Fort Myers teen finds dead body in bed of his truckFGCU softball falls to No. 4 Florida in NCAA Tournament
FORT MYERS Fort Myers teen finds dead body in bed of his truck A 16-year-old in Fort Myers drove to school, drove home, drove to the barbershop and back home again. Then, he noticed a swarm of flies in the back of his truck.
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.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers teen finds dead body in bed of his truck A 16-year-old in Fort Myers drove to school, drove home, drove to the barbershop and back home again. Then, he noticed a swarm of flies in the back of his truck.
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.
A pelican is back in the wild where it belongs after recovering from injuries it sustained when it was ensnared in fishing wire. The Peace River Wildlife Center released a fully recovered pelican at Laishley Park late Wednesday morning. The pelican wasted little time when the cage door opened. Quickly stretching its wings out and flying up into the sky to check out its new surroundings. Pelican begins flying after getting released. CREDIT: PAUL DOLAN According to the Peace River Wildlife Center, the pelican was injured off a pier where it was found tangled in a fishing line. “They make it worse by pulling it tighter trying to get it off, and it cuts into the skin,” said Robin Jenkins, the director of veterinary services at the Peace River Wildlife Center. Those at the Peace River Wildlife Center are keenly aware of the constant danger brought on by tossing fishing lines or nets into the water. These are hazards for all wildlife, not just pelicans. For animals impacted by these hazards, recovery can take a long time, as Cassie Tessier, the center’s rehabilitation manager, knows all too well. Moments before the pelican flew away. CREDIT: PAUL DOLAN “Sometimes when they’re grounded, they’ve been grounded for a while and have lost muscle mass, so once they’re eating on their own and they’re feisty, it’s usually a good sign they’re ready to go,” said Tessier. Jenkins and Tessier know how lucky the released pelican was. Unfortunately, not all are as lucky since wildlife is hurt in similar ways all the time. The Peace River Wildlife Center saw dozens of injured pelicans in 2023. “Sixty-four pelicans last year; I would say the preponderance are fishing line injuries,” said Jenkins. “It’s fishing line, fishing hooks, car accidents,” said the center’s executive director, Tricia LaPointe. After much hard work, time and dedication, the fully recovered pelican gets a fresh start. The pelican flying away. CREDIT: PAUL DOLAN He’s back in a 17-acre home with miles of water all around, giving the bird a bountiful source to get meal after meal for his long life ahead. For LaPointe, that means mission accomplished. “The goal is rescue, rehab and then ultimately release,” said LaPointe. “We want to get as many animals back into their native habitat as possible.” Rehabilitated pelican released back into the wild. CREDIT: PAUL DOLAN While fishing, it’s important to remember to properly discard left-over fishing lines, hooks and netting. Also, do not cut the line if you get a bird on your fishing hook. “Get an extra person to help. Wear eye protection (sunglasses) if available. Slowly reel the bird in, cover its eyes, carefully remove the hook and release the bird,” said the Peace River Wildlife Center. These are simple steps everyone can abide by to help birds fly free and stay healthy across Southwest Florida. Watch the full pelican release at the top of the article. Click here to learn more about the Peace River Wildlife Center. Click here to learn more about what to do if you find or accidentally injure a pelican. Click here to learn more about what to do if you find injured wildlife.