Sanibel’s red tide raises health alerts and wildlife concernsNaples Automotive Experience raises funds for St. Matthew’s House
SANIBEL Sanibel’s red tide raises health alerts and wildlife concerns With great weather in the forecast, it’s shaping up to be a perfect beach weekend. However, visitors to the barrier islands should exercise caution.
NAPLES Naples Automotive Experience raises funds for St. Matthew’s House The Naples Automotive Experience brought excitement and philanthropy to the community, raising money for St. Matthew’s House.
MATLACHA Little Pine Island bridge work causes, FDOT promises progress Construction on the Little Pine Island Bridge has narrowed traffic to one lane, causing significant delays for drivers.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Support women’s heart health on National Wear Red Day The first Friday in February marks National Wear Red Day!
Ongoing repairs following Naples plane crash A deadly plane crash that occurred one year ago in Naples, Florida continues to impact lives in Southwest Florida. The tragic event involved two pilots who lost their lives on Interstate 75.
Naples jet crash, one year later: new details on emergency response Sunday marks one year since a jet crashed after its pilots attempted an emergency landing on I-75 just outside of Naples. “Your mind goes back to everything that happened that day,” said Heather Mazurkiewicz, public information officer with the North Collier Fire Rescue. “I think about the fact that there weren’t more lives lost.” At […]
LCSO cutting down law enforcement response times The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is gearing up to implement “Prepared 9-1-1,” a new tool designed to enhance emergency response times.
How Harry Chapin Food Bank supports struggling families In the heart of Dunbar, a neighborhood in Fort Myers, the STARS Complex becomes a place of hope as the Harry Chapin Food Bank supports families in need.
MOORE HAVEN African American family breaking barriers in Moore Haven politics Breaking barriers is a family tradition for Rashondra Croskey and her godmother, Gloria Reese.
Charlotte County unlicensed contractor accused of fraud The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office said that a contractor has been arrested after he was hired to build a room in a home without a license.
Studies show that menopause is linked to heart risks Menopause is a natural part of life for middle-aged women, typically occurring between ages 45 and 55. However, it can bring serious health complications, including an increased risk of heart disease.
FORT MYERS Local band Shy Blossom to open up for ’90s rockers Sister Hazel at The Ranch A Southwest Florida-based band will be opening for the legendary ’90s rock fusion group Sister Hazel.
golden gate Bear Brawl: Black bears duke it out in Golden Gate backyard Two black bears were caught on camera tussling for garbage in the backyard of a Golden Gate home.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral man accused of possessing child pornography A Cape Coral man has been arrested after allegedly possessing several files of child pornography on devices.
fort myers 7 people, 3 dogs displaced following house fire in Fort Myers The Fort Myers Fire Department responded to a house fire that has left seven people and three dogs without a home.
SANIBEL Sanibel’s red tide raises health alerts and wildlife concerns With great weather in the forecast, it’s shaping up to be a perfect beach weekend. However, visitors to the barrier islands should exercise caution.
NAPLES Naples Automotive Experience raises funds for St. Matthew’s House The Naples Automotive Experience brought excitement and philanthropy to the community, raising money for St. Matthew’s House.
MATLACHA Little Pine Island bridge work causes, FDOT promises progress Construction on the Little Pine Island Bridge has narrowed traffic to one lane, causing significant delays for drivers.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Support women’s heart health on National Wear Red Day The first Friday in February marks National Wear Red Day!
Ongoing repairs following Naples plane crash A deadly plane crash that occurred one year ago in Naples, Florida continues to impact lives in Southwest Florida. The tragic event involved two pilots who lost their lives on Interstate 75.
Naples jet crash, one year later: new details on emergency response Sunday marks one year since a jet crashed after its pilots attempted an emergency landing on I-75 just outside of Naples. “Your mind goes back to everything that happened that day,” said Heather Mazurkiewicz, public information officer with the North Collier Fire Rescue. “I think about the fact that there weren’t more lives lost.” At […]
LCSO cutting down law enforcement response times The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is gearing up to implement “Prepared 9-1-1,” a new tool designed to enhance emergency response times.
