming to Cape Coral The Cape Coral Police Department is adding new precincts around the city. The reason? Growth.
Vietnam veteran’s unique service animal companion When we think of service animals, dogs usually come to mind, but it’s not just dogs that help people navigate through their challenges.
NAPLES Gulfshore Life’s Men and Women of the Year award honoree: John Cooney It’s one thing to be philanthropic and help our community. It’s another to provide so much help and want absolutely nothing in return, not even your name mentioned.
FORT MYERS Dunbar High principal named Lee County Principal of the Year Carl Burnside was the last to find out Friday morning that he was selected as Lee County Schools Principal of the Year for 2025.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach businesses excited for increased season traffic Those on Fort Myers Beach are excited for the town to return to normal. Businesses are ready to accept snowbirds and residents again.
CAPE CORAL Mom faces DUI charge after crash during pick-up at Oasis High School A crash in the pick-up line at Oasis High School led Cape Coral police to a DUI investigation.
Rethinking daily Asprin intake Many of us have heard the saying, “An aspirin a day keeps the doctor away,” but new research shows that taking aspirin every day might not be as good for you as we once thought.
NAPLES Embezzlement investigation in Naples WINK News is looking into claims of embezzlement in the Naples government.
NORTH FORT MYERS Where did the Shell Factory animals go? With the closure of The Shell Factory in September, people have been wondering where the animals went.
Tim Aten Knows: Publix to demolish, rebuild Naples store Two days after Thanksgiving, the 38-year-old Publix supermarket in Neapolitan Way Plaza will close to begin a Naples redevelopment project that has been planned for years.
Planned retail, lifestyle center seeking tenants at Babcock Ranch A new 112,000-square-foot mixed-use complex designed for retail shops, restaurants, bars, office space and residential units is planned for Babcock Ranch. Called B Street at Babcock Ranch, there are approximately 20 parties negotiating leases, said Jon Cashion, a principal with commercial real estate agency Katz & Associates. A groundbreaking ceremony is slated for early 2025, […]
Rip current on Florida shore. (Credit: NOAA) As Americans head to the beach this summer, the risk of rip currents may be lurking just offshore. Rip currents are narrow channels of fast-moving water that commonly occur along U.S. coastlines and are the reason for more than 80% of beach rescues. Anywhere there are waves, rip currents can form. And while they can develop during any kind of weather or conditions, they most often occur during low tide when waves are at least 2 feet tall. When waves crash onto shore, they create currents, but sometimes those currents move perpendicular to land and create the rip currents that flow offshore. They are dangerous and can pull swimmers out to sea at rapid speeds. “Rip current” is sometimes incorrectly referred to as a “rip tide.” Rip currents, while influenced by tides, are ultimately created by waves hitting the bottom of the shore. While rip currents are dangerous, it’s how we react to them that can turn them deadly. Why are rip currents so dangerous? According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, rip currents kill 100 people every year in the U.S. They can occur on any of the coasts, including along the Great Lakes. To compare, sharks killed one person in the U.S. in 2022. In North Carolina, researchers found that 25% to 30% of all rip current drownings were individuals going in to rescue someone else, Greg Dusek, a senior scientist at NOAA’s National Ocean Service, told CBS News. That’s what happened when New York City firefighter Mark Batista jumped in to try to save his daughter from a rip current on the Jersey Shore. Rescuers managed to pull the girl to safety, but Batista drowned. There was no lifeguard on duty at the time. What causes rip currents? Lifeguards rescue 30,000 swimmers from rip currents every year in the U.S. While many believe rip currents only occur during storms or bad weather, that’s a misconception: They can occur in any weather, at any time and can be difficult to spot. Dusek said three primary sources influence rip currents: waves, the tide or water level, and the shape of the bottom of the coastline. Rip currents often form in shallow waters where there are breaks in sandbars or along structures such as jetties and piers. How can you spot a rip current? Keep an eye out for rip currents by looking for breaks in waves where foam, seaweed or sand is being pulled away from shore. The safest way to prepare for a day at the beach is to go to a beach with a lifeguard, American Lifeguard Association national spokesperson Wyatt Werneth told CBS News. If a beach’s website does not mention lifeguard hours, Werneth said, it most likely doesn’t have one. According to the U.S. Lifesaving Association, the chance of drowning at a beach with a lifeguard is 1 in 18 million. Werneth and Dusek said beachgoers should adopt a “know before you go” policy. Before visiting a beach, check local forecasts for any beach warnings. Check NOAA’s Nearshore Wave Prediction System, which predicts rip current conditions, or visit weather.gov/beach for beach forecasts across the country. How can you escape a rip current? Rip currents can move as quickly as 8 feet per second. The conventional wisdom for what to do if you’re caught in a rip current is to swim parallel to shore to try and escape it. But Werneth warned that isn’t always best — rip currents can be up to 50 feet wide and you can easily swim out of one and into another. It doesn’t matter how strong of a swimmer you are, Werneth said, if caught in a rip the best thing to do is to stay calm, try to float on the surface and call for help. Rip currents sit on the water’s surface and won’t pull you under. Trying to play tug-of-war with the rip and swimming straight to shore will only tire a swimmer out and increase the chance of drowning. If you see someone struggling, never go in to help them without a floatation device. If a lifeguard is not present, call 911.