ALVA Woodpeckers build home in woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
NAPLES Naples youth flag football team to compete in Ohio tournament This weekend, the Naples Lunatics Green will compete in the Superhero Sports tournament in Canton, Ohio.
ALVA Woodpeckers build home in woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
NAPLES Naples youth flag football team to compete in Ohio tournament This weekend, the Naples Lunatics Green will compete in the Superhero Sports tournament in Canton, Ohio.
In the heart of the holiday season, WINK News anchor Emma Heaton set out on a mission to find out what gifts people in Southwest Florida want. Not the typical presents you’d find under the tree, but what people would ask for if they had a direct line to their city or town. From less traffic, to more affordable housing, to this… “Oh, my gosh, subsidize the insurance rates that we’re getting,” said Jodi Kaplan of Naples. “More parks and amenities,” said Jerry Miller of Fort Myers. “I’d say more community things,” said Brad Bacon of Cape Coral. In Sanibel, WINK News met Jeffery Bond, a frequent visitor, and Carolyn Braden, a three-year local. Their answers proved to be very different. Of course, Bond said he wouldn’t mind less traffic. “The bridge is a little bit of a tough spot getting on and off,” said Bond. Instead of making that his wish from the city of Sanibel, he chose to focus on the good. “It’s those things that they did and they did it well: supporting the community, good infrastructure, good resources, and then… it’s just gonna be a little bit of time before that starts settling itself out. People really enjoy coming back. If you see people on the beach, they’re happy to be here, and I think they all look forward to coming back,” said Bond. Further down the barrier island, Braden just completed her home repairs from damage after Hurricane Ian. “Yes, we did. You can see around my property is just now starting to finish up,” said Braden. Braden started the interview with a twinkle in her eyes and a smile on her face, which quickly turned to tears when Emma asked her the same question she’s asked so many: What is your New Year’s wish for the island? “I would love for Sanibel to continue to be happy. Throughout this whole thing, no matter what, I’m going to cry,” said Braden. “This was a really hard thing that so many people dealt with and I just want people to continue to spread joy because joy is the only thing that’s gonna get us by still.” Joy, Braden says, is how everyone on Sanibel will overcome their many challenges. “I think if everybody can continue to say prayers for everybody down here. It’s not just me. It’s the animals. It’s the plants. It’s the businesses. It’s just every living thing. I just wish for prayers for joy and for happiness,” said Braden. Braden knows the city is working hard to bounce back from Hurricane Ian. It’s easy to be negative, so she prays for positivity. “So many people said to me, ‘Oh, you’re gonna move right away, right?’ and my answer to that was, ‘No, not right away. I’ll eventually move because I have a whole bunch of life stories to explore and to tell, but I think that Sanibel is going to be better than ever after all of this, and my house’s name right before this all happened was Don’t Worry be Happy, and I think that’s what we all need to do,” said Braden. What a nice New Year’s wish.