How Harry Chapin Food Bank supports struggling families In the heart of Dunbar, a neighborhood in Fort Myers, the STARS Complex becomes a place of hope as the Harry Chapin Food Bank supports families in need.
MOORE HAVEN African American family breaking barriers in Moore Haven politics Breaking barriers is a family tradition for Rashondra Croskey and her godmother, Gloria Reese.
Charlotte County unlicensed contractor accused of fraud The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office said that a contractor has been arrested after he was hired to build a room in a home without a license.
Studies show that menopause is linked to heart risks Menopause is a natural part of life for middle-aged women, typically occurring between ages 45 and 55. However, it can bring serious health complications, including an increased risk of heart disease.
FORT MYERS Local band Shy Blossom to open up for ’90s rockers Sister Hazel at The Ranch A Southwest Florida-based band will be opening for the legendary ’90s rock fusion group Sister Hazel.
golden gate Bear Brawl: Black bears duke it out in Golden Gate backyard Two black bears were caught on camera tussling for garbage in the backyard of a Golden Gate home.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral man accused of possessing child pornography A Cape Coral man has been arrested after allegedly possessing several files of child pornography on devices.
fort myers 7 people, 3 dogs displaced following house fire in Fort Myers The Fort Myers Fire Department responded to a house fire that has left seven people and three dogs without a home.
Bunche Beach, nature’s classroom. CREDIT: WINK News How could you live in the Sunshine State and not soak up the sun on our beautiful beaches? From Englewood Beach to Lover’s Key, beaches are a hang-out spot so many of us take advantage of, but they weren’t always available to everyone. In fact, within just the last 60 years people with darker skin were only allowed to go to one beach in southwest Florida. For Black History Month, WINK spoke with a woman who grew up going to Bunche Beach and talked about the progress we’ve made as a community. RELATED: Untold stories of Black history told in Naples Depot Museum Vivian Watkins was born and raised in Lee County. “My adolescent years, grew up on Blake Street, and often went out to visit with my grandparents, Louisza, and Matt Curtis that lived in Iona,” Watkins said. She remembers all the good times with her family, her grandparents, her mom and dad, aunt and uncle, who, in the 1950s, worked the concession stand at Bunche Beach. “Often, the high school students from Dunbar High School, when they were out of school, they would come there, have fun, and then on the weekend, I would be there with my aunt and uncle and was able to help out at the concession stand,” Watkins said. But times were different back then. “Through that time, as I was growing up, I did experience and witness the segregation. The Bunche Beach, it was a black beach,” Watkins said. Bunche Beach was the only beach black people could go to during segregation. It’s named after Dr. Ralph Bunche, the first black American Nobel Peace Prize recipient. Its history is honored at the Williams academy black history museum operated by the Lee County Black History Society. Charles Barnes is the chairman. “My father would take us. My father was a police officer here, and so he would take his family out to the beach, and he would always take us a Bunche Beach where he also worked as a patrolman at the time. Black officers could only work in areas where there were black people,” Barnes said. Barnes said that like Vivian, he and his family couldn’t go to Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, Naples or Marco Island. Bunche Beach was the only option. Vivian was asked how she felt knowing that that’s how times were. “I was very inquisitive and asked questions. I could remember going in stores, and my dad would always have to go to the back door, and I would ask him, I’d say, ‘Dad, why do we have to go in the back door?’ And he would tell me, ‘Honey, we are not allowed to go in the front door because of segregation and everything being separate. We’re not allowed to.’ But it made me feel not in a sense, bad, but I knew that things would soon change, that it couldn’t be that way forever.” Things did change but not until 1969. Vivian was asked what it was like when she was able to go to other beaches. “It felt like being inclusive, and there was a little fear because I guess it was the fear of the unknown because I didn’t know how I would be treated by other white children, white people, but it was sort of a fear of [the] unknown.” She was asked how people treated each other. “You could tell that there was some kind of friction there. That, it wasn’t that they were really grasping and wanting to connect with us, and it was a very slow process.” Today, every beach is open to anyone of any color, but ask Vivian and Barnes to compare where we are today to before desegregation. They both said that there has been a lot of progression but that there is still a lot of work to be done.