FGCU softball falls to No. 4 Florida in NCAA TournamentSummer Safety: Swim safety tips to know before the summer
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.
FORT MYERS Detective who fired fatal shot at Christopher Jordan returns to work Monday Fort Myers police have confirmed to WINK News the detective who shot and killed a man inside his home will return to work Monday morning.
FORT MYERS Bishop Verot onto first state semifinals in nearly a decade A trip to the FHSAA State Semifinals has been a long time coming for the Bishop Verot Vikings who have not been since 2016.
Paul Fleming expanding Lake Park Diner, PJK restaurant concepts Lake Park Diner co-owners Smith Organics and Paul Fleming Restaurant Group anticipate 50 locations of what will be a Naples-based chain.
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.
FORT MYERS Detective who fired fatal shot at Christopher Jordan returns to work Monday Fort Myers police have confirmed to WINK News the detective who shot and killed a man inside his home will return to work Monday morning.
FORT MYERS Bishop Verot onto first state semifinals in nearly a decade A trip to the FHSAA State Semifinals has been a long time coming for the Bishop Verot Vikings who have not been since 2016.
Paul Fleming expanding Lake Park Diner, PJK restaurant concepts Lake Park Diner co-owners Smith Organics and Paul Fleming Restaurant Group anticipate 50 locations of what will be a Naples-based chain.
Protests in downtown Fort Myers over abortion bill. CREDIT: WINK News State and federal courts in 2024 are expected to buzz with major Florida cases. Here are 10 legal issues to watch in the new year: ABORTION The Florida Supreme Court heard arguments in September in a challenge to a 2022 state law that prevented abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. If the court upholds the law, it also could clear the way for a six-week abortion limit passed in 2023. Meanwhile, justices could decide whether a proposed abortion-rights constitutional amendment will go on the 2024 ballot. Attorney General Ashley Moody is urging the court to reject the proposal. DISNEY Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District are battling in state and federal courts, including over allegations that the state unconstitutionally retaliated against Disney because of the company’s opposition to a controversial 2022 education law. A federal judge heard arguments this month in the retaliation case, while a separate lawsuit is pending in Orange County circuit court. FSU ATHLETICS In a closely watched case in college athletics, Florida State University last week filed a lawsuit in Leon County circuit court against the Atlantic Coast Conference. Florida State, which has been a member of the ACC for more than three decades, alleged the conference has “persistently undermined its members’ revenue opportunities.” The case focuses on a media-rights deal and on steep costs for leaving the conference. READ MORE: A Year in Review: WINK Investigators reflect on 2023 GAMBLING The Florida Supreme Court is considering a challenge to a gambling deal between the state and the Seminole Tribe that allowed the tribe to offer online sports betting statewide. Two pari-mutuel companies contend the deal violates a 2018 state constitutional amendment that restricted casino gambling. Meanwhile, the companies could ask the U.S. Supreme Court to take up a separate attempt to block the sports betting under federal law. GUNS Nearly six years after Florida lawmakers passed a measure to prevent sales of rifles and other long guns to people under age 21, a Second Amendment challenge to the law is pending at the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The full appeals court said in July it would hear the case, after a three-judge panel upheld the age restriction. But the case has been effectively on hold while the U.S. Supreme Court considers a Texas case about gun restrictions. MARIJUANA The Florida Supreme Court heard arguments in November about whether it should clear the way for a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow recreational use of marijuana. Supporters of the proposal have submitted enough petition signatures to get on the 2024 ballot but need Supreme Court approval of the proposed ballot wording. Attorney General Ashley Moody has argued the court should reject the proposal. NURSING HOME KIDS A panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear arguments in January in a decade-long battle between Florida and the U.S. Department of Justice about children with complex medical needs receiving care in nursing homes. A federal district judge sided with the Justice Department and ordered Florida’s Medicaid program to take increased steps to help children live with their families or in their communities. REDISTRICTING With the 2024 elections nearing, the Florida Supreme Court and a federal-court panel are considering separate challenges by voting-rights groups to a congressional redistricting plan that DeSantis pushed through the Legislature in 2022. The cases focus on the overhaul of a North Florida district that in the past elected Black Democrat Al Lawson. The state’s 1st District Court of Appeal upheld the plan in one of the cases. SOCIAL MEDIA The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to take up a First Amendment fight about a 2021 Florida law that placed restrictions on major social-media companies. Tech-industry groups challenged the law, which passed after Twitter, now known as X, and Facebook blocked former President Donald Trump from their platforms. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld most of a district judge’s preliminary injunction against the law. TRANSGENDER LAWS After Florida passed laws and rules aimed at transgender people, a series of legal challenges are playing out in federal courts. They include cases about the state blocking Medicaid coverage for transgender people seeking hormone therapy and puberty blockers; the state barring such treatments for minors and placing restrictions on treatments for adults; and a law designed to prevent children from attending drag shows.