Six dogs rescued after being left in a box by SR-29Players of the Week: Dunbar’s Ken’Dahrius Green and Jeremy Ware
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).
Great Wolf Lodge celebrates grand opening with Rob Gronkowski Pack your trunks. We’re taking you to the grand opening of the Great Wolf Lodge resort in Collier County.
BOCA GRANDE Lee County issues red tide alert near Boca Grande Pass The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a health alert for the presence of red tide near Boca Grande Pass.
LEHIGH ACRES Lehigh Acres parent arrested after allegedly assaulting school bus driver A Lehigh Acres parent is facing charges accused of assaulting a school bus driver. Neighbors told WINK News it began with a screaming match Friday afternoon.
CAPE CORAL Cape police believe retail burglaries are linked Detectives believe a man is linked to multiple burglaries in Southwest Florida.
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).
Great Wolf Lodge celebrates grand opening with Rob Gronkowski Pack your trunks. We’re taking you to the grand opening of the Great Wolf Lodge resort in Collier County.
BOCA GRANDE Lee County issues red tide alert near Boca Grande Pass The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a health alert for the presence of red tide near Boca Grande Pass.
LEHIGH ACRES Lehigh Acres parent arrested after allegedly assaulting school bus driver A Lehigh Acres parent is facing charges accused of assaulting a school bus driver. Neighbors told WINK News it began with a screaming match Friday afternoon.
CAPE CORAL Cape police believe retail burglaries are linked Detectives believe a man is linked to multiple burglaries in Southwest Florida.
Students in class. CREDIT: WINK News The teacher shortage in Lee County schools isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. On Wednesday, WINK News talked with teachers who left, all of whom blamed low pay. WINK News spoke with Tamryn Taylor in her office at the Quality of Life Center on Thursday. She’s an academic specialist supervisor and youth programs assistant. Looking around her office and looking at the posters, books and decorations, it’s clear how much she loves children and teaching them. For three years, Taylor taught at Treeline Elementary and one year at Franklin Park. However, she stopped doing what she loves when she couldn’t take it anymore. “It was to the point where if I could not find something of a pay increase, I’d have to search out for roommates or get a second job,” said Taylor. “If anything happened to me where I had to take time off, or I got hurt, or whatever the case may be, there wasn’t enough to cover anything extra. There was barely enough to have any form of a social life or anything of self-care.” It sounded familiar to Taylor when she saw WINK News reporting on Wednesday about how teachers are struggling and why they’re quitting. Teachers are dealing with low pay, overcrowded classrooms and more. “You’re now a first-grade, second-grade, third-grade, fourth-grade and fifth-grade teacher because you have so many different types of students in your class,” said Taylor. Taylor went on to note feeling what she called “underwhelming support” from those around her. “Life as a teacher is hard. Because you do so much, you juggle so many roles,” said Taylor. It could worsen, given that the Lee County Teachers Association says the district is down 200 educators. WINK News spoke with Kevin Daly, the president of the Lee County Teachers Association about the issue. “Instead of a teacher having their planning period or something, they’re forced to cover the class, and so they don’t get a break all day,” said Daly. Moreover, the teachers aren’t getting extra pay. Daly told WINK News that teachers who can’t do it daily leave. In return, the district has fewer teachers to pay. But where does that money go? A Lee County Schools spokesman told WINK News the money goes into a fund to hire more teachers. Daly said the money needs to go to teachers already on the job. “Because they can’t hire, that money essentially should be spread out amongst the employees who are covering classes and doing the extra work,” said Daly. The school district did not make anyone available to talk with WINK News about the teacher shortage, teachers quitting and the impact on students.